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The man dressed in red is almost ecumenical.
"We are here to dedicate the triumph to our Tifosi. Last year in Turkey we did very badly, redeeming ourselves is a must".
The other one, dressed in light blue, is decidedly dismissive.
"Schumacher talks, but it is impossible for Ferrari to win the last five races. They won’t make it, also because I will take home at least a couple of them. We at Renault are still the favourites".
Almost identical words, albeit with opposite meanings. Schumacher against Alonso, it is the great challenge of Istanbul, a battle that may be decisive, with those thin ten points dividing the two rivals. Both are optimistic, swaggering and confident that they hold the right cards. Schumacher is especially happy that one card is gone from the opponent’s deck, the infamous mass damper that is now permanently outlawed.
"Sometimes you also have to accept decisions you don’t like. Not being able to use it will be a serious handicap, I have to make the most of this new situation".
Raging on Alonso who instead does not want to mourn for this lost joker, assuring that he has other winning weapons.
"The mass damper was useful, the FIA’s decision took a tenth per lap from us and I was surprised in terms of timing and manner, considering that at the beginning of the season, it was allowed and then suddenly when I had almost closed the World Championship, it became illegal. I could talk about a suspicious ruling, but it will certainly not be the mass damper that will lose us the title. The determining factor continues to be the tyres, those will make the difference. In Budapest we had no rivals in this aspect, unfortunately, I ruined everything by going off-track. But here in Istanbul, Michelin could be exceptional again, silencing Schumacher’s desire to make a comeback".
The challenge is on, in words nobody is showing any doubts, from Friday onwards it will be the track that will tell who was right in being so unbalanced. Schumacher does not show the slightest fear.
"It’s four races that Ferrari has been the fastest in the dry. Here the forecast keeps us calm, the sun is beating down. If nothing changes, Alonso doesn’t stand a chance".
In the hope that others will also help his comeback, teammate Massa and future Ferrari driver Räikkönen. Who reiterates:
"In Budapest, they stole my bag with the documents, they didn’t take my licence for drunk driving. If anyone continues to write these falsehoods, I will take them to court".
Smiles and nervousness. Confidence and anger. The two faces, almost identical in Thursday's venomous verbal challenge, doubled. The first test with the Istanbul track exalts Schumacher and depresses Alonso.
The German is not the fastest, he leaves the platonic throne to one of his pupils, the nineteen-year-old Sebastian Vettel, born in Kerpen like him, a debut to be framed as a Bmw test driver, a fast one, so much so that he even got a 1.000 dollars fine for speeding in the pit lane, but Schumacher returns to the hotel with the certainty that his Ferrari can fly here, thanks also perhaps to the unusual structure of the rear wheels, fuller on the inside in their visual impact, taking inspiration from the lenticular wheel that exalted Moser hour’s record in Mexico City. Schumacher believes in it. He is convinced he can beat Alonso, and that he can shorten the gap in the standings.
"I set the best time lap with used tyres, it’s a good sign. It shows that our Bridgestones don’t fear degradation, which can give us great performance on this track".
This was confirmed by Massa, the only one to have also used a second set of tyres, capable thanks to the new tyres in the last session of being the fastest after the surprise Vettel, leaving a sad Alonso with a gap of 1.6 seconds. Even this, in Schumacher’s euphoric thoughts, is a comforting result and encourages him to think big. As well as the heat making the asphalt scorching.
"Until Budapest, I thought that the weather was a secondary factor, but after what happened in Hungary I changed my mind. In the dry, for at least four races we have been the best and Renault seems slower. I don’t know if the banned mass damper is to blame. I'm only interested in only gaining points in the standings and celebrating at the end".
Something that Alonso fears he can no longer do, again protagonist like in Budapest of an aggressive duel on track and related contact with the Dutchman Doornbos:
"In overtakes I only have problems with him and his Red Bull. Here you have to race on defence because it seems impossible to keep up with Ferrari’s pace. Our times have been heavily influenced by tyre degradation, the tread pattern tends to wear down, we pick up the dirt and we lose grip. But let’s wait to announce our defeat, maybe in the race everything will change and we will be the fastest again, like in Budapest".
Hope that does not seem to transpire too much on his face. Nor does it seem to belong to Briatore, poisoned with the FIA over the mass damper ban. Renault’s team manager, Flavio Briatore, is very hard on the decision of the Federation.
"They changed the rules on the run and distorted the championship. It’s like if in the middle of the football season, they established that you cannot play with eleven players but ten. We had found an intelligent idea to make the tyres work well, it was legal for one year and a half, then suddenly they turned around. I wonder who will benefit from this u-turn".
Maybe who will win this World Championship instead of him. Briatore does not name names, but his accusations are explicit.
"When two teams are equal, a referee's decisive intervention could have devastating effects".
All this when Ferrari puts the novelty of these new rear wheels on the track. Felipe Massa affirms:
"It helps us with aerodynamics".
But Ross Brawn, the strategist, clarifies:
"Everything is legal, we are calm, we already have a favourable opinion from the FIA".
Will Briatore after so much invective just observe?
On Saturday, August 26, 2006, Felipe Massa took the first pole position of his career, ahead of Schumacher by one-tenth of a second. The two Renaults occupied the next row with Alonso in front of Fisichella again. Fifth spot was initially taken up by Ralf Schumacher's Toyota before he was demoted to fifteenth for a gearbox change. This was also true for Christijan Albers, who was taken from a good sixteenth place qualifying for the Midland team to the back of the grid. Only four-hundredths of a second separated Nick Heidfeld, Button and Räikkönen, who qualified from sixth to eighth before all moving up a place after Ralf Schumacher's penalty. Robert Kubica and Mark Webber completed the top ten fastest times, with Christian Klien completing the top ten on the starting grid. All Ferrari front row and first career pole position for the Brazilian Felipe Massa at the Turkish Grand Prix, the fourteenth appointment of the F1 World Championship. At Istanbul's circuit, Massa finished ahead of everyone with a time of 1'26"904. On the second row were the Renault of Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella. The Spaniard says:
"I’m happy, it’s a good result, but today Ferrari was too strong, so we thought about our pace. The team did everything they could, the third and fourth place still makes us optimistic. Tomorrow will be a race full of pressures, but that’s part of a sportsman’s life. I want to be optimistic".
Felipe Massa, what is it like to be Saturday's king?
"It’s an indescribable emotion, a crazy joy. I worked my whole life to reach a goal like this, the first pole of my career, I will never forget it".
Felipe Massa is caustic: he says he enjoys this brief happiness because the race is something else, Schumacher is behind him and everyone knows how Ferrari works.
"I am an intelligent guy, I will try to do my race, to get the maximum, but I also know that I have to help my team, which aims to win two World Championships. By helping Ferrari, I also helping myself".
Let us be clear: if you let him through, you are helping Schumacher above all.
"It could happen and I wouldn't see anything wrong with that, you have to be realistic. He is in a fight for the title, I cannot forget it. Meanwhile, however, I enjoy his compliments. He told me that I did a superb lap, I think he’s right".
A performance that could weigh in favour of his reconfirmation. Ferrari guarantees that it will announce its 2007 drivers at Monza, in two weeks. The deadline is not far off.
"I'm calm, the future for me has never been a worry. For months I've been saying that I’m sure of one thing: next year I will be a starting driver, not a test driver. Soon you will know where".
In the meantime, he drops this not-bad business card.
"I confess that I got excited: I hope to score other pole positions, but this is the first, it made me break the ice, and the first time stays in your mind forever. I want to dedicate it to my father, without his sacrifices I wouldn't be here now. It’s a wonderful day and it could be just the beginning. In my hands I have an outstanding car. Unreachable on the single lap, but also with an exceptional race pace. Renault is not far, but meanwhile, they are behind. And I think they could stay there for the whole Grand Prix".
Back to Schumacher’s praise of your performance. He did not spare himself, is it a handover?
"This year I have improved a lot, and I am showing that I can be competitive. If great drivers like Schumacher notice this, I can only be pleased. People like him have an eye for these things, his judgments are heavy".
Where is it that you think you have beaten your opponents?
"At Turn 8, maybe the most insidious of all the World Championship, because it also has some bumps. I handled it very well, that’s where I made the difference. This is a very technical circuit, definitely challenging. If you are good here, it means you know how to drive".
Does Felipe Massa remember the last time you started at the front in a race?
"Easy, last year in Brazil, a challenge with karts. That was fun, but so was this. Should I win, you know I’ll have a party".
On the other hand, Michael Schumacher is disappointed.
"I thought I could take pole. Given our lap times in the morning, it was realistic to think so. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes, I couldn't give my best".
But also honest.
"The mistake at Turn 1 weighed heavily, it made me abort an attempt, and it also affected the last one, but I don’t think I left three-tenths on the road, the gap that Massa gave me. His performance was extraordinary, even without mistakes I would never have been able to beat him".
And above all happy.
"The front row is all red, Renault is still behind, despite my uncertainties, Alonso couldn’t beat me. We have been dominating all weekend, it seems like a circuit that suits Ferrari and our tyres. We won’t fail in the race. Here I can make up important points".
Three different moods for the same Michael Schumacher. The greedy man who snorts because he always wants to win and never, after the breathtaking chronometric results of the last free practice session (more than 0.7 seconds ahead of Alonso), would have imagined having to bow down to someone.
But even the wise old man, who has been at Ferrari all his life, does not spare any compliments for the new guy who is coming up, a very fast teammate like Felipe Massa, one who knows could take his place if in a couple of weeks Michael Schumacher were to announce his retirement at the end of the season, taking it for granted that one car is already going to the new signing, Kimi Räikkönen. Some talk of a handover and perhaps it is not such a far-fetched theory. The perception is there, reinforced by the news that the appointment of the new board of the Drivers' Association has been postponed until a later date:
"We will do it later".
Explains the vice president, Michael Schumacher, as if expecting the end or otherwise of a very illustrious member. But the mood that is of most interest, beyond the anger at missing pole or the compliments for those who surprisingly scored it, is the one more closely linked to the battle for the world title, and on this subject, Schumacher leaves no room for doubt. Convinced that he has a perfect Ferrari in his hands:
"It was me who didn't give 100% who didn't transfer the enormous potential of the car onto the track, luckily Massa managed it".
Helped also by the latest important upgrade, the wheels that are reminiscent of the lenticulars of cycling in time trials, the German is not too shy about flaunting his optimism.
"The tyres are working well, the race pace is very encouraging, it will be difficult for everyone to keep up. Worries? Not a single one".
Not even the unpleasant off-set of starting on the dirty side of the track, while his rival Alonso (third), is behind Massa and will have his starting grid position nice and clean.
"The Renaults start well, but we have also defended ourselves great in the last Grands Prix. On some circuits starting second is a big disadvantage, here I don't know, I don't have a lot of experience, it's only the second time we've raced here and in 2005 I was too far back to really understand the situation. Alonso will try to overtake me, but I am not afraid. This time I will make sure that the first corner is not fatal".
It was, however, twice yesterday. A serious mistake, both wheels on the runoff area, in the first lunge, a milder but still heavy one in the second, when with an imperfection Schumacher lost his pace and right trajectory.
"Two mistakes in the same spot, difficult for me to happen, you can see I'm losing my talent".
Ready to play the lost man also on the request for a reply to Jacques Villeneuve, who was acid towards him in recent days:
"I don't remember what he said, I have a blank memory".
In reality, he has everything clear in his mind. The necessary overtaking of Felipe Massa:
"He did well, now though, on the track or in the pits, I have to overtake him".
The gap to close to Fernando Alonso.
"I have to win, Felipe has to stay ahead of him. They are not in crisis, they remain fearsome, but they are behind. I have a great chance. I must not waste it this time".
On Sunday, August 27, 2006, the start of the Turkish Grand Prix was affected by a multi-car accident entering the first corner. Massa, Michael Schumacher, Alonso and Fisichella all battled for position entering the first corner, with Fisichella spinning, causing a chain reaction behind him. During the chain reaction, Scott Speed collided with the McLaren of Räikkönen, causing one of Räikkönen's rear tyres to puncture. Räikkönen pitted for a new set of tyres, but soon faced a similar problem due to damaged bodywork; because of this, he went straight off the outside of turn 4 and into a barrier, on the next lap. Nick Heidfeld, Fisichella, Speed and Ralf Schumacher all needed repairs from the incident, and the Midland of Tiago Monteiro was forced to retire. On lap 13, Vitantonio Liuzzi, who had climbed to seventh place, lost control entering the first turn and spun, stalling the engine. The car was left stranded on the racing line at the exit of the corner, and the Safety Car was deployed. Massa, Schumacher, Alonso, Button, Kubica and Webber all came in to make pit stops whilst the Safety Car circulated. The first four drivers stayed at the front, but Webber and Kubica dropped to near the back of the pack. Alonso, however, was able to jump Schumacher, as his title rival was forced to 'stack' behind Massa before the mechanics could set to work on his car. The final 15 laps of the race were focused on Alonso and Michael Schumacher, who fought for second place behind Massa as part of their championship battle. Schumacher pursued Alonso for the last laps but was unable to catch Alonso until the final corners of the final lap. Schumacher was right on the gearbox of Alonso exiting the last corner but did not get past. Thus, Massa took his first career Formula One victory, making it the second Grand Prix in a row with a first-time winner, following Button's win in Hungary three weeks earlier. It was the first time this had happened since 2003 when Räikkönen and Fisichella won their first victories at the consecutive Malaysian and Brazilian Grands Prix.
Drivers' Championship rivals Alonso and Schumacher completed the podium. Button, Delarosa, Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello completed the points-scorers and the cars on the lead lap. It is not the first time that the Ferrari world has had two faces, the joy of one driver, and the anger of another. Hard to imagine, however, that the pulled face is that of Schumacher, the supreme leader, the man with an endless list of world titles, victories, and pole positions. The snapshot from Istanbul could become a collectors' item: Massa jumping like a cricket on the highest step of the podium, the German wailing on the lowest. But how, Ferrari no longer protects its champion? Does it no longer order from the pits that the World Championship standings come first, that general interests override the personal, that when Schumacher is in trouble (a few times to be honest in so many years) he takes absolute precedence over his teammate? The dilemma that emerged in Istanbul fascinates and divides. A simple question: was Ferrari right, when the Safety car came out, to call both its drivers back to the pits for refuelling, respecting the position they were in at the time? Was it right to hand over the fuel pump first to Massa and then to Schumacher, not making the German jump the queue? Agreed, the Brazilian was in the lead, but the wait cost the German driver second place, causing him to be overtaken by Alonso. Heresy or sportsmanship? Would it not have been better to leave Massa on the track and who cares if a few laps later, at the end of his pit stop, he found himself trudging through the pack? The debate is open, but the Maranello team does not leave too much room for argument. It does so with its team principal, Jean Todt, the decision-maker, on and off track.
"Regrets about calling Massa into the pits? The regret is the safety car, which ruined our lead. If we had let Schumacher through, we would now have a gang of ferocious dogs in front. Bizarre: you accuse me of behaving in the opposite way to 2002 in Austria? At least I can say I've learned my lesson, something like Zeltweg won't happen again. At Ferrari we always try to be humble, in a world like Formula 1 of great arrogance, where the general level is not very high".
The reference to the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix requires a step back: it was the famous race stolen from Rubens Barrichello, of the victory denied at the last corner and handed over to Michael Schumacher on the altar of the interests of the world title. Ferrari was even crucified by Bernie Ecclestone and heavily sanctioned by the FIA. Sports director Stefano Domenicali explains:
"Whereas this time we acted correctly on a sporting level. Technically everything was possible, but we want to respect the rules. Imagine what would have happened if we had behaved differently. We took the only possible decision, the right one".
Supported, however, also by another, strictly technical fact. Ferrari was convinced that Alonso's overtake would have been pointless, that Schumacher, with his decidedly superior pace, would have taken back his second place anyway and that he could have then won, leaving Massa ahead of the Spaniard. Then the points deducted would have been four, the German would have found himself six points behind the Spaniard. Jean Todt is explicit:
"On lap 28 Schumacher lost more than four seconds due to a mistake at Turn 8. Take away that mistake and you will understand where he would have been after the second pit stop, coming into the pits four laps after Alonso".
In sum, at Ferrari they have clear ideas: no team error, it was only one who made a mistake, the driver. And all this on the eve of the crossroads of life for Michael Schumacher, the weekend when he will have to announce whether or not he intends to retire. Monza is anxious for Ferrari, but above all for him, the man at the last chance in the battle for the world title (Alonso would not allow any more uncertainty) and perhaps the last season. There are rumours that the announcement of the Ferrari driver line-up for the 2007 season will be made on Sunday, after the race, so as not to upset the battle on the track. But Michael Schumacher already knows everything anyway: does he still have the right to jump the queue at the pits? Favouring, by the way, the first victory of Felipe Massa, the former wingman, the ex-protégé because his manager is Todt's son, which he will never forget. It is the Sunday of his triumph, in a race that, in addition to its great emotion, reserves an extraordinary finale, with a sprint in which Fernando Alonso gets the better of it, with Michael Schumacher losing two points in the World Championship standings because of 0.081 seconds, of a straight too short after the last corner that prevents him from a resounding overtake right under the finish line. Felipe Massa celebrates, respecting Ferrari’s announced triumph, with a car that in the torrid heat of Istanbul proved to be clearly faster, Michael Schumacher recriminates, because in what should have been the first Grand Prix of the comeback, he lost more ground.
A terrible setback, also because it was the result of precise responsibilities. Ferrari was going stronger, not just Felipe Massa's, and due to a fatal mistake at Turn 8 on lap 28 he was unable to translate this domination into a victory, as he did on Saturday. Of course, the race had an unexpected variable, the entry of the Safety car at the start of lap 15, which put everyone in single file (but Vitantonio Liuzzi's Toro Rosso, stopped in the middle of the racing line, was too dangerous) and thwarted the scorching start of the two Ferrari drivers; Fernando Alonso seized the moment, made the most of it, and as a third wheel, slipped into the middle, giving up on Felipe Massa, but overtaking Michael Schumacher and holding on to that second place that is worth its weight in gold. Ferrari could only have avoided the mockery by leaving Felipe Massa on track and only calling the German back in. But it would have ruined the Brazilian's race, as they were convinced that Michael Schumacher would have overtaken Fernando Alonso anyway. Instead, the German stayed behind and threw it all away on lap 28, blisters appeared on his rear tyres and he no longer kept up the pace until the second pit stop. He succeeded in the finale, came close to Fernando Alonso, set the fastest lap, but five times the Spaniard closed his trajectory in his attempts to overtake him. There is the smiling Fernando Alonso, the indifferent Briatore and the pessimistic Fisichella.
"Realist, not pessimist".
Says the Italian driver.
"The Ferraris are faster, winning here is out of the question. It's the opposite of what the defender says instead".
Says Fernando Alonso.
"How do I feel? Happy. You couldn't be happier, third position on the grid is the optimal one".
What is certain is that Grand Prix after Grand Prix, the team leader seems to be struggling more and more.
"But when, what crisis".
Renault CEO Flavio Briatore denies it:
"Perhaps you were not there or have a short memory, but in Budapest we had a forty-second advantage. There are other teams in crisis, certainly not us".
Yet Giancarlo Fisichella sincerely admits that he does not know why Ferrari is so dominant:
"We have carried out all the expected steps in the evolution of the cars".
And he confirms a certain concern for the future, regarding the standings, both drivers and constructors:
"Of course we know we are at risk, for at least a couple of Grands Prix. But these are facts, it's certainly not pessimism".
One of the reasons could be explained by the mass damper factor, the vibration damper banned by the French, but it is now a taboo subject, according to Flavio Briatore.
"I'll just say this, and then I won't talk about it any more: presents are made at Christmas, not in August. Nor do you change the rules in the middle of the championship. We had the OK from the FIA, then things changed. Because the truth is that regulations are made on opinions. And some people's opinions are always fine".
The only provocation is on the Ferrari wheels:
"They will serve a purpose, they didn't put them on for looks. But they already had the authorisations anyway. Now I want to see what happens if someone else puts them on".
The Renault CEO's only admission is Ferrari's superiority on the single lap:
"Thanks to the Bridgestones. But racing is something else, let's talk about it after the Grand Prix".
And indeed Alonso has no intention of giving anything away:
"I think I can win, I don't see why I should think of the worst. There is no one between us and them, we can play for it".
A clear reference to his now proverbial starts, most recently that of Budapest (he started fifteenth, sixth at the end of the first lap):
"Of course I will try to overtake, but every start is different. We'll see how the Ferraris will start, and if I have a chance".
And, should things go wrong at the green light, the Spaniard relies on Michelin tyres:
"I don't think anyone, after this qualifying session, can say they know what will happen. And, to have an idea of how the tyres will deteriorate, we will have to wait about fifteen laps".
This, then, is Renault's present: defence and restart.
"We have made small adjustments, and the car seems to respond".
Alonso concludes, eager to convince the rest of the world, which instead sees a French team morally in the shade. The words of Pat Symonds, the engineers' boss, also say it in the end:
"The different choice of tyres has helped us: we can make life difficult for Ferrari".
In short, having reversed the negative trend, Renault is finally breathing.
"We have reopened the championship".
Says Flavio Briatore and, again ironically, he takes a camera and pretends to take pictures of the Ferrari box, celebrating Felipe Massa's victory. Pure oxygen, then, for the French team and, especially, for the Spanish defending champion. Fernando Alonso, morale is high again.
"But I was optimistic, and I even said so".
Is the World Championship victory closer?
"We have taken a good step towards the final victory, but we also need to win again. It's not over yet".
Meanwhile, you kept Schumacher behind in the race as well.
"Well, I knew that Michael only had two chances to overtake me, at Turns 12 and 14. So I acted accordingly, accelerating where I could to prevent him from getting too close to me".
Strategy that worked, in the end.
"True. But the Grand Prix also confirmed that we need something more to counter Ferrari if we want to win".
Now comes Monza, and it does not look like a favourable circuit for Renault.
"I think the favourite, because of its characteristics, will be Ferrari. But we, both in terms of tyres and engine, will have some upgrades, and we hope to be able to counter them".
No fear, in short.
"On the defence in Monza, but for the last three Grands Prix I am much more relaxed".
Here, however, you were lucky.
"With the Safety car, you can be lucky or not. Undoubtedly I took advantage of the opportunity, but I think I also have some merit, or not?"
Feelings in the final laps?
"I was focused, I was looking in the mirrors to see Schumacher's behaviour".
You controlled the situation, in other words.
"It's difficult to control when you’re going at top speed, you can only hope that the other one, behind, doesn't overtake you. I was very careful at the two possible overtaking points".
A great result, given the premise of Friday.
"That's true, we were behind but we managed to improve".
And a great race too, by the way.
"I will go against the tide and say that I remember my Hungarian Grand Prix with much more pleasure".
The world title is getting closer.
"Yes, but nobody knows what will happen".
Now testing resumes.
"I say that as well. And then the truth is another".
And what is it?
"We are all in the hands of Michelin and Bridgestone".
The debate is closed: Felipe Massa is not at Ferrari because he is a protégé (his manager is Jean Todt's son, Nicolas). The Brazilian from São Paulo enters the company as an F1 Grand Prix winner and, as a rookie, he enters the roll of honour with the most beautiful overall, the Ferrari red one.
"My dream. All my life I imagined winning a Grand Prix with the Scuderia, and now this dream has come true".
Fists in the air, shouting to the team ('Thank you guys, thank you') but, above all, tears. Copious and uncontrollable.
"Because when you fight your whole life for this, and you finally get there, you feel that you are living an unforgettable day".
Twenty-five years old in April, today Felipe Massa is no longer that fast and talented driver, who, however, ended up a little too often off the track. That was yesterday's story: today Felipe is learning his lesson and, in the words of his engineer, Rob Smedley, who takes him to the podium with Schumacher in triumph:
"He learns quickly".
The victory in Istanbul brings points to Ferrari, but finally drives away all the sceptics who doubted this driver. Who - indeed - suffered at the start of the season. Because there was no feeling with Gabriele Delli Colli, the first engineer assigned to him, and the turning point came at the Nurburgring: new engineer, the Englishman Smedley, and results one after the other. One win and four podiums in ten Grands Prix, and a real role to play within the team in the anti-Renault title strategies. Says Rob Smedley:
"Felipe is young and instinctive, he needs to be pointed in the right direction".
That, to motivate him, set him goals. Avoiding overdoing it, because that is the danger for a driver like Massa, who needs to prove himself.
"One step at a time".
Felipe understood, let himself be guided and made himself available to Michael Schumacher.
"I'm always at the team's disposal: if Michael had overtaken Alonso it's obvious I would have helped him, it's not like it's news".
It is the story of teammates, even Giancarlo Fisichella braked to avoid rear-ending Fernando Alonso at the start and compromised his personal Grand Prix. For him also came praise from Jean Todt:
"You don't get third in the standings by chance. Massa is a team player, a guy who is too nice for this world".
From today, there are no more hairpin bends for Felipe Massa. Ferrari will announce the drivers for the next season at Monza, the Brazilian could not have chosen a better moment to win.
"I just say that I am proud, happy with myself and the work done. It is my prize, and I dedicate it to everyone who helped me. And of course to my family and Raffaela".
However, it will only be his Paulista fans who will be celebrating; no Rio Carnival-type parties are planned for Felipe. A toast in the intimacy of the family, then the programme includes a transfer to Monza for a nice week of testing:
"I am already focused".
Michael Schumacher, you were sure to win on the eve of the race. How did Alonso manage to finish ahead of you?
"The responsibility is mine. On lap 28 I made a mistake at turn eight, I went off the track. You can say it was decisive. That it cost me second place. That's the truth".
All the fault of those 4.7 seconds lost at that point?
"Yes, because they prevented me from overtaking him with the strategy, stopping in the pits for refuelling four laps after him. I was convinced I could beat him, and not being able to do so was very disappointing to me. Mine was a big mistake. Then of course there are other factors".
Are you referring to the possibility of pitting before Massa, when the Safety car put everyone in single file?
"Absolutely. It would have been a wrong decision, nonsensical. Massa was in the lead, he was going strong, why sacrifice him? And then we were convinced we could both finish ahead of Alonso anyway, we had the potential to achieve a similar goal. If anything, I think of the safety car. If it hadn't been deployed, if Liuzzi hadn't had the accident, we would be commenting on a very different result now".
It was enough for you to overtake Alonso in the final laps.
"I tried, but it was very difficult. I tried to surprise him with different trajectories, in turns three, four, five, seven, in the last one before the finish line, but there was nothing I could do. I lost by 0.081 seconds, I think the finish was fiery and entertained the crowd. He went into that corner very tight, I went to the outside, but the straight was too short, our higher top speed was not enough".
The fact remains that Alonso has now increased his lead to 12 points.
"The fight has become more difficult, but you know me, I never give up. Massa is very fast, he can help me, in the last four Grands Prix we can do as many one-twos as we could have done here. If anything, I'm worried about those blisters that appeared on my tyres at one point. The car became nervous, unstable, maybe that's why I made a mistake at Turn 8. I lost speed and pace. Then when I changed them I was flying again and caught up with Alonso. But by then it was too late. I was dreaming of a mistake by him, he didn't make it".
Now it is on to Monza. There Michael Schumacher will have to unveil his future. Bernie Ecclestone is betting on his retirement.
"Really? Strange, he knows more than me. I still don't know what I'm going to do. Right now I only have one thing on my mind: the fight for the world title".
Some say that these are the most important days of his life. Michael Schumacher torn between the desire to attack, to try again (this year and ever) and the desire to unplug, to say no more to a world that has showered him with victories and money, that has not hesitated to exalt him out of all proportion, but that has never spared him even ferocious criticism, as on Sunday, immediately after the defeat in Istanbul. Schumacher torn between the excitement of the challenge, the sweet taste of fierce duels on the track, which he swears he just cannot give up, and the peace of his family, to whom, he has always said, he will give his all after retirement, at least for a while. Michael Schumacher divided, as divided is the environment that surrounds him, between those who, like Jean Todt, general director of Ferrari, still consider him the strongest in the world and those who, like Niki Lauda, speak of a driver who has lost his potential:
"Who makes too many mistakes and at this rate he will not be able to beat Alonso and win the World Championship".
Certainly, at this moment his career is at a crossroads, with a world title to chase and an important decision to make, as at the Monza weekend the Maranello team will announce the drivers for the 2007 season. Schumacher has always put off making a pronouncement. He has never hidden the fact that this could have been his last season, and initially, there was talk of a mystery to be unveiled in the spring, then the summer and now the fateful September. Some people are suggesting a new postponement, after all, in Istanbul the driver himself has repeatedly stated that he still has no clear ideas, replying in an annoyed manner to all those, starting with Ecclestone, who take his retirement for certain.
"They know more about it than I do, as I still don't know what I'm going to do".
But a further grey smoke seems unlikely because it clashes with the interests of Ferrari, which is willing to wait, but not indefinitely. Räikkönen already has a pre-agreement, it is said that in the event of failure to sign the Maranello team will have to pay the Finn a penalty of 5.000.000 euros, but beyond the money, what the men of the Maranello team are most concerned about is not getting rid of the man capable of fighting with Alonso over the next ten years. Plus now the Massa phenomenon has also exploded, boosted by the Turkish triumph and more than ever hopeful of reconfirmation. The loophole could be the announcement of three drivers, but that would risk giving an image of precariousness to a team that has always proudly flaunted its certainties. Only Schumacher can solve the puzzle. Responding on the track to the Bild, which on Monday called him:
"The champion of mistakes".
By making no more mistakes, winning every time from here to the end and unveiling his future quickly and without equivocation. If he still has the will, he has four races to prove it. If not, he will remain the icon for any book on Formula 1. An immortal myth.