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He is not going to Formula 1, Valentino Rossi has decided. He will reveal it to the world very soon, for now he has communicated it to the companies that follow him, support him and sponsor him. A confidential e-mail circulated on Monday, May 22, 2006, by Great White London, the company with offices in London and San Marino that assists the rider on all contractual matters, has informed the most important companies:
"Valentino Rossi will remain in MotoGP".
A direct communication to complex questions in the style of Rossi and his manager, Gibo Badioli, who has for long hoped that Valentino would convince himself. He had to give in: Rossi is not going to Formula 1, as had long been understood and as - now – has become official. Even Ferrari staff has been informed for a few days now: after the Chinese Grand Prix, and before the last Le Mans, its top management received a call from the rider.
"No thanks".
It is the summary of a friendly and understanding conversation between a guy who has not matured inside the change of sport and a team that does not feel like the post-Schumacher era to an unknown. Valentino, it has been understood during tests, is also fast in the car, not yet very fast, and he does not intend to take part in Formula 1 to find out, now that he is in crisis in the discipline that made him great. It is possible, probable at this point, that Valentino will anticipate the communication to his fans:
"By June I will tell you everything".
He had made it known. The upcoming Mugello, Italian Grand Prix that is scheduled on Sunday, June 4, 2006, could be the occasion to reassure the many motorbike fans, worried about his escape. And the fact that the official communication to his companies arrived on Monday after the heavy Le Mans setback - Yamaha engine failing, Rossi taking zero points for the third time in five races - can mean that Valentino has decided to shake off the last doubts: he is in danger of losing the championship, he has to commit body and soul to the motorbikes without any distraction, sirens, risky steps forward for a young man who at 27 years old has already won seven world titles on a motorbike. Rossi, who after the fifth race of the World Championship is chasing Nicky Hayden, MotoGP championhip leader, and he has some dangerous rivals ahead of him like the old Capirossi and the young talent Pedrosa, on Tuesday he stopped with the team in France to try the new chassis (already used in the race) and a series of new electronic mappings and tyres. Bad weather limited the work to just the afternoon. Now Valentino can prepare himself to relaunch the challenge to the young rivals, free from the thought of Formula 1 that was stressing him. Maybe it would have been worse to accept the no from Kimi Räikkönen, who at this point becomes an increasingly likely Ferrari driver for 2007, but the decision of Valentino nevertheless agitates the Maranello team’s top management, who are busy preparing for the Monte-Carlo challenge scheduled for May 28, 2006. Ferrari is sorry, it was hoping for the doubling of its tyres, in the big change, for a long time it really believed in it. Now the first comment from Todt, the general manager, is quite laconic:
"We acknowledge that".
However, there is no lack of a cordial message for the future.
"We wish him well in collecting what he really deserves. He wants to stay in motorcycling, to dedicate himself only to the two wheels, we respect his choice. For us, it was a pleasure to give him the opportunity to test one of our single-seaters. Valentino immediately showed that great professionalism that makes him an incredible champion. Everyone who worked with him has been impressed by his ability to adapt to Formula 1, his talent and his kindness".
Sincere words from a manager who some time ago, as an answer to the criticism of those who stigmatised Rossi's arrival at Maranello in shorts, answered:
"I would also welcome him naked".
Jean Todt now only has to cheer.
"We'll follow him with great affection in his MotoGP fight, wishing him to win the World Championship".
The one who does not seem very surprised is Michael Schumacher, who yesterday postponed everything to September 10, 2006, Monza's Sunday, for the announcement about his future.
"On the one hand, Rossi’s decision makes me sad, on the other I find it understandable. He is number one in motorbikes, repeating himself in Formula 1 would have been more difficult. He has shown great talent, but with cars, there are many factors that come into play, not just speed".
Instead, Felipe Massa breathes a sigh of relief, as he now has a lot of chances to stay if Michael Schumacher is going to retire.
"Valentino made his choice. He did a great job, but from there to becoming an official driver, and especially a Ferrari driver, there was still a long way to go. He was never a ghost to me. Some were saying that he would have taken my job, but I didn't think he would have come".
Scepticism controls the paddock and on Wednesday, May 24, 2006, the drivers can show it. Kimi Räikkönen says:
"It's news that doesn't surprise me. I didn't believe it".
Giancarlo Fisichella adds:
"I said it from day one that he would not come, or at least I always thought so".
Jarno Trulli is more diplomatic:
"It's a pity, at least we would have seen an Italian driver in a Ferrari".
While Rubens Barrichello says:
"He would have brought a breath of fresh air with his character".
And David Coulthard takes refuge in irony:
"He’s not coming any more? I'm devastated".
Thursday, May 25, 2006, Fernando Alonso showed he had intention of winning his first Monaco Grand Prix as he was fastest in the opening practice session, recording a best lap of 1’16”712, a tenth of a second faster than Honda test driver Anthony Davidson, who recorded a personal best of 1’16”872. Underlining Renault's challenge was third-fastest Giancarlo Fisichella, who was right behind Mondini, with a best time of 1’16”88. Alexander Wurz was fastest in the second practice session, one tenth faster than Mondini and two tenths faster than third fastest, Juan Pablo Montoya. Wurz was very pleased with his performance in practice.
"I went through with my tyre choice and I have to say the way the circuit is progressing, it is coming to us just as it did at the Nurburgring, which is good. This makes me quite confident and positive that we will have a good weekend".
Anthony Davidson had dislodged a marker stick in the Swimming Pool, causing a red flag at the start of the session. After the restart, Davidson got his entry to the St. Devote corner wrong and understeered into the tyre wall, removing the Honda's front wing and left front wheel.
The gap is big, the face worried. Michael Schumacher said it on the eve of the race:
"Renault with its traction is likely to be the favourite in Monte Carlo too".
But he never thought he would find himself so far behind with his Ferrari. A huge gap from Fernando Alonso at the end of the second hour of free practice, 1.4 seconds, an eternity compared to the 0.261 seconds of disadvantage in the morning, but especially an uncomfortable fifteenth position, with too many rivals in front, a poor performance that if it were to be repeated during qualifying would irreparably compromise his race. The German (with new overalls, yellow and red) was not expecting it.
"I don't understand what happened, we are too slow".
A similar sentence to the one he had said twelve days ago in Barcelona, right after the race. Back then Michael Schumacher was complaining about a sudden decline in performance, a mysterious black-out that ruined his optimism and his wishes of winning, now the strange decline happened between one session and another, morning confidence turning into a bad mood in the early afternoon.
"We are slow and I don't understand why".
The poor Michael Schumacher goes on saying, thinking maybe of the tyres, blamed for the poor grip by strategist Ross Brawn, but maybe also of something else that escapes him and makes his Ferrari dangerously erratic.
"I'm sure we will fix everything before qualifying".
The German says, in an act of faith and betting everything on a Friday that in Monte-Carlo is of absolute rest for the tarmac, but of great work for the mechanics, meanwhile, he admits that at this moment there is no reason to be optimistic, with this particular Grand Prix that for him risks becoming haunted (the last time he won here was 4 years ago), after he had won it five times in his career. Only Senna, with six victories, has managed to do better. On the other hand, Alonso is happy with his Renault, even if in the afternoon he was preceded by Juan Pablo Montoya and by the resurgent McLaren, as well as the usual kings of free practice, test driver Alexander Wurz (Williams) and Anthony Davidson (Honda), but maybe the fact that only the discontinuous Colombian is in front helps him not tone down his bravado.
"This time I'm winning".
Fernando Alonso sentences. One who does not really love Monte-Carlo:
"You close your eyes before the corner and somehow you get to the other side".
A track that never gave him a taste of the podium. Kimi Räikkönen, at the end of the first session, even had to fight off a fire by himself.
"The fireman was hesitating, I had to do something".
Thinking with relief of when in 2007 (Ferrari awaits) he will be able to say goodbye to that car. Even if this means saying goodbye to diamonds. Which in Monte-Carlo, power of the sponsor, are always present on his helmet. It could be called the nightmare of round two. The curse that mortifies the dreams of any driver. A serious concern for Michael Schumacher, who already experienced on Thursday with a less than exciting performance how difficult it is to get everything right in Monte-Carlo, but also for Fernando Alonso, although he was fast on the first day and did not hide his ambitions of victory in the slightest. Because qualifying here, along the winding streets and blind corners of the Principality, has always been a gamble, but this year it is even more so, due to the new elimination formula, the progressive exit of the slowest drivers, a novelty that was easily absorbed on the other tracks, but in Monte-Carlo it risks turning into a terrible blow. Those who think that the real show will take place on Saturday are not wrong and it is no coincidence that the drivers, on Friday all resting and at a safe distance from the paddock to protect relaxation and privacy, approach this battle with great apprehension. The problem lies in the nature of the circuit, a track that is narrow everywhere, where overtaking is practically impossible. If you start in front of everyone you may well be heading for the only triumph of your career, but if you find yourself in the middle of the grid, hoping for a heroic comeback is pure utopia. Hence the nightmare of qualifying (more important than the race) and in particular of Q2. Because in the first, the one that eliminates the six worst cars, the risk only lies in accidents, those who destroy your car and make you think that it would be better to go home straight away. But in the second the traffic is still bad, there are sixteen drivers on track, the rookies are already in the pits, everyone has an empty tank and not getting into the top ten, those who will then be competing for pole (with the race fuel, strategy in mind and much less crowding on the tarmac), is a very real danger. Michael Schumacher recognises this:
"On Thursday we were too slow, repeating a similar performance would be catastrophic, in qualifying we absolutely cannot afford it. The fight is already tight enough, all you have to do is make a mistake and then you are done, if you add the car to that, it becomes impossible".
And Fernando Alonso admits it too, who not surprisingly has lost some of his bravado and remembered to add Ferrari and McLaren among the favourites, apart from his Renault.
"Monte-Carlo is a big gamble, to win you need a great driver, an amazing car, but also a lot of luck. It's normal to worry about qualifying: if you find someone in front who slows you down, on a track like this what can you do?"
No wonder, then, that the various teams (starting with Ferrari) instead of just thinking about the race have prepared a strategic plan for qualifying. The first essential move is to never make a mistake with the fastest lap, especially in the first two rounds, there may not be the chance for a second attempt. Another certainty: one more set of new tyres will be used than usual. In other circuits Q1 is almost a formality, here it is better never to joke. Just as it is difficult to think of the best waiting in the pits and only coming out at the end of the first quarter of an hour. Better to get on track as early as possible and be safe, both at the beginning and in the second round. Finally, but this also concerns the race, getting the tyres right. On Friday, Ferrari worked mainly on this, on Thursday Michael Schumacher was slown down by the lack of grip. It is not an easy choice, the soft tyres (which accelerated Felipe Massa in the second session) do not last long in the race, the hard ones (which made Michael Schumacher leap backwards in the last hour) are not the best fit for the single qualifying lap and risk giving birth to a depressing place on the grid. What is needed is the right compromise which, data in hand, Renault seems to have already found. And that Ferrari with Bridgestone will be looking for all day on Friday. On Saturday, May 27, 2006, Fernando Alonso was quickest in the third morning session. Michael Schumacher, who had challenged Alonso all through the session, was second, two tenths slower than Alonso. Fisichella was third, Coulthard fourth, Nico Rosberg fifth, and Montoya sixth. Conditions were warm and sunny for the qualifying session for the race the following day, perhaps the biggest challenge for the drivers was getting a clear track, meaning the drivers wanted a qualifying run without any cars in their way as this can seriously compromise a driver's time with the lack of width around the track so there was a possibility of a big-name going out before the top ten shootout. Vitantonio Liuzzi was the first driver to set a time in the session. By the time everyone, except Michael Schumacher, had set a time, Felipe Massa lost control of his Ferrari at Casino Square; so the Brazilian would start from the back of the grid and the session was red-flagged.
The session restarted at 1:10 p.m. and Schumacher did set a time and was safely through to the second phase. Scott Speed had a good chance of qualifying for the second session, but an error at the chicane meant he was eliminated from qualifying. Rubens Barrichello made a last-ditch effort to get out of the elimination zone and did as he moved up to eighth. At the end of the first session, Michael Schumacher was fastest, while Christian Albers, Tiago Monteiro, Takuma Satō, Franck Montagny, Scott Speed and Felipe Massa were eliminated. Nick Heidfeld was the first to set a time in the second session before being beaten by the Renault of Fernando Alonso and the McLaren of Kimi Räikkönen who would later battle for the fastest time for the remainder of the session. So the 2005 pole position man, Kimi Räikkönen, was fastest with Fernando Alonso closely behind. David Coulthard was the surprise addition to the final session in his Red Bull. Ralf Schumacher, Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve and Nick Heidfeld were eliminated. The final qualifying session was overshadowed by Michael Schumacher's actions in the dying moments of the session as his rival, Fernando Alonso, was on a flying lap and was, at sector two, over two-tenths of a second faster than the German. However, Schumacher slid into and stopped his car against the barriers in the Rascasse corner, which compromised Alonso's lap. From first to last. From king of Saturday to ruthlessly condemned. At 11:00 p.m., with the final decision of the judges, who remained in council chamber for hours, the hallucinating day of Michael Schumacher came to an end, the protagonist in the early afternoon of a great lap, the best of the qualifying rounds, but also of an episode which earned him a penalty from the stewards and also from a large part of the F1 world. The venom, which made the eve of the Grand Prix dramatic and which irreparably compromised the race, was all in the tail end of qualifying. The chequered flag had already been waved, the drivers were struggling with the last attempt at a perfect lap, before the closing signal. Among them is Fernando Alonso, who wants to overtake Michael Schumacher, who is leading at the end of the second intermediate, with a time 0.3 seconds quicker than his rival. But there is also the German, who is pushing, and wants to defend himself.
Not everything in his car, however, this will be Michael Schumacher's defensive argument, is working at its best. So immediately after the Rascasse the German ends up sideways, works on the steering, corrects the trajectory, and avoids the barriers, but remains in the middle of the road, in the middle of the corner, with the engine off. It is a dangerous obstacle, which forces everyone to slow down, starting with Fernando Alonso. And which the judges punish ruthlessly. While accusations rain down from the paddock, with colleagues speaking of an unfair and deliberate move, recalling the German repeating these tricks, such as in 1997 at Jerez to slow down Jacques Villeneuve, the race stewards summon the Ferrari driver twice. They ask for explanations and are not convinced. And at 10:22 p.m. the statement with the sentence is issued (made public half an hour later): a terrible punishment. Since, according to the three stewards, Michael Schumacher braked too abruptly and illogically, causing him to lose control of the car, going sideways and stalling the engine, all his times were cancelled. So Michael Schumacher was relegated to last place, with the other Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa, who had immediately crashed out. Michael Schumacher cheated, and the judgment also became heavy on a political level. Fernando Alonso moved to pole. And perhaps the German is sliding towards retirement from a world in which he is beginning to have so many enemies. Maybe too many. Michael Schumacher's unbelievable day ended at 10:00 p.m., after having made a few short statements to TV stations around the world, with a wall of cameras that almost overwhelmed him, and an escape from the paddock between two wings of the crowd. A Saturday in which Michael Schumacher divided the world in two. He has split the world of F1, with many colleagues attacking him, insiders mocking and accusing him, and few defending him and in some cases absolving him, but he has also split the feelings of the fans because there is a part that greets him with choruses of jubilation, but another that repeatedly calls him a fool. After two interviews and a couple of hours in front of the judges, his last heartfelt defence before leaving the pits:
"If I have a fault, is that of being too fast".
Yes, because for Michael Schumacher, the doggedness is a process of intentions.
"I am not guilty of anything, I said it straight away, just after qualifying, then to the race stewards and I repeat it. If I have a responsibility it is that of having pushed to the maximum, maybe too much, to make the lap, the only fault could be to have come into the Rascasse too fast and to have made a mistake. When you push to the limit, you can make a mistake. It's true if I had gotten in the way on purpose, it would be a shame, but it is something completely false".
The problem is that there are many, drivers of today and yesterday, engineers, insiders, fans, who do not believe him, like the judges. Giancarlo Fisichella comments acidly:
"A five-year-old child would understand it, it's sad that a seven-time world champion behaves like this".
Jacque Villeneuve is no different:
"I don't know if this episode is more serious or what he did to me in Jerez".
Jarno Trulli's statement is heavy too:
"It's a shame. We are not stupid, it's enough to look at the footage".
And Kimi Räikkönen adds:
"What happened is against to sporting fairness. It damaged everyone".
Vitantonio Liuzzi says:
"This Schumacher is not a great actor".
And even the legends of this sport are not in favour of the German. Jackie Stewart says:
"Never seen anything like it in 45 years of F1".
And Niki Lauda says:
"It's his fault, seeing it on TV is enough".
Only Felipe Massa defends him:
"He couldn't have done it on purpose, you can’t handle a manoeuvre like that, you would go in the wall".
Michael Schumacher rejects all of the reactions.
"I know I have many friends and many enemies. The ones who love me defend me. Those who cannot stand me, attack me. I cannot expect everyone to speak well of me. If there was someone in the car with me, they would have known the truth for sure. I had problems in the fast chicane, I had to fight with the steering wheel. In the last attempt I had difficulties in turn six and then in turn ten: in both cases I managed to keep the car on track but at Rascasse I couldn’t make it".
Being in the middle of the track was not the real problem, but instead it was the engine that turned off. Why?
"We still haven’t figured it out exactly yet. It turned off after 10 seconds. Surely an electronic problem must have occurred that didn't allow the anti-stall (present in Formula 1 cars, it does not turn off the engine, ed.) to work properly. I tried to get the engine going again, but it was impossible".
The air among the drivers is cold. Freezing. We are in the interlude phase, between the day after the scandal and the next storm that will come, at the next British Grand Prix. There is Michael Schumacher, lined up on one side (with him Felipe Massa and, probably, his brother Ralf Schumacher). On the other, the rest of the world, the other drivers. United, albeit for different reasons, against the German. The battle is not only on track but also outside, in the paddock. What happened on Saturday reopened old wounds, and reminded us of things from the past that Michael Schumacher had been able to overcome from the height of his achievements. Now the new generation no longer tolerates it, feels they have gone through enough. Thus, on Saturday there is a risk of seeing a sensational referendum. Indeed, a real branch. While waiting for the judges' decision, a document appears, a collection of signatures against the World Champion.
A letter seeking consensus, that is, everyone's signatures. Objective: the ouster of Michael Schumacher as head (together with Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard) of the GPDA, the F1 drivers' association. In reality, the story becomes a small case, because someone is lucky enough to read the content, but it does not reach others. Rumours about the document thicken, people even doubt its existence. Then it is said that the promoter could even be Giancarlo Fisichella, but no one has proof of this. In the end, the most coherent reconstruction is that of Vitantonio Liuzzi:
"Honestly I didn't read this letter, but I heard of it. I know that there was Pedro De La Rosa (third McLaren driver, ed.) who was walking around with that paper, but he didn't really want to do it. It looked like they forced him a bit. Indeed after a while he gave up because he didn't want to take responsibility for it, like it happened in the past".
Drivers against, in short. Nothing that has not already happened historically, see the arguments at Magny-Cours in 2005, with Michael Schumacher once again isolated, the only one not to sign a collective document on safety, which his other colleagues wanted. But there were political reasons, it was after Indianapolis and the great flop of Michelin tyres with the consequent withdrawal from the race of all the teams supplied by the French company. In that case, it was limited to big words and raised voices, this time there is no telling how it will end. It does not seem like the rest of the Formula 1 driver group is all that eager to forget Michael Schumacher's suspicious parking. Neither does the German, judging by his comments. But the atmosphere is heavy, and honestly, Jarno Trulli's statements on his relationship with Michael Schumacher sound anomalous.
"Believe me, there is nothing personal with him. Nobody has a dislike for Michael, here we are talking about a specific fact. Nothing more".
And on the specific fact, the entire paddock cried foul, blaming Michael Schumacher unanimously, regardless of the stewards' sentence. Flavio Briatore says:
"He messed up".
In the end, once the German was punished, the matter was closed, for the other drivers. At least for now, even if the relations seem now definitely cracked, if it is true that a veteran like David Coulthard simply says:
"I don't look at other people’s times, I just think about mine".
The drama will continue, and to have an ending perhaps more episodes will be needed. On Sunday, May 28, 2006, with Schumacher starting from the back of the grid and Mark Webber between him and his closest rival, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso was in a good position. Like the qualifying session the day before, the sun was out and was most certainly staying out for the entire race. At the start of the Monaco Grand Prix, coming into the first corner, Alonso led the Williams of Webber and the two McLarens of Räikkönen and Montoya, nearly all 22 cars escaped the first corner unscathed, only Tiago Monteiro had picked up a problem, losing his front wing after a minor collision with his teammate, Christian Albers. By the end of lap one, Michael Schumacher had already passed Takuma Satō after starting the race from the pit lane and Alonso led the race by 8 tenths of a second from Mark Webber. The Australian ran wide at St Devote and was overtaken by Räikkönen at Casino Square during lap two and was now catching Alonso by setting the fastest lap and by lap four Räikkönen had Alonso in his sight. In the mid-field, Schumacher was up in 16th place and was right behind the Honda of Jenson Button, but he would not get past Button until the 21st lap when he overtook the Briton in the Chicane. By lap 14, the leaders had already caught up with the back markers of the two Super Aguris and Monteiro's Midland.
Albers was given a stop-and-go penalty on lap 18 for causing an avoidable collision with his teammate and took his penalty a lap later. By lap 21, the first round of pit stops had begun, Tiago Monteiro, who had already been into the pits, was the first driver to make a scheduled stop. Räikkönen was the first of the top three drivers to pit on lap 22. Alonso pitted from the lead two laps later, leaving Mark Webber in the race lead. After a fast in-lap, Webber pitted from the lead and had the potential to come out ahead of Räikkönen. But he failed to come out in front of the Finnish driver and retained his position. By lap 34, Schumacher was up in 13th position, behind David Coulthard, but two laps later Schumacher came in for his first stop of the race and, with a stop of 9.1 seconds, was fueled up until the end of the race. By lap 46, Rubens Barrichello, who had been off pace for the entire race, pitted in for his first and only stop of the race. Webber was having a good race for Williams that afternoon, but it was to be cut short due to an exhaust failure; as the Australian completed his 48th lap, smoke started to appear at the back of his car and it blew up in flames at the exit of the pit lane. The safety car was deployed so marshals could get Webber's Williams off track so the rest of the field could resume racing without running into the Williams that had stopped. The entire field took advantage of the safety car period and pitted a lap later for new tyres and fuel. After two laps under the safety car, Räikkönen had bad luck as well when a heat shield, which had caught fire before in the first practice session, caught fire again, burning through the car's wiring and, judging by the on-board footage, cutting off the electricity to the engine; Räikkönen parked his McLaren at the exit of the Portier turn. Following this, the Finn opted to return to his private yacht as the race carried on. With the safety car coming back into the pits, Alonso restarted in first place with Juan Pablo Montoya right behind him and Rubens Barrichello third; Coulthard and Schumacher were in the points as well. By lap 57, Alonso had a commanding lead of over 15 seconds to Montoya. Christian Klien retired a lap later, promoting his teammate David Coulthard to fifth and Michael Schumacher to sixth. Jacques Villeneuve got a drive-through penalty on lap 59 because he overtook under safety car conditions.
Schumacher was closing fast on sixth-place Coulthard at about five seconds a lap, lapping in the 1’15”0s, but the Scot was over 35 seconds ahead of him. Barrichello, who was having a good Grand Prix up to lap 63, when he was given a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane; thus promoting Jarno Trulli up to third place and Coulthard to fourth. Barrichello came back in fifth place. With a podium almost certain for Trulli, his Toyota team were pleased with the new car's performance but, on lap 72, the Italian had a hydraulic failure that shut the car down on the way up to the Casino, promoting Coulthard to third, who was now on course to take Red Bull's first podium, and moving Trulli's teammate, Ralf Schumacher, who had had a very quiet Grand Prix, up into the points. By lap 75 and with only a few laps to go, Michael Schumacher had closed right up on his old Ferrari teammate, Rubens Barrichello, but despite a number of attempts, Schumacher failed to get past the Honda and finished fifth. Giancarlo Fisichella was sixth in the sister Renault; Nick Heidfeld was seventh, and Ralf Schumacher took the final point up for grabs in eighth. On the podium, Coulthard wore a Superman cape, given that Red Bull was in that race promoting the superhero's newest film, Superman Returns. No champagne was sprayed due to the death of Édouard Michelin on Friday. The little king, not surprisingly at the beginning of his career many called him Nano, did not know the podium in Monte-Carlo. He had never stood on it, he had never experienced the thrill of having his hand shaken by the Prince, once Ranieri, now his son Alberto, in a magical atmosphere, one of a kind, decidedly regal, as befits the driver who has ousted Michael Schumacher and that for the second consecutive year (he now has a 21-point lead in the standings) has no intention of returning the throne to the German dictator. Fernando Alonso had never seen the podium and as often happens to him in one fell swoop he made up for it with interest. Because he did not limit himself to a prestigious placing, he triumphed in brutal fashion, dominating the race from start to finish. Not only that: his rival, Michael Schumacher, had already been eliminated on Saturday, with the judges' overturning of his starting grid, the four points won by the German (a fifth place, the result of a great comeback) did not bother Fernando Alonso much. The other great enemy, Kimi Räikkönen, was sidelined on Sunday, betrayed once again by his McLaren, after having fought in vain for 51 laps with the Spanish Renault driver.
The two had put on a show for more than half the race, with a gap never greater than a second, but when the safety car came onto the track (Mark Webber's Williams with a broken engine had to be removed) the Finn’s dreams of glory vanished as usual. The car overheated and a thermal cover on the engine caught fire, Kimi Räikkönen had no choice but to park, with the usual empty-handed classification. He is so happy with his team that he does not even go to the pits, but straight on his yacht to sunbathe. Fernando Alonso fills up with glory and happiness, Michael Schumacher in the back turned his anger into a great comeback. In the end, Luca Montezemolo, in a phone call, defined himself as saddened by the judges' condemnation and complimented him. During the race, the German tried to forget the horrible Saturday and put his Ferrari to the test. Starting from the pits, overloaded with fuel, after two laps he was sixteenth, on lap 20 he passed Jenson Button and was fifteenth, then with the strategy (only one pit stop instead of two) he climbed back up to place thirteen, which became twelve on lap 43 with the overtaking of Jacques Villeneuve. Mark Webber (he was racing towards the podium) broke down, the Safety car entered the track, Michael Schumacher found himself even seventh and then, thanks to the retirements of Jarno Trulli (lap 73, third place already in his heart, the hydraulic problem that destroys him ) and Christian Klien, fifth. Four points may not be enough, but no one would have bet on it at the start. Giancarlo Fisichella also put on a show, with three overtakes in Monte-Carlo but has to settle for sixth position. The miracle workers (from illustrious retirements) are Juan Pablo Montoya, second, and David Coulthard, third after two and a half years, helped by the single stop. Rubens Barrichello, on the other hand, is grotesque: he loses third place due to a drive-through penalty due to excessive speed in the pits. He hit the speed limiter twice. He thought it was not engaged, he took it out. Fernando Alonso's thirtieth podium is the most prestigious:
"Because winning here has a special flavour. Conquering Monte-Carlo makes you enter history, it is a place that represents a lot for every driver, for Formula 1 itself".
For the Spanish it is also the thirteenth consecutive podium: four victories and three second places, an impressive record, but winning the World Championship is a distant thought, it is more enjoyable to enjoy the moment.
"It's a magical moment: I've been trying to win on this circuit for a few years. But in vain. And this year I won in Barcelona, now Monaco. Marvelous".
Someone tries to bring him back to earth, reminding him that next year he will go to McLaren:
"Who made me do this? No, don't say that. Let's wait and see. And in any case, I have to stay focused because the key to winning the World Championship is to complete the races, possibly finishing on the podium. And, sorry, going back to McLaren: it seems to me that Räikkönen was doing very well, wasn't he? In fact, I was surprised by how fast he was".
Before the Finn's engine broke, while the reigning champion calmly managed the race.
"Not exactly calmly, because you couldn't be distracted for a moment. But yes, it's true, I managed the engine and checked that the tyres weren't playing tricks on me. But they went very well, and I can only thank the entire Michelin team and dedicate the victory to Edouard, who passed away just before the Grand Prix".
Alonso also receives compliments from Pat Symonds:
"There's little to say, he was perfect: nothing escaped him".
And now the lead in the standings over Michael Schumacher has widened:
"True, we are building a good advantage. But I also have to do well in the next seven Grands Prix, otherwise I will have ruined this great start to the season".
For Alonso the secret of this umpteenth triumph is having avoided any type of contact: walls and cars:
"We all knew that Räikkönen couldn't overtake me, so the important thing was to avoid hurting myself".
However, the euphoria is short-lived, because Fernando Alonso immediately returns to being a low-profile driver as soon as Silverstone is mentioned to him:
"It will be another good match, but I think we will be competitive because this winter - in testing - we have always gone very fast. It will depend on the tyres and, if we choose them and don't make mistakes, we will compete".
On the opposite side, Michael Schumacher went from first to last place on Saturday, and from last to fifth at the end of the race. Like a billiard ball, Michael Schumacher bounces with ease from the dust to the altar. Except the long side rails did not do their duty for him to the end, they brought him back to the nobility, but not enough to get on the podium. This is why his face is grim, his look depressed and angry. Michael Schumacher, what hurts you more, the judges' punishment, the missed opportunity, Fernando Alonso increasing his lead in the standings or all the insults received from his colleagues?
"All of them together. Only one thing saves me: my conscience is clear. For what I have done I feel at peace with myself. I made a mistake in qualifying, but I would never do something like that on purpose. I was disappointed with the mistake, I didn't imagine I could ruin Alonso's lap. I didn't even know where he was, or what position on the circuit he was in, I'm not in radio contact with him. I can apologise to him, I'm sorry for having wasted his effort. But let me be clear: I apologise, but it doesn't mean I'm guilty. The judges talk about voluntariness, about excessive braking, but none of it is true. Anyone who knows my history as a driver knows that I'm right".
Instead, many colleagues accused her ruthlessly.
"The curious thing is that no one ever has the courage to say things to my face. I'm used to living with friends and enemies, it happens like that in life too and Formula One cannot be different from the world around you. There are those who listen to you, those who want to understand and are willing to believe you. And those who have their own idea and wouldn't change it for any reason in the world. Only I can know the truth. Instead, I had to endure absolutely superficial criticism".
However, they risk leaving their mark. With what spirit did you approach the race?
"I have lived in Formula 1 for fifteen years, I know how to prepare, how to race a Grand Prix, with what concentration. You can be angry, furious, shocked, and I was after the sentence, but at a certain point, you have to forget everything, put everything aside and think only about the race. That's what I did. I got into the car and just thought about pushing as hard as I could, going as fast as I could".
At least you come home with four points. Not few, considering that you had twenty-one cars in front of you and that in Monte-Carlo you cannot overtake.
"Once again I had proof that this Ferrari is very competitive. I'm not a dreamer if I say that nothing is compromised. Anyone who knows me knows that giving up is not my style. Anyone who saw today's race realises how much desire I still have to fight. I'm not holding back, twenty-one points behind Alonso are a lot, but the World Championship is not over. Ferrari fans must believe in me, nothing is lost. I don't think Alonso is unreachable. Nor is he unbeatable".
What effect does it have on you to know that there is talk of a letter against you, that many drivers would like your resignation from the Association?
"This story has further taught me that there are enemies who speak to the press and never come to me and friends who instead confront me and avoid journalists. If anyone wants clarification, I'm available. I also know that every time something happens, the past is brought up. Let's put it this way: I don't think I have many skeletons in my closet. And in any case, I live with it very well".
Is there at least something about this weekend that makes you smile?
"My team. If I manage to make these comebacks, the credit goes to my fantastic mechanics. But if I had started on pole, it would have ended differently".
Jean Todt, the general manager of Ferrari, is disappointed:
"Schumacher's fifth place isn't enough for us, we had an excellent package, the best of all, we can't be happy".
But above all, he is angry at the punishment inflicted on Schumacher, and at the criticism of the other drivers.
"It is repugnant that people speak badly of him. He is not an extraterrestrial, he can make mistakes, and anyone who thinks he did it on purpose hasn't understood anything. I have heard many falsehoods about him. I know him well: few in F1 have a heart as good as his".
As for the judges:
"I wouldn't speak of persecution, but they made a mistake. They convicted him without evidence".
Even in the words of Felipe Massa there is a certain bitterness:
"It was a difficult race, which concluded a difficult weekend, we knew that on this circuit it's not easy for those who start from behind to catch up, it's better to think about the next race".
Starting from the last row together with his teammate, Michael Schumacher, Felipe Massa finished ninth at the Monaco Grand Prix and seems to want to forget the Monegasque trip.
However, the opinion of the Brazilian driving Ferrari on Michael Schumacher's performance is positive:
"He had a great race, starting from the pits with the tyres already up to temperature, while we had to warm them up, managing to overtake many cars at the start. He showed that he can easily reach his goals on the track".
Ferrari sporting director Stefano Domenicali closes the statement:
"It was a bit of a bitter weekend, even looking at today's performance, where we did very well and Michael (Schumacher) had a stratospheric race. He made an excellent choice of tyres and strategy, perhaps he had a bit of bad luck when the Safety car came out, if it had happened at a different time he would have been on the podium".
The declarations of David Coulthard are of a completely different nature, as he succeeds in a historic feat: bringing Red Bull Racing to the podium in a special race like Monaco, thanks to a strategy that involved just one stop.
"It was difficult to push hard, especially at the end because the tyres were a bit worn. However, I am happy to be here, for the team and I want to dedicate the race to Michelin".
Says David, referring to the death of Eduard Michelin which occurred on Friday 26 May 2006 due to the sinking of the fishing boat he was on.
"It's an important result for Red Bull and for those who worked very hard to achieve it. Just one stop meant a lot of fuel and therefore having to control the car more which in Monaco is an extra challenge. A difficult start to the weekend, then today, luckily, things went better".
Juan Pablo Montoya instead describes his race and the second place achieved in the Monaco Grand Prix, aboard the McLaren-Mercedes:
"It was a tough race, but in the end we achieved a good result, I think we are going in the right direction. At the beginning we had some problems and I made a few mistakes too. Then in the second part of the race I closed in, but it was very difficult to overtake and stay close to the top positions due to the traffic on the track. I even risked an accident".
However, there is nothing to complain about for Flavio Briatore, Renault team manager, who makes no reference to the chaos of the tests:
"Winning in Monte-Carlo is really special, then winning in this way is really nice. It was a great race, the team was perfect and I'm also happy for Fisichella's aggressive performance".
Luca Montezemolo did not like the result of the Monaco Grand Prix. He had made it known immediately, on Saturday evening and then on Sunday after the race, through his spokespersons, he reiterated it on Monday too, with a cool head, in a direct manner. Luca Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, is angry, he absolutely does not agree with the punishment inflicted by the judges on Michael Schumacher, his relegation to the last place on the starting grid in the Monaco Grand Prix. His message is clear:
"Ferrari never discusses the judges' decisions, even more so when it doesn't agree with them as in this case".
It is a problem of evidence that was not there, with a discretion on the part of the stewards that ended up ruining the German driver's race and perhaps irreparably compromising his chances of winning the World Championship.
"I never like, whatever the justice, sporting or otherwise, the allegedly guilty. Above all, I don't like that being allegedly guilty can put such a big mortgage on the World Championship”.
Another thing, the president makes clear, is Michael Schumacher's reaction to the sentence. The Ferrari driver, although shocked by this decision, drove an extraordinary race and managed to make a fantastic comeback which allowed him to finish in fifth place. Montezemolo congratulated him at the end of the race.
"He honoured his role, that of a great motoring champion. I think it was the best response in sporting and technical terms from Ferrari. In Monte-Carlo we were by far the fastest car, so we must not give up, we must continue to work and I believe that fifth place on Sunday is the clearest demonstration of our potential".
A concept, that of Ferrari, which this year does not betray and which can now be considered at the same level as Renault, also very present in the mind of Michael Schumacher, who is still very angry at the way he was treated by the race stewards and the criticism received from the other riders, but more than ever convinced that he is still in the running for the title.
"I have never considered Alonso unbeatable, much less unreachable. I have faith in the comeback, despite the 21-point gap, and our fans must have it too. In Monte-Carlo, we threw away a great opportunity, but we were very competitive, and we will also be competitive at Silverstone, in the next Grand Prix. I don't give up, it's not my style, I think those who saw my race on Sunday understood that. If someone envies me because I'm too fast, I can't do anything about it. If he criticises me in a superficial way, I just have to take note of it. I consider the accusations made against me to be absolutely false. I have a clear conscience, I didn't do anything wrong on Saturday, but continuing to discuss it makes no sense. Better to look ahead to the next challenges".
There is no doubt, however, that the wounds remain. To the point that many people think that this episode, and the air of controversy that has been unleashed with the thumbs down of many colleagues, could bring Michael Schumacher closer to retirement. He is already in the balance, someone claims, if he understands that he can no longer be tolerated by his world, he could decide that it is better to move on and that the time has come to say enough. Among these there is certainly not Jean Todt, the general manager of Ferrari, Michael Schumacher's boss, but above all a great friend of his. The two speak often and certainly spoke at length in Monte-Carlo, before and after the conviction. Jean Todt, when asked specifically, was categorical:
"This disqualification will not influence his choice. Michael took his time to give an answer, he wants to evaluate every detail carefully, but the parameters are different. For our part, we can only reiterate what we said a few days ago: on September 10 in Monza you will know next year's team. And therefore also Schumacher's future".
First, we need to think about the present, about a dream that has not yet faded.