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Michael Schumacher has the instinct of the predator. He smells blood, he feels the fear of his opponent. And he does not give up the chase. Two weeks ago, defeated in Canada, it seemed over. He, his wonderful adventure in Formula 1, the championship. Optimism was a facade, tied to arithmetical calculations. The US Grand Prix reopened the game. Alonso is 19 points ahead. He lost six in one fell swoop. This will not always be the case, because the reigning World Champion is talented and Renault is a top single-seater, as amply demonstrated in the first nine races of the championship. He stumbled in the tenth, however. A sign? A turnaround? Jean Todt calls for caution:
"I never said that it would be a walk in the park or that we are back to 2004. On Sunday in France we start all over again".
In the opinion of the Ferrari General Manager:
"The important thing is to put everything together".
Car, tyres, strategy, teamwork. The two days of testing in Jerez went quite well: Thursday a mechanical problem, Friday the best time of the week. They tested the new aerodynamics, a more powerful engine and tyres suitable for Magny-Cours, a track with asphalt as smooth as velvet, the exact opposite of the rough American Speedway. Bridgestone has prepared special compounds: at Indy, it won the challenge with Michelin, but in France, there will be a rematch. On the tyres is based a good slice of the hopes of Ferrari’s comeback. The American race has shown that Fernando Alonso is not so impeccable. He had an inferior car to the Ferraris, but he did not finish third. He was preceded by his teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, who had a new and more powerful engine than his own, but he was also beaten by Jarno Trulli who was last at the start, he was behind Ralf Schumacher who then retired, and he avoided trouble from the McLarens who had a crash in the second corner. Here is another point in favour of the Maranello team: the experience of the drivers. It is not just a matter of talent or driving hours. Alonso proved to be as cold and precise as Schumacher, but always in ideal conditions. In 2005 he accumulated a huge lead at the beginning and managed it with intelligence and calmness, knowing that he would always climb on the podium, while the McLaren of Räikkönen broke down every other race. And the battle was on even tyres. Now Nano lives under pressure. Every day there will be someone asking him if the advantage is enough. What would happen if his rival was only 4-5 points away? Ferrari enjoys proverbial solidity. And so does Schumacher, used to last-minute comebacks after 15 seasons in Formula 1. In Indianapolis, minutes before the race, while his colleagues were reviewing strategies with engineers, Michael Schumacher locked himself in an office by the track to enjoy the last chills of air conditioning. He got out in time to put on his helmet and seat belts. It was the race of a lifetime because a defeat would have cut him off. We know how it went. The Americans crowned him champion of the champions: he is the only one to have won five times in Indianapolis, which is considered the racing capital of the world around here. Stopping at four were A. J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the Indy 500 and Jeff Gordon in the Allstate 400 of the Nascar series. Eight races to go. Sunday, July 16, 1996, the French Grand Prix is going to be held. Renault and Michelin are racing at home, but Jean Todt says:
"I’m French too, but it’s in Maranello that I feel at home. Our favourite tracks? If we score points I like them all. We were very competitive in Monte-Carlo, on a slow track that requires high downforce. We did a one-two here, on a fast track with low downforce. Our car can go fast anywhere. The important thing is that the tyres adapt to the type and temperature of the asphalt, that they are fast on the first lap and constant in pace".
The 248 F1 shows itself in great splendour. The work does not stop. Not even to watch the football World Cup final.
"I don’t care about football because I’m just a spectator. I only think about Formula 1: that’s where I guarantee added value".
Game over. Fired. He has done too much, Juan Pablo Montoya. On and off the track. The last two were fatal. In order of time: crashing into his teammate, and announcing to the world that he would return to racing in America at the end of the year (Sunday, July 9, 2006, with destination in Nascar). The first gaffe angered the McLaren-Mercedes team, the second offered the opportunity to kick him out. That is what Ron Dennis was waiting for:
"Take a few months’ vacation in Miami with your wife Connie, while waiting for your second child to be born".
And he even put it into writing, so that it would be understood that the divorce was consensual, but if Juan Pablo had not agreed, they would have kicked him out and sent him bills for the cars’ repair. Sunday in Magny-Cours, alongside Kimi Räikkönen, will be the 35-year-old Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa. The good game ends after five and a half years (three in Williams, then McLaren), seven wins and thirteen pole positions. The story: Frank Williams finds out (and reserves him) at the end of 1997. In 1999 the young man made his debut in the American Formula Cart and, at only 24 years of age, he became the youngest champion. In 2000 he won the Indy 500, in 2001 he joined Williams, which for him gave up Jenson Button, another emerging (and never emerged) baby. Montoya makes his introduction as follows:
"Reverential fear of Schumacher? I’m here to beat him, not to make new friends".
He keeps his promises: he is not likeable and goes fast, at least at the beginning. At the third Grand Prix, in Brazil, he overtook the Ferrari World Champion: a hit-and-go, very American style. The crowd and insiders applauded him and, with some haste, crowned him heir to Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen. 2002, the magic season of the Maranello team, saw him as the protagonist with seven pole positions and zero wins. 2003 seemed to be his year. Ferrari appeared less brilliant, while Williams was on the rise. Juan Pablo won in Monte-Carlo and Hockenheim and seemed able to overtake Michael Schumacher. He was held back by a penalty (drive-through) for a contact with Barrichello and the intervention of the federation that, before the Italian Grand Prix, required Michelin to adapt its tyres to the regulations. He finished third, but his determination earned him a move to McLaren in 2005. That was the beginning of his downward trajectory. At the third Grand Prix, he presented a medical certificate: injured shoulder playing tennis according to the official version, falling from a dirt bike according to the unofficial. He missed two races, came back and lost the internal confrontation with Kimi Räikkönen. He alternated good performances (victories at Silverstone, Monza and San Paolo) with huge mistakes. In Monte-Carlo, he caused an accident during free practice and was relegated to last position on the starting grid. In Canada, he blew the red light in the pits and overtook under safety car. Black flag, disqualified. 2006 is worse: McLaren is not very competitive, mistakes are visible and the results are lacking. Montoya makes two in a row: in Canada, he knocks Rosberg out and touches the wall; the next week in Indianapolis, where his face is on display in the circuit’s Hall of Fame, he crashes into his teammate and triggers a spectacular carambola. In the pits, calm and smiling, he first accuses Räikkönen of braking too early, then claims it was a trivial race accident. The idea of a change of scenery, before finding himself in the middle of a track rejected by all, pushes him to accept the offer of Chip Ganassi and his team in Nascar, normal-looking cars that travel on ovals at an average of 300 km/ h. At McLaren, they were waiting for this.
"It is better that you prepare in time for your next commitment".
Between a thought to the future and another to the present, F1 has only one certainty: the French Grand Prix will be a two-way race, a Renault-Ferrari affair: better still, Alonso-Schumacher. Even the first practice laps on Friday, normally not positive for Ferrari, say this. Felipe Massa is hopeful:
"True, it seems that everyone else is further behind. But we hope that in the end it will be us in front".
In Magny-Cours, the Brazilian could also play an important role, together with Giancarlo Fisichella, but it is easy to assume that the two big names fighting for the World Championship will be the ones aiming for victory. This time Ferrari is not hiding. Michael Schumacher comments:
"The situation looks very good: we are reasonably satisfied".
But the analysis of the German is on the race, not on the new qualifying after lunch.
"Bet on my pole position? Mmm, if I had to put money on it, I would use it to pay for coffee and ice cream. I wouldn’t spend it on myself...".
It is not a matter of strategy or contradiction in Schumacher’s thinking. It is that a lot will depend on tyres,
"Which seem very consistent for the long run, the duration of the race. But we do not know, we can not know, about the single lap".
That is, the one that will decide the first place on the grid. The Bridgestone-Michelin duel will be crucial, in a circuit that makes tyres wear out much faster than other tracks. Otherwise, for the mechanical and aerodynamic sectors, both Ferrari and Renault arrived at Magny-Cours with package evolutions and aerodynamic innovations that have satisfied the drivers. Says Michael Schumacher:
"The car is well balanced, the upgrades we have are a step forward".
Solutions that work great, given the gap to the other rivals, starting with McLaren, for example, more focused on waging war on the fired Juan Pablo Montoya, threatened with recall as a third driver, than on the Grand Prix itself. The only factor that could upset the balance of the Grand Prix could be the rain. The weather forecast says there will be sunshine, but the evening showers ruined the concert of Pink Floyd, organised to celebrate the centenary of the French Grand Prix, and reshuffled the teams’ cards and strategies: the last Grand Prix with rain dates back to 2003. Meanwhile, the games for the future of F1 continue, and this time it is a proposal of the FIA president that is causing a discussion. Max Mosley, concerned in advance about a failure to reach an agreement among the teams on the stop to engine development, asked the five big engine manufacturers (Renault, Toyota, Honda, Mercedes and Bmw. Not included, in this case, Ferrari) to create a fund for independent teams (such as Williams, Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso, Midland and Aguri Suzuki) which can be accessed for the purchase of an engine whose supplier would be chosen by a public auction in which the five engine manufacturers, plus Ferrari, would participate. The figure for the fund is around thirty-eight million euros, and the big teams supposedly would have already given a rough ok. On Saturday, July 15, 2006, the Schumacher brothers set the best times in Q1, while Vitantonio Liuzzi, Jacques Villeneuve, Jenson Button, Tiago Monteiro and Franck Montagny were eliminated. Also in Q2 the Schumacher brothers set the best times, with Ferrari ahead of Toyota and ahead of Felipe Massa. Mark Webber, Nick Heidfeld, Christian Klien, Rubens Barrichello, and Scott Speed were eliminated. Q3 saw an unprecedented overtaking duel between Schumacher and Alonso, apparently only due to rivalry, not the point of the session. The times that matter, with new tyres, were those of the last few minutes. But already in the first lap the German of Ferrari, at the Adelaide corner, was looking for the best time. And the Spaniard, who did not like it, made two attempts. For the 50th time in Formula 1 history, the front row of a Grand Prix will be all Ferrari. Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa took first and second place at the French Grand Prix and will start ahead of everyone. An even more beautiful triumph because it was obtained at the home of Renault, on French soil. In the end, it was pole position for Michael Schumacher, number 68 for the German, number 183 for the Maranello team, the fourth of the season.
But it is also an all-red front row, thanks to the wonderful second place of Felipe Massa, just 0.017 behind the German, and it is the fiftieth time that the team of Maranello has achieved this feat. It is an extraordinary success, after the Indianapolis one-two. A sign that Ferrari really can dent the dominance of the first half of the season of the Spaniard and the French manufacturer. Fernando Alonso resists, he is third, after the strange duel of overtaking in a session where they are useless. He is there. He is the fastest behind the Ferraris, but he is almost 0.5 seconds off. He is the only Michelin-tyred of the top five, behind him the Toyota-Bridgestone of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher. Ahead of Kimi Räikkönen’s McLaren, Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault, Pedro de la Rosa’s McLaren, Nico Rosberg’s Williams, and David Coulthard’s Red Bull Racing. It is the domination of the Maranello team that amazes on French soil. As if the nemesis of the football final reverberated in the stands of the Nevers circuit. A good sign, despite the flames that in the third hour of free practice, two hours before qualifying, burst out of an exhaust of Michael Schumacher’s 248 F1, raising fears of an engine change that was fortunately averted. It would have become difficult, otherwise, to think about successfully crowning the run-up to Alonso. The front row is extraordinary. A fantastic day that had not started well. During the second session, in fact, Schumacher’s Ferrari caught fire. The German had just stopped in front of his box, about halfway through the session, when the exhaust fumes of his single-seater caught fire. A mechanic promptly intervened with a fire extinguisher, while Schumacher quickly exited the cockpit. The engine was saved and the German, once his car was fixed, could continue practice without penalty. He failed in the first, immediately afterwards, and he managed in the second, after three laps, to overtake his rival. Although it was a useless duel, since the race, in these cases, is against the clock, and you do not need to be in front to get the best one. The last three minutes were pyrotechnical with Schumacher firmly in the lead and Alonso who managed to slip into second place. But Felipe Massa, with a sensational last lap, passed him again by about 0.2 seconds. Happiness is to find himself fast, indeed the fastest of all, after having announced that Ferrari in the front row was not worth betting a single euro on. Sorry, Mr Schumacher, was that strategy or superstition?
"It’s great, this pole is very important. I’m happy, overjoyed. As if that wasn’t enough, Felipe will start next to me. You can not ask for anything better".
So much euphoria reveals many perplexities about the consistency of the triumph in Indianapolis.
"I confess that this result somewhat surprises me. Also because we started this qualifying session a bit in the dark, without many references after the problem we had in the morning in free practice".
Moments of agitation, fire from the engine, fire extinguishers at work, and you quickly fleeing. It was not a good moment. The fear was that of engine damage that could have compromised the race.
"The whole team moved well. As Ross Brawn explained, the small fire was caused by an excess of fuel in the exhaust. Then there was a little problem with the fire extinguisher, and the flames were not put out straight away. But it was a minor thing".
You got pole number 68, is there anyone you would like to dedicate this result to?
"I am very grateful to the mechanics, they did an amazing job, by the time we went out on track for qualifying the car was perfect. In particular, I want to celebrate with one of them, Nigel Stepney (the head of relations between mechanics and engineers, ed.) who has become a father again".
Euphoria at being in front of everyone, but perhaps also for that overtaking move on Alonso at the start of the last practice session that seemed an anticipation of the race.
"No, that was just a game between the two of us, something to entertain ourselves and the fans. A small battle, maybe a continuation of Indianapolis. What really matters is to be up there at the front with two cars. Now we have to hope to start well, and in the end to do better than Indy. A comeback in the championship is possible".
Did you not expect the Bridgestones to do so well on this track?
"We didn’t have a lot of feedback from the stopwatch; now we know we’re fast, we’re have a strong pace and the tyres are good".
Everything perfect?
"The inconvenience of the morning prevented us from completing tests on the long runs and on the behaviour of the tyres. Every track has a story regarding the tyre-track ratio. But we are confident".
It becomes essential to make a good start, something that did not happen in the United States where Alonso and also Massa were faster. What do you expect to do here?
"At the start, the driver cannot do much more than move his hands in the right way, find the best trajectory and not leave any space for those who are behind. Everything else depends on the grip of the tyres and their ability to translate the power of the engine in the best way. And that is something you can never know beforehand".
It is amazing to see how hungry you are to win every time. Is it really still that important to add the eighth title?
"Yes, it is. I always have the same motivation. Maybe that’s what makes the difference. But in the situation we are in, we just have to try to win as much as possible".
Did the Pink Floyd concert you attended the other night contribute to having a better approach today?
"It was all very nice. Not only the concert. But being around a lot of people beforehand, going to the dressing room to say hello to Waters and Mason who in the morning reciprocated, they came to see me in the pits. A very pleasant and interesting thing".
They are no longer just wishes, those of Ferrari. The comeback plan at this point is really more than an idea and a hope: it is something very concrete if it is true that, forty-five years later, there is an all-red front row in Magny-Cours (actually in 1961 there were three: Ginther, von Trips and Hill. In the end the Ferrari of Giancarlo Baghetti, who started twelfth with the fourth Ferrari, won). The Maranello team’s snub to the French Renault team at their home Grand Prix (depriving them of pole position) was not a continuation of the duel in the other World Championship, the football one, but should be interpreted as the very serious attempt of the Maranello team to take back the power in Formula 1. Not only that: the entire Ferrari team gave a great demonstration of reactivity and professionalism because the morning had begun with flames inside Michael Schumacher’s car, energetically invited by his mechanics to leave his F248, while other colleagues were busy with the fire extinguishers. Images that worried everyone, which had already led the pessimists to believe the weekend was over, assuming the engine was damaged, which if replaced comes with a consequent penalty (ten places, the rule says) on the grid. Instead, the start of the fire - from the left exhaust - did not affect qualifying, and both Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa have fulfilled their duties.
A team result, repeatedly underlined by the German, that goes down in history: it is Ferrari’s 50th one-two start in F1. Only no one wants to talk about history at the moment, like Jean Todt, who began his Ferrari adventure right here thirteen years ago. Everyone is focused on the present, on these nineteen points that divide Michael Schumacher from Alonso and Ferrari from the title. The Indianapolis one-two was not a one-off, then. And Felipe Massa, whose help had been invoked by the German, is responding magnificently. His presence on the front row is important, in view of a strategic play to keep behind Fernando Alonso and the predictable lightning start of his Renault.
"I know he will be fast, I will have to be faster".
Says the Brazilian, well aware of the role that awaits him. Certainly, it will be an interesting Grand Prix, and this was also clear from the two overtakes seen in qualifying (something unheard of) between Schumacher and Alonso, a back-and-forth between the two that everyone enjoyed, but will be difficult to repeat in the race. The prediction then is Ferrari on the attack, Renault on the defensive.
"I am not the one who has something to lose, it is the others who must risk. I am in front".
Fernando Alonso repeats, whose priority has been not to give the slightest hint of yielding.
"My tyres are consistent in the long run, you’ll see".
It may be, but it is also a sign to listen to a cautious version of Briatore, who professes to be 100% French and admits to a delay of a few tenths before the tyres warm up. Tyres are decisive once again, and this is the only doubt at Ferrari, the unknown factor weighing on the result. The accident on Saturday morning prevented Schumacher from running on track, and it is a question mark in favour of Renault, even though Massa has vouched for everyone:
"On this circuit, we understood how to make good use of the tyre element".
And a little surprise help could also come from an outsider, the Italian Jarno Trulli who will start behind Alonso; his Bridgestone-tyred Totoya went great:
"I think the Italians and Ferrari can support me. For me the Ferraris are unbeatable, but I think I can fight with Alonso for the podium".
Sunday, July 16, 2006, Michael Schumacher duly aced his start of the French Grand Prix to claim an early lead, while Massa moved across to prevent Alonso from diving through to claim second. Behind it was a similarly tame start, with Takuma Satō the only casualty as his Super Aguri-Honda broke its gearbox shortly after the start. With Massa in second and defending heavily from Alonso, Schumacher was able to escape up the road in the early stages, setting a succession of fastest laps. Behind, the two Toyotas found themselves defending from Kimi Räikkönen, while Pedro de la Rosa and Mark Webber were in an intense duel for eighth. At the back, meanwhile, Tiago Monteiro would exit the race in a somewhat spectacular fashion, smashing into a kerb at the chicane with enough force to pitch the Midland-Toyota into the air. Unfortunately, after those early exchanges, the race would soon develop into a procession, largely due to a combination of the 2006 spec cars and the Magny-Cours circuit. Indeed, it was only when the first round of stops began that the order was significantly changed, albeit briefly as Jarno Trulli inherited the lead before making his first stop. However, once the stops were completed the race would settle down again, resulting in another tepid spell.
In the midst of that Renault would issue a press release regarding the political state of F1, which drew more attention than the on-track action. It was at this point that strategy came into play, however, as several drivers made their second stops early, the signal that they were on a three-stop plan. The most significant of these was Massa, who relinquished second to Alonso as a result of making an additional stop. Massa's only hope of getting back ahead of Alonso was that he would be on low fuel for the foreseeable future, with the Spaniard taking on more fuel when he made his second and final stop. Yet, without Massa in front of him the Spaniard was able to build a fair gap, and so would reclaim a safe second when Massa completed his second stop. Untroubled by all of this, however, was race leader Schumacher, who cruised through the second half of the race to secure his 88th career victory, ten seconds clear of Alonso. Massa finished a distant third ahead of Ralf Schumacher, with Räikkönen, Giancarlo Fisichella, de la Rosa and Nick Heidfeld. In France, it is Italy once again. Renault’s redemption was expected after the United States Grand Prix, held in Indianapolis, but it is still the Maranello team to triumph. Fourth win of the season, podium number 150 of the career for Michael Schumacher, operation comeback that continues. What was great, however, was only the Maranello team's victory, certainly not the show. At Magny-Cours the whole show was in the first corner at the start, with Fernando Alonso trying to overtake Felipe Massa, the Brazilian gritting his teeth, an old-fashioned duel. He thanked Schumacher for extending his lead to become uncatchable for the Spaniard. Renault understood that all was lost for the victory. Better to focus on second place. How? By changing strategy: not three stops - like Ferrari - but only two. On lap 53 Massa came out of his last pit stop in third position, and Alonso could breathe behind Schumacher. Settle, maybe end up toasting, secretly, for having limited the damage. It is a rather adverse and certainly underwhelming Sunday for Flavio Briatore, who is looking at a season finale as an accountant, forced to survive by capitalising on the seventeen points of advantage of Alonso over Schumacher. For the Renault-Michelin clan in Magny-Cours, just on what was considered the home track, an annoying wind has been blowing. Alonso knows something about this, having stayed behind the Ferraris, especially the most troublesome Ferrari, Massa’s, which prevented the Spaniard from competing with Schumacher. Flavio Briatore says:
"Of course we are disappointed, we wanted to have an attacking race. But Alonso found himself in front of Massa who acted as a stopper. He broke us, he broke our plans. We quickly realised that reaching Michael was impossible. So we had no choice but to change strategy. Aiming to limit the damage right away. Without Massa in the way, you would have all seen Alonso have another race, without conceding anything to Schumacher".
It is clear from the tone and hastily distributed words that he did not like the film he saw this weekend in France.
"The results say we’re not doing well. Just look at what Toyota did to see what’s making the difference. I don’t think you can believe that they have suddenly become phenomenal. At Indianapolis, I said that Michelin tyres were a little too conservative. After this race, there is some concern. Now I hope they get a move on. You want to know how I feel. I feel good, I feel like shit"
Resigned? You do not even have to think about it, in fact, the blow came straight away, and you can see that there is a lot of Briatore in what was the move that prevented Renault from suffering the heaviest damage.
"We didn’t just stand by and watch. We quickly realised that with Massa in the way, Alonso could not do anything to catch Schumi, so we changed strategy. And I don’t think they expected that. Of course, they are right to celebrate, the points collected are a real thing. But we can also lose a couple every race and the title is ours. In Formula One it’s all about winning the championship and nobody can take that away from us".
Maybe it is certain that since yesterday this Ferrari, which no longer fights with the tyres, will steal them some sleep. Alonso tried to comment on things with a certain detachment, but could not wipe the disappointment from his face, although there were no recriminations about Massa’s conduct:
"There was no foul play, although I went very close to the grass. He worked for Ferrari. When I missed the overtake we realised that it was impossible to catch Schumacher, so we decided to make a two-stop and run with more ful. But I repeat. Coming in second in a weekend that didn’t work out for us, that’s a good thing. Now I hope to bring things back on track at the next race".
The parameters are off, all of them. This is one certainty, the other is the 17 points that Fernando Alonso has over Michael Schumacher. With Felipe Massa in second place, it could have been 15, but that would not have changed Ferrari’s strategy. Which, in the words of Stefano Domenicali, is only one:
"Always one-twos. Stop".
An ambitious goal, to say the least. But it is the only way to win the World Championship. Why? The math says, following an obviously theoretical game: seven Grands Prix to go and, if the German always wins - but the Spaniard finishes behind him - he takes away 14 points. Fernando Alonso is confirmed as World Champion. So, Felipe Massa has to precede the Spaniard at least a couple of times. Pure theory: at Magny-Cours - for the well-informed - Renault was the favourite, and instead it had to cash in on a difficult weekend if even Briatore confessed to feeling ill before leaving the circuit. Michelin’s fault, the French team’s general manager went on to say, completing his analysis by kindly inviting the tyre manufacturer based in Bibendum to get a move on and wake up. This is the main point of the problem: tyres. To date it is Michelin that is in trouble over Bridgestone, and what the tyre manufacturers get up to in the near future will also decide the fate of the World Championship. It is a challenge within the challenge, also because the French are leaving F1 next year, in dispute with the Federation which has demanded a single supplier: only the Japanese will remain. This analysis, shared by the majority of the paddock, is however contested by Stefano Domenicali, who is keen to point out that not all the merits and demerits should be given to the tyre manufacturers. The other variable is the role of the other teams, so far absent after eleven races. Toyota (helped by Bridgestone’s development), in the opinion of Jean Todt, could give some help to the Ferrari cause. And even Kimi Räikkönen, with his McLaren, will sooner or later try to make sense of the last season in the Anglo-German team. This will be a crucial week for future games: it is the last week of testing, before the summer break.
"We will try to improve in all fields, and then make the right choices".
Jean Todt repeats, convinced that everything is possible, that Ferrari will try to win everything.
"We bet and we won. And it was a beautiful and very, very important win".
Your joy must be really great, because you all had a big party at the end, under the podium. Seeing Schumacher radiantly waving the Italian flag is not something to be taken for granted. Is it really a success that deserves so much euphoria?
"It’s been three to four weeks that Italy is doing very well. One success after another. It happened first in Indianapolis, then with the World Championship. Now back to victory here in Magny-Cours and at the same time Valentino’s great success in Germany. It’s nice and right to celebrate".
So much joy also because you were not counting on a win here, at the home of your rivals?
"In all honesty, this victory was unexpected, which makes it all the more beautiful".
Nice to win, of course, but is it also really important for the final result?
"Perhaps it always takes a bit of caution to say that this success is proof that the wind has changed and that the World Championship is taking on another colour. We also won at Imola and Nurburgring, but those successes were not a turning point".
This success comes after Indianapolis and you cannot hide that cars and tyres are really working at their best.
"Before the start, everything was very uncertain for us. We lacked important reference points, we had not been able to do the long runs, and we started a bit in the dark. Everything worked best, car, tyres, engine, team and partners".
What about Schumacher?
"I made a good start, a very good start and I started to build my success from that".
Any dedications?
"I want to thank the guys in the team for these ten points. They were wonderful, they did a terrific job. We can never thank them enough, because if the set-up of the car was perfect it is thanks to them. If I had been told on Saturday morning that things would turn out like this I wouldn’t have believed it".
Thanks also to what Massa did.
"He did well, and it was also a shame that Felipe didn’t finish second. Here we made the most of the superior performance of the tyres. The way we worked, first and second place would have been ideal".
Indianapolis and Magny-Cours, what do they have in common?
"I think that in the United States we laid a good foundation, but that was and remains a particular race. There was too much dominance to be a point of reference. Here things are different. It was not what we predicted, so it is a very important sign. Now we must continue the work and take advantage of the positive moment".
If things have changed little in the standings, this victory can have a great impact on morale and certainly on image. What does it convey?
"It says that Ferrari and Schumacher never give up".
Seeing the enthusiasm with which he celebrated, but also the demonstration of determination in keeping a fast and constant pace throughout the race, maybe Schumacher thinks of going for his hundredth victory?
"You will see this in time".
When did you realise you could win?
"After the first few laps I had proof that the tyres were holding up well. I said to myself, let’s finish this job well. The big question mark for us was degradation. Instead everything went well".
Strategies?
"To go ahead at this pace. The championship is not closed, today we gained two points, we will have to collect more every next race".
Many were the compliments, any really special ones?
"Yes. It was a nice surprise to find a text from Podolski on my phone as soon as I finished".
Seventeen is the number to avoid, but also the points to recover to Fernando Alonso. Monday, July 17, 2006, is a rest day for Michael Schumacher, but also a day of superstition, to be turned into a positive one.
"Today I can say it, I really did not believe that it would end like this in Magny-Cours, that’s why I say that the victories of this kind are the most beautiful".
Long live sincerity then, especially for the future:
"We don’t want to flaunt false confidence: it will be difficult to recover, of course Alonso and his team have an advantage but there is also one thing that is clear: in Formula 1 almost nothing is certain".
Michael Schumacher imagines the comeback, and he can draw inspiration from history. There is a forgotten one, that of thirty years ago by James Hunt, who managed to snatch the victory of the World Championship from Niki Lauda, but only because the Austrian of Ferrari had that cursed crash at the Nurburgring and could not compete for three Grands Prix. More exciting was - for those who remember it - Nelson Piquet’s run-up to Alain Prost, who was driving a Renault. Fourteen points down with four races to go, then the final rush of the Brazilian driving for Brabham who overtook the Frenchman in the last Grand Prix, that of South Africa. The real historical reference that can give charge and moral to Ferrari is the 2000 World Championship, which is the first of the unforgettable five championships of Michael Schumacher: fighting with Mika Hakkinen, four Grands Prix to go and six points behind. The German, together with the team, racked up four wins out of four, taking the title that the Maranello team had been waiting for for twenty-one years. Unfortunately, in 2006, not even the en plein of the remaining Grands Prix would guarantee the title for Michael Schumacher, but it will not be a reason for resignation. But the general manager, Jean Todt, promises:
"Not only do I think we can be just as fast in Hockenheim, but I also think that we can be just as fast everywhere from now to the end of the season ".
What is certain is that all plans have gone out of the window, and now Michelin will have to review something. Meanwhile, Renault has anticipated that for the next Grand Prix, Hockenheim, there will be an engine upgrade. Other factors could have an impact: the teammates (and here, in particular, Felipe Massa will acquire more responsibilities), the other teams (first of all Toyota and McLaren, the only ones that could potentially improve on the level of Ferrari and Renault), weather conditions and, finally, the psychological aspect: the German has experience of close duels, but Alonso? It will be interesting to see his reaction under pressure. And then? All that remains is Lady Luck.