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In the first practice session of the United States Grand Prix, the majority of the starting drivers from the eleven teams watched the first half of the Germany-Argentina match from the pit boxes. The most interested ones were evidently the Schumacher brothers and Nick Heidfeld, but Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya also kept their eyes on the TV screens. The Ferrari driver even had the match broadcast on the monitor in front of his car while he was already in the cockpit. When the first half ended, Schumacher went on track, but on the third lap, he spun off and ended up in the sand, missing Argentina’s goal as he was walking back to the pits. There was no harm to him, but his 248 F1 had to be removed with a crane. The German champion had already set the second-best time, behind Davidson, the Honda test driver. Twenty-two seconds with his foot on the accelerator, including the elevated curve leading into the finishing straight. In Formula 1, it is a record, a durability test for engines. The top speed is high but far from the records: in free practice, the best times were all around 324 km/h (compared to 350-360 km/h in the last tests in Monza). It is the aerodynamic setup that absorbs power. Wings slow down the single-seaters but glue them to the asphalt in the mixed section. In the free practice of the United States Grand Prix, the close duel between Ferrari and Renault was repeated. Excluding test drivers, the best time on Friday was set by Michael Schumacher in the first session (1'12"458), while the top six in the World Championship standings remained in the pits watching Argentina-Germany. In the second session, the fastest was Giancarlo Fisichella with Renault (1'12"933), followed by Felipe Massa with the other Ferrari (1'13"264) and Michael Schumacher (1'13"346). Fernando Alonso did not understand much. The Spaniard set the fifth time (1'13"677), a long way from his teammate, and was the protagonist of a grassy excursion that is not typical for him, a sign that he has not yet found the right set-up. Ferrari hopes.
"We found the right feeling. Both drivers chose the same aerodynamic configuration. We didn't change the tyres, which means we are fast even with used tyres. Now we have to see what the others have done".
For Massa, it is an excellent Friday:
"The best in recent times. I am happy with the car. There is still something to change, but we are heading in the right direction. The tyres? The grip is good. We hope for pole position".
Giancarlo Fisichella takes off his helmet and finds out live about Zambrotta's goal against Ukraine:
"Very good. And not just for the game. I went fast. The Renault has proved to be fast and consistent in performance".
Flavio Briatore was not seen in the pits. On Thursday night, he had dinner in Indianapolis with his new girlfriend Elisabetta Gregoraci, while on Friday, he was reportedly stuck in New York. Obscure protagonists of the day are once again the test drivers. Excluding the top four teams in the 2005 standings, the regulations allow running a third car in Friday's free practice, which usually uses a qualifying setup and therefore sets incredible times. Anthony Davidson set the best time, clocking 1'12"083, but it is not a novelty. The exploit is made by Giorgio Mondini, a Genoese with Swiss residence who drives for Midland: in the second session, he was fifth, and while having another particularly inspired lap, he found Michael Schumacher who slowing down in front of him and sent him to hell. The last echoes of the 2005 Michelin affair. The crowd forgets and forgives the withdrawal of the fourteen cars at the start of the Grand Prix last year. On Friday, 50.000 spectators were present, which is a good number for a free practice session (and for a sport that no one here knows much about), even though the immense stands of the amphitheatre seemed empty. The French company donated $40.000 to charity and gave away 20.000 tickets as compensation. Peace is made, swears the sports director, Nick Shorrock:
"We are well-prepared. The section of the oval, the so-called banking, is very abrasive. We conducted a series of simulations at our headquarters in Clermont-Ferrand and Buffalo, America. Then tests in Monza and Le Castellet. In Indianapolis, we brought six different types of completely new tyres. We have never won on this circuit: we want to succeed this time".
But David Coulthard has the final word:
"We have apologised, and now it's enough. Other spectators have witnessed boring races and have not been compensated".
More adrenaline outside than inside the car.
"I am thrilled with my Germany".
But even on the track, Schumacher is not messing around. An excursion onto the gravel at the end of the first hour of free practice:
"When I tasted more grass than asphalt".
But a convincing lap time in the second round when he managed to close in front of Alonso, a 0.128-second advantage that is a good omen in view of the battle for pole position and the race.
"The first sensations are good, the car is perfectly balanced, the tyres work well, we can think big".
A performance supported by the two new wings fitted for the occasion, with little aerodynamic load, a configuration that also made Massa's Ferrari go fast, faster than his teammate, beaten only among the regular drivers by a lively Fisichella, the happy face of Renault, and by the two testers with little fuel, Davidson (Honda) and Kubica (Bmw). Massa's excellent placement indicates that this time Ferrari is competitive.
"It's a sort of last chance, we must aim for the maximum".
Hopes that are also in Schumacher's head, and that Fisichella, currently faster than his teammate Alonso, will try to erase. Because if the Ferraris performed well, Fisichella finished third:
"I am consistent and fast, the fastest among the drivers that matter. The sensations are very good".
Says the Italian driver as he comes out of the pits, then asks in a strong Roman accent:
"But what did Italy score?"
It is useless, the World Championship is on everyone's mind, and perhaps even distracted Fernando Alonso, who has never managed to reach the finish line at Indianapolis against Schumacher's four triumphs and Ferrari's five (including one by Barrichello). The Spaniard (disappointed with the poor grip of the tyres) finished with the ninth fastest time, Räikkönen with the tenth. Maybe everything changes on Saturday, but as the German says, these are good signs. Without the long face of Montreal.
On Saturday, July 1, 2006, Michael Schumacher and Ferrari returned to pole position after a long absence. The wait, which had lasted since the San Marino Grand Prix, comes to an end in Indianapolis. The first row of the starting grid is all Ferrari red: the second time is set by Felipe Massa (1'11"435). Only fifth is Fernando Alonso, who leads the overall standings 25 points ahead of the German Ferrari driver. Giancarlo Fisichella, also on Renault, will start in third position, while in fourth there will be the Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, with his Honda.
"In my hands, I have a great car, we are much faster here, we must reopen the World Championship at all costs".
Michael Schumacher's imperative does not admit exceptions. Which goes well with Fernando Alonso's admission:
"I did the best I could, the car was difficult to drive, poorly balanced, full of understeer, I can only aim to limit the damage".
Two concepts, expressed without hesitation by the two rivals for the world title, which capture well the Saturday at Indianapolis and more generally the surprising situation that has arisen. In the temple of speed, where Schumacher has already won four times, in front of not many spectators (last year's farce has left obvious scars) and under scorching heat (asphalt at 52°C), Ferrari has resurfaced forcefully. Today, as had happened at the debut in Bahrain, the first row will be all red, with Schumacher on pole (the 67th of his career) and Massa beside him ready to help. But there is more: not only is Ferrari in front, but with Michael Schumacher, it is a second faster than Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault, the driver who, with his third place, has best resisted Maranello's dominance, and even 1.6 seconds faster than Fernando Alonso's car, strangely stuttering after five consecutive poles. The Spaniard is disheartened:
"We tried to add aerodynamic load to the front wing to improve the balance, but with little success. The car remains unstable; here, we are unable to compete with Ferrari. All that's left is to rely on strategy to gain some positions, at least overtake Barrichello, and bring home valuable points".
Obvious disappointment. Similar to the joy, even mixed with astonishment at the big lead, of Michael Schumacher:
"At Indianapolis, I don't know why we never make mistakes. Probably the characteristics of the circuit favour us, or maybe there's some detail that makes the difference and escapes me. The fact is, we are significantly faster. At this point, my fifth victory on this track is more possible than ever; I must not make mistakes; the standings do not allow it. The tyres work well; Bridgestone in the United States always manages to be better than Michelin. We have dominated all sessions, not just qualifying. Starting in pole is a great advantage; our top speed will help us maintain the lead; the fuel is right to win. We lack nothing; the torments of Canada are behind us".
Great confidence, also reflected in the words of Massa, again second on the grid as in Bahrain, and this time tasked with not making mistakes to finish ahead of Alonso.
"Reopening the championship is difficult but not impossible. Our gap is considerable, but with a one-two finish here, everything is back in play, and our morale soars. I encountered some traffic, but I never feared I wouldn’t make it".
Surprising or not, no one doubts the resurgence of Ferrari. The overwhelming supremacy has somewhat taken Renault aback, thinking they were closer to their rivals. But now, having absorbed the shock, the focus is on avoiding worse troubles. Fisichella is explicit:
"I gave my best, but there's a one-second difference between us and Ferrari at the moment. Probably, it's all due to the tyres: after last year's problems, Michelin wanted to be cautious, and their choices influenced the times".
This is an interpretation on which Briatore also agrees, although he tries not to lose his pragmatism:
"Congratulations to Ferrari; in a week, they recovered two seconds, the gap they had in Montreal and the one they are giving us here. You can't win all the time; the important thing is to optimise any situation. I don't think Barrichello's fourth place with Honda is a problem; McLaren (ninth Räikkönen, eleventh Montoya) is a disaster. There's no one between Ferrari and us, and that's an advantage".
Hence the promised slogan to Italian journalists:
"If we finish third and fourth, I invite you all to dinner".
Smiling, informal, cheerful: Lapo Elkann could not resist the call of F1 and Ferrari, one of his loves. Giovanni Agnelli's grandson has found the environment and the people he used to be around when he worked in Maranello. A tour of the pits, practice and qualifying followed closely, the usual optimism and enthusiasm, culminating in Schumacher and Massa's all-red front row. Time to celebrate with engineers and mechanics, then a cold drink and the onslaught of the media. Lapo, in jeans and a t-shirt, with a straw hat on his head, accompanied by his cousin Eduardo Teodorani Fabbri, says:
"I am happy. It was fortunate to see Ferrari in this dazzling form. But what counts is the race, which I will watch from home in New York. I'm doing great, working on some projects. Don't ask me about Schumacher's future. There are people in charge: Jean Todt and Stefano Domenicali. I can only say that I love Ferrari and am a big fan".
Elkann, with two tattoos on his left arm written in Japanese that mean good luck, also talks about Valentino Rossi:
"It would have been nice to see him in F1. He is a symbol of Italian sports worldwide. But I respect his decision and am in line with him".
On Sunday, July 2, 2006, unfortunately, memories of the disastrous 2005 would re-emerge at the start of the race, for two accidents would drastically thin the field. Indeed, after Massa had outsprinted Schumacher to claim the lead at the head of the pack, a badly misjudged lunge from Christian Klien triggered a colossal accident. The Austrian racer decided to try the dusty inside line into turn one to dive past the two Midland-Toyotas, only to get caught out on the dust and slam into Mark Webber, before collecting Christijan Albers and being rammed by an unsighted Franck Montagny. That sent several cars scattering across the circuit and the grass at turn two, where Juan Pablo Montoya smashed into the back of teammate Kimi Räikkönen, before sliding into Jenson Button's Honda, which was sent into the side of Nick Heidfeld. Heidfeld’s exit was the most spectacular of all, for the BMW Sauber was sent into a triple barrel roll before crashing back down in the grass right-side-up. The Safety Car was instantly called to clear up the mess, as Montoya, Räikkönen, Klien, Montagny, Heidfeld, Webber, and Scott Speed walked back to the pits. The restart came a few laps later, just in time to see Takuma Satō take Monteiro out of the equation, followed by an engine failure for Jacques Villeneuve. That incident, combined with collision damage curtailing the race of Button, meant that half the field was out with 50 laps still to run. Ignorant of all of this, however, were the two Ferraris, which eased away from the two Renaults at the restart to secure a dominant lead. Alonso briefly led the chase but lacked the pace to challenge and would be ultimately instructed to allow teammate Fisichella through before the first stops. Indeed, the Spaniard's pace was so poor that he also slipped behind Barrichello and the two Toyotas.
With Massa leading Schumacher, the question was whether the German's protégé would be allowed to win, and given Ferrari's reputation, that seemed to be an unlikely conclusion. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the move would come during the first round of stops, with Schumacher stopping first on lap 29 before delivering an excellent out-lap to jump his teammate when the Brazilian stopped a lap later. That proved to be the last move of the race, barring a late retirement for Ralf Schumacher that brought the field down to just nine finishers. There would also be a late fight between David Coulthard, Vitantonio Liuzzi, and Nico Rosberg, although that saw little physical battle. Michael Schumacher hence claimed a dominant victory ahead of teammate Massa, the first Ferrari one-two since the 2005 US GP. Fisichella completed the podium ahead of Trulli and Alonso, with the rest of the points going to Barrichello, Coulthard, and Liuzzi. The World Championship reopens, and Michael Schumacher's victory in Indianapolis has the taste of revenge:
"We worked very well over the weekend; we struggled in these last races like today in the USA. In Canada, not everything worked out; today, everything was perfect. It's a dream result considering Alonso's position in the standings. It was a big step forward towards the victory at the end of the year. It will be an extraordinary weekend, also for football and Italy".
Schumacher praised the work of his teammate, the Brazilian Felipe Massa, who finished the race in second place.
"He did exceptional laps, no mistakes, and ran smoothly and cleanly. We did our best, giving our all. We asked the maximum from the car and the tyres. I also say thank you to the whole team. This victory brings us a step closer to try to win the championship".
Felipe Massa, on his part, is doubly happy: he managed to achieve second place (which everyone expected from him...) and give Ferrari a one-two at the United States Grand Prix:
" Hopefully we can go on like this today. I started off with the best energy to try to react at the start with great speed and to take my chance to go for the lead. I tried to do better than in past Grands Prix, and I succeeded. As for the rest of the race, once Schumi had taken the lead, I always tried to push to the maximum to pull away from the Renaults. With each new lap, I tried to do better than the previous one".
The start, in addition to Massa's move, capable of overtaking Michael Schumacher, was also marked by the incident at the back.
"There was a bit of chaos, also with the entry of the Safety Car, but we were always the fastest".
Massa is now also thinking about the help he will have to give Michael Schumacher in the championship.
"Michael today took a big step forward. This one-two came at the right time and will give us great motivation for the upcoming Grands Prix".
The other two protagonists of the day were Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli, the two Italian drivers:
"It was a regular race, too bad for the loss of position, but in the end, they went much faster than Alonso. I had the chance to overtake him and chase my two Ferrari colleagues straight away. Speed was the result of all my grit today. It's a good result, the best we could do; we are satisfied with the result. Third place is good; we hope to do better next time. I am happy with my race because with our tyres, it wasn't easy to keep up that pace, and I think I showed to be the fastest among the drivers using Michelin tyres".
Jarno Trulli, fourth in the United States Grand Prix, also exudes happiness after a difficult qualifying session and a start from the pit lane. But it was precisely the start from the pit lane that allowed him to get plenty of fuel for a strategy that envisaged only one stop. Winning strategy, but great driving skills from the Pescara driver.
"I started from the pit lane and had to catch up. I was lucky at the start, but I was going very fast. I said yesterday that I would come back, but scoring points in a very difficult race with only one pit stop was fantastic".
In Formula 1, it had not happened since the 80s to see all Italian drivers in the race finish in the points. It happened in Indianapolis, with Giancarlo Fisichella on the podium behind the Ferraris, Jarno Trulli fourth, and Vitantonio Liuzzi able to bring his Toro Rosso to eighth place. Only in San Marino had he had a similar placement.
"But in America, it's even more beautiful. For Toro Rosso, this is a great day. We work so hard every day without getting results. It couldn't have gone better than this for us today".
The United States is his hunting ground, and cowboy Michael Schumacher once again dominated the rodeo. Triumphing for the fifth time in his career at Indianapolis, a clean victory, without the pre-surrender of Michelin, but with on-track dominance of the two Ferraris from start to finish, the German reopened the world championship race, gaining six precious points on Alonso:
"It gives us new energy and confidence for the future. A perfect, dream weekend. We made a big leap forward".
In the end, to the great Spanish loser, it can even be said that things went well because he would have finished sixth if Ralf Schumacher's Toyota, which had overtaken him with pit stops and a better strategy, had not lost ground nine laps from the end. But his brother’s retirement certainly does not wipe the smile off Michael Schumacher's face, the great conqueror of Indianapolis, radiant immediately after the finish and carried in triumph by his mechanics before stepping onto the podium. Ferrari had not been hiding; this is a circuit where they have won six out of seven times. It was the last chance; they could not fail if they still wanted to entertain hopes of catching up with Fernando Alonso and Renault. The target was hit, and the men of the Maranello team can go home happy, remembering Schumacher directing the Italian national anthem (considering that on Tuesday, July 4, 2006, he will be cheering for Germany against Italy in football) and the curious hand on the heart of the Frenchman Jean Todt listening to the German anthem. For once, Ferrari has returned to overpowering its opponents. Thanks to Bridgestone tyres (Michelin tyres just do not work here), great top speed on the straights, and a perfect choice of aerodynamic load. Ferrari pulled away from everyone because, in the race, there was not only the protagonist Michael Schumacher but also the excellent race of Felipe Massa, who was even leading in the first corner with a much more blistering start than his teammate's. Starting at the front for the two Ferraris was a great advantage because, behind them, hell broke loose immediately. It is a fate for Indianapolis to witness races with few cars on the track. After a few meters and a big pile-up (Nick Heidfeld's BMW repeatedly spinning on the gravel), seven wrecks can be counted on the escape route. Juan Pablo Montoya collided with his teammate Kimi Räikkönen, Nick Heidfeld flew off touched by Jenson Button's Honda, Mark Webber, Scott Speed, Christian Klien, and Franck Montagny also retired. Jenson Button himself abandoned after the safety car came on track to allow the removal of so much debris and restore some order. The long series of retirements does not end with the initial incident; soon Takuma Satō and Tiago Monteiro also left the scene (the Japanese rear-ended the Portuguese), Jacques Villeneuve parked on the grass, Christijan Albers headed to the pits, and especially Ralf Schumacher said goodbye to fifth place. Meanwhile, beyond the red dominance, there is Giancarlo Fisichella, who overtook Fernando Alonso (a well-deserved podium for the Roman) and Jarno Trulli, who, with one less pit stop, rose from last to fourth.
But it is especially the two Ferraris that were thrilling, with Michael Schumacher overtaking Felipe Massa because of strategy on lap 31. The German acknowledged:
"He was a great opponent, and didn't make any mistakes. Luckily, I managed to overtake him through the pit stop".
Felipe Massa did not take it personally, saying:
"I wanted to give a bit of joy to my Brazil after being eliminated from the World Cup. I think I succeeded. I had the best race of my life; my reaction time at the start was fantastic".
Yes, at least in the Ferrari world (back to a one-two since Monza 2004, almost two years), everything is marvellous. Michael Schumacher summed it up well:
"We triumphed once again in a mythical place like Indianapolis. I gained six points on Alonso, I realised that Massa can help me. It's a dream Sunday. Now we have to transfer all this magic to the races in Europe".
Where the comeback will have to continue. Otherwise, the two Ferrari drivers will not have told the whole truth. It was a setback, but Renault did not make a big deal out of it. The calmest one was Fernando Alonso:
"I couldn't do more; fifth place is already an achievement. The car couldn’t stay on track; it was impossible to drive. I struggled from start to finish. Bridgestone was superior here, but Michelin will win again from the next race at Magny-Cours. Ferrari doesn't scare me; I'm not at all worried about Schumacher's comeback".
Flavio Briatore was also serene.
"Here, Schumacher won deservedly; our tyres were too cautious, and we could only minimise the damage".
Said Giancarlo Fisichella, who, nonetheless, stood on the podium with the words Forza Azzurri on his helmet.
"Finishing third is a huge result. Ferrari was faster. But it could be just an episode".
But, most importantly, the American audience is happy, despite some reservations due to signs like:
"Did you bring the right tyres? My child is asking".
These signs confirm how the wounds from last year (with the farcical six-car race and Schumacher's strange victory) have not yet healed. Yet, Indianapolis continues to believe in Formula 1; the fever of speed in a city that has always thrived on motors maintains its contagion, as evidenced by the 140.000 spectators in the stands. Granted, the temple is so big (if they raced on the oval that hosts the Indy 500, 400.000 people could attend the event) that at first glance, it seems empty.
Still, the enthusiasts are there and eager to have fun, including the 20.000 who received complimentary tickets from Michelin (compensation for last year's debacle) but still spent money to get to and stay in Indianapolis. Local authorities care little about who paid to enter the circuit; they are interested in the business flow, the impact on hotels, restaurants, and shops in the city, the billion dollars that, in the six years Ecclestone brought Formula 1 here, made Indiana's coffers happy. Too big a turnover, in a state undergoing an unemployment crisis, to give it up lightly. That is why Tony George, the track owner, will meet with Ecclestone in the coming days. He fears the American alternatives that have been offered (New York with a circuit just outside the city, Las Vegas, Miami, and a mysterious location in the northern United States represented by a delegation eight days ago in Montreal) and is in a hurry to renew the agreement with the English manager. Beyond the taunts received, the withdrawal of the Michelin teams in 2006, but also the voluntary arrival of Schumacher and Barrichello in 2002 (Americans dislike on-track agreements, but rather accidents), Formula 1 brings money and jobs. That is why the upcoming opening of a Honda factory around here has generated great enthusiasm, and no Indianapolis resident wants to let go. Never mind if, by some strange fate, the spectacle here is always halved, at least in terms of the number of cars in the race. After the first turn, seven were already wrecked, and at the finish line, only nine out of twenty-two arrived. Maybe next time. If there is, Indianapolis guarantees, it would be better. Two points. It is the minimum gap that Fernando Alonso has maintained over Michael Schumacher in the last seven races. The problem is that the first three cannot be erased, especially the failures in Malaysia and Australia, those flops that force Jean Todt to admit:
"Mistakes come at a high price, and this year we have made some".
Changing engines in Sepang, the choice of tyres in Australia, missteps that caused Michael Schumacher to collect only 3 points against the 18 earned by his rival. After the third race, the German was trailing by 17 points, already an abyss; now, he is behind by 19 points, a distance practically unchanged. The reversal would have been complete if, another fatal mistake, in Monte Carlo, Schumacher had not parked his car at the end of qualifying, relegating himself to the last place on the grid and turning a sure victory (in the race Ferrari had the best pace) into a disappointing fifth place. Regrets that somehow overshadow the euphoric Monday of the men from the Maranello team, back in control in Indianapolis with a one-two that had been missing since September 12, 2004, the Italian Grand Prix. One thinks about what could have been, and Jean Todt is the first to do so in his analysis, and the feeling that Renault's dominance, even before the United States, was not so overwhelming. But then the regrets are buried, and enjoy the resurgent Schumacher, the man who did not miss his last chance, the driver who dominated the American race for the fifth time in his career (the fourth consecutive) and now invites all Ferrari fans to believe in the great comeback. Schumacher, what makes you think you can catch Alonso?
"First of all, the fact that we at Ferrari never give up. Waiting for years to win the world championship again has toughened us up, difficulties do not scare us, and no one knows how to react better than us. Secondly, it is proof that when we have the best package, the best combination of car and tyres, we can still outpace our opponents by a second. In Indianapolis, I never doubted our triumph".
But for a moment, Massa almost spoiled the party. At least he got the better of you at the start.
"He had a perfect race, without mistakes, he was excellent. A lightning bolt on the grid, solid throughout the race. Fortunately, I knew I had to refuel a lap after him: in those few kilometres, I managed to make a difference and overtake him. But his performance is another reason that makes me think about the comeback. Now I know I can also count on his help. He had to keep an eye on Alonso, and he got ahead of Fisichella and all the others".
Psychologically, how important are the six points taken from the Spaniard?
"A lot. I thought I would gain less; for the first time, I saw him struggling, slower than his teammate. Maybe it was all about the tyres, but why shouldn't I believe in a turning point?"
He will know soon. In two weeks, Magny-Cours could say that your American dominance was a mere episode.
"I hope not. We had a fantastic weekend. Now we have to transfer this magic to Europe. In France, we will have an evolved Ferrari; we hope that the upgrades allow us to be the strongest again".
Why were you not the strongest before?
"In Formula 1, all it takes is one detail to change the whole situation. In the USA, we had the same car as in Canada: already in Montreal, we thought we were very fast, but the tyres had no grip. However, this can also apply to the opponents. Nineteen points behind is a lot; we have to work hard, but the comeback is not impossible. We must not give up; it would be unforgivable".
You always win in Indianapolis. How does that make you feel?
"If it's a coincidence, it's very pleasant. This is a temple of motorsports; when I'm old, it will be nice to remember that I left my mark in America".
Maybe when you retire. Have you made the long-awaited decision?
"No. And don't tell me that an exciting triumph like this can influence me. My choice will not depend on a single episode. I race, I have fun, who knows. By the end of summer, you will know everything".