Formula One: Down to the Wire – Tight Curves and Burnt Rubber

The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning. Like the Indy 500 or Le Mans, it stands alone, almost distinct from the sport from which it was born. A combination of precision driving, technical excellence, and sheer bravery is required to win in Monte Carlo, facets which highlight the differences between the great and the good in Formula One.

Fernando Alonso captured this year’s Grand Prix of Monaco. The No. 1 Renault crossed the finish line 14.5 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Juan Montoya. The victory was Alonso’s fourth of the season and 12th of his Formula One career. Fernando Alonso, who was given the pole when it was determined that Michael Schumacher deliberately stopped on the circuit during the qualifying session, quickly jumped out to a lead in the 78-lap Grand Prix of Monaco.

Alonso won a thrilling race in Monaco. He made it look easy, but had Raikkonen and Webber not fallen out of the running, there surely would have been a fight until the end. Montoya settled for second — finishing nearly 15 seconds behind Alonso. Coulthard finish 3rd. Barrichello ended up 4th. Michael Schumacher was especially impressive making his way from the pit-lane to a 5th place finish.

With this effort, Alonso raised his point total for the season to 64, a healthy 21-point lead over rival Michael Schumacher. The remainder of the season looks like this:

11 June	Britain	Silverstone
25 June	Canada	Montreal
2 July	United States	Indianapolis
16 July	France	Magny-Cours
30 July	Germany	Hockenheim
6 August	Hungary	Hungaroring
27 August	Turkey	Istanbul
10 September	Italy	Monza
1 October	Japan	Suzuka
8 October	China	Shanghai
22 October	Brazil	Interlagos

Formula One: The Triumphant Return of Michael Schumacher

Heading into the halfway point for the 2006 F1 season, Michael Schumacher held off Fernando Alonso in a tight duel Sunday May 7th to win the San Marino Grand Prix. Schumacher covered 62 laps around the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in 1 hour, 31 minutes, 6.486 seconds, with Alonso 2.0 seconds behind.

A look at the current standings:

1) F. Alonzo	44 Points
2) M. Schumacher	31 Points
3) K. Raikkonen	23 Points
4) G. Fisichella	18 Points
5) F. Massa	15 Points
6) J. Montoya	15 Points
7) J. Button	13 Points
R. Schumacher	7 Points

By winning the European Grand Prix on Sunday, Schumacher has re-established himself as a bonafide championship contender. Defending champion Fernando Alonso might find the German a bit tougher last year’s runner-up Kimi Raikkonen was in 2005. The European Grand Prix saw a masterful performance from Schumacher, who put in quick pit stops and matched Alonso lap for lap setting Schumi up to defeat the championship leader for the second successive race. Felipe Massa finished third. And as the point spread between Alonzo and Schumacher narrows, at this point it’s a safe bet to say “it’s anyone’s race”! The remainder of the season looks like this:

Date	Country	Circuit (click for more)
12 March	Bahrain	Sakhir
19 March	Maylasia	Sepang
2 April	Australia	Melbourne
23 April	San Marino	Imola
7 May	European	Nurburgring
14 May	Spain	Barcelona
28 May	Monaco	Monaco
11 June	Britain	Silverstone
25 June	Canada	Montreal
2 July	United States	Indianapolis
16 July	France	Magny-Cours
30 July	Germany	Hockenheim
6 August	Hungary	Hungaroring
27 August	Turkey	Istanbul
10 September	Italy	Monza
1 October	Japan	Suzuka
8 October	China	Shanghai
22 October	Brazil	Interlagos