F1 2006 - THE FIRST BATTLE OF SILVER

ROUND 1 - BAHRAIN
Schumacher's new Brazilian teammate, Felipe Massa, caused a stir in the paddock by outqualifying the 7 time champion and starting on the front row, but Schumi showed him who's boss, by overtaking him on the inside of turn 4 on the first lap. No one, however, could match the defending champion, leading every lap excluding the pit stops, and takinng home a dominant win. The only real thing to note was a collision between Speed and Villenueve, in what was a somewhat underwhelming start to the season.
ROUND 2 - MALAYSIA
The lightly fuelled Heidfeld took a suprise pole, and carried the form throughout his first stint, duelling with Alonso, being passed on lap 7. Alonso, once again, reigned supreme, but Heidfeld still had a chance for a podium, after Yuji Ide took out 2nd place Michael Schumacher while the former was attempting to lap him. On the final lap, in the run to turn one, the Sauber driver took his chance and passed Massa for a well earned podium. Renault however, were looking untouchable. A one two with alonso now heading the championship by 7 points.
ROUND 3 - AUSTRALIA
Schumacher took a brilliant pole in the wet, but Fisi made a rocketing start off the line, while behind, a multi car shunt eliminated championship leader Alonso, Massa and Button. After 5 laps behind the safety car, Fisichella built a gap, until a shunt between Coulthard and Villenueve brought out the safety car again on lap 28. Fisichella however, remained in control, and won the race and now took the lead of the championship. Raikkonen defended from the Honda of Barrichello to take the last podium of the V10 Mercedes, as the all new, more powerful V8 was finally ready for Imola. Kilen took a strong P5 in the Red Bull, the Newey chassis advantages clear to see at Albert Park.
ROUND 4 - SAN MARINO
Fisichella became the 4th pole sitter of the year, but Kimi, using the power of his new engine, stormed passed him into Tamburello, and proceded to storm off. That was until Trulli ran off the road and crashed into Mark Webber, causing a safety car. A chance maybe for Renault, but this time it was Montoya's turn to pass Fisi. Renault were left speechless after a easy one two from McLaren. Ide was sacked after colliding with his teammate, Montagny would become full time driver after standing in for him because of his one race ban.
ROUND 5 - EUROPE
Kimi on pole dominated all but his teammate, whom he traded fastest laps for a while. The new order was clear now. Alonso was left to fight with Michael Schumacher, who had a fantastic wheel to wheel battle with the Spaniard coming out on top. In a matter of just a couple of races, Raikkonen had come from ten points down to now leading the championship, and looking like the clear favourite unless Montoya could do anything about it. Kubica had a solid start on his debut, finishing P11.
ROUND 6 - SPAIN
Montoya made a huge statement by qualifying 7 tenths up on his teammate with a blinding lap, and made a faultless race, dominating from start to finish and finsihing over half a minute ahead of his teammate. The Bridgestone shod teams struggled with the long corners and heat, Schumacher suffering a puncture and finishing a lowly tenth. Fisichella used his Michelin's to his advantage, making 1 less stop and overhauling Alonso and Barrichello to finish on the podium. However, this was a clear sign that Montoya was not going to let Kimi run away with this championship.
ROUND 7 - MONACO
McLaren had their 2 race stronghold on pole broken by Michael Schumacher, the Ferrari being very quick round the principality. Schumi commanded the race, while Montoya caught Alonso napping at the chicane to take 2nd position. A big shunt involving Barrichello and Trulli, with Couthard caught up in the mess, brought out a red flag on lap 36. When the dust settled, Schumi raced off from pole, looking set to win his first proper race since October 2004. However, on lap 59, his engine blew out, meaning Montoya was clear to take his 2nd Monaco win and of the season so far. Raikkonen's engine failure was the first misstep of the new Mercedes V8, and meant the top four were covered by just 3 points.
ROUND 8 - UNITED KINGDOM
Montoya jumped polesitter Raikkonen off the line, and led the way until lap two, when Raikkonen made a move down the inside of the Abbey chicane. As they came out of it, side by side, Montoya made a slight twitch on bridge, and Raikkonen ended up on the grass, then spun back onto the circuit taking 5th place Michael Schumacher out with him. Safety car out, stop go penalty for Montoya. It seemed an impossible task, but with the power of the Mercedes engine he blasted up into the points by lap 21, setting a blistering pace. Next was Klien, then Webber, Couthard, but got slightly caught in a squabble between the Brazilian drivers, Button gut wrenchingly retired with a blown engine from 3rd, Fisichella was next, and then Heidfeld was done at lap 49. 11 laps to go, 13 seconds to make up. Alonso, perhaps aware that a 2nd position was still enough to retain the championship lead, turned the wick down, but certainly hadn't given up. 3 laps to go, Montoya now 1 and a half behind. The chrome car tucked into the slipstream of Alonso on the Hangar straight, looked up the inside, but Alonso fended him off. But resistance was futile. The Columbian launched himself through the Abbey chicane on the inside, Alonso went off the track. Montoya won, with no penalty for the Alonso incident. He said "It was the best race of my life". McLaren, however, were certianly less than pleased...
ROUND 9 - CANADA
Alonso's brilliant lap secured him pole on Saturday, but was passed off the start by Raikkonen, who led to the first stop. A poor outlap from Kimi gave Alonso a chance to take the initiative, and he did. He held the lead to the end of the race, but it wasn't without it's challenges. A safety car was needed after Massa threw it into the wall of champions, and he soaked in the pressure awesomely. It now looked like a four horse race between the McLaren's and Renaults. Also of note was Kubica's excellent drive to 6th, to claim his, and Poland's first championship points.
ROUND 10 - UNITED STATES
Raikkonen had a poor start and lost out to his teammate and also Michael Schumacher, who, on the new spec Bridgestones was finally a proper contender. Michael seized his oppourtunity after Mountoy went wide onto the grass at turn 1 on his outlap, claiming his first proper win since October 2004. He was back, but was it too late, he lay 25 points behind new championship leader Montoya, who benefited from Alonso's first engine failure of the year.
ROUND 11 - FRANCE
Felipe Massa showed what he was made of by a brilliant lap to take pole, beating Raikkonen by 2 tenths. Come the race however, Kimi used his Mercedes power to great advantages passing him before the Adalaide hairpin on lap 1. Schumi also passed him on lap 3. And it was Schumi who took the advantage after the stops, with some brilliant, maximum attack outlaps to overhaul Raikkonen. Kimi closed near the end, but it was Michael's day once more. Alonso dropped a point to Montoya in a title race that could now have a fith addition. In the constructors race, McLaren finally overhauled Renault to take the lead for the first time.
ROUND 12 - GERMANY
A light fuelled Button took the pole in the dry, but come Sunday, huge rain coulds engulfed the Hockenheimring. Button held the lead till his first stop, which handed over the leadership to Raikkonen. Then, the championship leader missed his braking mark at the final turn, and hit the wall, ending his race abruptly. Could Alonso take advantage of this? It was not to be. Button closed up on the Spaniard on lap 29, and they touched, causing the Renault's front wing to be jammed in the tyre, causing a puncture. Alonso out, a huge chance now for any one of the five drivers to really cement themselves in the title race. And it was "the Michael" who took full advantage, driving a beautiful race, taking the lead from the iceman on lap 33, and winning a crucial race. Raikkonen had missed the chance, slipping down the order to P5, while Michael's old teammate, Barrichello took his first podium for Honda alongside Kubica, who took his first podium of his career after an excellent drive in tough conditions.
ROUND 13 - HUNGARY
Any one of 5 drivers could have taken the lead at the start of the race, but it was Massa on pole for the 2nd time in 3 races. Just like in France though, Kimi beat him to the first corner and took a dominant win, closing the gap to the new championship leader, Alonso, to just three points. Schumacher managed to get P4, but only after Massa was told to "Save the engine". An investigation was carried out, but there were no penalty for Ferrari. Montoya languished in P7, while Fisichella took his first podium since Spain, his consistency meaning he was still in a realistic chance.
ROUND 14 - TURKEY
Massa became the first back to back polesitter of the year, and this time he held the lead throughout the first stint, with Montoya following him. Into the pits they came, and Massa still was ahead of Montoya but somehow managed to be in second! Raikkonen had jumped them with a flawless undercut, taking hold of a race he would never lose, despite a safety car when Montoya clipped Massa, who spun round and got stranded in the middle of the track. Montoya needed a new nosecone so slipped down the standings but climbed back up to P6. Still, it was an underwhelming couple of races for the Columbian, as his Finnish rival moved within one point of Alonso, who finished a solid second.
ROUND 15 - ITALY
Montoya took his second pole alongside his teammate. Dennis insisted there would be no fighting between the two, but Raikkonen won the race to turn one. Montoya kept with three seconds of him, and managed to perform an overcut. On fresher tyres, Montoya pulled away to claim his first win since Silverstone moving 4 points within his teammate and championship leader Raikkonen. Meanwhile behind, Ferrari were off the pace and Fisichella's luck finally ran out, his first DNF of the year with an engine failure. The Sauber's had a great race, finishing 4th and 5th to collect valubale points to move 9 points clear of Honda, but with three races still to run, it was anyone guess as to who would win the titles.
ROUND 16 - CHINA
A flawless weekend from Button saw him finally take his first victory in Formula One, a beautiful pole lap and a smooth, calculted race at a track where his driving style made the difference. Fisi's P2 launched him right back into the hunt for the title, but sadly for Raikkonen, an engine failure meant he had no chance to gain any points. So it was up to Alonso to take the championship lead, and he finished P4 after another duel with Michael Schumacher. This time, the 7 time champion came out on top after a splendid move down the inside of turn 9 on lap 48. With the vicotry and Sauber's scoreless race, Honda moved ahead in the battle for P4 , while just 1 point seperated McLaren from Renault, the Woking outfit ahead. Ferrari could no longer mathamatically win the title.
ROUND 17 - JAPAN
It looked like the moment of brilliance Fisichella needed finally came, as he did a flawless lap of the figure of eight track to take pole position by 3 thenths after it looked like Button would surely take pole. Come race day, Giancarlo lead the way until 7 laps after his first stop he ran into the gravel at Dunlop, handing 1st to Button and 2nd to a hard charging Massa. On the last lap, just like he had done previously on Schumacher, Massa darted to the inside of the hairpin to take an amazing maiden victory. With Alonso and the McLaren's off the pace, it was now a four way showdown between McLaren and Renault for the title, Schumacher out of it due to less second places than Alonso.
ROUND 18 - BRAZIL
In what was the most important Qualyfying session of the year, it wasn't any of the title contenders who took pole, but Michael Schumacher, with Raikkonen alongside. A great start from the iceman saw him shoot into the lead, with his teammate Montoya, who said if he didn't win the title he would leave McLaren, followed him. Montoya had an early stop in order to get ahead of Kimi when he had his stop. It meant that it must be decided on track. For Montoya to win, Kimi had to finish 3rd with Alonso 4th, so a win was all he could do. So when Kimi had a good exit out of Descida Do Lago, Montoya had to get physical, and ran the iceman out of road at the Ferradura. Thanks to tarmac, this time Kimi stayed on the road, and continued his pursuit of the Columbian. On lap 56, he got the better exit out of the Senna S, and launched down the inside of Montoya, who had no answer. With Alonso quite far down the road, it left Raikkonen to take the championship by 2 points from Alonso, granting him his 1st World Title. With a 1-2 finish, McLaren also had the constructors.