Formula One- 2006 Season Review
A look back at the 2006 Formula One season
The 2006 Formula One season was a pivotal one to say the least.
It was highlighted by a spirited championship duel between Formula One icon Michael Schumacher and defending series champion Fernando Alonso. The two drivers combined won 11 of the first 12 races, and 14 of the 18 total races for the season. But it was Fernando Alonso who captured his second consecutive Formula One championship by finishing second in the season finale Brazilian Grand Prix.
Alonso won the Formula One championship by 13 points over 7-time champion Michael Schumacher.
Alonso began the season with a win at the season opening Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. He would go on and win five of the ensuing eight races, which included a stretch of four successive wins. After his hot streak cooled down, Schumacher heated up and raced his way into championship contention by winning five of the next seven races.
With two races remaining in the season, Alonso and Schumacher were tied for the series lead heading into the Japanese Grand Prix. Alonso won the race and tallied 10 points, while Schumacher’s 20th place finish sent him home scoreless for the weekend.
Schumacher needed to win the season finale Grand Prix of Brazil just to have a remote shot at his eighth Formula One championship, but a punctured tire early in the race set him back. Schumacher rallied back to finish 4th, but Alonso’s 2nd place finish was the championship clincher.
The twenty-five year old driver from Oviedo, Spain has solidified himself as the guy who will carry the torch as the elite driver in Formula One racing. As most F1 fans are conscious of, Schumacher has opted to hang up his helmet after the 2006 season’s completion.
Schumacher is perhaps the most successful driver in Formula One history, and could be considered one of the best drivers ever to strap on a helmet. He won 91 Formula One races, 68 poles, and 7 championships over a career that spanned over 16 years.
Rising star Kimi Raikkonen will succeed Schumacher at Ferrari in 2007.
While the new class of Formula One frontrunners such as Fernando Alonso, Jensen Button, and Kimi Raikkonen has emerged, the series took some of heavy blows, as a few prominent names will no longer be apart of the circuit. Along with Schumacher’s retirement, the renowned Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya suddenly announced his intentions to depart from open wheel racing altogether and join the NASCAR Nextel Cup series with Chip Ganassi Racing starting in 2007. The announcement came as a jolt to almost everyone in the auto racing world, but especially his McLaren team.
Also, Jacques Villeneuve has expressed interest in joining the NASCAR Nextel Cup ranks as well.
Coming soon- Champ Car season in review
