2006 Turkish Grand Prix - Race - Massa Wins as Alonso Inches Closer To Championship
Aug 27th, 2006 by Haas
Massa brilliantly converted his pole to a win to become the 2nd Driver in 2 races to win their madien Grand Prix. Alonso was chased to the line by Micheal Schumacher but managed to hold back the 7 times World Champion. The race was dominated by inch perfect driving and then the odd mistake, It was a mistake that allowed Alonso to seal the second place.
Massa and Michael had a perfect start closing the door on the Renaults. Fisi took the brunt of pack as he spinned off the track and lost his front wing. He pitted to join in last and produced an aweinspiring comeback to finish 6th. Massa led every lap of the race and was never under pressure from either Alonso or Michael… but the real story was unfolding behind him…
A safety car caused the top cars to pit and Michael followed Massa into the pit. Alonso siezed the opportuninty to sneak past Michael as he waited for Massa’s stop to finish. The second stint saw Massa’s Ferrari pulling away and Alonso and Michael matching each other’s times. Towards the end of the second stint Michael broke under pressure to keep up with the World Champ running wide into Turn 8. The off track moment cost him around 4s.
The final pitstop saw Michael pushing to the max and yet coming out behind the Spaniard. The difference was less than 4s. That mistake cost Michael a 2nd place finish. Alonso did not relent to Michael’s pressure towards the end and calmly took 2nd at the flag.
This will explain to you the race:
1. Massa: 0 mistakes
2. Alonso: 0 mistakes
3. Michael: 1 big mistake
No matter what anyone says Alonso is not the one under pressure and he showed it. After the last 2 races I have a sinking feeling that Michael cannot make the final distance… These 12 points will be the toughest of his carrer and I frankly dont see him getting there. Of the last 4 races 3 will clearly help the Renault and Considering the mistakes Michael has been making (Tried to defend a positon which was undefendable and ended up out of the race in Hungary)… Alonso already looks like World Champion for 2006.
But 4 races still to go and anything can happen… Keep cheering your favourite driver 
Ugh.. What are you even talking.. One race Michael makes a mistake and you say he cannot make the final distance? Either you’ve become amnesiac or you have selective memory regarding Michael’s skill..
Mistakes, He made a major mistake in Hungary costing him as many as 4 points. Made it in Quali(twice in two hot laps) costing him pole and a race win. Finally in the race costing him second.
We saw Alonso have 4 bad races and he did not make a single mistake in anyone of them, that too when everyone was breathing down his neck saying his car is not good(and frankly compared to the Ferrari’s it wasnt)
This season is close and all I said was Im betting on the guy who has nerves of steel.
Making mistakes is not a sign of him not having what it takes to go all the way. Maybe he made a mistake, so? Does that take away from his skill? Did Alonso not make a mistake yesterday, which Michael was unfortunately not able to capitalise on, but nonetheless he did.
And what would the situation have been, had Michael been ahead of Alonso after second pitstop?
The worst part of that point is, even after all that Michael has done, the records he has created, shown his skill, he is still considered “not good enough”
But the best part, his making a mistake once is considered so significant because he makes so few of them.
Making mistakes is not a sign of him not having what it takes to go all the way.
Excuse me… read that sentence again. In F1 the ones that do well are the ones that dont make any mistakes… Michael did that for 7 championships and Alonso did it last year and has done it this year as well.
Trust me nobody is taking anything away from the 7 time champion… Its just that “because he has won 7 times he should win this time” idea is crazy… He has probably had one of the best seasons compared to the guys on the grid but Alonso has a better season and is not crumbling under pressure.
his making a mistake once is considered so significant because he makes so few of them.
Exactly my point… makes you wonder that for a driver who made one mistake in like a season what must be running in his head to make 3 in 2 days and that too when all he had to do was not over do it.
Thats the only difference I find between the two drivers, other than the fact that Ferrari is clearly stronger than the Renault… In my “opinion” that will be more than enough to make or break the championship