Monaco GP, Sunday
This afternoon at the Monaco Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso
took his fourth win of the 2006 season with a measured, mistake-free
drive from pole position.
His team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, having been forced to
start from ninth on the grid following a penalty yesterday
afternoon, drove a dynamic race to finish sixth. The combined
result allowed the Renault F1 Team to consolidate its lead
in the Constructors' Championship, with a total of 91 points
from seven races, and a 28-point lead over its nearest challenger.
Fernando enjoyed a trouble-free afternoon after starting
from pole position. He took the lead at the first corner,
and then controlled his pace as he was chased throughout the
first stint by Kimi Raikkonen. His longer first stint allowed
him to emerge from the pits ahead of his rival, and also meant
the team could cover the McLaren-Mercedes strategy by fuelling
longer in the second stint. However, a safety car period on
lap 49 rendered this academic, as all the leading runners
pitted for their second and final stops. Following Raikkonen's
retirement during the safety car period, Fernando was able
to look after his tyres and engine during the remaining 30
laps, preserving the performance potential of the V8 for its
next race, while controlling the gap to Montoya in second.
He has extended his championship lead to 21 points over Michael
Schumacher, and has a total of 64 points from a possible 70.
Giancarlo Fisichella began the day with a much harder task:
starting from ninth position following a post-qualifying penalty,
but on a strategy designed for a position at the front grid.
This left him running a shorter first stint than his immediate
competitors, and required an aggressive approach to convert
his grid slot into points. Giancarlo delivered in style, with
an aggressive start, dynamic driving and strong pace. He also
disproved the myth that overtaking at Monaco is impossible,
with impressive manoeuvres on three fellow competitors on
the track (Rosberg, Villeneuve, Coulthard). The safety car
period disadvantaged him relative to the cars around him who
were running one stop strategies, but he nevertheless raced
to a strong sixth position – and three valuable championship
points. He now lies third in the drivers' championship.
Fernando Alonso, Winner
This is a special place for any driver to win a race, for
the history, for what it represents to Formula 1 and because
it is such a big challenge to get through the race with no
mistakes. We have been trying since 2003, and Renault had
a good car here every year, but now we have done it. To be
honest, I was quite surprised by Raikkonen's speed but I knew
that I had to control my pace as well to look after the tyres.
We seemed to have more problems with the rear wear than our
competitors, but I managed the situation to keep the tyres
fresh for the end of the stints, and to build a gap when I
needed it. Michelin did a fantastic job for this race, and
I want to say thank-you to all their employees for their work.
Looking at the championship, I am in a great position, and
the consistency is the best part of it. We know that podium
finishes are the key to winning the title, and so far this
year we have had seven from seven races.
Giancarlo Fisichella, 6th position
I lost my chance of a good finish yesterday after the penalty
in qualifying. With the strategy we had for the car, it was
almost impossible to do anything from ninth position. So I
just had to go out there and push to the maximum. I was behind
a lot of traffic for most of the race, but still managed to
overtake some people on the track – Rosberg, Villeneuve
and Coulthard. I was able to do a good pace at the end, and
managed to get sixth position, which is good for the team
along with Fernando's victory. Renault is in really good shape
at the moment, and we are very optimistic that we can be quick
at Silverstone after a very strong test there. We will certainly
be trying to get both cars on the podium.
Flavio Briatore, Managing Director
This was a great team performance from Renault today. We want
to dedicate the win to Edouard Michelin. Michelin was a big
part of our world title success last year, and they have played
an important role in putting us in the lead of the championship
in 2006. We are very happy to win here in Monaco, and to be
able to pay tribute to his memory in the way he would have
wanted.
Pat Symonds, Executive Director of Engineering
Congratulations to Fernando. He took a fantastic win on the
ultimate driver's circuit. There is not much to say about
his race, apart from the fact that he had it perfectly under
control. He was very deliberately taking it easy after each
pit-stop because this circuit is so demanding for the rear
tyres, owing to the heavy traction demands. Throughout the
race, though, Fernando had the ability to increase his pace
when he needed to. As for Giancarlo, it was a true pleasure
to watch him race today. His overtaking manoeuvres were daring
and well-judged, and I cannot remember a driver working so
aggressively in many years to move through the field here
at Monaco. In spite of this, his race was effectively controlled
by traffic, and the Safety Car prevented his strategy from
playing out fully, but we could not have asked much more of
him today. Our thoughts are also with Michelin today. They
brought tyres that struck the perfect balance between first-lap
performance and long run consistency, and we are proud to
have taken their fifth consecutive Monaco victory, all the
more so in such poignant circumstances.
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