The Formula One championship battle between Michael Schumacher and Fernando
Alonso comes down to a driver needing one point to clinch the title in the
season finale. But this time, Schumacher is the one at a disadvantage in what he
says is the final race of his career.
Ferrari Formula One driver Michael
Schumacher eats a banana before a training session at the Jerez racetrack,
southern Spain, October 11, 2006. Renault have urged Schumacher to keep up
the Formula One title fight, even if the odds are stacked against him
after Sunday's bitter disappointment in
Japan.[Reuters] |
The pair head to the Brazilian
Grand Prix on October 22 with Alonso holding a 10-point advantage over
Schumacher. Alonso needs one point to clinch the title _ the same situation
Schumacher enjoyed three years ago heading into the last race of the season.
"As we all thought, the championship will be decided in Brazil," said Alonso,
who clinched the title in Sao Paulo last season when it was three races from the
end of the schedule.
In the last race of 2003 at the Japanese Grand Prix, Kimi Raikkonen was the
one trying to catch Schumacher. The German knew the only way he'd fail to win
his fourth straight title for Ferrari would be if Raikkonen won the race and
Schumacher went scoreless.
Schumacher came very close to losing it. Rain interfered with the practice
session and Schumacher qualified in the seventh row. He finished eighth in the
race and Raikkonen came in second to Rubens Barrichello, who was Schumacher's
teammate at the time.
But that was good enough for Schumacher.
"It's a strange feeling for me," Schumacher said then. "Most championships
end with a victory and to win with the last of the points gives me mixed
emotions."
This time, Alonso saw a 25-point lead disappear between the 10th and 16th
races. But he won the last race in Suzuka, and now has a 10-point margin over
Schumacher _ who had to drop out on the 37th lap in Japan and all but conceded
the title to Alonso.
"For me the championship is over," the Ferrari driver said. "I have to say
clearly I don't really believe in the championship anymore.
"I don't want to go into a race hoping my opponent will retire. That is not
the way I want to win a championship," Schumacher said. "We all know that it is
one point that Fernando needs, and Fernando is a very good driver and that
should not be any problem."
But Alonso has had problems lately. After winning six of the first nine
races, he dropped out of two, including the Italian GP won by Schumacher. The
Spaniard became a little testy and cracks appeared in his usually calm demeanor.
He criticized his team for not supporting him at the Chinese Grand Prix.
When he won in Japan for the first time since June, all seemed well again.
"We deserved this victory a long time ago, I think. Before Hungary we were
ready to win and we never finished the job," Alonso said. "The taste of the
victory is even better because in China we were the complete favorites and
everything seemed easy for us and we lost the race."
Schumacher, of course, would like to go out with his eighth title, but he
took the disappointment at Suzuka philosophically.
"This is life and this is racing. It is up and down," he said. "Because of
this it is very interesting and if it were not like this it would be very
boring."
