Formula One: Schumacher Win Heats Up Title Race

The Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa enjoyed an unchallenged and unruffled Sunday afternoon drive despite flickers of promise from the opposition to record a decisive one-two in the German grand prix. It was the 89th victory of Schumacher's career and a success that trimmed Fernando Alonso's championship advantage to only 11 points with six of the season's 18 races remaining.

To complete a perfect weekend for Ferrari, it has emerged that Kimi Raikkonen is almost certain to be confirmed as Schumacher's team-mate for the 2007 season during the Italian grand prix weekend at Monza from September 8-10.

Although team officials refused to comment it now seems certain that Schumacher will continue driving for the Maranello-based team for at least one more season. Raikkonen is understood to have signed a Ferrari contract several months ago despite assurances from his advisers that he is still not firmly committed to any team beyond the end of this season. Speculation that he might find a berth as Alonso's successor in the Renault squad have been dismissed on the basis that it would be too costly to negotiate his way out of the firm Ferrari contract.

The defending champion Alonso, meanwhile, finished a distant fifth yesterday, his Renault crossing five seconds behind Jenson Button's well driven Honda. The Englishman enjoyed an upbeat afternoon having qualified fourth, and was heading towards a place on the podium until Kimi Raikkonen breezed by to take third in the closing stages of the 67-lap race.

"We had a superb weekend," said Schumacher who is aiming for his eighth world championship. "We had a fine work-out in the last test [at Jerez] before the summer break. To be honest, it was a bit of a surprise being so far ahead [of the opposition] but this win came at the right moment to close the championship lead. We didn't have to drive on the limit so we had no problems."

For his part, Button ran strongly from the start, although Raikkonen's was the fastest Michelin-shod car on the circuit as the Finn produced a great drive to overcome gear-change problems and locking rear wheels, with flames licking the engine bay of his McLaren as it completed the slowing-down lap.

Schumacher had come to Hockenheim determined to maintain his championship challenge after winning the two previous races in the USA and France. Although Alonso was confident he could turn the tide and prevent his Ferrari rival from further eroding his 17-point lead, Schumacher had the edge in qualifying on this medium-speed circuit that is punishing on the brakes and where 71% of the lap is spent on full throttle.

Schumacher and Alonso tracked each other closely in the battle for pole position, with the competition so intense the Spaniard shook his fist at Schumacher when he pulled into the pit lane ahead of his speeding Renault as they scrambled back onto the track.

In the end, however, both title contenders were wrong-footed in their attempts to take the top spot on the starting grid. Raikkonen, his silver McLaren dancing from kerb to kerb, came from nowhere to finish 0.2sec faster than Schumacher and put his first pole position of the season beyond doubt.

Alonso qualified seventh, a disappointing portent for the race itself, having been frustrated by blistering of his Michelin tyres. "We were not competitive this weekend, but I did the maximum I could and so did the team," he said. "Without the tyre problems we experienced, the podium was a possibility for me today - even from seventh position. We did not have enough to fight Ferrari here. We need to improve our performance for next week and fight back strongly."


Full results


Laps: 67 Fastest lap: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari (1min 16.357sec, lap 9)

1 Michael Schumacher (Germany) 10pts Ferrari 1hr 27min 51.693sec

2 Felipe Massa (Brazil) 8pts Ferrari +00.720sec

3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) 6pts McLaren +13.206sec

4 J Button (Britain) 5pts Honda +00:18.898

5 F Alonso (Spain) 4pts Renault +00:23.707

6 G Fisichella (Italy) 3pts Renault +00:24.814

7 J Trulli (Italy) 2pts Toyota +00:26.544

8 C Klein (Austria) 1pt Red Bull +00:48.131

Also Classified

9 R Schumacher (Germany) Toyota +01:00.351

10 V Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso + 1 lap

11 D Coulthard (Britain) Red Bull + 1 lap

12 S Speed (USA) Toro Rosso + 1 lap

13 C Albers (Holland) Midland + 1 lap

14 T Monteiro (Portugal) Midland + 2 laps

Not Classified

r M Webber (Australia) Williams 8 laps

r T Sato (Japan) Super Aguri 29 laps

r J Villeneuve (Canada) BMW 37 laps

r R Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 49 laps

r N Heidfeld (Germany) BMW 58 laps

r P de la Rosa (Spain) McLaren 65 laps

r S Yamamoto (Japan) Super Aguri 66 laps

r N Rosberg (Germany) Williams 67 laps

Drivers' championship

1 Fernando Alonso 100

2 Michael Schumacher 89

3 Felipe Massa 50

4 Giancarlo Fisichella 49

5 Kimi Raikkonen 49

6 Juan Pablo Montoya 26

7 Jenson Button 21

8 Rubens Barrichello 16

9 Ralf Schumacher 13


10 Nick Heidfeld 13


Constructors' championship

1 Renault 149

2 Ferrari 139

3 McLaren 77

4 Honda 37

5 Toyota 23

6 BMW 20

7 Red Bull 12

8 Williams 10

9 Toro Rosso

10 Midland & Super Aguri