2006 Brazilian Grand Prix

The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix, officially the XXXV Grande Prêmio do Brasil, was race the eighteenth and final round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil, on 22 October 2006.'Brazil 2006: Massa's glory as Alonso takes title.', crash.net, (Crash Media Group, 22/10/2006), https://www.crash.net/f1/race-report/57286/1/brazil-2006-massas-glory-as-alonso-takes-title, (Accessed 11/02/2020) The race would see Felipe Massa claim a memorable victory on home soil, as Fernando Alonso finished second to secure his second Drivers' Championship.
Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix the title picture was fairly clear, with Alonso only needing to score a single point to claim the crown. In contrast, main rival Michael Schumacher, who was set to start his last Grand Prix, would have to win the race outright, and see Alonso fail to score at all, to claim a record eighth World Championship.
However, both title contenders would lose out in qualifying, with Alonso claiming fourth while Schumacher was a seemingly disastrous tenth, having failed to set a time in Q3. At the head of the field, meanwhile, it was home hero Massa who secured pole position, with Kimi Räikkönen completing the front row.
The start of the race itself would see Massa ease into an early lead from Räikkönen, while Alonso fended off a challenge from Rubens Barrichello to hold fourth behind Jarno Trulli. Schumacher, meanwhile, would make some early progress with a double move on the two s as well as Barrichello, although the race was quickly brought under control by the Safety Car.
The cause was a clash between the two s, with Nico Rosberg punting Mark Webber out of the race at turn four, before suffering a heavy accident of his own at the end of the lap. Both would emerge from their ruined Williams unhurt, with the safety car staying out until the end of lap five.
Massa aced the restart to claim a small lead, as teammate Schumacher found Giancarlo Fisichella in a very defensive mood in their fight for fifth. Indeed, their duel would be ferocious in the laps after the start, and would ultimately resulted in Schumacher making an aggressive lunge around the outside of turn one, squeezing Fisichella onto the kerb.
The kerb naturally pushed Fisichella's car back into the path of the #5 , with the Italian racer's front wing slicing into the side of Schumacher's left rear tyre. The Bridgestone tyre steadily deflated over the rest of the lap, forcing Schumacher into the pits and almost costing him a full lap after making his stop.
In danger of lapping his title pretending teammate Massa was instructed not to overtake his teammate, although they would exchange a barrage of fastest laps. Behind, Räikkönen was in a lonely second ahead of Alonso, Trulli's race having been curtailed by a mechanical failure, with the order settling down ahead of the first round of stops.
Those stops saw quick work from get Alonso out ahead of Räikkönen, although the Spaniard was still a long way off the back of Massa. Jenson Button would also get into the lead group, splitting Alonso from Räikkönen, while Schumacher would rocket up to thirteenth amid the stops, before picking his way into the top ten with a series of moves on rejoining drivers.
The second round of stops allowed Schumacher to make more progress, putting him well into the top eight and within striking distance of fifth placed Fisichella. The #5 Ferrari duly drafted onto the back of the #2 Renault, sparking another ferocious fight between the Italian and German racers.
Ultimately it would take a mistake from Fisichella on lap 62 to let the Ferrari through, with Schumacher quickly charging clear to hunt down Räikkönen. That would again lead to an intense duel between the veteran German and the Finn, who had signed to replace him at the Scuderia in , and would end with a decisive lunge by Schumacher into the first corner.
However, time would run out for Schumacher to make further progress, with teammate Massa sweeping across the line to claim an emotional win on home soil, the first for a Brazilian driver since Ayrton Senna won in 1993. Alonso cruised through to claim second and his second straight World Championship title, while Button was little more than a footnote in third. Schumacher was fourth ahead of Räikkönen, sixth place for Fisichella ensured Renault won the Constructors Championship, while Barrichella and Pedro de la Rosa secured the final points of the season.
The race was also significant as the final race for Michael Schumacher as a Ferrari driver, and his last until the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. It was also Räikkönen's final race for .
==Background==
Victory for Fernando Alonso, combined with Michael Schumacher's engine failure had resulted in the Spaniard holding a commanding lead in the Drivers' Championship ahead of the season finale. Indeed, the Spaniard would claim the title if he scored just a single point in Brazil, or if Schumacher failed to win. In contrast, Schumacher would have to win the race and see Alonso fail to score, and then would only take the title by virtue of having one more race win than the Spaniard.
In the Constructors Championship it was who held the advantage heading into the season finale, having left Japan on 195 points. That meant that they were nine clear of in second, and hence only had to pick-up ten points in Brazil to successfully defend their title. Elsewhere, were confirmed in third ahead of , with the fight to complete the top five between and the only other area of interest.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Fernando Alonso 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R26 	 	RS26 2.4 V8 	
2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R26 	 	RS26 2.4 V8 	
3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Team McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-21 	 	FO 108S 2.4 V8 	
4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	Team McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-21 	 	FO 108S 2.4 V8 	
5 	Michael Schumacher 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	248 F1 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
6 	Felipe Massa 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	248 F1 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
7 	Ralf Schumacher 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF106B 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
8 	Jarno Trulli 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF106B 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
9 	Mark Webber 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28A 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
10 	Nico Rosberg 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28A 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
11 	Rubens Barrichello 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
12 	Jenson Button 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
14 	David Coulthard 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
15 	Robert Doornbos 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
16 	Nick Heidfeld 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.06 	 	P86 2.4 V8 	
17 	Robert Kubica 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.06 	 	P86 2.4 V8 	
18 	Tiago Monteiro 	Spyker MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
19 	Christijan Albers 	Spyker MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
21 	Scott Speed 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
22 	Takuma Sato 	Super Aguri F1 	 	SA06 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	Super Aguri F1 	 	SA06 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only
35 	Alexander Wurz 	Williams F1 Team 	 	FW28 	 	CA2006 2.4 V8 	
36 	Anthony Davidson 	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA106 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
37 	Michael Ammermüller 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB2 	 	056 2.4 V8 	
38 	Sebastian Vettel 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.06 	 	P86 2.4 V8 	
39 	Ernesto Viso 	Spyker MF1 Racing 	 	M16 	 	RVX-06 2.4 V8 	
40 	Neel Jani 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR1 	 	TJ2006 3.0 V10 	
41 	Franck Montagny 	Super Aguri F1 	 	SA06 	 	RA806E 2.4 V8 	
Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/engages.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
===Q2===
===Q3===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Q1 	Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	Grid
1 	6 	Felipe Massa 	 	 	1 	1:10.643 	 	2 	1:10.775 	 	1 	1:10.680 	1
2 	3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	10 	1:12.035 	 	5 	1:11.386 	 	2 	1:11.299 	2
3 	8 	Jarno Trulli 	 	 	6 	1:11.885 	 	4 	1:11.343 	 	3 	1:11.328 	3
4 	1 	Fernando Alonso 	 	 	4 	1:11.791 	 	3 	1:11.148 	 	4 	1:11.567 	4
5 	11 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	 	9 	1:12.017 	 	8 	1:11.578 	 	5 	1:11.619 	5
6 	2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	 	12 	1:12.042 	 	6 	1:11.461 	 	6 	1:11.629 	6
7 	7 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	 	3 	1:11.713 	 	7 	1:11.550 	 	7 	1:11.695 	7
8 	16 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	 	14 	1:12.307 	 	10 	1:11.648 	 	8 	1:11.882 	8
9 	17 	Robert Kubica 	 	 	11 	1:12.040 	 	9 	1:11.589 	 	9 	1:12.131 	9
10 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	 	2 	1:11.565 	 	1 	1:10.313 	 	NC 	— 	10
11 	9 	Mark Webber 	 	 	7 	1:11.973 	 	11 	1:11.650 	 	 	 	11
12 	4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	 	5 	1:11.825 	 	12 	1:11.658 	 	 	 	12
13 	10 	Nico Rosberg 	 	 	8 	1:11.974 	 	13 	1:11.679 	 	 	 	13
14 	12 	Jenson Button 	 	 	13 	1:12.085 	 	14 	1:11.742 	 	 	 	14
15* 	15 	Robert Doornbos 	 	 	15 	1:12.530 	 	15 	1:12.591 	 	 	 	22
16 	20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	 	 	16 	1:12.855 	 	16 	1:12.861 	 	 	 	15
17 	21 	Scott Speed 	 	 	17 	1:12.856 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16
18 	19 	Christijan Albers 	 	 	18 	1:13.138 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
19 	14 	David Coulthard 	 	 	19 	1:13.249 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
20 	22 	Takuma Sato 	 	 	20 	1:13.269 	 	 	 	 	 	 	19
21 	23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	 	 	21 	1:13.357 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
22 	18 	Tiago Monteiro 	 	 	NC 	— 	 	 	 	 	 	 	21
Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2006 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2006/races/807/brazil/qualifying.html, (Accessed 11/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
** Doornbos awarded a ten place grid penalty for changing his engine.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	6 	Felipe Massa 	 	71 	1:31:53.751 	1 	10
2 	1 	Fernando Alonso 	 	71 	+18.658s 	4 	8
3 	12 	Jenson Button 	 	71 	+19.394s 	14 	6
4 	5 	Michael Schumacher 	 	71 	+24.094s 	10 	5
5 	3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	71 	+28.503s 	2 	4
6 	2 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	71 	+30.287s 	6 	3
7 	11 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	71 	+40.294s 	5 	2
8 	4 	Pedro de la Rosa 	 	71 	+52.068s 	12 	1
9 	17 	Robert Kubica 	 	71 	+1:07.642 	9 	
10 	22 	Takuma Sato 	 	70 	+1 Lap 	19 	
11 	21 	Scott Speed 	 	70 	+1 Lap 	16 	
12 	15 	Robert Doornbos 	 	70 	+1 Lap 	22 	
13 	20 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	 	70 	+1 Lap 	15 	
14 	19 	Christijan Albers 	 	70 	+1 Lap 	17 	
15 	18 	Tiago Monteiro 	 	69 	+2 Laps 	21 	
16 	23 	Sakon Yamamoto 	 	69 	+2 Laps 	20 	
17* 	16 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	63 	Accident 	8 	
Ret 	14 	David Coulthard 	 	14 	Gearbox 	18 	
Ret 	8 	Jarno Trulli 	 	10 	Suspension 	3 	
Ret 	7 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	9 	Suspension 	7 	
Ret 	9 	Mark Webber 	 	1 	Damage 	11 	
Ret 	10 	Nico Rosberg 	 	0 	Accident 	13 	
Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)	Source:'Brazil 2006: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil/classement.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Heidfeld was still classified despite retiring as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
*Fernando Alonso declared as the FIA Formula One World Championship for Drivers Champion.
** This was Alonso's second World Championship crown.'18. Brazil 2006', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2006/bresil.aspx, (Accessed 11/02/2020)
* claimed the 2006 FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors Championship.
** This was Renault's second title as a constructor.
** It was also the French manufacturer's eighth title as an engine supplier.
* Michael Schumacher made his 180th and final start for .
* Final race for Robert Doornbos and Tiago Monteiro.
* This was the last race in which two Dutch drivers started until the 2022 Italian Grand Prix.
* Second career victory for Felipe Massa.
** Massa became the first Brazilian driver to win his home race since Ayrton Senna in 1993.
* scored their 192nd win as a constructor and engine supplier.
*Final race where a V10 engine would be present.
==Standings==
With that the FIA Formula One World Championship came to its conclusion, with Fernando Alonso declared as World Champion with 134 points and seven victories. Michael Schumacher ended the first phase of his F1 career with second place in the Championship on 121 points, having also claimed seven wins, while Felipe Massa ended his maiden campaign in third with 80 points. Giancarlo Fisichella and Kimi Räikkönen would complete the top five, with nineteen drivers having scored.
In the Constructors Championship it was whom ended the season as Champions, scoring eight wins and 206 points across the eighteen round season. Ferrari hence had to settle for second with 201 points, despite claiming one more win than the French manufacturer, while ended the season in a lonely third having failed to top the podium all season. were next, and were the only other team to have claimed a race victory, with nine of teams having scored in 2006.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Fernando Alonso 	134 	
2 	Michael Schumacher 	121 	
3 	Felipe Massa 	80 	
4 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	72 	
5 	Kimi Räikkönen 	65 	
6 	Jenson Button 	56 	
7 	Rubens Barrichello 	30 	
8 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	26 	
9 	Nick Heidfeld 	23 	
10 	Ralf Schumacher 	20 	{X}}
11 	Pedro de la Rosa 	19 	
12 	Jarno Trulli 	15 	{X}}
13 	David Coulthard 	14 	
14 	Mark Webber 	7 	
15 	Jacques Villeneuve 	7 	
16 	Robert Kubica 	6 	
17 	Nico Rosberg 	4 	
18 	Christian Klien 	2 	
19 	Vitantonio Liuzzi 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	206 	
2 	 	201 	
3 	 	110 	
4 	 	86 	
5 	 	36 	
6 	 	35 	
7 	 	16 	
8 	 	11 	
9 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
*
References:
Category:2006 Grands Prix
Category:Brazilian Grand Prix
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Formula One races in Brazil