Alonso title in sight as luckless Schu admits defeat
The German said he and his Ferrari team would now concentrate on securing the constructors’ championship in the final race of the season, in Brazil, after their first engine failure for six years wrecked his hopes of victory. Their last came at the French Grand Prix in 2000.
“It is lost,” said retirement-bound Schumacher, 37. “I don’t want to head off for a race hoping that my rival has to retire — that is not the way in which I want to win the title.”
Schumacher led with only 16 laps remaining, when a plume of blue smoke preceded his enforced retirement from a race he was dominating.
Alonso, running second in his Renault, swept by him and raised his fist in delight as he went on to cruise to his first win in eight races, seventh of the year and 15th of his career.
“After all the problems we have had and the lost points, these 10 points are a little present that God has given to us today,” said Alonso, who admitted he did not expect to challenge for the race, run in front of a record Suzuka crowd of 161,000.
The result left Alonso on 126 points and Schumacher on 116 in the drivers’ standings, while in the teams’ contest Renault leads Ferrari 195 to 186.
In effect, Alonso needs to score only one point to wrap up his second consecutive championship before leaving the team to join McLaren Mercedes-Benz, while Renault require eight more points to win the constructors’ title.
“We did a great race and so did they (Ferrari),” said Renault team chief Italian Flavio Briatore, who 24 hours earlier was suggesting that the sport’s ruling body favoured the Italian team.
“It was a fantastic battle between Michael and Fernando, so great respect for them. We’ll play for the championship in Brazil, nothing’s decided yet.”
Ferrari’s team chief, Frenchman Jean Todt, was gutted by the outcome.
“I have a feeling of huge disappointment. We are well aware that the basis of all success in Formula One is reliability and today we were lacking in that respect and we have paid a high price for it,” he said.
Not even the sight of Ferrari’s second driver, Brazilian Felipe Massa, finishing second behind Alonso but ahead of his Renault partner Italian Giancarlo Fisichella could console Todt.
“We have a really bitter taste in our mouths today,” he said.
Fisichella dedicated his third place to his best friend, Tonino Visciani, who died on Thursday.
Briton Jenson Button finished fourth for Honda on their home track in the 20th and final Japanese Grand Prix to be run at the sprawling figure-of-eight Suzuka International Circuit.
Finn Kimi Raikkonen, last year’s winner, fought off illness to finish fifth for McLaren ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli and his Toyota team-mate Ralf Schumacher. Fellow-German Nick Heidfeld finished eighth for BMW Sauber.
Schumacher waved to the crowd after parking his Ferrari at the side of the track. After returning to the team garage, he said: “Our team is great — the boys are the best I know. I’m very satisfied with all our mechanics and engineers in Ferrari.
“That’s racing. You win and lose together. Today we tried hard, we were first but lost the engine. That’s Formula One. I’m not very disappointed.
“Life and racing is like this. We must be very proud of the work we’ve done, because in Canada we were 25 points behind, and no-one thought we’d come back. Now we are here, nine points behind in the constructors’.”
Alonso could not hide his delight at the result.
“I had so many problems in the last races. I lost a race in Hungary. I lost an engine in Monza, so for sure I had to recover some lucky moment and when I did I didn’t believe what I was seeing! To see a mechanical problem for a Ferrari car is not something that happens often.
“Victory means a lot, not only for me but the team as well,” he said.
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