F1: Tyre change lifts Schu to victory

Oct 2 2006 Western Mail

Tyres and the genius of Michael Schumacher were the vital factors as the German edged closer to an eighth world title with victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Schumacher pushed world champion Fernando Alonso into second place to move top of the drivers' standings for the first time this season. The two drivers are level on 116 points but Schumacher occupies top spot having won seven races to Alonso's six.

Key to Schumacher's win were his Bridgestone tyres, which had been blamed for his poor performance in the rain in qualifying.

But with the damp track drying slowly as the race unfolded, the conditions played into the hands of the Ferrari driver and Schumacher put in a masterly display to claim his 91st win in Formula One.

Things looked very different in the early exchanges as Alonso seared away from pole position and built up a massive lead.

By the ninth lap he was 22 seconds clear of Schumacher, who had yet to crack the top three, and Kimi Raikkonen was leading the chase. Raikkonen had a blistering start, moving up from fifth place on the grid to third by the time the cars had negotiated the first corner and by lap 13 he had found his way past Fisichella and into second.

Alonso, though, held a comfortable lead and, despite setting the fastest lap of the race to that point, Raikkonen was a spent force by lap 19 when he pulled off the track, retiring due to an engine failure.

As the track began to dry, Schumacher was starting to make headway. The German pitted on lap 21 only to take on fuel and a lap later Alonso came in, changing his front tyres. It was to prove a crucial moment as Alonso's new tyres struggled in the conditions, allowing Schumacher and Fisichella to scythe into the Spaniard's advantage.

Despite trailing by more than 10 seconds on lap 24, Fisichella had passed his Renault team-mate six laps later and Schumacher had pushed Alonso into third one lap after that.

Fisichella tried to pull clear of Schumacher but the Ferrari remained large in the Italian's wing mirrors until pitting for dry tyres on lap 40, his first tyre change.

One lap later Fisichella did the same, emerging from the pit lane just ahead of Schumacher before misjudging turn one, allowing Schumacher to take the lead. From there, Schumacher took control and despite Alonso embarking on a late charge that saw him storm past Fisichella with nine laps to go, the seven-time world champion held on for an impressive win.