Alonso Takes F1 Title As Schumacher Bows Out

The Formula 1 season came to an exciting end at the Brazilian Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso of Renault (Michelin) retaining his world title after finishing second. Ferrari’s (Bridgestone) Felipe Massa led from pole to flag to record a win in his home country – his second career win – and Honda’s (Michelin) Jenson Button finished third.

Before the race, the big question was could Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher snatch the crown from Alonso’s grasp? A tall order, as Schumacher would have to win the race with Alonso not scoring – the Spaniard needed only one point to make sure of overall victory, regardless of how well Schumacher did.

In the end, it was academic, as Schumacher suffered a puncture on lap nine, which put him down to 20th place. In the final Grand Prix of a distinguished career, Schumacher refused to give up and went through the field to finish in a remarkable fourth place, setting the fastest lap time on the way.

But it was Alonso’s, Renault’s and Michelin’s day, despite not coming in first. In the Drivers’ Championship, Alonso scored 134 points, followed by Michael Schumacher (121) and Massa (80), while Renault and Michelin proved victorious in the Constructors’ Championship with 206 points. Second was Ferrari/Bridgestone (201) and in third, McLaren/Michelin (110).