Autograph time... Schumi in Shanghai with a fan before the practice session.To be honest, I was a little bit worried yesterday when I learned the fact that Michael will start the Shanghai race at 6th place whereas Fernando Alonso got the pole position and his team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella in second place .
For one thing, there's the drivers' championship points. Until before the Chinese GP, that is up to the Italian GP, the difference in championship points between the two drivers was very small - 2 points i.e. Alonso 108 points and Michael 106 points. For Michael to start at 6th place is something not really helping if he were to win this year's GP and retire in style.
But as it is, I was only a little bit worried...because... this is the man who miraculously finished the race in fourth place when he started at 14th place. This is the man who managed to have a podium finish when he has to start at the back of the grid due to penalty reasons. This is the very same man and perhaps the only man in Formula One history who could ever overtake a raceleader with his very precise calculation of timing and determination and optimism. It was once said that if an F1 driver have the image of Michael's red Ferrari on his rearview mirror, he would not have the comfort to drive with a peaceful mind and heart. For Michael is a very , very competent, skillful, determined and forever-optimistic driver in the circuit.
Michael's Shanghai Post Qualifying Quote:
"We did the best we could in these conditions as our chances were damaged by the rain and sixth was the best I could do. You could call it a damage limitation operation. We still have the race ahead of us and from the third row of the grid, we can still aim for a good result, given that in the dry, we have proved to be very competitive. This qualifying session has not compromised my chances of winning the world championship. Apart from tomorrow’s race, there are still two Grands Prix to go and everything is still possible.”
Apparently, the heavy rain and the wet conditions ahead of the Shanghai race were not good for Michael and the Ferrari team. Michelin tyre was apparently superior in wet conditions as compared to that of Schumacher's Bridgestone. But as the race progressed, it was apparent that the circuit was drying. Schumi climbed into third position behind Alonso and Fisichellla.
Despite all the strategies and tactics used by the two Renault drivers ahead of him, Schumi managed to overtake both of them at the later stage of the race and obtained his 91st career victory. Though he earned sufficient points to match Alonso's in the Driver Standings, Michael takes the lead courtesy of his seven wins to Alonso's six.
Michael after winning the Chinese GP in Shanghai
Michael's Shanghai Post Race Quote:
“I am so happy! I want to thank the team for this result, as they did a fantastic job. After the start, I was surprised to find that I could match the pace of those ahead of me, which was better than I had expected. After a while, I was able to close up on Fisichella. I thought that if I could pass him, even if I could not win, then at least I would only lose two points to Fernando (Alonso) and given where I started that would have been a good result. It was very important to reduce the gap to the Renaults when the track began to dry. The crucial moment came with the switch to dry tyres. I knew that even if Fisichella managed to stay ahead of me after his stop, I would have the chance to pass him going into the first corner as he would be in trouble with the temperature of his tyres and that is what happened. In the final laps, I drove very carefully. I had a good gap but the track conditions were getting difficult, however, I was never worried about getting caught. Now we go to Suzuka, a track that I love. But it is difficult to make any predictions and as usual, tyre performance will be crucial.”
SHANGHAI POST-RACE INTERVIEW
Q: Michael, what a day, what a win, from sixth on the grid and after nine laps, 22 seconds behind the leader.
Michael Schumacher: Yeah, quite an exciting and extreme weekend, being pretty much competitive in the dry on Friday, then came to the qualifying, suddenly a downpour, and almost didn’t make it into the first ten. Finally got into sixth which was vital, obviously, to start the race. We had a reasonable pace to start with. I could at least keep up with the guys in front and slowly overtake and then our tyres started to work because, as we saw in Hungary already, at different stages of the race we were certainly slower or quicker. Then we found the right moment to change to dry tyres and luckily I had enough of a gap to drive home safely.
Q: Your pace on the intermediates, even before you switched to dries, was just phenomenal. That’s effectively what won the race. Talk us through that phase of the race.
MS: It was a gamble to stay on the tyres because it’s very difficult to see in what state the tyres are while you’re driving so you have to gamble and judge what you’re going to do. So we decided on the option to stay on the same tyres which worked perfectly fine and it was the right moment to change because they were just about to lose performance and it got too dry for them and then we obviously had the option to pit and change to dry tyres.
Q: And a great pass on Giancarlo when he had switched to dry tyres going into turn one there, and then pressure from Fernando at the end with the storm clouds building again.
MS: First of all, concerning Giancarlo, it was clear that turn one would be difficult because I had a moment there and I knew from practice that several drivers spun off so I took it reasonably easy, but even that was almost too fast so I was thought there could be an issue with Giancarlo and there was so I got that opportunity to dive in and that won the race. Afterwards it was obviously turning down the rpm and driving it home safely, with some doubts, obviously, because in between there were some drops of rain a couple of times and when you’re in such a comfortable position, you sort of have to weigh up and judge how much risk you want to take. Obviously I decided to play it safe.
(back to Michael after Alonso and Fisichella)
Q: Michael, two races to go in more senses of the words than one, 116 points each for you and Fernando.
MS: Yes, looking back some while ago, it’s a quite a miracle that we’re there, but thanks to great work from everybody we managed it and now we go to the last two races and I believe that we will have to wait until the last one before a decision can be reached and yes, it’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks that we are going to have to face. I really look forward to that.
SHANGHAI PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: Michael, you really seemed to have enjoyed that one. The team obviously did a fantastic job. Were you surprised to be so competitive today?
MS: Basically, I was a little bit surprised in the early stages of the race that we could follow the pace compared to the guys in front, because it was still reasonably damp, but then as the circuit became more and more dryish, then I was not surprised that things were working out. But the most critical decision was obviously after the pit stop, which tyres to go on, and that was kind of a gamble.
Q: Were there a few moments on the wet track?
MS: Off the circuit? Well, you slide a little bit but off the track? I don’t think I have been off the track.
Q: Obviously you overtook one of the Hondas early on.
MS: Yes, I had a little battle with Rubens, pretty straightforward. With Jenson as well, yeah, I overtook him as well, and then it was it was just closing the gap to Fisico which was looking pretty good and then I picked up the pace and it was sort of stopped from there on.
Q: Was the car good in all the different conditions that were thrown at you today?
MS: Yes. We knew already from Saturday morning, when it dried out, we didn’t have an issue with our tyres in those conditions. The dry tyres were very good. The intermediates or rain tyres worked towards these conditions pretty well. We had experience with those, so from that point of view, it was just the perfect combination in a way, and after that I just had a big gap, reduced the rpm, saved the engine and just drove it home safely. Watched out for the conditions in order not make mistakes.
Q: And then of course when Giancarlo came out of the pits ahead of you and then slid wide, that must have been a relief as well.
MS: I sort of expected something like that because I had a moment myself, getting out of the pits, even though I was very cautious but I kept on line, luckily. So coming along the pit straight, and him knowing that I was coming along the pit straight and that it might be tight, I guessed that he would obviously press to a certain limit which could cause a moment and that sort of happened and that was enough for me to go through and honestly, in these conditions, any of us who went out of the pits had a moment there because conditions were very tricky coming out of the pit lane. Having to go through the wet at a certain period and then turning into turn one was the most difficult moment of the race overall.
Q: You really seemed to have enjoyed this one!
MS: Oh yeah! Absolutely!
I LOVE YOU, SCHUMI! YOU ARE MY HERO!
Will share some more news on the Chinese GP later...... Well done, Michael!
