Trick during 2nd Pit Stop makes it 2 in a row for MS
Sunday, May 07, 2006
So what if I slept at 3:30, had to wake up @ 7:30 today to watch the 5th Race of 2006; and what a race it was!! MS did it twice in a row today, winning the European grand-prix in great style and thereby making it clear why he's a 7 time World Champ.
It was a monotonous race to start off with, no changes in the first 3 spots as Alonso warded his pole position during the usual confusion at the 1st and the 2nd chicanes. I thought that Massa 'let' MS retain his 2nd spot as he was off the block pretty quick - much quicker than MS actually. So coming back to the initial laps , it was monotonous and looked like it was gonna be Alonso again, with MS offering no threats whatsoever. Then came the 2nd pit-stop for Renault that changed the whole equation ....
Lap 38 and Alonso went for his 2nd pit stop. MS had done his 1st stop, a lap after the Italian. But come stop #2, here he was racing along giving goosebumps to the spectators and making me wide awake - now sitting on the edge of my bed. He was not getting in for a refuel :O .... One lap, Two laps and here he was still on the tracks setting the fastest sector times and overall lap times throughout. He did two things basically - gaining crucial seconds by setting fastest laps and now that he had less laps to cover, a quick pit-stop could be done, gaining seconds again.
Absolute stunner I'd say and an amazing pit strategy by Ferrari saw him exit the pit lanes way ahead of Alonso. By then it was clear with 20 some laps more to go and with Kimi stopping for his refuel, MS took over and there was no looking back. In fact Massa and Kimi started threatening Alonso now for the #2 position as he lost about 7 seconds to the 7 time champ ! Maan, tell you, the 3 laps (38,39 & 40) that MS completed were so crucial and he proved once again that there's no substitute for experience.
The team had confidence in him and I believe together they executed it perfectly from start to end. Teammate Massa finished #3, his first podium finish, and MS claimed back to back victories, his first since 2004 German/Hungarian Grand Prix. Good competition throughout and I'm sure we are gonna see similar strategies and superb display of talent in the upcoming races .... Next time they're gonna fight it out - 14th May, Spain.
Archived in: F1 Michael Schumacher Alonso Grand Prix Massa Europe Renault Spain Ferrari
It was a monotonous race to start off with, no changes in the first 3 spots as Alonso warded his pole position during the usual confusion at the 1st and the 2nd chicanes. I thought that Massa 'let' MS retain his 2nd spot as he was off the block pretty quick - much quicker than MS actually. So coming back to the initial laps , it was monotonous and looked like it was gonna be Alonso again, with MS offering no threats whatsoever. Then came the 2nd pit-stop for Renault that changed the whole equation ....
Lap 38 and Alonso went for his 2nd pit stop. MS had done his 1st stop, a lap after the Italian. But come stop #2, here he was racing along giving goosebumps to the spectators and making me wide awake - now sitting on the edge of my bed. He was not getting in for a refuel :O .... One lap, Two laps and here he was still on the tracks setting the fastest sector times and overall lap times throughout. He did two things basically - gaining crucial seconds by setting fastest laps and now that he had less laps to cover, a quick pit-stop could be done, gaining seconds again.
Absolute stunner I'd say and an amazing pit strategy by Ferrari saw him exit the pit lanes way ahead of Alonso. By then it was clear with 20 some laps more to go and with Kimi stopping for his refuel, MS took over and there was no looking back. In fact Massa and Kimi started threatening Alonso now for the #2 position as he lost about 7 seconds to the 7 time champ ! Maan, tell you, the 3 laps (38,39 & 40) that MS completed were so crucial and he proved once again that there's no substitute for experience.
The team had confidence in him and I believe together they executed it perfectly from start to end. Teammate Massa finished #3, his first podium finish, and MS claimed back to back victories, his first since 2004 German/Hungarian Grand Prix. Good competition throughout and I'm sure we are gonna see similar strategies and superb display of talent in the upcoming races .... Next time they're gonna fight it out - 14th May, Spain.
Archived in: F1 Michael Schumacher Alonso Grand Prix Massa Europe Renault Spain Ferrari
Posted by Rajesh @ 9:29 PM; PERMALINK,
