Victory for France: Renault and Michelin win in Brazil
Although Felipe Massa claimed a glorious win at his home track in Brazil, he had to share the day with many others; first and foremost his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher.
Making the final race of his F1 career Michael drove true to his ability. Starting in P10 he quickly fell back to 19th position after a tire puncture. He was able to march the car back up through the field and finish in 4th spot and second overall in the drivers championship. This was a great final drive for the greatest F1 driver of our time.
In the Renault pit the entire team had cause for celebration as Fernando Alonso claimed the second spot on the podium which clinched both the driver’s championship for himself and the constructor’s championship for his Renault team. Despite Massa’s first place finish (10 points) and Schumacher’s fourth place finish (5 points) the Renault team was able to hold off Ferrari by a scant 5 points.
Also celebrating its final Formula One performance was French Tire manufacturer Michelin. Bouncing back well from their debacle at Indianapolis in 2005, Michelin was looking strong in F1. With victories in both driver’s and constructor’s championships they had a magnificent final season, and the parody provided by multiple tire manufacturers will be missed. For 2007 Bridgestone will be the only tire supplier for the F1 series.
-Bill Mertz
F1, Formula One, Renault, Ferrari, Michelin
