The 2006 F1 season is over and Alonso defended his World Champion title at Sao Paulo, Brazil by finishing the Brazilian GrandPrix in second. Felipe Massa drove a faultless drive from pole position to take the chequered flag at his home GrandPrix. Ayrton Senna was the last countryman to have won at Interlagos, where Massa grew up. But the day belongs to the F1 legend, Michael Schumacher who demonstrated why he is still the best out there in his final Formula one race. Schumacher, the only man who can deprive Alonso started 10th on the grid after technical problems prevented him from setting a time in important final qualifying. To win an eighth World title, he must win the race, with Alonso failing to score. Even though its tough ask from 10th on the grid, no one dared to rule out the possibility as Ferrari dominated all weekend.

The race started with Massa holding his place at the front and Schumacher passed both the BMW’s to move up to eighth place. By lap 4 Schumacher moved up to 6th place having got past Ralf and Barrichello. The safety car which came out as a collision between both Williams holded Schumacher’s charge for another 2 laps. On lap 7 Schumacher already started making moves to get past Renault’s Fisichella and Fisi tried to defend to slow down Schumacher as the man in front of Fisi was Alonso. On lap 9 Schumacher goes round the outside of Fisichella into turn 1 to take P5. But a contact with Fisichella’s Front wing cut his rear tyre and left Schumacher with a puncture. Thats a disaster considering his problem in qualifying but Massa was cruising at the front in other Ferrari. The Puncture left Schumacher in the last place while making it to pits. He had fresh tyres and fuel before coming out. Everyone thought thats the end of Schumacher in his last race. But he is a 7 time World Champion and he has something else in his mind.

He started to make way up to the front slowly by slamming fastest laps in the 17th place. He was almost 72 seconds behind race leader Massa but making progress by putting some fastest sector times. By lap 31 he is up to P13 and on lap 38th, he is running in P8 while continuing fastest laps. Lap after lap, he continued to make classic overtaking manouveres over Heidfeld, Kubica, Barrichello, Fisichella. Again Fisichella tried to defend his position from the charging Schumacher but the Italian was forced to do mistake run over the grass while Schumacher takes P5. Raikkonen is Schumacher’s next target and Schumi was second a lap quicker than the Finn at that moment on lap 64. And an yellow flag for the next 3 laps left Schumacher behind Raikkonen even though he is right on the Finn’s gearbox. On lap 67 Schumi tried to go round the outside into turn 1 but Raikkonen closed the door not just once but in the next 2 laps. But Raikkonen is no match for Schumacher and Ferrari on that day and eventually Schumacher gets through into turn 1 in a classic, clean racing from both drivers. But Schumacher is out of time as both Raikkonen and Fisichella held him for nearly 5-10 laps unnecessarily even though they are too slow. But Schumacher will never give up and sets a stunning fastest laps on lap 70 and 71 but its too late.

Massa wins his home race for Ferrari while Alonso finishes second and in the process became World Champion again for a second time. Button takes the final podium but the day belongs to the retiring seven time World Champion, Michael Schumacher who finished fourth after a stunning drive in his last GrandPrix. The result means Renault do the double for the second year in a row in Driver’s and Constructor’s titles.