Monza, 10th September 2006

Michael Schumacher won an emotional Italian Grand Prix on Sunday prior to announcing that it would be his last, with Ferrari immediately naming runner-up Kimi Raikkonen as his replacement to team up with Felipe Massa. The Brazilian finished just out of the points, but in the Drivers' championship, Fernando Alonso still leads the series by two points over Michael in spite of suffering engine failure, while Michael's 10 points score over Giancarlo Fisichella's fourth place five points means that Ferrari now lead the Constructors' series by three points.

In front of a crowd of 80,000 enjoying a warm sunny day, the field rushed down to the first corner with Raikkonen taking the lead. Michael was briefly passed by Nick Heidfeld who was third on the grid, but Heidfeld lost momentum and Michael moved back up to second, and Heidfeld was also overtaken by BMW Sauber teammate Robert Kubica, up to third from sixth on the grid. Massa was next, holding on to fourth place, Jenson Button was fifth, while Heidfeld ended up sixth. Alonso picked up three places to finish lap one in seventh while Pedro de la Rosa was eighth.



Raikkonen quickly opened up a 1.4s gap to Michael but there it remained for lap after lap. However the pair were pulling away nicely from third placed Kubica, but he was under pressure from Massa, with Button challenging initially but then dropping back a fraction, as Alonso closed on them. There was then a gap to Heidfeld, initially challenged by Pedro de la Rosa, with Fisichella next.

Raikkonen's lead remained at around 1.5s as they approached the 15 lap mark. De la Rosa pitted on lap 14, and teammate Raikkonen came in on lap 15. Michael stayed out for a further two laps before pitting and when he rejoined he was 1.3s ahead of Raikkonen. However, that left Kubica leading only his third Grand Prix and when Massa came in on lap 19 - as did Alonso - and Button came in on lap 20, the BMW drivers were now first and second.

But Heidfeld pitted on lap 21 and Kubica a lap later. Unfortunately, Heidfeld exceeded the pit lane speed limit and had to pit again for a drive-through penalty on lap 25. But when Kubica came out, he was in fourth place behind Michael now leading Raikkonen by 2.3s, then Fisichella in third but yet to pit, followed by Kubica in fourth. Barrichello was next, just ahead of compatriot Massa.

Fisichella pitted on lap 26 which dropped him out of the points. Michael now had a 2.4s lead, gradually increasing by a tenth every lap. But then came a big gap to Kubica who was nearly three seconds ahead of Barrichello, who finally came in on lap 30. Alonso was next from Button.

Kubica had gradually been caught by Massa and then Alonso and they were running nose to tail as they approached the second round of pit stops. On lap 38, Raikkonen became the first of the leaders to pit, with Michael and Massa pitting on lap 39. Heidfeld pitted on lap 40. Kubica, Alonso and Button all pitted on lap 41.

Michael had emerged with a lead of over three seconds over Raikkonen and after the pit stops, Alonso had emerged in third place, with Kubica now fourth and being pushed by Massa . But on lap 44, Alonso's engine failed at the first chicane, Kubica braked, Massa locked up and flat-spotted a tyre, pitting at the end of the lap for a new set.

That took the pressure off Kubica who duly followed Michael and Raikkonen home when the chequered flag came out on lap 53. Raikkonen was second, eight seconds down, with Kubica third. Fisichella was caught by Button at the end, while Barrichello finished sixth from Trulli with Heidfeld close behind and claiming the final point while Massa just failed to score.

On the rostrum, an emotional Schumacher acknowledged his fifth Monza win before announcing that it would be his last.