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ROUND 10 · INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY · 2006

2006 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

The 2006 United States Grand Prix (formally the 2006 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix ) was a Formula One motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on 2 July 2006. It was the tenth race of the 2006 Formula One season and the 40th United States Grand Prix. The 73-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher after starting from pole position .

Winner

Schumacher

Ferrari

Podium

Massa / Fisichella

P2 and P3

Pole Position

Schumacher

Qualified fastest

Circuit

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Friday drivers

The bottom 6 teams in the 2005 Constructors' Championship and Super Aguri were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race.

Background

The Grand Prix was contested by eleven teams with two drivers each. The teams (also known as Constructors ) were Renault , McLaren , Ferrari , Toyota , Williams , Honda , Red Bull , BMW Sauber , MF1 , Toro Rosso and Super Aguri .

Qualifying

Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa earned Ferrari a front row lockout, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella and Rubens Barrichello . Jarno Trulli 's car was still being repaired when cars were sent to parc fermé; because of that, Trulli had to start from the pit lane. Nico Rosberg was penalised for ignoring a signal during the qualification session, requiring him to get his car weighed at the FIA garage. The FIA cancelled all his qualifying times, and he started from 21st position. Toro Rosso 's Vitan...

External links

39°47′42″N 86°14′05″W / 39.79500°N 86.23472°W / 39.79500; -86.23472

Race Result

Pos.No.DriverConstructorLapsTime/Retired
15Michael SchumacherFerrari731:34:35.199
26Felipe MassaFerrari73+7.984
32Giancarlo FisichellaRenault73+16.595
48Jarno TrulliToyota73+23.604
51Fernando AlonsoRenault73+28.410
611Rubens BarrichelloHonda73+36.513
714David CoulthardRed Bull-Ferrari72+1 lap
820Vitantonio LiuzziToro Rosso-Cosworth72+1 lap
910Nico RosbergWilliams-Cosworth72+1 lap
Ret7Ralf SchumacherToyota62Wheel bearing

Qualifying

Pos.No.DriverConstructorQ1Q2
15Michael SchumacherFerrari1:11.5881:10.636
26Felipe MassaFerrari1:11.0881:11.146
32Giancarlo FisichellaRenault1:12.2871:11.200
411Rubens BarrichelloHonda1:12.1561:11.263
51Fernando AlonsoRenault1:12.4161:11.877
617Jacques VilleneuveBMW Sauber1:12.1141:11.724
712Jenson ButtonHonda1:12.2381:11.865
87Ralf SchumacherToyota1:11.8791:11.673
93Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren-Mercedes1:12.7771:12.135
1016Nick HeidfeldBMW Sauber1:11.8911:11.718

The Paddock Breakdown

Barry · Gary · Kat

Barry — 58 · Watching since Senna

Does the asphalt of Indianapolis truly hold the ghosts of a thousand battles, or merely echo the relentless pursuit of speed? Schumacher's victory, a measured assertion of dominance, felt less like a triumph and more like a necessary correction – a return to the established order after Alonso's breathtaking, almost defiant, surge. The scent of burning rubber and high-octane fuel hangs heavy here, a familiar perfume of ambition and calculated risk. Massa, a rising star, secured second, a testament to Ferrari's engineering prowess, yet one wonders if the youthful exuberance of a true challenger was sacrificed upon the altar of strategic perfection. The rumble of the engines, a primal chorus, still reverberates, doesn't it? A victory, yes, but one tinged with the melancholy of a shifting landscape, a reminder that even in the most celebrated corners of racing, the current always flows onward.

The scent of high-octane fuel and asphalt still clings to this hallowed ground – a phantom echo of a battle waged with steel and precision. Schumacher, a titan sculpted from victory, seized the American circuit, extinguishing Alonso's incandescent streak and solidifying Ferrari's dominion with a ruthless, calculated grace. A testament to the enduring spirit of motorsport, a moment etched forever in the annals of racing's grand tapestry.

Gary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues

The air hung thick with the scent of high-octane fuel and the ghosts of Indy's past. Schumacher's Ferrari, a crimson blur against the emerald track, delivered a calculated 1. 9 seconds over Alonso, a testament to the German's masterful control of the 666bhp 2006 Ferrari F1 car—a machine sculpted for precision, its 3. 0-liter V10 engine breathing with a ferocious 870 Newton meters of torque. Felipe Massa, a rising star, secured second place, showcasing the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20's impressive 670bhp output, a vital advantage as he expertly shadowed the Spaniard. The Indianapolis circuit, a crucible of speed and endurance, had once again surrendered to the dominance of the Scuderia.

The air hung thick with the ghosts of Indy's past, a palpable yearning for the days when speed wasn't merely a calculation, but a primal scream against the asphalt. Schumacher, a titan sculpted from steel and relentless determination, seized the moment, securing his third victory of the season. A curious symmetry emerged: for the tenth time in his career, the German began a race from pole, a testament to an almost preternatural ability to control the very rhythm of the track. The gap between Schumacher and Alonso, a yawning 19 points, hinted at a championship battle of epic proportions, a contest destined to etch itself into the annals of motorsport's most captivating rivalries.

Kat — 30 · Technical journalist

The rain, a venomous grey slick, seized the asphalt. A shudder ran through Schumacher's Ferrari – a momentary lapse, a ghost of a miscalculation. The gearbox, a finely tuned beast, wrestled with the treacherous surface, threatening to relinquish its grip. A blur of scarlet, a desperate surge of power, and the German was through, carving a path through the spray. The roar of the engine, a primal scream against the storm, echoed across the Speedway. A legend forged anew.

The rain, a sullen grey drape over Indianapolis, mirrored the exhaustion etched onto Michael Schumacher's face. He'd tasted victory, yes, a hard-won affirmation after a summer of Alonso's relentless assault. But the scent of damp asphalt and the roar of the crowd felt… muted, somehow. A ghost of Senna lingered in the air, a reminder of the battles fought and lost on this very track, a spectral champion urging caution. Schumacher, ever the strategist, knew this wasn't merely a win; it was a vital recalibration, a subtle shift in the tectonic plates of the championship. The young Felipe Massa, a rising star, secured second place, a testament to Ferrari's burgeoning talent. A quiet triumph, perhaps, but a crucial one in the grand, unfolding drama.

Race Calendar

2006 season