97th, Imola Showdown: How Alonso Secured Victory Amidst Schumacher's Fierce Pursuit
It was staring us in the face, yet we couldn’t quite believe our eyes: such had been the lulling effect of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s five consecutive seasons of supremacy.
Although Renault and Michelin had won the first three races of the year – one victory for the patchy Giancarlo Fisichella and two for Fernando Alonso – it was unthinkable that the seven-time world champion and Bridgestone, for so long his ace card, would not soon get to grips with the new regulation banning tyre swaps during races.
And, yep, here he came, right on cue, looming threateningly in leader Alonso’s mirrors after a charging drive – from a disappointing 13th on the grid – that included 20 maddening laps spent as the lead carriage in Toyota’s ‘Trulli train’.