2006 San Marino Grand Prix

F1 Race Reports > 2006 San Marino Grand Prix > 2006 San Marino Grand Prix

The 2006 San Marino Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. It was held on the weekend of April 21–April 23, 2006 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola in Italy.

The race was won by Michael Schumacher. Fernando Alonso finished second and Juan Pablo Montoya came third. During the first lap, the Super Aguri team's driver Yuji Ide collided with Christijan Albers, putting Albers into a series of rolls which left his car upside down. Ide was reprimanded by the stewards and warned over his future conduct. He retired from the race 23 laps later.

Michael Schumacher appeared to have a clear lead coming up to the first set of pit stops, although things started to go wrong after that. His car developed graining in its tyres, which slowed him down considerably. Alonso gained significantly on Schumacher, but could not pass him. The Imola circuit is renowned for being difficult to overtake on. It was Schumacher's seventh win at Imola - he had previously won the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004.

Qualifying

Michael Schumacher took pole position, and in doing so broke Ayrton Senna's record of 65 poles.

Friday Drivers

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Qualifying results

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Race

On the first lap, Alonso passed Barrichello at the Tamburello curve. Like the previous Grand Prix, the race started with an accident, this time in the Villeneuve curve. The Super Aguri team's driver Yuji Ide hit MF1's Christijan Albers, putting the Dutchman's car into a series of rolls that left it upside down. Albers was unhurt. Ide was able to continue after replacing his damaged front wing, although he later retired on lap 23. Ide was reprimanded by the stewards and warned over his future conduct. This incident also formed part of the evidence that led the FIA to withdraw Ide’s superlicence later in the season. The Safety Car was employed for two laps.

The race continued normally for some laps, until Toyota driver Jarno Trulli entered the pits to retire following a steering problem. Tonio Liuzzi had a problem and spun his Toro Rosso car in the Variante Alta, a corner which had recently been revised.

Honda driver Rubens Barrichello started the first round of pit stops, on lap 14. His stop lasted 15 seconds, as he took on 156 L, enough to finish the race. Michael Schumacher came into the pits on lap 20, temporarily giving Renault's Fernando Alonso the lead.

Lap 30 saw Honda's Jenson Button make his second stop. The refuelling nozzle got stuck and Button, thinking it had been removed, pulled away from the pits, tearing the nozzle from the refuelling rig. He was delayed in the pitlane while the Honda mechanics removed the nozzle from his car.

By the halfway point of the race, Ferrari began experiencing problems, specifically tyre degradation. Eight laps were enough for Alonso to bring down the 10 second difference between him and Schumacher. The duel that took place during the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix was to be repeated, this time with Schumacher in the lead.

Lap 41 saw Alonso pit for a second time, ahead of Schumacher. Alonso's out lap was not good enough to put himself in front of Schumacher, so their positions remained the same. Alonso chased hard, but a mistake by running wide into a corner left Schumacher a clear path for the last few laps to win. Meanwhile David Coulthard had a driveshaft problem and retired on lap 47.

Michael Schumacher secured his 85th victory overall, and his first of the season. Alonso, having taken two wins and two second places, led the German in the drivers' championship with 36 points to Schumacher's 21.

Standings after the race

Note, only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.