Alternative 2006 Season

[TomWazzleshaw]

It was a dog eat dog stouch between Ferrari and Renault in 06 but what happens if they get rubbed from the equation thanks to the FIA?

Drivers:
1. Kimi Raikkonen: 112 points (8 wins, 4 2nds)
2. Jenson Button: 102 points (6 wins, 3 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. Rubens Barrichello: 68 points (2 2nds, 4 3rds)
4. Nick Heidfeld: 54 points (4 3rds)
5. Jarno Trulli: 51 points (1 win, 1 2nd, 2 3rds)
6. Ralf Schumacher: 45 points (1 win, 1 2nd, 1 3rd)
7. Juan Pablo Montoya: 42 points (2 wins, 2 2nds, 1 3rd)
8. David Coulthard: 38 points (1 2nd, 1 3rd)
9. Pedro De La Rosa: 36 points (3 2nds, 1 3rd)
10. Jacques Villeneueve: 25 points (1 3rd)
11. Mark Webber: 25 points (1 3rd)
12. Nico Rosberg: 25 points (1 3rd)
13. Robert Kubica: 16 points (1 2nd)
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi: 16 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
15. Christian Klien: 14 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
16. Scott Speed: 13 points (Best Result: 2 6ths)
17. Takuma Sato: 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
18. Tiago Monteiro: 3 points (Best Result: 1 7th)
19. Christijan Albers: 3 points (Best Result: 3 8ths)
20. Robert Doornbos: 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)
21: Yuji Ide: 0 points (Best Result: 1 11th)
22. Franck Montangy: 0 points (Best Result: 2 12ths)
23. Sakon Yamamoto: 0 points (Best Result: 1 12th)

TIEBREAKERS
10th-12th (Tiebreaker: Best 3 Results)
13th, 14th (Tiebreaker: Best Result)
17th-19th (Tiebreaker: Best Result)
21st-23rd (Tiebreaker: Best 2 Results)

Constructors:
1. Team McLaren Mercedes: 190 points (10 wins, 7 2nds, 2 3rds)
2. Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team: 170 points (6 wins, 5 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 96 points (2 wins, 2 2nds, 3 3rds)
4. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 93 points (1 2nd, 5 3rds)
5. Red Bull Racing Ferrari: 53 points (1 2nd, 1 3rd)
6. WilliamsF1 Team Cosworth: 50 points (2 3rds)
7. Scuderia Toro Rosso Cosworth: 29 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. Midland F1 Racing Toyota: 6 points (Best Result: 1 7th)
9. Super Aguri F1 Team Honda: 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)

Congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren for winning the championship but more importantly congratulations to Takuma Sato and Super Aguri for scoring points

[midgrid]

Imagine how exciting the end to the Chinese Grand Prix would have been!

[good_Ralf]

Now I'm doing the results for 2006 as well.

Bahrain

Pole: Button
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Button
3rd: Montoya
Fastest Lap: Rosberg

Malaysia

Pole: Button
1st: Button
2nd: Montoya
3rd: Villeneuve
Fastest Lap: Montoya

Australia

Pole: Button
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: R Schumacher
3rd: Heidfeld
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

San Marino

Pole: Button
1st: Montoya
2nd: Räikkönen
3rd: Webber
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Europe

Pole: Barrichello
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Barrichello
3rd: Rosberg
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Spain

Pole: Barrichello
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Button
3rd: Barrichello
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Monaco

Pole: Webber
1st: Montoya
2nd: Coulthard
3rd: Barrichello
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Britain

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Montoya
3rd: Heidfeld
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Canada

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Trulli
3rd: Heidfeld
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

USA

Pole: Barrichello
1st: Trulli
2nd: Barrichello
3rd: Coulthard
Fastest Lap: R Schumacher

France

Pole: Trulli
1st: R Schumacher
2nd: Räikkönen
3rd: de la Rosa
Fastest Lap: de la Rosa

Germany

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Button
3rd: Trulli
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Hungary

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Button
2nd: de la Rosa
3rd: Heidfeld
Fastest Lap: de la Rosa

Turkey

Pole: Heidfeld
1st: Button
2nd: de la Rosa
3rd: R Schumacher
Fastest Lap: Button

Italy

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Räikkönen
2nd: Kubica
3rd: Button
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

China

Pole: Barrichello
1st: Button
2nd: de la Rosa
3rd: Barrichello
Fastest Lap: de la Rosa

Japan

Pole: R Schumacher
1st: Button
2nd: Räikkönen
3rd: Trulli
Fastest Lap: Räikkönen

Brazil

Pole: Räikkönen
1st: Button
2nd: Räikkönen
3rd: Barrichello
Fastest Lap: Button

[pasta_maldonado]

good-ralf, may I ask why you are participating in a bit of thread archaeology?

[good_Ralf]

good-ralf, may I ask why you are participating in a bit of thread archaeology?

I thought people might want to know what the results might have been and I do stuff like this on Excel. If what I'm doing isn't OK, then I'll delete my posts.

[TomWazzleshaw]

good-ralf, may I ask why you are participating in a bit of thread archaeology?

I thought people might want to know what the results might have been and I do stuff like this on Excel. If what I'm doing isn't OK, then I'll delete my posts.

I don't mind the archaeology myself. Keep it up, I say.

[good_Ralf]

Race by Race Review

Bahrain

Jenson Button was fastest in qualifying and took pole at Sakhir. However he made a miserable start and Montoya led initially. On lap 11, Jenson came back at him and passed the McLaren, although Montoya leapfrogged him at the first stops. Button decisively re-passed Juan on lap 29 but by one-stopping from the back of the grid, Räikkönen got past both of them and won the season opener. The Williams and Red Bull drivers all scored points.

Malaysia

Button took pole again and this time was in command, Montoya challenging but ultimately settling for second. With Räikkönen eliminated on lap 1 and both the Williams and Red Bulls out, the BMWs were on course for a podium finish. Heidfeld was in 3rd but his motor blew in the closing laps and Jacques Villeneuve scored a brilliant podium, his first for a long time.

Australia

Button was on pole for a third time but this time, race pace was sorely lacking. Räikkönen managed to outgun him at the restart after a second SC. From there Kimi wasn't headed by much even though Heidfeld passed him at the second pit-stops. Webber was in the running for a podium or perhaps even better with his strategy, but his car failed. Ralf Schumacher eventually came second ahead of Heidfeld, while Button blew-up on the final lap.

San Marino

Honda had their most dominant Saturday running at Imola and locked out the front row. Both were on light fuel loads and lost out, Button prematurely released at his second stop. Jenson eventually finished 4th and Rubens was 6th. Once the Hondas were removed from the equation, Montoya, having crashed from a certain podium in Australia came through to win. Räikkönen made it a 1-2 and Webber scored the podium deserved in Australia.

Europe

Honda's 100% pole record was maintained by Barrichello, but his poor start but teammate Button in the lead again, before he got passed by Räikkönen at the SC restart. Button kept up the chase until his engine blew and Kimi was never headed again. Barrichello indicated the pace Honda had lost, finishing a minute behind Räikkönen. Using long first and second stints from the back of the grid, rookie Nico Rosberg scored his first podium for Williams.

Spain

Barrichello was on pole again but could only round up a 3rd place finish. With a fantastic start from 5th, Räikkönen advanced into the lead and no one could threaten him from there, Kimi recording his 4th win of 2006. Rubens also lost out to Button, who came second. The Williams and BMW pairs both scored solid points, as did Jarno Trulli in the Toyota.

Monaco

Webber was on form in the Principality and took pole position, breaking Honda's pole streak. But Räikkönen was by on lap 2 and at half-distance Webber then Räikkönen suffered car failures and it was Montoya who inherited the lead and the win. Second was in Barrichello's hands but he picked up a penalty for pit-lane speeding. Trulli was next but suffered hydraulics failure, leaving Coulthard to give Red Bull a rostrum visit.

Britain

The disappointment of Monaco was past Räikkönen as he took a dominant pole from Barrichello. In the race he was untouchable too and McLaren took an ecstatic 1-2 at their home race. Barrichello slipped to 6th while Button started from near the back and retired early on. The BMWs were on heavy fuel and using this as well as good pace, they came 3-4, Heidfeld from Villeneuve.

Canada

A sixth win of 2006 came Räikkönen's way from yet another pole position ahead of Trulli, who came home in a solid second. Rosberg and Montoya clashed for a podium with unfortunate consequences, so Heidfeld scored another podium. But Villeneuve, forced off-line by Ralf Schumacher, crashed out when he was just 3s behind his teammate. His awful luck at home continued.

USA

Barrichello proved that Honda still had the speed for pole and led comfortably, the McLarens and Button eliminated in a massive pile-up on the first lap. The field was decimated and the Toyotas soon got past Rubens to be 1-2, Barrichello second after Ralf suffered a wheel-bearing failure. Only five cars finished the race, with Coulthard's Red Bull beating Liuzzi's Toro Rosso for the final podium spot. The Midlands both retired from point-scoring positions.

France

Honda somehow slipped into anonymity so the other Japanese car marque dominated instead, Toyota, who were 1-2 on the grid and the early phases of the race. The McLarens mixed with Toyota, though and then Trulli retired with brake trouble when he was in contention for his second consecutive win. But Ralf Schumacher had everything under control and won, making it two wins in a row for Toyota. The McLarens completed the podium.

Germany

After two defeats, Kimi Räikkönen took another dominant pole position and led. But on a light fuel load, Button's resurgent Honda and Webber's Williams threatened. Mark Webber then retired with an engine problem and Button was ahead of Räikkönen after the final stops. Kimi got past Button with less than a dozen laps to go, with Trulli recording his fourth podium in succession.

Hungary

Räikkönen took pole again and with Montoya's replacement from France onwards, Pedro de la Rosa slotting in behind, another 1-2 was there for the taking. But then Räikkönen collided with a lapped Liuzzi and de la Rosa got leapfrogged by Button, penalised ten places on the grid for an engine change. Button reeled off the final two-thirds distance and scored his first win since Malaysia. de la Rosa and Heidfeld were second and third respectively.

Turkey

An engine change for Ralf Schumacher handed pole to Nick Heidfeld, but for some mysterious reason, his front wing disappeared and almost everyone ran wide at the first corner, with Räikkönen retiring. The chaos put Button and Williams up front. While Jenson took another win, Williams slid back, Rosberg retiring and Webber finishing 6th. de la Rosa used a one-stop strategy to record another 2nd place and initial polesitter Ralf was third.

Italy

Räikkönen took pole yet again from Heidfeld, rookie Robert Kubica 4th. But at the start, Heidfeld dropped way back and it was Kubica that rose to second to score his first podium. The Hondas were 3-4 and for Kimi it was an 8th win of the season, before he announced his switch to the invisible Ferrari team. In his last race for Red Bull, Christian Klien came eighth ahead of teammate Coulthard.

China

Honda were 1-2 on the grid, setting identical times on Saturday. But Räikkönen was ahead on lap 1, before his throttle failed shortly after his first stop. Poleman Barrichello led again, but by going longer at the second stop, Heidfeld got ahead and led, heading for BMW's first win as a works manufacturer. But on the very last lap, Sato's blocking let Button down the inside at the hairpin to win and then Barrichello rammed Heidfeld, who was spun to 4th.

Japan

Toyota locked out the front-row at Suzuka, but they were lightly fuelled. Button therefore capitalised on this and came through to give Honda a home win. The pace of McLaren was abysmal and only a heavy fuel load got Räikkönen into second. With the Toyotas strategy against them, they were third and fourth. BMW's misery continued in Japan, as Heidfeld and Kubica could only finish 5-6.

Brazil

It was fitting that having dominated 2006, Räikkönen took pole for his McLaren finale, Button down in 10th. However, a remarkable reversal of fortunes saw Button pass Räikkönen for the lead on lap 29. Button's win in Brazil was his 6th of the season and it was more or less home joy for Barrichello who came third at his home race. A one stop put de la Rosa into 4th place and allowed him to lead before his stop at half-distance.