Fernando Alonso celebrated clinching his second drivers’ world title in his final race for Renault on Sunday with a rich tribute to his team and retiring seven-times champion Michael Schumacher.
The 25-year-old Spaniard finished second behind victorious home-city hero Felipe Massa in the Brazilian Grand Prix to become the youngest winner of back-to-back titles in Formula One history.
”This has been a fantastic weekend for me and especially this race — and I have to thank the Renault team for being so fantastic,” he said. ”They have been my family in Formula One and we have grown up together.
”It is my last race for them and I am so glad we won both titles. That was the important thing. Felipe and Ferrari were too quick for us in the race, but we did the job.
”And I have to say that it means more to be the double champion now and win these titles while Michael Schumacher was racing than any other time. If he is on the track, it is tougher and it is of more value. We did it and now I am going to have the biggest party of my life.”
Massa (25) said: ”This is amazing. To win here in front of my own people — it is a dream come true and to have the flag and to see the people jumping and dancing for me. It is the best day of my life.
”It is incredible, the car has been fantastic, the car was wonderful and it was the easiest race of my life because of that.
”But I must say thank you to Michael for all his help, and he is a great friend and a great driver. I am sorry for him, but this is the best day of my life and I just don’t know what else I can say!”
Briton Jenson Button drove brilliantly from 14th on the grid to grab third for Honda and said: ”It is my third podium of the year and it is great for me, but for those other two guys it is even better.
”For me it is a perfect end to the year and a fantastic day. To win like this without doing it on pit stops but on racing is fantastic. I felt we could have finished second, but not beaten the Ferrari. Felipe was too fast today.
”This is great for me going into the winter and it is a great way to finish the year. I am sure we are going to be stronger next year.”
Schumacher said little immediately after the race, but his Ferrari team technical director Ross Brawn blamed Renault rival Giancarlo Fisichella for causing his puncture.
He said the Italian had wrecked his hopes of victory and a Ferrari triumph.
Brawn said: ”I don’t think we could have done any better. It’s just frustrating with the constructors’ [standings] because we obviously had a very quick car today.
”I think Giancarlo clipped Michael’s tyre as he went past him and screwed our race. So it’s very unfortunate because we had by far the quickest car today.”
Talking more about his rivalry with Schumacher, Alonso added: ”It has been very close and I think it is good to fight with him. I always said that to become champion when Michael is still on track gives it more value.
”I was extremely lucky to win the world championships when he races; I think we all wish him the best for his new life with his family. It has for us been pleasure for us to race with him.”
Schumacher, 10 points behind Alonso, but with seven wins each, had needed one last victory to have any hope of an unprecedented eighth title while the Spaniard required only a single point from his last race with Renault before joining McLaren.
Renault team boss Flavio Briatore also paid tribute to Schumacher following his amazing drive at Interlagos.
”I think today we have to show great respect for Michael Schumacher, because what he’s done today will go down in the history of F1,” Briatore told RAI television.
”He was flying. I don’t know what he had, but he was literally flying. We’ve won a difficult championship against an extremely difficult rival, Ferrari, so congratulations to them too for keeping the title open even too much.”
Massa, who took a Brazilian flag for his slow-down lap after the dramatic race, was close to tears.
”It is just a dream come true. You see all the people bringing the flag, screaming your name and jumping, dancing, whatever, just for you. It is difficult to explain, whatever drivers would love to be in my position, Fernando won his home Grand Prix this year and it was fantastic. It is the best day of my life.”
Massa congratulated Renault and Alonso. He said: ”For sure they deserve it. They made a fantastic beginning to the championship and that was the key to control the end of the championship, but in the same way I think we deserve it.
”We did a fantastic job, not at the beginning but afterwards we put everything together. We made a fantastic car, a fantastic team, and we deserve it as well. It is all written in history about Renault, Michelin and Fernando, but we also did a fantastic job because we worked so hard.”
The Brazilian, who hugged Schumacher at the end of the race, said he will miss the German driver very much. ”Michael is a real friend, he was always positive about me and always wanted me in the team.
”For me, I will miss him. He is just a fantastic person and very special for me.” — AFP
