The Formula One title battle
between Renault's Fernando Alonso and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher is in the
hands of the tyre makers as much as the lap of the gods.
After another full-on fight between the two champions in Turkey, Alonso left
Istanbul with a 12-point lead but recognising that anything could happen in the
last four races.
The tyres, said the world champion, could make or break both men's dreams.
"I think we are in Michelin and Bridgestone's hands because at the end of the
day, I think the cars are at their maximum development now," the Spaniard said.
"In the last part of the championship, I don't think you can find extra
tenths or two tenths (of a second) in the car, while the tyres can give you more
than half a second.
"So I think that...the tyres will be the deciding point in the championship."
Both Michelin-shod Renault and Bridgestone-equipped Ferrari have a busy test
schedule over the coming week before the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari's home
race, at Monza.
After Monza there will be two more tests for Renault while Ferrari are likely
to be using their private Fiorano test facility to the maximum.
Renault have a more powerful engine and new developments coming in for Monza
and remain confident, despite their constructors' lead being whittled down to
two points.
REALLY CLOSE
"It's still really close, we always said it would be," said the team's head
of engineering Pat Symonds as he left the Istanbul Park circuit on Sunday.
"I'm really pleased we are getting some testing in because it's been a
struggle for the last few weeks, particularly with the mass damper coming off
and everything.
"Michelin have got a hell of a programme for next week so there's a lot to do
there and I think when we finish that programme we will have a better idea of
where we stand. But I think it's going to be close in every race."
Alonso finished second in Turkey, with Schumacher third after a safety car
interlude allowed the Spaniard to get past the seven-times champion in the pits
in a race won by Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
The result was a boost for both Alonso and Renault, deprived of a
performance-enhancing 'mass damper' system after the governing body declared it
illegal.
Renault showed they remained competitive without it, although they also had
fate and human error to thank for Alonso's second place.
Had the safety car not come out when it did, there is every reason to suspect
that Massa would have let Schumacher past to lead home a Ferrari one-two. That
would have slashed Alonso's advantage to six points.
Had Schumacher not run wide after the first stop, losing precious time, he
might have been able to get back in front of Alonso at the second stop with a
similar outcome.
Equally, Alonso could feel a wheelnut problem robbed him of the previous race
in Hungary when he was leading as Schumacher struggled.
"If I hadn't had the problem in Hungary with the tyre, probably we are
talking about 22 points (advantage), which is quite good with four races to go,"
he said.
"You can increase the gap or lose everything very quickly these days in these
races so it's not comfortable any more...this week we did it, we got in front of
one of the Ferraris while in the last races we were too far behind.
"At Hockenheim, I was a minute behind them."
