Fernando Alonso Owns the Chinese Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso won last year and Michael Schumacher spun out of the race. Renault will be hoping that history repeats itself on Sunday.

It doesn't seem very long ago that we were heralding the first Chinese Grand Prix and yet here we are anticipating the third. And because Shanghai is a track that nobody tests at, the result of this race is not a foregone conclusion.

The Shang circuit at Shanghai may have marvelous facilities, great overtaking opportunities and a towering grandstand, but it's still a bit like Sepang.

With just two points separating Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso now, there is everything to race for. Three months ago it didn't seem likely. But just as in 2003, Schumacher has had a great deal of help from fortuitous intervention to get back on terms with Alonso. First Alonso's car was banned, then he got mysterious grid deductions in Monza, what can happen next?

Though Renault come into the race talking the big talk and trying to make the most of Michael's misfortunes at the Chinese track in 05, the momentum has still got to be with the Ferrari team. The red cars will be the ones to beat.

True, last year Michael had the kind of grand prix weekend that the worst Formula Ford debutant probably wouldn't endure. On the way to the grid he wasn't looking in his mirrors and sideswiped the innocent Minardi of Albers. In the race he spun out on lap 23 while following the Safety Car.

Those critics who think that Michael Schumacher is not in the same league as Prost, Senna, Moss, Stewart, Clark or Fangio certainly had enough to go on in one race alone.

The other memorable moment from last year was the drain cover that got sucked out of its culvert and put an end to Juan Pablo Montoya's race, when he wrecked his front suspension on it. You can bet that won't happen again.

Fernando Alonso won here last year and will be looking to do the same again. He certainly has the motivation. However Michael has the motivation, too. The most driven F1 driver of his generation will be focusing his formidable powers of concentration on one outcome to the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix.

Can Fernando Alonso win the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix? Here are some odds from Bodog.

Michael Schumacher 5/9

Fernando Alonso 3/1

Kimi Raikkonen 5/1

2006 Italian Grand Prix means Everything for Ferrari

On the eve of the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari awaits the decision of Michael Schumacher whether he'll call it quits after this season.

Yes, it's all getting a bit tense in the Ferrari garage. For what it's worth, the will-he, won't-he retire scenario finally gets resolved on Sunday after the Italian GP. Michael Schumacher will let everyone know if he is continuing in F1 for another couple of years or not.

It has to be a couple of years, because if he says just one year then we'll have another season of retirement questions.

Having lost Villeneuve and Montoya in one season, and probably DC in 2008, F1 will be left with a bunch of kids and no personality. Love him or hate him, he adds so much stature to F1 by just competing. We may have incidents like Monaco qualifying this year, but where would Peter Pan be without his Captain Hook?

If the decision is retirement at the end of this season, then there might be circumstances that stop him from racing beyond Monza. Unlikely, we know, but should Michael Schumacher crash out of the Italian GP and Alonso go on to win it, he would be 22 points down with three races left. Monza would be a fitting place to end his career.

However the likelihood is that he and Massa will be able to carve out a Ferrari 1-2 and reduce Alonso's lead to eight points with three races left.People were all convinced that this would be the race result in Turkey and look what happened there. In last week's testing Massa was quickest, but he didn't look as fast as he did in Turkey. And Fernando Alonso will have the luxury of a brand new improved Renault engine unit at the Milan track.

What's more the Monza start/finish straight is long and wide. If Renault get their fuel strategy right and can qualify very close to the Ferraris, they have the space to use their off-the-line acceleration advantage and get by into Turn 1.

After that it will be a strategy battle. Though Turn 1 has a large braking zone, there have been many races where cars just couldn't get close enough to use it and all the overtaking moves were done in the pit-stops. Ferrari will have a battle on their hands if either one or both of the Renaults gets between them at the start.

However it won't just be Renault looking to get a clean getaway on Sunday. There have been so many accidents at Turn 1 over the years that all the teams will be as anxious as possible to keep clear of trouble.

Come Sunday, all these questions will be answered as Michael Schumacher and the rest of Ferrari put everything, as well as their future, on the line at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix.

Can Michael Schumacher win the 2006 Italian Grand Prix? Here are the odds from Bodog.

Michael Schumacher 5/9

Fernando Alonso 3/1

Kimi Raikkonen 8/1