Fernando taking the first place, Michael to his left and Kimi to his right, there could not have been a better start for Formula One season of 2006.
The chequered flag at the season opener of Formula One at Sakhir, Bahrain was taken by the Renault of Fernando Alonso, followed by the red Ferrari of Michael Scumacher with just a fraction over one second separating the reigning and the multiple champion.
The ever unlucky Kimi Raikkonen drove a superb race to power his way to the third position. The result was satisfying for the big four teams for season of 2006, Renault, Ferrari, McLaren and Honda, not necessarily in any order, the cars and the drivers giving a teaser preview of what to expect for the whole of year.
The starting grid for the season opener had an all Ferrari front row, Michael taking the pole and his new teammate Felippe Massa alongside him. The reigning champ Alonso was on the second row, just behind the Briton Jenson Button. Kimi was staring from the back of the grid, having suffered a right wing and right rear suspension problem the day before.
The last light was on, and the drivers went for their warm up lap, thus breaking the silence of four months. The noise of the V8 and some V10 engines, the cheering of the crowd,the tension in the paddocks, the increasing decibel levels in the commentators enclosure, and you knew that the formula one season of 2006 was on. One round of the 5.412 Km track and the drivers neatly tucked their cars on the starting grid.
All five lights lit up, five, four, three, two, one and go. Michael made a perfect start, Massa making a fraction of a mistake, Alonso overtaking Button and Massa going into the first corner, and thus started the 57 laps of high intensity drama that we call F1 race.
Kimi could not have asked for a better start too, and before he took the flag for the first lap, he was already making himself comfortable in the 13th position, a gain of 9 on the opening lap.
The cars steadied themselves for the next 10 laps or so, with an occasional twist in the tale at the back of the bunch. Alonso keeping Michael in sight, an interesting battle for the third position between Montoya and Button, Kimi steadily making his way up, the etenal bride's maid, Rubens taking the sixth position, Nico Rosberg having his first feel of the formula one.
Could not complete it. Sorry.
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