The only thing that could have been better for Ferrari in Turkey was to have Michael Schumacher finish first and Felipe Massa second, but even so first place for the Brazilian and third for the German netted 16 valuable points that brought the Italian team within two points of Renault in the constructors’ championship.
In all probability Schumacher would have won, all things being equal, but Michael lost out when the safety car was deployed on the 13th lap and he had to wait behind Massa while they were serviced in the pits. Then Michael blistered his second set of Bridgestones pushing overly hard to make up time while running with a heavier fuel load than his two rivals. His performance in the closing laps was mighty, but those two factors militated against the victory that would have decreased the gap to Alonso.
The second Turkish Grand Prix was a great race, and the relative performances of Ferrari and Renault, Bridgestone and Michelin, bode well for further excitement over the course of the four remaining races which will decide the outcome of the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships.
1. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 1:28:51.082 - 10 p. 2. Fernando Alonso (Renault) +5.5 secs - 8p. 3. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) +5.6 secs - 6p. 4. Jenson Button (Honda) +12.3 secs - 5p. 5. Pedro de la Rosa (McLaren-Mercedes) +45.9 secs - 4p. 6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) +46.5 secs - 3p. 7. Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) +59.3 secs - 2p. 8. Rubesns Barrichello (Honda) +60.0 secs - 1p.