Michael Schumacher won the Italian Grand Prix and then announced his retirement at the end of the season. Fernando Alonso’s engine failure left the championship separated by just two points, while Robert Kubica celebrated his first podium at Monza.
Race Guide
Season: 2006 F1 World Championship
Race date: 10 September 2006
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.793 km
2005 winner: Juan Pablo Montoya
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:21.484 | |
| Fastest lap | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:22.559 on lap 13 | |
| First | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari |
| Second | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren |
| Third | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 8 September 2006 | Practice 1 | 11:00 |
| 8 September 2006 | Practice 2 | 14:00 |
| 9 September 2006 | Practice 3 | 11:00 |
| 9 September 2006 | Qualifying | 14:00 |
| 10 September 2006 | Race | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Fernando Alonso arrived at round 15 leading the 2006 F1 World Championship on 108 points, with Michael Schumacher on 96. Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 160 points.
Race entries
The 11 teams kept the same race line-ups for the Italian Grand Prix. Alexander Wurz, Anthony Davidson, Franck Montagny, Giorgio Mondini, Neel Jani, Robert Doornbos, Sebastian Vettel also took part in practice.
Free Practice
Vettel led a quiet Friday morning as teams balanced preparation against engine mileage and the approaching homologation requirements. Only a limited group completed substantial running, with Kimi Räikkönen the most prominent of the leading race drivers. Davidson’s Honda stopped before he could record a time, an early setback for the team’s engine programme.
Vettel remained quickest in the afternoon, ahead of both Ferraris, but Honda suffered another Davidson engine failure. Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello did not leave the pit lane during the session. Franck Montagny ran strongly in the Super Aguri, while the varied programmes made the gap between the third cars and regular race runners difficult to interpret directly.
Felipe Massa led Saturday practice, with Nick Heidfeld second and Michael Schumacher third after the German cut across the first chicane on his final run. Honda reverted to an older engine specification after Friday’s failures. Fernando Alonso was further back, leaving Renault with work to do before qualifying against a strong Ferrari challenge.
Free Practice 1 Classification
2006 Italian Grand Prix FP1, 8 September 2006
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | Sebastian Vettel | BMW Sauber | 1:23.263 | 22 |
| 2 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | +0.482s | 5 |
| 3 | 35 | Alexander Wurz | Williams | +0.605s | 19 |
| 4 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren | +0.774s | 5 |
| 5 | 40 | Neel Jani | Toro Rosso | +0.933s | 24 |
| 6 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Midland | +2.150s | 7 |
| 7 | 37 | Robert Doornbos | Red Bull Racing | +2.315s | 19 |
| 8 | 19 | Christijan Albers | Midland | +2.503s | 7 |
| 9 | 22 | Takuma Sato | Super Aguri | +3.445s | 20 |
| 10 | 23 | Sakon Yamamoto | Super Aguri | +4.047s | 20 |
| 11 | 41 | Franck Montagny | Super Aguri | +4.334s | 7 |
| 12 | 39 | Giorgio Mondini | Midland | +5.181s | 7 |
| 13 | 36 | Anthony Davidson | Honda | No time | 2 |
| 14 | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren | No time | 1 |
| 15 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | No time | 1 |
| 16 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | No time | 2 |
| 17 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | No time | 1 |
| 18 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | No time | 2 |
| 19 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso | No time | 3 |
| 20 | 21 | Scott Speed | Toro Rosso | No time | 1 |
| 21 | 10 | Nico Rosberg | Williams | No time | 1 |
| 22 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams | No time | 1 |
| 23 | 15 | Christian Klien | Red Bull Racing | No time | 1 |
| 24 | 14 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Racing | No time | 1 |
Free Practice 2 Classification
2006 Italian Grand Prix FP2, 8 September 2006
Free Practice 3 Classification
2006 Italian Grand Prix FP3, 9 September 2006
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:21.665 | 12 |
| 2 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | +0.387s | 13 |
| 3 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | +0.592s | 14 |
| 4 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | +0.615s | 12 |
| 5 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | +0.706s | 15 |
| 6 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | +0.747s | 15 |
| 7 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren | +1.017s | 11 |
| 8 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | +1.170s | 18 |
| 9 | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren | +1.250s | 11 |
| 10 | 15 | Christian Klien | Red Bull Racing | +1.416s | 11 |
| 11 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | +1.579s | 17 |
| 12 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | +1.630s | 15 |
| 13 | 10 | Nico Rosberg | Williams | +1.669s | 8 |
| 14 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | +1.802s | 15 |
| 15 | 14 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Racing | +1.871s | 9 |
| 16 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams | +1.934s | 8 |
| 17 | 21 | Scott Speed | Toro Rosso | +1.994s | 20 |
| 18 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso | +2.112s | 20 |
| 19 | 19 | Christijan Albers | Midland | +2.521s | 17 |
| 20 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Midland | +2.876s | 14 |
| 21 | 22 | Takuma Sato | Super Aguri | +2.884s | 25 |
| 22 | 23 | Sakon Yamamoto | Super Aguri | +3.052s | 19 |
Qualifying
Kimi Räikkönen beat Michael Schumacher to pole by just 0.002 seconds. Nick Heidfeld qualified third ahead of Felipe Massa, giving BMW Sauber another strong result. Fernando Alonso initially set the fifth-fastest time but lost his three best Q3 laps after the stewards judged that he had impeded Felipe Massa, dropping him to tenth.
Fernando Alonso’s penalty was controversial and followed a puncture that had already disrupted his final-session running. Jenson Button, Robert Kubica, Pedro de la Rosa and Rubens Barrichello therefore moved ahead of him on the grid. Schumacher had a clear opportunity to gain championship ground, but Kimi Räikkönen remained a formidable obstacle at the front.
Qualifying Classification
2006 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying, 9 September 2006
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren | 1:21.994 | 1:21.349 | 1:21.484 | 18 |
| 2 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:21.711 | 1:21.353 | 1:21.486 | 17 |
| 3 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 1:21.764 | 1:21.425 | 1:21.653 | 20 |
| 4 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:22.028 | 1:21.225 | 1:21.704 | 17 |
| 5 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 1:22.512 | 1:21.572 | 1:22.011 | 21 |
| 6 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 1:22.437 | 1:21.270 | 1:22.258 | 21 |
| 7 | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren | 1:22.422 | 1:21.878 | 1:22.280 | 22 |
| 8 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 1:22.640 | 1:21.688 | 1:22.787 | 21 |
| 9 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 1:22.486 | 1:21.722 | 1:23.175 | 21 |
| 10 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:21.747 | 1:21.526 | 1:25.688 | 17 |
| 11 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 1:22.093 | 1:21.924 | — | 12 |
| 12 | 10 | Nico Rosberg | Williams | 1:22.581 | 1:22.203 | — | 11 |
| 13 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 1:22.622 | 1:22.280 | — | 13 |
| 14 | 14 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Racing | 1:22.618 | 1:22.589 | — | 14 |
| 15 | 21 | Scott Speed | Toro Rosso | 1:22.943 | 1:23.165 | — | 17 |
| 16 | 15 | Christian Klien | Red Bull Racing | 1:22.898 | No time | — | 6 |
| 17 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso | 1:23.043 | — | — | 9 |
| 18 | 19 | Christijan Albers | Midland | 1:23.116 | — | — | 5 |
| 19 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams | 1:23.341 | — | — | 6 |
| 20 | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Midland | 1:23.920 | — | — | 5 |
| 21 | 22 | Takuma Sato | Super Aguri | 1:24.289 | — | — | 8 |
| 22 | 23 | Sakon Yamamoto | Super Aguri | 1:26.001 | — | — | 4 |
Christian Klien spun in the fifth corner and shut down his engine in Q1 and therefore did not set a time in Q2.
Fernando Alonso originally qualified with a time of 1:21.829 in Q3, but had his three fastest Q3 times deleted, effectively demoting him from fifth to tenth, after Monza stewards controversially penalized him, judging he had impeded Ferrari‘s Felipe Massa during qualifying.
What happened in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix?
Kimi Räikkönen led away, while Schumacher established himself in second and Fernando Alonso began recovering through the field. Nico Rosberg retired early with a loss of power. Kimi Räikkönen stopped first, and Schumacher’s longer opening stint allowed Ferrari to move him ahead after its own stop.
Robert Kubica briefly led before his later first stop and remained on course for a maiden podium. Fernando Alonso’s recovery ended when his Renault engine failed late in the race. Felipe Massa ran wide behind the stricken car and needed another tyre stop, costing Ferrari a second points finish.
Schumacher won from Kimi Räikkönen and Robert Kubica, with Giancarlo Fisichella fourth, Jenson Button fifth and Rubens Barrichello sixth. Jarno Trulli and Nick Heidfeld completed the points. Afterward Schumacher confirmed he would retire at the end of the season, while his victory reduced Fernando Alonso’s championship lead to two points.
After the race, Fernando Alonso headed the drivers’ standings with 108 points, followed by Michael Schumacher on 106. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 168, with Renault on 165.
2006 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 2006 Italian Grand Prix was held on 10 September 2006, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 53 | 1:14:51.975 | 10 |
| 2 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren | 53 | +8.046 | 8 |
| 3 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 53 | +26.414 | 6 |
| 4 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 53 | +32.045 | 5 |
| 5 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 53 | +32.685 | 4 |
| 6 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 53 | +42.409 | 3 |
| 7 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 53 | +44.662 | 2 |
| 8 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 53 | +45.309 | 1 |
| 9 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 53 | +45.995 | 0 |
| 10 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams | 53 | +72.602 | 0 |
| 11 | 15 | Christian Klien | Red Bull Racing | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 14 | David Coulthard | Red Bull Racing | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 21 | Scott Speed | Toro Rosso | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 22 | Takuma Sato | Super Aguri | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 17 | 19 | Christijan Albers | Midland | 51 | +2 laps | 0 |
| Ret | 18 | Tiago Monteiro | Midland | 44 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 43 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren | 20 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Sakon Yamamoto | Super Aguri | 18 | Hydraulics | 0 |
| Ret | 10 | Nico Rosberg | Williams | 9 | Driveshaft | 0 |
Takuma Sato started the race from the pitlane after having replaced his car with the spare one due to a hydraulic problem that occurred during the formation lap.
2006 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
2006 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 2006 Italian Grand Prix.
2006 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Renault | 108 |
| 2 | Michael Schumacher | German | Ferrari | 106 |
| 3 | Felipe Massa | Brazilian | Ferrari | 62 |
| 4 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Italian | Renault | 57 |
| 5 | Kimi Räikkönen | Finnish | McLaren | 57 |
| 6 | Jenson Button | British | Honda | 40 |
| 7 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Colombian | McLaren | 26 |
| 8 | Rubens Barrichello | Brazilian | Honda | 25 |
| 9 | Nick Heidfeld | German | BMW Sauber | 20 |
| 10 | Ralf Schumacher | German | Toyota | 18 |
| 11 | Pedro de la Rosa | Spanish | McLaren | 14 |
| 12 | David Coulthard | British | Red Bull Racing | 14 |
| 13 | Jarno Trulli | Italian | Toyota | 12 |
| 14 | Jacques Villeneuve | Canadian | BMW Sauber | 7 |
| 15 | Robert Kubica | Polish | BMW Sauber | 6 |
| 16 | Mark Webber | Australian | Williams | 6 |
| 17 | Nico Rosberg | German | Williams | 4 |
| 18 | Christian Klien | Austrian | Red Bull Racing | 2 |
| 19 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Italian | Toro Rosso | 1 |
| 20 | Scott Speed | American | Toro Rosso | 0 |
| 21 | Tiago Monteiro | Portuguese | Midland / Spyker MF1 | 0 |
| 22 | Christijan Albers | Dutch | Midland / Spyker MF1 | 0 |
| 23 | Takuma Sato | Japanese | Super Aguri | 0 |
| 24 | Yuji Ide | Japanese | Super Aguri | 0 |
| 25 | Franck Montagny | French | Super Aguri | 0 |
| – | Sakon Yamamoto | Japanese | Super Aguri | 0 |
2006 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 168 |
| 2 | Renault | 165 |
| 3 | McLaren | 97 |
| 4 | Honda | 65 |
| 5 | BMW Sauber | 33 |
| 6 | Toyota | 30 |
| 7 | Red Bull Racing | 16 |
| 8 | Williams | 10 |
| 9 | Toro Rosso | 1 |
| 10 | Midland | 0 |
| 11 | Super Aguri | 0 |
| 12 | Spyker MF1 | 0 |
2006 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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