European GP: Michelin race notes

ALONSO MAINTAINS UPPER HAND WITH STRONG SECOND PLACE

Fernando Alonso (Renault/Michelin) maintained his Formula One world championship lead after a terrific duel with arch-rival Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) in the Grand Prix of Europe, at the Nürburgring.

The Spaniard led away from pole position and kept Schumacher at bay for the first two-thirds of the race, but their positions were reversed during their second and final pit stops. Alonso consolidated thereafter to finish as runner-up. He leads Schumacher by 44 points to 31 after five of this year's 18 world championship races.

Only 13 cars completed a race of attrition. Kimi Räikkönen (McLaren Mercedes, fourth), Rubens Barrichello (Honda, fifth), Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault, sixth) and Jacques Villeneuve (BMW Sauber F1 Team, eighth) also scored points for Michelin.

Michelin's day
Nick Shorrock, Michelin Formula One director:

"It looks as though the track offered less grip this afternoon than it did yesterday. It looks as though the compounds we selected were probably too hard for the prevailing conditions."

"The San Marino grand prix had already been fiercely competitive, but we have learned a lot from it and have already developed some new products that will make their debut in Spain next weekend. We expect another close race in Barcelona - but I am confident we are poised to take another step forward."

Team perspective on tyres
Pat Symonds, executive engineering director, Renault F1 Team:

"We anticipated a very tough race- and that's exactly what we got. We had no tyre problems in the race and I don't believe there was a great deal to choose between Ferrari and ourselves, but they just had a slightly more effective package than us today."

-michelin-