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Fernando Alonso has seemingly done it all in Formula One.
He won the world title last season at 24. He won in his native Spain and got to give King Juan Carlos a ride.
On Sunday, he won the Monaco Grand Prix, his first victory in F1's most prestigious race.
Alonso has won two straight races, and four this season. With the quick start the year, there is the possibility of another season title.
Juan Pablo Montoya of McLaren-Mercedes was second in the race, and David Coulthard of Red Bull third. It was the first podium for Red Bull in an F1 race.
Rubens Barrichello in a Honda was fourth, with Michael Schumacher of Ferrari fifth and Giancarlo Fisichella sixth in a Renault.
Alonso has 64 points, and Schumacher 43 going into the June 11 British Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen and Fisichella are tied for third with 27.
Alonso's task was made easier when Raikkonen dropped out and five-time Monaco champion Schumacher was penalized before the race began. Alonso and Raikkonen were separated by less than a second through 50 laps when Raikkonen's engine gave out.
Raikkonen's race ended soon after when his engine overheated on the 51st lap.
Alonso started from the pole, moving up from second when Schumacher was stripped of the top position late Saturday. Stewards ruled Schumacher deliberately stopped his car on the track — blocking other drivers — during qualifying Saturday.
After setting the fastest lap, Schumacher appeared to brake too hard and stalled on the final turn.
Stewards ruled Schumacher stopped intentionally and took away his qualifying time and put him at the back of the grid. He chose to start from pit lane.
He was never a factor in the race. He was a minute behind after 20 laps and salvaged fifth as others dropped out.
After Raikkonen dropped out, Alonso cruised to a 15-second victory over Montoya with Coulthard more than 50 seconds behind.
It was Coulthard's first podium since the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix, when he was racing for McLaren.
It was the seventh straight race in which Alonso was either first or second. For Schumacher, his fifth-place finish ended a run of three good races in which he won twice and was second.
Alonso dedicated his victory to Edouard Michelin. The head of the company that supplies the tires to Renault and other teams was killed Friday in a boating accident.
Controversial Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya has added to McLaren-Mercedes’ woes by revealing he is considering offers from other Formula One constructors.
McLaren have already suffered a mechanical brain-drain, losing highly-rated designer Adrian Newey and chief aerodynamist Peter Prodromou to Red Bull and may now need to look for a new driver as well.
According to German magazine Auto, Motor und Sport, Montoya has confirmed he is in talks with other teams and is close to agreeing terms for a transfer. “I am talking with others (constructors). If Ferrari, Renault or BMW make me a good offer, I will take it,” said the 30-year-old Colombian.
Montoya won three Grand Prix races last season and finished fourth in the driver’s championship but according to the magazine, he is unhappy at not being offered a contract extension at McLaren.
The Anglo-German outfit have already recruited current world champion Fernando Alonso of Spain from Renault to drive for the team in 2007, signalling the end of either Montoya’s McLaren career or that of teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
The Finn faces an uncertain future with his contract up at the end of the 2006 season and rumours linking him with a switch to either Ferrari or Toyota.
A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Laguna Seca, California, USA
The most spectacular permanent racing circuit on the West Coast of America, Laguna Seca is hidden away in a natural bowl in the hills which overlook Monterey Bay. It is two hours drive south from San Francisco but the beautiful and rugged Monterey Peninsular provides a wonderful place to spend some time in quaint Carmel, along Cannery Row or in among the cypress trees at Pebble Beach and along Seventeen Mile Drive.
A world-class raceway plus a county park with a lot of room to pitch a tent or park the RV await you at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area. Home to the Honda Grand Prix, motorcycle racing, historic auto races, as well as several festivals and concerts each year, Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca is conveniently located halfway between Monterey and Salinas on Highway 68.
The Monterey Peninsula's love affair with world-class racing traces its beginning to 1950 and the inaugural running of the Pebble Beach Road Races. Those sports car events through the winding roads of the Del Monte Forest became immensely popular and brought prestige, fans and money to the area. But as the cars got faster and the crowds grew larger, it was decided that the race was too big for the open road. Rather than see the event, with its fans and financial impact go elsewhere, a group of civic-minded business leaders decided to build a permanent, world-class racing facility.
This was the impetus behind the formation of the Sports Car Racing Association of the Monterey Peninsula (SCRAMP) on November 1, 1956. The non-profit group's mission, which remains unchanged today, is to benefit local charitable and non-profit organizations and to promote the economic vitality of Monterey through motorsports events. The group leased Fort Ord land from the Army, built the circuit and staged its first race on November 9, 1957.
Since that day, events at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca have generated more than $1 billion in revenue for area businesses, while providing over $10 million for more than 100 charitable and civic groups. Today, SCRAMP is the most important economic and charitable organization in Monterey County.
Originally part of the former Fort Ord military base, Laguna Seca was turned over to the County of Monterey in 1974. The County in turn handed its responsibilities to the parks department. SCRAMP operates and maintains the race track, and handles the racing events and track rentals that generate funds of over $1 million for the county parks department.
The SCRAMP "family" consists of thousands of volunteers, including a 25 member volunteer board of directors, whose names are listed below. These dedicated volunteers come from all walks of life and all across the tri-county area to make up the work force needed to stage motor sports events at Laguna Seca. The largest group of volunteers is comprised of over 70 charities and civic organizations with their membership numbering in the thousands.
In 1988, in the hope of attracting Formula 1 racing after the demise of the Detroit Grand Prix, SCRAMP agreed to lengthen and upgrade the circuit from 1.9-miles to the present 2.2. This was done by creating an infield area which did away with the daunting old Turn Two. In the end F1 never went to Laguna but it still remains a popular track for racers and spectators. The access roads are not great and it is a long way from major population but it is a place where racing cars can be seen at their best. There is a 300-ft change in elevation which includes the infamous Corkscrew, an incredible curling downhill series of turns. It was exiting the Corkscrew in 1996 that Alex Zanardi pulled off a breathtaking overtaking maneuver on the last lap of the race to beat Bryan Herta. The death of Gonzalo Rodriguez in 1999 led to major safety changes at Laguna and a naming rights deal with Mazda has provided the funding for other development including new access routes and proper pits.
TORONTO (November 30, 2005) - Just three weeks after announcing that they had acquired the race rights for the Molson Grand Prix of Toronto (former Molson Indy Toronto), Grand Prix Association of Toronto today kicked-off ticket sales in time for the holiday gift-giving season.
In a media briefing held in downtown Toronto, Champ Car principle Kevin Kalkhoven, who along with partner Gerry Forsythe, acquired the rights for Toronto's Champ Car event on November 3, confirmed that work on the 2006 Grand Prix of Toronto, which will be held July 7, 8 and 9, was well underway.
"As expected, we are fully up and running just a few weeks after acquiring the race rights from Molson," said Kalkhoven. "The Toronto stop on the Champ Car calendar is a significant cornerstone in our schedule and we have been successful in ensuring the transition was seamless. We are committed to making certain that the race maintains its high-profile status in the Toronto market and are confident that we will maximize our consumer marketing outreach for the Toronto event.
"To assist us during this transition period, we have appointed Charlie Johnstone as the interim General Manager. Charlie understands the history of the event and he will be valuable in helping us to continue to move forward over the next few months."
Johnstone, a former Molson executive, also developed consumer-marketing promotions around the NHL, CFL and Toronto Blue Jays.
" Since its inception in 1986 not only has the Toronto event featured the best in international open-wheel racing talent, but has also provided a platform for the sports' developing young drivers who compete in the support events scheduled on race weekend. The 2006 Grand Prix of Toronto will also feature Champ Car's flagship development series, the Champ Car Atlantic Championship." said Kalkhoven.
The Atlantic Series is entering its 33rd year in 2006 and in 15 previous races held in Toronto, a Canadian has finished on the podium each time.
Notable graduates of the Atlantic series include Champ Car drivers, A.J. Allmendinger, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Jimmy Vasser and such Canadians as Alex Tagliani, Andrew Ranger, Jacques Villeneuve, David Empringham, and Patrick Carpentier
"This is the same international event it has been for the last twenty years," added Toronto native Paul Tracy, who won the event in 1993 and 2003 and was also on hand for the media briefing. "It's still one of the drivers' favorite cities to race in and it's still the place I want most to win year after year. This year Champ Car was very competitive, we put on a great show in Toronto and the race brings $30 million dollars into the city. I'm looking forward to being back at Exhibition Place."
"Champ Car is in a very aggressive period right now," added Kalkhoven. "Over the past eighteen months we have been growing our business and strengthening our position as the leading open-wheel racing series in North America. Champ Car and its sponsors earned exceptional dividends in 2005. Overall exposure value for series sponsors totaled $98,241,635 in 2005, a number that was more than eight million dollars higher than 2003 figures despite the fact that the 2003 season featured 22 telecasts as opposed to this season's 13.
"It clearly indicates that our efforts to improve our television package have been successful and that we continue to provide the highest possible value and return on investment for the dollars our sponsors invest. Now is the time to get involved in Champ Car, be it with the series or in Toronto."
The Toronto race is one of three Canadian events on the Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford calendar in 2006.
Tickets for the 2006 Molson Grand Prix of Toronto are now on sale with prices remaining the same as in 2005. Tickets can be ordered by calling 1-877-865-RACE-(7223)
SAN JOSE GRAND PRIX ANNOUNCES 2006 CIRCUIT AND FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS
TICKET RENEWALS NOW AVAILABLE
SAN JOSE, CA - - NOVEMBER 9, 2005 - - After a highly successful inaugural event that truly was “More Than A Race”, San Jose Grand Prix listened to fans and drivers about what could be done to make the weekend festival of speed even better.
Among the changes that will directly affect the fan experience is better access around the site plus improved viewing areas for all spectators. One bridge has been widened, plus an additional bridge will be added to improve spectator flow around the circuit. Improvements have also been made to the grandstands providing better viewing of all on-track action. Gold 1 and 2 grandstands will be elevated; Silver 3A and 3B grandstands will be consolidated into one grandstand; Silver 4D will be moved closer to the track; and Silver 1 grandstand will become the closest to the new and expanded Champ Car paddock. In addition, approximately 5000 more grandstands seats have been added, increasing the capacity. New and improved general admission locations have also been created.
The on-track changes are just as dramatic. The track will be flush to the curb at the rail track crossings on Almaden Blvd. and Market St. making it smoother, which will allow for more speed. The turn at the corner of Almaden Blvd. and Park Ave. will be widened, as well as the track along Park Ave. The turn at Market and Balbach Sts. will also be widened -- all of which will create potential passing opportunities.
In addition to the circuit changes it was also announced today that before beginning the public ticket sale for the 2006 San Jose Grand Prix, set for July 28-30, the event is offering patrons of last year’s inaugural race the opportunity to renew their same seats at last year’s prices until January 1, 2006 when tickets will go on sale to the public.
“With every event you try and improve the event year after year,” said San José Grand Prix Vice President and General Manager, Bob Singleton. “The challenge with a first year event is to make the improvements, the changes, that increase the on-track and off-track experience. We have listened to both the drivers and our fans in making our changes and improvements,” he noted. Singleton added that, “In addition, for all our valued customers, we are happy to announce that we are going to renew their tickets for the 2006 San José Grand Prix at 2005 prices until January 1, 2006 when the San José Grand Prix tickets will go on public sale.”
Commenting on the improvements to the track, Champ Car World Series Vice President of Operations and Race Director, Tony Cotman said, “I think it is very good to see that the San José Grand Prix make a very good effort to help Champ Car improve the show. In looking at the track this morning and the proposed changes, they have taken a lot of input from the teams, drivers and Champ Car and helped us to enhance our product, so we are very excited about next year’s event. I think the biggest change is in Turn #4, widening it by over 50’ to the entry of four, coming out of the hairpin (Turn #3) -- that is good and should provide the opportunity for a lot more passing.”
Explaining how the changes will affect the on-track competition, Champ Car driver and Los Gatos native A. J. Allmendinger, who was raised in San José and drives for RuSport Racing said, “I think the San José Grand Prix put on a great event last year. It overwhelmed everyone to see how popular Champ Car was here in San José. I believe the San José Grand Prix is taking the right steps to make the racing better. They definitely know how to put on a good show and now they are fixing the track to improve the racing, which is a positive for the fans, the teams, the drivers and the city. I am happy to see the San José Grand Prix, the Canary Fund, the City of San José and Champ Car making the changes necessary to make the race stronger and I am really looking forward to coming back next year and competing in my home town.”
The 2006 San Jose Grand Prix, which proudly supports the Canary Fund, is the ninth stop on the 2006 Bridgestone Presents The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford schedule. The Champ Car World Series features some of the greatest race car drivers in the world competing in the most diverse and exciting series in the world. Champions Sebastien Bourdais, Jimmy Vasser, who hails from the Bay Area, Canadian Paul Tracy, Allmendinger and Mexican star Mario Dominguez are among the drivers that compete in the series.
Continuing its theme from last year, “More Than A Race,” plans for the 2006 San Jose Grand Prix call for more activities including music, fairs, charity events and promotional activities. The week long festival is expected to draw over 150,000 fans to northern California’s largest city. With more bridges, more viewing, more passing, more excitement and more fun, the 2006 San José Grand Prix will be more than it’s highly successful 2005 debut.
Canary Fund, which was founded by Don Listwin, is dedicated to advancing the science of the early detection of cancer and is the Official Social Cause of the Champ Car World Series.
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