F1 Legend Sim/Seasons/2006

2006 F1 Season

18 races · Renault R26

The 2006 season delivered Michael Schumacher's last great duel before his first retirement, a thrilling head-to-head with Fernando Alonso that ran to the end of the year. Both won exactly seven races in a fight of the very highest level.

The Kaiser, with an ever-improving Ferrari, produced a memorable comeback in the second half of the season and drew level in the battle. The turning point was Japan: while leading the race, with the championship seemingly tilting his way, his engine (bulletproof for years) expired unexpectedly.

Alonso seized the gift and sealed his second consecutive world title in Brazil, confirming himself as the great heir. Soon after, Schumacher retired for the first time, closing an unrepeatable chapter of the sport.

Drivers’ Champion

Fernando Alonso

Renault R26

Constructors’ Champion

Renault

18 races

See the 2006 simulation Ver en español

Key moment

«Schumacher's engine explodes in Japan, the turning point that cost him an eighth title.»

The 2006 grid, car by car

The 11 teams that raced in 2006, ordered by how good we rate the car. It is our own judgement, not an official figure: what it is worth is that the same yardstick is applied to every season since 1988, so you can compare eras.

#TeamOur ratingDrivers
1Ferrari
97
Michael Schumacher · Felipe Massa
2Renault
96
Fernando Alonso · Giancarlo Fisichella
3McLaren
91
Kimi Räikkönen · Juan Pablo Montoya
4Honda
86
Jenson Button · Rubens Barrichello
5Toyota
83
Jarno Trulli · Ralf Schumacher
6Williams
83
Mark Webber · Nico Rosberg
7BMW Sauber
82
Jacques Villeneuve · Nick Heidfeld
8Red Bull
81
David Coulthard · Christian Klien
9Toro Rosso
75
Vitantonio Liuzzi · Scott Speed
10Super Aguri
70
Takuma Sato · Sakon Yamamoto
11Midland
69
Tiago Monteiro · Christijan Albers

How 2006 actually ended

The official final standings, from the Bahrain Grand Prix to the Brazilian Grand Prix. This is the real result; the simulation is further down.

DriverPointsWinsPodiumsPoles
1Fernando AlonsoRenault1347146
2Michael SchumacherFerrari1217124
3Felipe MassaFerrari80273
4Giancarlo FisichellaRenault72151
5Kimi RäikkönenMcLaren65063
6Jenson ButtonHonda56131
7Rubens BarrichelloHonda30000
8Juan Pablo MontoyaMcLaren26020

Alonso took it by 13 points with 7 wins and 6 poles across 18 races. 5 different drivers won that season, and the last Grand Prix went to Felipe Massa.

Official FIA standings via Jolpica (formerly Ergast).

2006, race by race

All 18 races: who started first, who won and from where, and how many cars reached the flag.

5different drivers won: Alonso 7 · Schumacher 7 · Massa 2 · Button 1 · Fisichella 1.

3different teams won: Ferrari 9 · Renault 8 · Honda 1.

6different drivers took pole: Alonso 6 · Schumacher 4 · Massa 3 · Räikkönen 3 · Button 1 · Fisichella 1.

12different drivers stood on the podium.

3one-twos for a single team: Ferrari 2 · Renault 1.

10 of 18races were won from pole position.

2first-ever wins: Jenson Button (Hungarian Grand Prix), Felipe Massa (Turkish Grand Prix).

From 14ththe win from furthest back: Jenson Button, Hungarian Grand Prix.

24 years, 226 daysthe youngest winner of the year: Fernando Alonso, Bahrain Grand Prix.

67%of starts reached the flag (266 of 396).

9 of 22cars finished the United States Grand Prix, the race with fewest survivors.

3hat tricks (pole, win and fastest lap). Most fastest laps: Schumacher 7 · Alonso 5 · Räikkönen 3.

#Grand PrixWinnerStarted
1Bahrain Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault4th
2Malaysian Grand PrixGiancarlo FisichellaRenault1st
3Australian Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault3rd
4San Marino Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari1st
5European Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari2nd
6Spanish Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault1st
7Monaco Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault1st
8British Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault1st
9Canadian Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault1st
10United States Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari1st
11French Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari1st
12German Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari2nd
13Hungarian Grand PrixJenson ButtonHonda14th
14Turkish Grand PrixFelipe MassaFerrari1st
15Italian Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari2nd
16Chinese Grand PrixMichael SchumacherFerrari6th
17Japanese Grand PrixFernando AlonsoRenault5th
18Brazilian Grand PrixFelipe MassaFerrari1st

Pole goes to whoever started first, after penalties. «Finished» counts classified cars that took the flag. Fastest lap is the race fastest lap.

What if 2006 had been raced 100 times?

We took the real 2006 grid (every car with its performance and reliability, every driver with his rating) and re-ran the full 17-race championship 100 times.

DriverAvg. finishTitles
Michael SchumacherFerrariP1.552%
Fernando Alonsoreal championRenaultP1.547%
Felipe MassaFerrariP31%
Giancarlo FisichellaRenaultP4.30%
Kimi RäikkönenMcLarenP4.60%
Jenson ButtonHondaP6.50%

The engine disagrees with history: its favourite was Michael Schumacher (52%), and Fernando Alonso only wins 47% of the time. That title was won with something a table cannot hold.

What if Senna, Hamilton or Alonso had driven the 2006 championship-winning car?

Build your own hypothesis

Hypotheses from 2006

Schumacher vs Alonso 2006: the Kaiser's last dance

Duel

▶ Simulate now

Drivers of 2006

Fernando Alonso★ 2Michael Schumacher★ 7
All seasons 1980-2025

Keep reading

What we have measured about 2006 and about what decided it, with our own numbers.

All articles