Highlights

Schumacher wins duel with Alonso

(AP)
Updated: 2006-04-24 07:12

"We tried to get Fernando a lap of clean air to beat Michael in the pits and it didn't quite work," Renault engineering director Pat Symonds said.

Like Alonso last year, Schumacher didn't panic with a faster car behind him. The seven-time world champion checked his rearview mirrors repeatedly and glanced over his shoulder every now and then to check the whereabouts of Alonso's Renault.

"With all my years of experience, I knew what I wanted to do was keep Alonso behind me, but at my pace, not pushing out flat, and that's what I did," Schumacher said.

Apart from last year's U.S. Grand Prix, when only six cars competed due to a tire dispute, it was Schumacher's only other win since the end of 2004.

"When I was going up to the podium, I said to Michael that I could not remember the way anymore, as it had been such a long time since the last victory," Ferrari director Jean Todt said.

Schumacher clocked 1 hour, 31 minutes, 6.486 seconds. Alonso finished 2.0 seconds behind and McLaren's Juan Pablo Montoya was 15.8 back for third and his first podium finish this season.

Schumacher's Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa, was fourth, matching his best Formula One result in his first race for Ferrari in Italy.

McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen crossed fifth.

Williams' Mark Webber finished sixth and Honda's Jenson Button came seventh after starting from the front row for the fourth straight race.

Button was in fourth position when he lost time while attempting to leave the pits with a fuel line still attached to his car.

Alonso's Renault teammate, Giancarlo Fisichella, took the last point in eighth.

Renault leads the constructor's standings with 51 points to McLaren's 33 and Ferrari's 30.