2006 Stats Update: Germany

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The drivers’ and constructors’ championships get ever closer. But there are intriguing battles up and down the F1 field this year. Take a closer look at who’s beating who in our statistics update.

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Sakon Yamamoto is the 25th driver to start a race in 2006 – and the fourth for Super Aguri. He also won’t be the last, as Robert Kubica will make his debut for BMW in Hungary.

Jenson Button’s best finish since his podium in Malaysia puts him seventh. He is five points behind the permanently rested Juan Pablo Montoya, but rising higher than that this year is surely beyond him and his Honda.

The battle for third place just gets tighter – now Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella are separated by a single point.

But just as Ferrari’s second man Massa has been able to get on terms with Fisichella, so it seems inevitable that Michael Schumacher can do the same to Fernando Alonso.

Ferrari have scored three wins, two seconds and a third in the last three races, bringing them to within ten points of Renault. A repeat of the Hockenheim result at the Hungaroring would put them ahead.

McLaren, in splendid isolation, are merely treading water, with no realistics threats from behind or opportunities ahead.
Honda’s return to form has come not a moment too soon as Toyota looked set to haul them in.

Indeed had a mechanical failure not ruined Jarno Trulli’s race before it started, and Ralf Schumacher not run into all sorts of self-inflicted problems, the two Japanese rivals could be even closer to each other. BMW may well have lost interest in the battle, as they have taken to tinkering with their driver line-up.

Michael Schumacher has now made more starts from the top three than Alonso – but the Spaniard has had more poles.

Raikkonen became the fifth polesitter of the season in Hockenheim thanks to a low-fuel glory run reminiscent of Ralf Schumacher’s in Japan last year. Both events were the home race for their respective manufacturers – surely not a coincidence?

The poor MidlandF1 drivers were the first this year to be disqualified from a race thanks to their illegally flexing rear wings. The same happened to both BAR-Honda drivers last year at Imola.

Mark Webber has confirmed that he will be leaving Williams this year which must be bittersweet – he has had more mechanical failures this year than any other driver.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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