Spain’s Fernando Alonso won his second straight Formula One World Championship in 2006 to confirm his status as the new star of motor racing. Alonso won seven Grand Prix during the season - Bahrain, Australian, Spanish, Monaco, British, Canadian and Japanese - the same as his great rival Michael Schumacher, but he had seven podium finishes against Schumacher’s five which proved decisive.
It was one of the most exciting seasons for years, split almost exactly into a Renault half and a Ferrari half and the end result was a championship of compelling fascination. In his final season, Schumacher, the most successful driver in the history of the sport, once again showed all the qualities that made him the outstanding talent of his generation, but Alonso revealed exactly why he will take over Schumacher's position as Formula One's pre-eminent driver by displaying immense determination to hang on to win the title.
Alonso eventually clinched the championship with 134 points to Schumacher's 119, with Renault winning the World Constructors' Championship by 206 points to Ferrari’s 201.
