Stunned: Schumi’s Scorched at Suzuka!

Alonso steals title stranglehold

Alonso gave Schumacher a run for his money at the latest Grand Prix held at Suzuka, Japan. He was the smooth operator of the day, fighting up from fifth on the grid to take victory in the Japanese Grand Prix from Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella. Yea, despite his recent whining of the Renault team’s focus on winning the constructors' championship and ‘sabotaging’ his drivers' crown, Alonso has turned that into determination to gain the one-upmanship against his rival from Ferrari.

Ferrari looked all set for a one-two finish in Japan after Michael Schumacher swept past team mate Felipe Massa in the opening stages and proceeded to build a healthy lead. All that changed on lap 37 when smoke began to pour from the rear of Schumacher’s car, forcing the German to a halt with an apparent engine failure. It was the German's first engine failure since 2001, coming at the worst possible moment.

Alonso then cruised into the lead as Schumacher looked philosophical as he trudged back to the pits. Mark Webber meanwhile tried to steal the headlines with a spectacular slide and crash in the tyre barrier in the final corner. All that was left was for Alonso to stroll to his seventh victory of the season and the fifteenth of his career ahead of Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Alonso's victory puts him ten points ahead of Schumacher meaning that all he needs to in Brazil is score one point to be sure of his second championship. For Schumacher there is a faint glimmer of hope, but to take the title he will need to win in Brazil and will need Alonso to not score any points. So, unless Alonso’s Renault gets too hot to handle in Brazil…Schumacher will not end his career on a high note. =''(