Schumacher happy to be back in the hunt
Defending world champion Fernando Alonso resisted the reinvigorated threat of legendary former title-holder Michael Schumacher to win Sunday`s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old Spaniard, the youngest champion in F1 history, steered his Renault through the torrid heat of a perfect sunny day in the Gulf to secure the ninth victory of his career.
Schumacher finished second in his Ferrari after starting from a record-equalling 65th pole position of his career. The German came home second just 1.2 seconds behind Alonso but 19.3 seconds ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen who carved through the field from the back of the grid in his McLaren to take third place.

Alonso`s win was a repeat of his victory last year as he picked up where he had left off in the final race of last season, a great win in the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai where Renault clinched the constructors` title.

Alonso owed his victory to the superb strategy and excellent pit-stop work of his Renault team and he paid tribute to them afterwards, dedicating the win to the team and not himself.

"Well done you guys," he told them over his radio during the slowing down lap. "Thank you for a fantastic pit stop. This is your victory. Your work won the race for me.
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Alonso conceded that he had been given a stiff test by Schumacher who not only started fast to lead the opening period of the race, but also put him under pressure again in the closing stages.

It was then, only after an excellent second stop that was 1.4 seconds faster than Schumacher`s second with the Ferrari crew - because they had to add more fuel - that Alonso sneaked decisively ahead in a thrilling moment as he exited the pitlane.

"It was very close, very exciting," said Renault`s head of engineering Pat Symonds. "But it was a thrilling race. It showed us that there is going to be a lot of close and exciting racing this year."

Schumacher was all smiles for his team and his rivals afterwards, obviously relieved that his Ferrari team are back in contention at the front of the field after a dismal 2005 during which they won only one race.

"We did well and I am so glad to be competitive again," he said. "We have all done a lot of work over the winter."

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