Motorsport: Alonso wins second title in Brazil

Ferrari's Formula One driver Felipe Massa (R) of Brazil celebrates with Renault's Fernando Alonso after finishing first and second respectively in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Picture / Reuters

SAO PAULO - Renault's Fernando Alonso took his second successive Formula One title today, finishing runner-up in a Brazilian Grand Prix won by Ferrari's local favourite Felipe Massa.

Ferrari's Michael Schumacher, in the final race of his career, showed all his grit and determination to go from last to fourth after a ninth-lap puncture crippled his challenge for victory.

Renault retained the constructors' championship they won last year with 206 points to Ferrari's 201. Alonso ended the season with 134 points, 13 more than Schumacher.

It was Massa's second career victory and made him the first Brazilian to win at home since Ayrton Senna in 1993. He took the chequered flag in glorious isolation, 18.6 seconds clear of Alonso, to a rapturous roar from the crowd.

Briton Jenson Button was third for Honda.

Schumacher, 10 points behind Alonso but with seven wins each, had needed one last victory to have any hope of an unprecedented eighth title while the Spaniard required only a single point from his last race with Renault before joining McLaren.

"Thank you, thank you. Thank you for all these years, it has been a pleasure to work with you," gasped Alonso on his car's radio after crossing the finish line to become Formula One's youngest double champion.

"It's been a fantastic weekend and I need some time to believe I am champion again," the 25-year-old told a later news conference. "It's my last race for Renault and a fantastic way to finish the relationship.

"I will have these memories all my life.

Whatever the odds against him, Schumacher wanted to go out with his head held high and he achieved that with a stirring and memorable performance.

Starting 10th on the starting grid, he carved through to sixth and had just overtaken Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella for fifth when the Ferrari stepped out of line with a puncture.

Television images were inconclusive but Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn blamed the Italian.

"I think Giancarlo clipped Michael's tyre as he went past him and screwed our race. So it's very unfortunate because we had by far the quickest car today," he told Germany's Premiere television.

The 37-year-old German limped back to the pits for a new rear left tyre but the most successful driver in Formula One history was not done yet.

Rejoining in 17th place, and with a heavy fuel load, he proceeded to reel off a series of fastest laps to tear back up through the ranks to where he had been before.

With 16 laps to go, he was back behind Fisichella in sixth place and pushing hard.

The pressure paid off eight laps from the end when Fisichella ran wide across the grass at turn one and Schumacher sped through to take fifth place with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, his successor at Ferrari in 2007, next in his sights.

He got him three laps from the end with a totally uncompromising passing move at the end of the uphill pit straight, refusing to back off as they ran wheel to wheel with the wall to his left.

Raikkonen finished fifth, Fisichella was sixth and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello seventh for Honda. McLaren's Pedro de la Rosa collected the last point.

"It was amazing to see Senna winning the Brazilian Grand Prix and the people running on the track. I saw the same today and it was very nice," said Massa, who erupted from the cockpit of his car like a man unleashed after years of captivity.

He stopped at the first corner to pick up a Brazilian flag to wave on his slowing down lap, just as Senna had done all those years ago.

"It's just a dream come true. I always dreamed to have this day in my life and I got it," said Massa, who led the easiest race of his life from pole position.

"I had such an incredible car, I could control the pace from beginning to end," he said. "I never expected to be here in this place today."

The safety car was deployed on the second lap for five laps after Williams' Nico Rosberg, who had collided with Australian team mate Mark Webber, crashed heavily and left debris across the track.

- REUTERS