Having been reeled in a rate of 2s a lap, Fernando Alonso was well aware that in terms of sheer pace his Renault R25 was no match for 'man on a mission' Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari F2005.

Having quickly dispatched with Jenson Button, the German soon caught up with the Spanish World Championship leader. However, having posted a string of laps in the 1:22s and 1:21s, Schumacher was unable to use his raw speed to beat Alonso.

"The fight with Michael was one of the best of my career," reveals the youngster. "I knew he was at least a second a lap quicker, but I had to look after the engine and tyres. I did everything I could.

"My only chance was to brake really hard into the slow corners," he continued. "I was braking more than I needed in order to slow Michael down, and then relying on the car's good traction to stop him from attacking on the next straight."

Back markers, which had assisted Schumacher in his battle with Button, were also poised to be a problem for the Renault driver. "I didn't want to catch them and have to try and lap them," he admitted. "So I had to go just quick enough to keep the Ferrari behind, but also keep a slow enough pace to avoid catching the back-markers."