Top 5 races between Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher

Rivalries, they say, ignite Formula 1 like nothing ever can. We have seen what the Senna versus Prost, Schumacher versus Hakkinen, Rosberg versus Hamilton contest brought to the sport. We are clearly seeing the Hamilton versus Vettel saga in terms of what it is bringing to the sport.

It has, quite simply, raised the bar of competition and often swung Formula 1 to the knife's edge in deciding the fate of a two-way battle. One race it's Lewis and the other, Vettel, out of nowhere.

But that is in the present. What about the past?

Back in the day, over a decade back in time, there was one red-hot rivalry that engulfed Formula 1 and pitted directly the flamboyance of a young driver directly against the mental strength of a multiple world champion. The two are regarded as stalwarts of the sport today.

The Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher rivalry was an epic chapter in the annals of the sport. It gave an era where the likes of Button and Barrichello were already established and the likes of Raikkonen and Alonso were only beginning to engage with the constant thrill of racing, something new for the fans.

It could be said, it brought hitherto less-seen levitation to this great competition of our times.

Let's look at 5 close battles between the Spaniard and the German legend:

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#5 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix

F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain, where Alonso won the season-opener

In 2006, Fernando Alonso had all but one goal. That was to defend his world title, something he had valiantly fought for in 2005, driving that sassy Renault. That same year, the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher was perhaps the other best machine on the tarmac after the Renault of Fernando Alonso.

This 2006 race perhaps underlined the fact that the Alonso versus Schumacher saga, as evident from the onset of 2003 was real and their battles in the past were no flash in the pan moments.

At the season-opener in Bahrain, the two would fight nearly every single lap all the way to the checkered flag. In the end, it was the Renault that took the top step of the podium, followed by Saturday's pole-sitter, Michael Schumacher.

Thwarting Schumi's plans for securing a win, Alonso jumped ahead of the German driver after his second pit stop to engage in a wheel-to-wheel battle all the way to the finish line.

But it wasn't that easy or straightforward for the former double world champion. After avoiding a spinning Felipe Massa but only narrowly so, Alonso, who had passed him at the chicane earlier, would continue to shadow Schumacher till the middle stages of the race.

He would then emerge ahead of Michael after stopping for a regulation change and would defend brilliantly from the marauding charge of the experienced driver all the way to the end.

#4 Turkish Grand Prix 2006

Fernando and Michael were near equals at Turkey in 2006

This is a track that will be remembered for being one of the most successful circuits for Brazilian Felipe Massa, the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix was aced by the indomitable Ferrari driver.

But the highlight of the race was the epic battle between the charging Renault of Fernando Alonso, who finished second and the other Ferrari of Michael Schumacher, who captured a vital third.

Following a collision in the initial stages, the race unfurled a four-way battle right at the start between Massa, Alonso, Schumacher and Fisichella for the lead. But Massa, who defended his position kept chipping away as Alonso, alerted by the Ferrari's superior pace, began his battle ahead of Schumacher.

From the onset of Lap 15, following a freak accident involving Kimi Raikkonen, hitting the barriers, Massa kept chipping away as Alonso found it increasingly easy to defend from Schumacher, the Spaniard's focus and grit unmatched thus far.

But the hitherto lukewarm battle would turn intense and had its intense moments as Schumacher upped the ante of his chase of Alonso in the final lap.

At one point in time, during the final lap of the Turkish Grand Prix, Alonso all but yielded his second-place to the German driver, who got a great exit of the final corner, his gearbox right on the tail of Alonso's Renault.

Had it not been for the master-class in defensive driving authored by Fernando Alonso, the Renault may never have secured that incredible P2, just marginally ahead of the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.

#3 French Grand Prix 2006, Magny-Cours

Schumi was all smiles at France 2006

Perhaps, it won't be incorrect to hail the 2006 French Grand Prix as being amongst the best races of Michael Schumacher's career. This, make no mistake, has been a legendary career that has emerged as a yardstick to measure the greatness of other drivers on the grid.

Back in 2006, as Schumacher secured his eighth win at France, an all-time record, resulting into his 88th career victory then, he'd have to battle one man who stood as a thorn in his path- Fernando Alonso.

Early on in the race, Fernando Alonso jumped Schumacher's teammate, Felipe Massa, to emerge second on the grid right behind Michael Schumacher, the pole-sitter for the French Grand Prix.

And this would be the main narrative of an epic battle at the legendary Magny-Cours that would only grow in intensity and thrills come the fading moments of the French Grand Prix.

In the last 15 minutes, Alonso, all but ahead of track-leader Schumacher, came incredibly close to Michael with under 5 laps to go. At one point in time, Alonso all but passed Schumi on the main straight which is exactly where Schumacher fought back and stayed clear of the marauding charge of the Renault driver.

As fans stayed confused about which of the two cars was actually quicker, the Renault versus Ferrari show served levitation of a kind hitherto unseen in the chequered history of one of the most celebrated tracks on the roster.

Then with under 2 laps to go, Schumacher came under near obliteration from Alonso, the two going wheel-to-wheel heading into the hairpin bend. This is where Schumacher emerged with scintillating race-pace and finally managed to cross the chequered flag easily, his task eased owing to the tyrewear endured by Fernando's Renault.

#2 Chinese Grand Prix 2006

Schumi was dogged at China, 2006

A race that will always be regarded as a classic, the Chinese Grand Prix in 2006 would be Michael Schumacher's last win at the highest level in motor-racing.

But in China, the two F1 icons would find their cars discover their sweet spots at different intervals in the race, but not before producing a spellbinding Ferrari versus Renault show.

A titanic duel under the wet weather, Schumacher proved to Fernando Alonso in the end, that winning a Grand Prix requires as much grit and perseverance; and that aggression alone wouldn't suffice.

But that was not before producing some thrills.

Schumacher, with those harder tyre compounds fitted to his Ferrari, found early traction in the race as Alonso led the pack at the very front. While on the one hand, Kimi Raikkonen passed both Hondas, Schumacher made a legendary move over Rubens Barrichello, on lap 8 to emerge fifth.

This would be a fighting position from where the German driver would begin his eventual domination and the spectacle of cars going flat out under the rains was enigmatic.

Soon, the Renault of Fernando Alonso now stood 15 seconds ahead of Schumacher's Ferrari. Then, from the onset of Lap 21 to 30, Alonso, Fisichella and Schumacher battled closely with the Spaniard maintaining the lead.

1 lap before, on lap 29, Alonso's teammate, Fisichella tried to pass the Spaniard but braked too late, managing only to run wide, allowing Fernando Alonso, already struggling with tyrewear, to maintain his lead. A lap later, the Italian succeeded, only to be pursued by the German.

But Fisichella's failure to pass Fernando didn't mean that the Renault driver was unscathed from the attack of the shark, Michael Schumacher in Ferrari.

On Lap 31, Schumacher successfully mounted a move in his attack over Fernando and passed 'El Nino' right before entering the chicane.

It wasn't hard to understand Fernando's predicament, whose rear tyres had been left unchanged on this front-limited circuit during the regulation stop.

In the final 20 laps, the situation of the Grand Prix changed dramatically. Alonso, who, at one point was the leader and being pursued by Schumacher, now drove pursuing Michael, their positions swapped by changing vagaries of the circuit.

In the words of Peter Windsor, "Fernando's aggression was about as palpable as the shrinking gap to track-leader Schumacher."

As the track dried, the Renault quickly rediscovered its mojo and allowed Alonso to push and drive to the limit. At one stage, the wide gap between first-placed Michael and second-placed Fernando being around 8 seconds was reduced to under a second.

This is precisely where Schumacher produced a master-class in defensive driving, just managing to keep the tail of a visibly-withering Ferrari ahead of the attacking Renault, the latter the fastest car on the grid.

In the same moment, as Alonso seemed determined, pushed by a fanatical urgency to reclaim what was rightfully his, having clinched pole a day earlier, Schumacher proved that poise and grit would offset any counter-attack. And that is what happened in the end as Schumi pop opened the champagne from the top step of the podium having kept his cool under pressure.

#1 San Marino Grand Prix 2005

The San Marino F1 Grand Prix

A race that underlined Alonso's resolve to fight against a legendary marksman, Michael Schumacher, the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix unfurled a mega battle between a young driver and a multiple world champion.

Kimi Raikkonen, the pole-sitter for the 2005 San Marino Grand Prix led in the initial stages before retiring on Lap 9 due to driveshaft problems. This was advantage Fernando Alonso, who, in taking the lead from the retiring Finn controlled the race till the final stages before embracing a legendary attack from Michael Schumacher.

While the German driver fought brilliantly from the back of the grid, having begun from a modest fourteenth on the track, he managed to reach second, behind Fernando, but only after Toyota driver Trulli pitted.

From Lap 50 to 62 began an epic battle for the track position, a challenge ultimately aced by Fernando Alonso who managed to keep a visibly faster Schumacher behind his successful Renault. One of the highlights of the two-way battle, in the end, was Schumacher's nearly successful move over Fernando at the chicane wherein Alonso's brilliant defensive counterattack helped him regain the position he had all but conceded to Michael.