12/09/2004
NEWS STORY
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There has been non-stop torrential rain for much of the morning, but thankfully half an hour before the race is due to get underway, it has stopped.
Further to our previous report, filed when it was still raining heavily, it is highly unlikely that that the entire field will start from the pitlane, however some well could. Although all twenty cars are on the grid, it is possible that several could peel off into the pits at the end of the parade lap. We'll know soon enough.
Due to the conditions, Saturday's set-ups and planned race strategy, has been thrown out of the window. The teams are not allowed to carry out and major changes to the cars - which will be running on a wet track with virtually no downforce. The only real changes that the teams can make is to the tyres, brake ducts, radiator ducts and front wings, however with twenty minutes until the race gets underway there is still much debate as to whether to start the race on dry or intermediate tyres.
The only ways in which a team can change its car to a more suitable (wet) set up, is to either pit at the end of the first lap, or start from the pitlane. Despite the undoubted bravery of these guys, they will have every right to feel more than a little jumpy at this point in time. Only yesterday, we were 'celebrating' the fact that Juan Pablo Montoya had driven the fastest lap in F1 history. Now, the guy is going to drive on a wet track using the same set up.
Five minutes before the start and the sun is shining, however the first two chicanes and both Lesmos are still wet, not helped by the rain-soaked trees that overhang the track.
What to do?
As the safety car prepares to lead the field away, Nick Heidfeld, who has had a torrid weekend, waits in the Jordan garage, from where he will start.
The air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 26 degrees, extremely cool.
Several cars are starting on dry tyres, including Schumacher, while Barrichello starts on intermediates.
As the cars drive the warm up lap the track seems a lot better than expected, with few damp patches. However, with the field split almost 50/50 between dry and 'wets', it is very much a lottery.
Coulthard dives into the pits to change to dry tyres.
Rubens makes a great start as does Alonso, while Schumacher cuts the chicane. At the second chicane there's chaos as Schumacher spins and several cars go off.
Barrichello leads, as Panis retires almost before the race has started.
At the end of the first lap Rubens leads by 7s with his teammate back in fifteenth. Alonso is second followed by Montoya, Raikkonen, Button, Sato, Massa, Trulli, Klien and Zonta.
Barrichello sets a blistering pace, as Button passes Raikkonen to take fourth. However, Alonso sets a new fastest lap, 2s faster than the Brazilian.
Montoya, under pressure from Button, gets it wrong at the second chicane, which allows the BAR through.
On the fourth lap, Alonso laps 4s faster than the race leader, as Button closes to within 5.2s of the Spaniard.
As the enter Ascari, Alonso takes the lead and immediately disappears into the distance. At the end of the lap the Ferrari driver pits, meanwhile his teammate is battling Coulthard for thirteenth. Massa also pits.
Alonso now leads Button with ahead of Montoya, Raikkonen, Sato, Klien, Trulli, Webber, Barrichello and Fisichella.
Schumacher is up to eleventh as Alonso posts a new fastest lap (1:24.254), though Button is also running an extremely fast pace.
Button, Montoya and Raikkonen are covered by just 2s, as Schumacher closes in on Fisichella. Antonio Pizzonia is hot on the heels of the German.
Another fastest lap for Alonso who laps the legendary track in 1:23.462. Elsewhere, Massa pits for the second time, this time to get a new nose.
Two drivers also posting some extremely fast laps are Sato and Jaguar's Christian Klien, who is running sixth.
Schumacher passes Fisichella and is now running behind his teammate Barrichello in tenth.
At the end of lap ten, Alonso pits as Montoya posts a new fastest lap (1:23.125). Meanwhile Jarno Trulli appears to have discovered his second wind.
Race leader Jenson Button posts a new fastest lap as Schumacher passes Barrichello to take ninth. The German posts a new fastest lap, 1:22.783.
Next time around the world champion posts another fastest lap, 1:21.973, as as Webber and Trulli pit.
At the end of lap 13, Montoya pits, as do Sato and Raikkonen. Clearly the Finn has a problem and drives straight into his garage and retirement.
Schumacher closes in on Alonso to take second, as Button pits. 9.3s later the Englishman is heading back down the pitlane.
As Button exits the pits, Schumacher passes Alonso at the first chicane, the three cars are running 'as one'.
At the end of the lap Schumacher pits, giving Button some breathing space.
After 15 laps, Button leads Alonso by 1.6s, with Montoya third, ahead of Pizzonia, Barrichello, Fisichella, Sato and Coulthard. Though Pizzonia pits at the end of the next lap.
Button leads Alonso by 3s with Montoya a further 1.7s down the road. Schumacher is running ninth, 28s behind the BAR driver. Barrichello is fourth, 3.1s down on Montoya, with Fisichella hot on his tail.
Schumacher is all over Webber, but is unable to make it stick. Although a great admirer of the German, the Australian refuses to give way to him.
At the end of lap 19, Fisichella finally pits for fuel and tyres.
Webber gets it wrong at the second chicane, Schumacher is through, and straight off after Coulthard, who is 11s up the road. Having started from the pitlane, on full fuel, the Scot is on a one-stop strategy.
It has now settled pretty much into a typical Monza (F1?) procession, with all the leaders lapping in the mid 1:23s. Meanwhile, Pizzonia passes Webber to take eighth.
With 23 laps completed, Alonso has closed to within 1.8s of race leader Button, with Montoya just 1.7s behind, and Barrichello a further 0.4s down the road. Indeed, the top five is covered by a mere 4.7s.
At then end of lap 25, Heidfeld makes his first stop of the race. He was running fourteenth. The fastest men on track are Schumacher and Pizzonia.
At the end of lap 26, Coulthard finally pits, as Schumacher goes quickest in the second sector. This, of course, promotes Schumacher to sixth.
Button's lead is down to 0.9s, as Montoya closes to within 0.5s of second-placed Alonso.
Michael Schumacher posts a new fastest lap (1:21.899), as Button appears to be holding up Alonso and Montoya.
At the end of lap 29, Barrichello pits - a strategy change by Ross Brawn?
Behind the top six, Pizzonia is running seventh, ahead of Fisichella, Webber, Coulthard, Klien, Trulli, Zonta, Pantano, Massa, Heidfeld, Baumgartner and Bruni.
Following his stop, Barrichello is running sixth, behind his teammate. The Brazilian posts a new fastest lap (1:21.778). Meanwhile, Klien makes his second pit stop of the afternoon. A lap later, teammate Webber also stops.
At the end of lap 33, Alonso, Montoya and Sato all pit. Alonso (8.6) is back out first, followed by Montoya (10.2) and Sato (9.8). Back on track, Schumacher posts another fastest lap.
There's a fire in the Minardi pit during Bruni's stop, as Button makes his final stop for fuel, exiting the pits 9.1s later. Not sure exactly what happened regarding Bruni, but there was fuel on the ground and it caught fire.
Schumacher leads, but he has to stop again. He posts another fastest lap, and new record, 1:21.361. Meanwhile, Pizzonia, running fifth, makes his final stop.
More misery for Jordan as Pantano goes off, into the barriers. He's OK.
At the end of lap 36, Schumacher finally pits. 7.7s later he's heading back towards the action. He exits behind Sato but passes him at the Curve Grande.
Barrichello leads Jenson Button by 12s, with Alonso third ahead of Schumacher, Sato and Montoya. Fisichella is seventh ahead of Coulthard, Pizzonia, Barrichello and Webber.
Assuming that Barrichello has to make another stop, which is by no means certain, the race is basically between Button, Alonso, Schumacher, Sato and Rubens himself.
On lap 40, Barrichello posts a new fastest lap (1:21.279), extending his lead to 19s.
Alonso spins at the entry to the second chicane. The car is 'beached', his race is over.
Another fastest lap for Barrichello (1:21.046), who stops at the end of lap 42. 5.5s later he's back on track, exiting ahead of Button and Schumacher. The German passes the Englishman at the first chicane to take second.
Who would have thought it, the Ferraris are first and second!
Barrichello leads his teammate by 3.2s, but the German shows no signs of letting up.
Button is running third, 2.2s behind Schumacher, with Sato fourth, ahead of Montoya, Coulthard, Pizzonia, Fisichella, Webber and Trulli.
Despite Schumacher's best efforts - and we have witnessed a brilliant performance here today - Barrichello wants the win, and is lapping around 0.6s faster than his teammate.
That said, Schumacher closes to within 1.9s of the Brazilian, it's not over yet.
The German is throwing the car all over the place, his pursuit of his teammate is remorseless.
The gap is now down to 0.8s. Will Schumacher add another win to his tally, or will 'settle' for second and allow his teammate his day of glory, in what has been a (comparatively) bleak season?
Pizzonia and Coulthard tangle, as they scrap for sixth, but both are able to continue.
Barrichello takes the eighth win of his career, and his second at Monza. A popular driver and a popular win.
Schumacher takes second after a quite remarkable performance. As the race progressed, the conditions favoured the Bridgestone and indeed the F2004, but that should take nothing away from a spirited fight back.
Third and fourth for the BAR duo of Button and Sato, the 006 and indeed the Michelins unable to come to terms with the Ferraris and Bridgestones.
Quite where it all went wrong for Montoya is unclear, but go wrong it did. For a brief time during the race it looked as though a win was possible, while in the end the Colombian had to settle for fifth.
Coulthard, like Schumacher, made a remarkable recovery from early problems, the Scot fully deserving of his points today.
Antonio Pizzonia and Giancarlo Fisichella were the last of the point scorers, the Italian in particular, giving another strong performance.
Remarkably, after another strange hit and miss performance, Jarno Trulli posted the fastest time in the first sector on the final lap. Was the Italian proving a point or is his car really letting him down? Either way, it seems as if this is one relationship that is very much over.
Two weeks after Spa, the elements have given us another incident filled race, and for once - in quite a few years - Monza has delivered. That said, the swathes of empty seats, and gaps in the 'public areas' should serve notice to Bernie and the rest of the inhabitants of 'planet paddock' that F1 has a long, long way to go.
At the end of the day however, this was Rubens' day, indeed Rubens's weekend. Pole, win and fastest lap, a perfect and deserving result for the Brazilian.