11/09/2005
NEWS STORY
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Four hours before the start of today's Belgian Grand Prix, the Spa Francorchamps circuit was shrouded in thick fog, just to make things a little more interesting, it was raining.
The fog eventually lifted, but the rain continued. A 'Mini' race was stopped following a number of heavy crashes, which resulted in repairs having to be made to the Armco barriers.
Consequently, the GP2 race was delayed, but when it finally took place it was red-flagged after just ten laps, such were the conditions, and the number of accidents.
With fifty minutes remaining before the Grand Prix is due to get underway, it has stopped raining. However, there is a mist hanging around the tops of the trees and the clouds are low and grey. It appears as though we are most definitely going to have rain this afternoon.
Putting the weather aside for now, the paddock is positively humming following yesterday afternoon's string of announcements.
Red Bull has bought Minardi, and will run the team as a 'Junior' outfit in 2006, which should help the Austrian-owned drinks company place some of its growing army of drivers. Furthermore, Red Bull will continue with Michelin tyres, though WilliamsF1 and Toyota will switch to Bridgestone. That said, only WilliamsF1 has definitely done a deal with the Japanese tyre manufacturer.
Michelin has warned that should the FIA continue with its plans for a control tyre, it will withdraw from the sport, citing the end of the 2006 season as a possibility. The FIA has responded in its own unique style, accusing Edouard Michelin of having an "almost comical lack of knowledge of modern Formula One", for not knowing that it was the teams, including those that Michelin supplies, that proposed the idea of a control tyre.
Never mind what happens on track, as ever, the political machinations within the paddock continue to thrill.
In the modern era, it is rare for the teams to be caught out by the weather, therefore they will be prepared for most eventualities today. It's passed into F1 folklore that David Richards has sent up his personal helicopter in the past, in an effort to discover what the weather is doing just a few miles away, and how advance knowledge might benefit his team. Furthermore most of the teams are seriously involved with meteorological agencies, fully aware that no matter how good the car, inclement weather will always change the course of a race.
All the experts are saying that it will rain this afternoon, the question is, when?
It would be foolish to make any predictions for this afternoon's event as everything is up in the air, literally, however, what we do know is that Fernando Alonso needs just four points more than Kimi Raikkonen this afternoon to secure the 2005 title.
Although the Drivers' Championship might be a forgone conclusion - not that Kimi agrees - the Constructors' Championship is still up for grabs. Therefore McLaren will be working hard to make full use of its success in qualifying, with Juan Pablo no doubt under (secret) orders to help Kimi's cause.
The sky is white, like a miserable November day in England… you can smell the rain.
Both Minardis are starting from the pitlane, which accounts for their qualifying pace yesterday. Most drivers are starting on Intermediates, but have they gone for a dry or wet set-up, and, as ever, there is the question of fuel loads.
With five minutes to go, the air temperature is a very cool 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 22 degrees. It is not raining, but it is damp. That's on the grid, it will be much more damp on the far side of the circuit. Meanwhile the clouds roll in.
The field pulls away for the warm up lap, rain lights twinkling.
As they head up to Les Combes there is a lot of spray being thrown up, visibility is poor, and is unlikely to get better.
Montoya makes a great start, while Trulli almost nails Raikkonen, but the Finn holds position. Alonso tries to pass Trulli at the top of the hill but is unable to make it stick.
Michael Schumacher is all over Alonso, having dumped his brother, who had a poor start.
At the end of lap one, it's Montoya, Raikkonen, Trulli, Alonso, Michael, Sato, Button, Ralf, Massa and Webber. The two BARs were running side-by-side on the pit straight.
Webber is clearly struggling in the WilliamsF1, losing out to Coulthard then Fisichella.
At the end of lap 3, Montoya leads his teammate by 1.4s, with Trulli a further 3s down the road. Michael continues to shadow Alonso. Further back, Pizzonia is all over Klien, who had a great start.
Raikkonen closes in on Montoya, indeed they are separated by just 0.7s at the end of lap 3. Behind Sato, who is running sixth, there is a whole train of cars - Button, Ralf, Massa, Coulthard and Fisichella.
Barrichello is running fifteenth, 2.7s behind Pizzonia, and 2.6s ahead of Villeneuve.
At the end of lap 4, Albers pits, as Fisichella makes an unsuccessful move on Coulthard.
With 5 laps completed, Sato has pulled away from Button, and now it is the Englishman who heads the 'train'. Meanwhile, Fisichella passes Coulthard on the run down the hill to Eau Rouge.
Ralf is all over Button, as Massa keeps a watching brief.
Having got past Coulthard, Fisichella now goes quickest in the first sector.
With 7 laps completed, Montoya leads Raikkonen by 0.9s. A 'dry line' is appearing, which means that drivers, particularly the McLarens are going offline to cool their tyres.
Ralf passes Button and sets off after his Japanese teammate. Elsewhere, Doornbos pits.
Ralf responds by going quickest in the first sector, as brother Michael sets a personal best in the third.
After 9 laps, the two McLarens are running as one, as they come up to lap Doornbos. Trulli is still third, 5s down, with Alonso fourth ahead of Michael, Sato, Ralf, Fisichella, Button and Massa.
Button is really struggling, he's running in the 2:00s, while Massa, who is behind him, is running in the 1:57s.
At the end of lap 12, Ralf pits.
Fisichella crashes at Raidillon. He's OK but the safety car is brought out.
This is the cue for pitstops… Montoya, Raikkonen virtually the entire field.
Fisichella waits by the side of the track looking totally forlorn, Melbourne seems such a long time ago.
The only driver that didn't pit was Villeneuve.
Some of the drivers have now opted to stick on intermediates, while others, including Ferrari, have opted to switch to drys. Next time around Michael, Trulli, the WilliamsF1s, Red Bulls and BARs stop again to change tyres again, having (seemingly) decided that the wrong tyre choice was made during the previous stop.
At the end of lap 13, the safety car pulls off, but Ralf has passed Villeneuve (illegally). Meanwhile, Michael and Sato have collided at La Source, the BAR going into the back of the Ferrari. Another disaster for the German, who has such (normally) wonderful memories of this track, which has played such a major part in his career.
Phew!
Montoya leads Villeneuve - yes Villeneuve! - with Ralf third, ahead of Raikkonen, Alonso, Massa, Barrichello, Monteiro, Webber and Button.
Ralf and Raikkonen both get ahead of Villeneuve, the German 3.5s down on Montoya and Kimi another 2.9s down the road.
It's all very topsy-turvy, Trulli is now running fourteenth, another driver to lose out on the wet/dry tyre strategy cock-up.
The stewards announce that they are investigating the Sato/Schumacher incident.
With 17 laps completed, Montoya leads Ralf by 1.9s, with Raikkonen a further 5.4s behind. Ralf is lapping almost a second a lap quicker than the leader.
Villeneuve is still running fourth, but yet to stop, with Alonso a comfortable fifth ahead of Massa.
It's all over for Coulthard, whose engine blows on the pit straight, a rarity for the Cosworth. With Scot's retirement, Pizzonia sets off after Monteiro… yes Monteiro, the guy in the Jordan.
Ralf was robbed of a win here a few years back, when he was ordered to defer to teammate Damon Hill, will he get his reward today.
At the end of lap 20, Villeneuve finally pits. The Canadian handing fifth place to teammate Felipe Massa, rejoining in eighth.
At half distance (22 laps), Montoya leads Ralf by 1s, with Raikkonen a further 6.1s down the road. Alonso is third, ahead of Massa, Barrichello, Webber, Villeneuve, Button and Monteiro.
Villeneuve and his former teammate, Jenson Button, are having a great scrap for eighth. BAR locked in a battle for World Championship points with Red Bull.
Button makes a move but the wily Canadian is having none of it. However, the BAR driver persists a finally makes it stick.
At the end of lap 24, Ralf pits and (bravely) makes the decision to switch to drys. But will it pay off, or end in tears?
Possibly tears… Ralf spins off at the top of the hill (Les Combes), but is able to continue. That's really screwed up the German's hopes of a odium, far less a win.
Consequently, Montoya now leads Raikkonen by 6s, with 25 laps completed. Elsewhere, Ralf pits again… a brave decision that didn't quite work out. Indeed, the Toyota driver exits in fourteenth, as Doornbos pits following an off at Fagnes.
Webber is closing in on Barrichello for fifth, as Pizzonia hunts down Monteiro. This is a brilliant performance from the Portuguese driver, but unlikely to keep him in F1 in 2006, not with Red Bull having bought out Minardi.
Karthikeyan is in a stunning battle with Villeneuve but gets it wrong at Les Combes, and ends up cutting across the grass, which actually gains him the position. Though the race stewards will have something to say about that.
Kimi Raikkonen posts a new fastest lap (55.964) as Massa stops for drys. This will be worth seeing.
Another fastest lap for Raikkonen (55.848) on lap 30, as he closes to within 1.4s of his teammate.
Monteiro (eighth) pits, which allows Pizzonia and Massa through.
At the end of lap 31, Barrichello pits, he refuels but doesn't change tyres.
Massa is really struggling on those dry tyres, he loses time and positions.
As Kimi posts another fastest lap (55.775) and closes to within 0.4s of Montoya, Alonso pits. The Spaniard switches to Intermediates. Karthikeyan and Trulli also pit.
Montoya pits at the end of lap 33, which gives the lead to his teammate. The front wing is adjusted, and 7.2s later the Colombian is heading back down the pitlane. Button, Pizzonia and Massa also pit.
Kimi is really flying, going quickest in the first and second sectors. He crosses the line at 1:53.810, that's just under 2s quicker than the previous best lap.
With ten laps remaining, Raikkonen leads Montoya by 26.4s, with Alonso a further 12.8s down the road. Barrichello is fourth, 31.3s behind the Spaniard.
At the end of lap 35, Raikkonen pits. He exits ahead of his teammate, it's all gone according to plan.
Trulli's race is over, he has crashed at Fagnes whilst running eleventh. The yellow flags are out, but no safety car. Elsewhere, Button passes Webber to take fifth.
Interestingly, there is debris on the track where Trulli went off.
Raikkonen is lapping the 1:56s, as Montoya is lapping in the 2:00s, but still 16.3s ahead of Alonso. Klien passes the hapless Massa to take eleventh, as Button closes to within 3.4s of Barrichello.
Button is all over Barrichello, and takes him at the Bus Stop. Elsewhere, Christian Klien goes quickest in the final sector.
At the end of lap 38, Webber pits, the fourth time today, the Australian switching to drys. Next time around, teammate Pizzonia pits, he also switches to drys.
Webber goes quickest in sector one, with only 4 laps remaining, this might be the time to switch.
Barring a disaster, or rain, Raikkonen has it wrapped up, however, Button is 19s behind Alonso, and closing, he's taking 4s a lap out of the Spaniard.
As Webber posts a new fastest lap (52.730), Montoya goes off at Fagnes, after what appeared to be an incident with Pizzonia. This of course plays into Alonso's hands.
The stewards reveal that they are to investigate the Montoya/Pizzonia incident.
Therefore, Raikkonen leads Alonso by 39s, with Button a further 15.2s down the road. Webber is fourth ahead of Barrichello, Villeneuve, Ralf and Monteiro.
Button is really cutting into Alonso's 'lead', but he is running out of time. Elsewhere, Ralf goes quickest in the second sector. Indeed, the German posts a new fastest lap, 11:51.453.
Kimi takes the flag, and takes the championship fight to Brazil, however, the French team will introduce a new aero package in Brazil, as it seeks not merely to wrap up the drivers' title but also fend off the McLaren challenge for the Constructors' Championship.
Another superb performance from young Kimi, though surely he, and more importantly his boss, Ron Dennis, will want to know why, once again, Montoya's race, and another handful of points ended up in the barriers.
On the podium, the Finn was clearly seen to shrug, when asked a question by Alonso, we can only assume that the Spaniard had asked: "what happened to your teammate?"
If ever there was doubt about Jenson button's ability, not to say the efforts teams will go to to secure his services, today was ample proof, with two excellent overtaking moves, on Villeneuve and then Barrichello. Today was the Englishman's best performance for some time.
A strong, indeed brave, performances from Mark Webber, who thoroughly deserves his 5 points for fourth, while special praise must go to both Jacques Villeneuve and Tiago Monteiro.
Romance has always been part of F1, and with the sale of Minardi to Red Bull it would appear that an era has ended. As Pitpass pointed out earlier in the week, the 'disappearance' of Minardi means that the 'avenue' which offered young hopefuls a route into F1 has now closed.
There are those who are firmly against the idea of pay drivers, though let's not forget that that's how Niki Lauda started out. True, there have been some pay drivers who should never have been allowed a superlicence, however, the paid for drive at Minardi is where it all began for a certain Fernando Alonso.
It seems fitting that on the day after the last of the privateer teams is sold, a driver who might not normally have made it to F1 gets to add a 'genuine' World Championship point to the six he 'won' at Indianapolis. Tiago can genuinely claim to having earned today's point.
Not the spectacle we had expected, but certainly the sort of thing to get man down the pub talking.