02/04/2006
NEWS STORY
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For the third time in his Formula One career, Jenson Button starts from pole position. Although the Englishman isn't famous for his superfast getaways from the grid, Renault is, therefore he will be under intense pressure to arrive at the first corner ahead of the two blue and yellow cars that are lined up right behind him.
Add to this the fact that both McLarens are also well and truly in the mix, and you have the prospect of a scintillating start to today's race.
Speaking after yesterday's qualifying session, both Renault drivers seemed highly confident, but so too did McLaren boss Ron Dennis.
Furthermore, whereas the McLaren and Renault drivers will be prepared to support their teammates, willing to ride shotgun if necessary, Button is on his own, for his teammate is starting from sixteenth on the grid.
Then again, there is the fact that in the two previous races the Honda has appeared to lack a strong race pace, while strategically the Brackley based outfit is not as strong as many of its rivals.
Behind Button, and the Renault and McLaren pairings, the other drivers to watch today will be Webber, Heidfeld and the Toyota duo, whose car appears to have improved considerably since Bahrain.
Michael Schumacher is also worth watching, as ever, but in all honesty the Ferrari hasn't looked that impressive this weekend, clearly struggling fro grip.
Unlike Sepang, there have been no major reshuffles to the grid following qualifying, indeed the only driver to have incurred a penalty is BMW's Jacques Villeneuve who starts nineteenth.
As the cars take their places on the grid, the air temperature is 20 degrees and the track temperature is 27 degrees. It is sunny, with no real sign of the rain showers that had been predicted. That said, it did rain overnight, which will have washed away some of the rubber already laid down, while the wind also remains a factor.
They head off on the parade lap, Button controlling the pace of the field that is snapping at his heels.
Hard to believe but Montoya has spun as he makes his way to the grid, leaving the field to wind its way past his car, which is facing the wrong way on the pit straight. That will definitely have wiped the smile off Ron Dennis' face.
Meanwhile Fisichella stalls on the grid, which means the field heads off on another parade lap, and that when the grid reforms, Raikkonen will have 'clear air' ahead of him.
Button makes a strong start, as does Alonso, while the McLarens are side by side. At the first corner Alonso makes his move but Button is having none of it. Further behind, there is an incident involving Klien, Massa and Rosberg and another incident involving Coulthard and Trulli, consequently the safety car is deployed.
Calamity for Ferrari and Toyota, as Massa and Trulli are already out, while Rosberg returns to the pits having lost his rear wing. To add to the drama, Fisichella has spun behind the safety car.
The field continues behind the safety car, Button leading Alonso, Raikkonen, Ralf, Webber, Montoya, Heidfeld, Michael, Liuzzi and Speed. For reasons unknown, Montoya has lost places since the safety car came on track, prior to that he was fighting with his teammate, and how.
Elsewhere, WilliamsF1 has decided that Rosberg's car cannot be repaired, there we have already lost three drivers, Massa, Rosberg and Trulli.
After three laps the safety car pulls off, and it is Alonso who is on the ball, outpacing Button into the first corner. Further behind, Webber makes a great move on Ralf to take fourth.
At the end of lap four, Button is almost 3s behind Alonso and under pressure from Raikkonen. Heidfeld is seventh, ahead of Michael, Liuzzi, Speed and Villeneuve.
Montoya is on a charge, having disposed of Ralf he makes short work of Webber, as Klien crashes at Turn 9, for reasons unknown. It was a heavy crash but the Austrian is OK.
Raikkonen is all over Button, while Ralf is hunting down Webber, and Michael pursues Heidfeld. The fastest man on track however, is Fisichella, who is back in fifteenth.
At the end of lap 7, the safety car is brought out again, as the marshals attempt to clear the debris from Klien's crash, which happened a couple of laps earlier. This could be good news for Button… then again, it could be bad news.
Hard to believe - and April 1st is gone - but Sato is up to twelfth in the Super Aguri, ahead of Barrichello, Coulthard and Fisichella.
The field continues behind the safety car, which pulls off at the end of lap 9. Once again Button is caught on the hop, this time by Raikkonen. However the Finn locks up big time at the first corner, somehow keeping the car on track. Button hits back, but the Finn is having none of it, as Montoya joins in the fun. Brilliant stuff!
As Raikkonen sets off after Alonso, Montoya is all over Button.
Kimi goes quickest (1:27.951), as he closes to within 2.3s of Alonso, while Liuzzi passes Michael Schumacher for eighth. To compound matters, Scott Speed is all over the German.
Alonso posts a new fastest lap, but it is bettered almost immediately by Raikkonen, who is really on a charge. Montoya is also on the pace.
As Button drops to 5s behind Raikkonen, Alonso posts a new fastest lap (27.475). Lap 13, ironically, is a poor lap for the Finn, who loses ground to the race leader.
Sato is under pressure, with a traffic jam building up behind him, but he's doing a sterling job.
Michael is under intense pressure from Speed, as Liuzzi enjoys a 5.4s comfort zone. Behind the Ferrari and Toro Rosso, Fisichella keeps a watching eye.
Alonso posts a 1:27.400, while Raikkonen can only manage 28.1, the Finn dropping to 5.7s behind the race leader.
As Michael gets away from Speed, who mysteriously drops back, Fisichella passes the American to take tenth. Over the radio the Roman is told that he can pass the seven time World Champion "easily".
Alonso has posted a string of fastest laps, as he build a lead of 7.5s over Alonso. Montoya shadows Button as Fisichella lines up Michael.
At the end of lap 18, Montoya is the first of the 'big guns' to pit. Next time around it is Button that pits, as do Ralf and Fisichella.
At the end of lap 20 its Alonso that pits, which leaves Raikkonen leading from Webber, Alonso, Heidfeld, Liuzzi, Michael, Montoya and Button, the Colombian having caught the Englishman napping.
At the end of lap 21, Raikkonen pits, as does Ide, while the race stewards announce that Ralf will receive a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane.
Mark Webber leads his home Grand Prix, though the Australian has yet to stop.
Suddenly the Australian slows, punching his steering wheel in frustration. He pulls to the side of the track, his race, indeed his dream, at an end.
Therefore, Alonso leads Raikkonen by 11.2s, though they are split by Heidfeld, who has yet to stop. Michael is up to fourth, but he too has to stop.
Heidfeld stops at the end of lap 25, as does Michael, consequently Alonso leads from Raikkonen and Montoya. Michael rejoins the action ahead of Villeneuve, who has yet to stop. However, Heidfeld rejoins ahead of Button ass the Englishman drops to 26s behind the race leader.
Michael really up his pace, leaving Villeneuve, Ralf and Liuzzi in his wake and setting off after Button, who is 7.5 down the road. The German is lapping in the mid 1:27s, the fastest man on track.
The only real battle we have at present is for seventh, with Villeneuve under pressure from Ralf and Liuzzi, though the Canadian has yet to stop.
In consecutive laps, Button loses 2.5s and 2.7s to Michael, as Coulthard makes his first stop of the afternoon.
Michael is pushing a remorseless pace in his pursuit of the leaders, but this results in a mini off and a lock-up.
At the end of lap 31, Alonso leads Raikkonen by 21.7s, with Montoya a further 3.8s behind. Heidfeld is fourth ahead of Button, Michael, Villeneuve, Ralf, Liuzzi and Fisichella.
Montoya has closed to within 3.2s of Raikkonen, which (hopefully) means we might see a resumption of the battle we witnessed on the opening lap.
Fisichella gets a bollocking over the radio, he's lapping 2s slower than his teammate, who is on the same fuel load.
However, attention shifts to Michael who crashes out at the start of the pit straight, the German clearly having pushed just a little too hard. He climbs out of the car, through a gap in the pit wall and walks into the Toyota garage.
With the safety car on track, virtually everyone pits. However, it's disastrous for Raikkonen, who requires a new nose, following a problem with one of the front wing endplates on his car. To compound the 'disaster', Montoya is waiting in the pitlane behind his teammate.
It was a heavy crash for Michael, who was simply pushing too hard, went wide and then lost it as his car ran over the bumpy kerbs. A disappointment for the German, but rewarding for his fans who had witnessed an encouraging fight back.
Therefore, behind the safety car, and with 36 laps completed, Alonso leads Heidfeld by 6s, with Raikkonen third, ahead of Button, Ralf, Montoya, Fisichella, Villeneuve, Liuzzi and Barrichello.
As the field continues behind the safety car, Alonso really works his car, building heat into his tyres.
At the re-start, Raikkonen attempts to jump Heidfeld, but to no avail. Further behind, Montoya is stuck in the mother of traffic jams, getting bumped by Button.
Moments later the safety car is deployed yet again as Liuzzi is involved in incident between turns 2 and 3. Meanwhile, Button has lost a couple of positions, the Englishman once again losing out at a re-start.
A replay shows that Liuzzi's car went from one side of the track to the other, almost collecting at least one other car.
Amazingly, despite his drive-through, Ralf is running third, behind Alonso and Raikkonen, and ahead of Montoya, Heidfeld and Button.
At the re-start, Raikkonen passes a back-marker (Monteiro) and sets off after Alonso. The Midland driver goes wide as he tries to keep clear of the battle that rages behind him.
Button is now under pressure from Fisichella, with Villeneuve closing in. Despite starting from pole, we Button will be lucky to finish in the points. Teammate, Rubens Barrichello, tells his team that his car is "horrible" to drive.
Ralf continues his bold fight-back, as he gets to within 1.1s of Raikkonen. However, Montoya is closing in, keen to get one over on his former teammate and join his current teammate on the podium.
As Montoya prepares to make a move on Ralf, his car jerks violently and looks as if we are in for a repeat of Michael's accident. He controls it but there is clearly something wrong with the car, he pulls to the (pit) side of the track and climbs through the pitwall to report to his crew. "It switched itself off", he says.
Phew! Anyway, after 48 laps, Alonso leads Raikkonen by 7.2s. Ralf is third, 8.7s down, ahead of Heidfeld, Button, Fisichella, Villeneuve, Barrichello, Speed and Coulthard.
From out of nowhere, Alonso posts a new fastest lap (1:26.189), the Spaniard responding to Raikkonen, who has upped his pace.
The best, indeed the only, battle right now, is between Speed and Coulthard, who are scrapping for ninth. With seven laps remaining there could still be points at stake.
The Renault team, and in particular Pat Symonds, look might miffed - that's the best word - by Fisichella's lack of pace. Meanwhile, Coulthard is told that he has to pass Scott Speed.
Raikkonen posts a personal best as he closes to within 8.4s of Alonso, as Fisichella gets up close and personal with Button.
Another personal best from Kimi (26.493), as Fisichella closes to within 0.2s of Button.
Over the radio, race leader Alonso tells his crew that he's "fairly relaxed", the same cannot be said of his teammate however, who is still pursuing Button.
Alonso takes the win, the tenth of his F1 career, but a day of high drama has one last surprise up its sleeve, just two corners from the finish, smoke then flames pour from the back of Button's Honda. As the cars enter the pit straight, Fisichella almost loses it on the oil deposited on the track by the Englishman's car.
As Button pulls to the sight of the track, just yards from the finish line, his stricken car is passed by Fisichella, then Villeneuve, then Barrichello, then Speed and finally Coulthard. An afternoon that promised so much delivers so very little.
As if to prove a point, Kimi posts a new fastest race lap (26.045), as he closes to within 1.8s of the winner, though Alonso has never been under serious pressure this afternoon.
BMW will be delighted to have both drivers in the points, Villeneuve finishing sixth, despite starting nineteenth, while Nick Heidfeld takes a highly impressive fourth.
Jarno Trulli's race might have ended at the first corner, however, Toyota can take some satisfaction from Ralf Schumacher's performance, the German finishing a superb third, despite a drive-through penalty.
File this race under 'incident filled', because it most certainly was, from Montoya's amazing spin on the parade lap to Button's dramatic failure yards from the finish line. Throw in a couple of spectacular crashes, some tantrums, a little humiliation and numerous safety-car periods and you all the makings of a race that will have man down the pub talking for hours.
A convincing win for the World Champion, but today we have seen clear evidence that despite Renault taking three wins from three, this championship is far from over.
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