18/03/2007
NEWS STORY
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We've heard the platitudes about it being the start of the new season, the beginning of a new era, so let's just get down to business and look forward to what should be a cracking race.
Pre-season testing had shown that Ferrari and McLaren have the edge, with Renault close behind, followed by BMW. The sessions thus far this weekend have proved this to be the case.
However, Massa's technical problem in qualifying, and Renault's double misery on Friday demonstrates that there are reliability issues, and that is before we get to the ultimate test, the race.
Today look forward to a great race as various drivers and teams seek to establish some early superiority, with Massa's hopes of asserting himself over teammate Kimi Raikkonen taking a severe knock yesterday afternoon. However, with the Brazilian now starting from the back of the grid - his team having opted to change his engine - we hope to see the youngster stage a fight back worthy of his former team leader.
It goes without saying that Kimi will want to make the most of the situation regarding the in-team fight, however, there is the bigger picture, the desire to open the season with a win and at the same time get one over on his former team and the double World Champion.
Alonso has his own problems, faced with the outrageous talent of a rookie teammate who has clearly taken to F1 like a fish to water. Ron Dennis has every right to be smiling - for a change - he has a tremendous pair of drivers on his hands.
While Giancarlo Fisichella has stepped up to the plate this weekend, it mustn't be forgotten that the Italian is a 'hit and miss' driver, being inspiring and frustrating in equal measures. He has won here before, so there is no reason that he shouldn't be challenging today. Teammate Heikki Kovalainen had admitted to his poor form in qualifying, but let's not forget that this is his first race weekend. We have no doubt that like Hamilton he possesses tremendous talent.
Another team with a strong line-up - even if the statistics don't bear this out - is BMW, and both Heidfeld and Kubica are capable of doing very well here.
We have to be honest and admit that we were surprised by Toyota's pace yesterday, but it remains to be seen whether this was another tactical - make that strategic - ploy by the Japanese team.
As for Honda and Williams, both of whom were disappointing yesterday - the Brackley outfit particularly so - it is to be hoped that they'll raise their game today, even though the Japanese team doesn't expect to resolve its problems in the near future.
Putting aside the legal issues, it was a tremendous performance from Super Aguri yesterday, and surely nobody resents either Takuma Sato or Anthony Davidson enjoying their moment. Ignoring the legal aspect, the fact is that this little team outpaced Honda, a situation that will not have gone down well in certain quarters. Should Super Aguri continue to embarrass the Brackley team today, it could well prove to be the proverbial straw - in terms of camels and backs - as for as Honda's management is concerned.
Finally, an absolutely tremendous performance from Mark Webber yesterday, a stunning performance that flatters the Red Bull.
As the cars wait on the grid, just five minutes before the start, the air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees. It is bright and sunny. It's not quite the 'no show' that Glen Crompton had predicted, but then again its clearly not as busy as in previous years, other than on the grid, which is positively mobbed.
All twenty one drivers are on the grid other than albers, who has opted to start from the pitlane.
As the cars head off for the warm up lap white smoke billows from the back of Trulli's Toyota, but it's not an engine failure, merely an oil overfill. It's understood that Heidfeld is one of the only drivers starting on the soft compound.
Raikkonen leads the field up to the grid, the drivers generating heat into their tyres right up the last possible moment.
They're away, and a stunning start from Hamilton who is up to third, behind Raikkonen and Heidfeld at the first corner. Everybody gets away no problems, no silliness.
Sato is all over Trulli, as Massa makes short work of two back markers. The Japanese driver gets ahead then loses it at the next corner. Davidson had a problem at the start, and has dropped right back.
At the end of the first lap, it's Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Fisichella, Webber, Schumacher, Trulli and Sato. Massa is up to eighteenth, and Albers twentieth. Elsewhere, there's a coming together between Davidson and Sutil
After three laps, Raikkonen leads by 2.1s, having posted a string of fastest laps. Behind the leading ten, Rosberg is hounding Kovalainen, while Massa is having trouble passing Coulthard (fifteenth) who is stuck behind the two Hondas.
Massa passes Coulthard, as Barrichello brushes the wall, the Hondas running as one.
Out front Raikkonen enjoys a 4.1s lead, with the Trulli/Sato fight for ninth being the only real battle. Rosberg continues to harry Kovalainen, while Massa is all over the Hondas.
Hamilton runs a little wide in his pursuit of Heidfeld, but there's no problem.
Barrichello is lapping faster than Button but is unable to pass the Englishman, much to the frustration of Massa who is losing heaps of time.
After nine laps Raikkonen leads by 6.9s, as a train of cars lines up behind the 'earth dream' 'train'. Massa, Coulthard and Wurz are all circulating behind the two Hondas.
Although he enjoys an 8s lead, Raikkonen continues to push, setting a string of fast laps. Elsewhere, Albers miserable weekend comes to an end as he goes off track into the barriers. He's absolutely fine, only his pride damaged.
Raikkonen is lapping almost a second quicker than anyone else, his lead up to 10s. Meanwhile, Massa, stuck behind the Hondas, is 48s down on his Ferrari teammate.
Sato has dropped back from Trulli's rear, as the Italian closes in on Ralf.
At the end of lap 14, Heidfeld is the first driver to pit. He rejoins behind Webber to take seventh. Meanwhile, Barrichello finally gets past Button, who is now under close attention from Massa.
Massa makes his move at Turn 13 on lap sixteen, the Ferrari driver setting off after the second Honda which is now 3s up the road.
At the end of lap 19, Raikkonen, leading by 15s, pits, handing the lead to Hamilton. 9.7s later he heading down the pitlane, who rejoins in fourth, behind Hamilton, Alonso and Kubica. Barrichello also pits.
Massa, now 7s ahead of Button, closes in on Rosberg, who continues to pursue Kovalainen.
At the end of lap 20, Fisichella pits. He rejoins in eighth, splitting the Toyotas. Trulli goes wide in his attempt to retake his position but the Renault driver is having none of it. Kubica also pits.
Hamilton leads Alonso, who is ahead of Raikkonen, Kubica, Webber, Heidfeld, Schumacher, Fisichella, Trulli and Sato.
At the end of alp 22 Alonso pits, taking on hard tyres. Most of the drivers are saving the softs for the final stint. Webber also pits.
Hamilton is having problems lapping Sutil, the Englishman making a last moment dive into the pits. He rejoins in second, ahead of his teammate.
Sutil gets a drive through penalty for ignoring the blue flags when being lapped by Hamilton.
24 laps completed, Raikkonen leads Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Heidfeld and Fisichella. Then come Trulli and Schumacher, Kovalainen, Rosberg and Massa, none of whom has stopped.
That said, Trulli stops at the end of lap 25, as does Sato.
Button, who has yet to stop, is running twelfth, ahead of Coulthard and Wurz, both of whom also have yet to pit.
At the end of lap 27, Kovalainen and Rosberg both pit, the Williams driver passing the Renault in the pits. Meanwhile, Massa is up to seventh.
Coulthard finally pits (lap 28), which means that Massa, Wurz and Davidson are the only drivers yet to stop. That said, at the end of the next lap Massa finally stops. The Ferrari driver rejoins behind Kovalainen in tenth.
A drive through for Button, who is adjudged to have exceeded the speed limit in the pitlane.
Speed become the second retirement of the day, the American driver pulling off to the side of the track. A horrible thought!
Button serves his penalty, which drops him to seventeenth. The highlight of his day, thus far, being the fact that he met the Minogue sisters on the grid.
Best scrap at this time is that between the two BMW drivers, with Kubica leading his German teammate by 0.7s.
At the end of lap 33, Wurz finally pits, the first driver to do so.
After 33 laps, Raikkonen leads Hamilton by 17.9s, with Alonso a further 2s down the road. Kubica is third, ahead of Heidfeld, Fisichella, Schumacher, Rosberg, Kovalainen and Massa. Trulli is eleventh, ahead of Sato, Webber, Barrichello and Coulthard.
Kovalainen goes wide, the Finn now 1.3s down on Rosberg, who is 0.5s down on Schumacher.
Fisichella gets a gee up from his crew, "we need strong laps," they tell him, "strong laps".
Kubica slows down as Kovalainen loses his place to Schumacher. The Pole heads back to the pits, driving straight into his garage.
From out of nowhere - possibly boredom - Raikkonen produces a new fastest lap (26.172). Meanwhile, Heidfeld pits, rejoining in fifth.
After 40 laps, it's Raikkonen, Hamilton, Alonso, Fisichella, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Schumacher, Kovalainen, Massa and Trulli. The only real battle at this time is that for sixteenth between Button and Liuzzi.
Meanwhile, Kovalainen spins at Turn 1 losing a place to Massa. This hasn't been the most auspicious start for the Finn.
A new fastest lap from Raikkonen (25.235), as Alonso closes to within 1.2s of Hamilton.
At the end of lap 41, Massa pits, as does Rosberg. The Finn rejoins in third, behind the McLaren duo.
The Trulli/Sato battle doesn't help Hamilton or Alonso, who both get caught up, the Englishman nipping into the pits. Meanwhile, Webber spins his Red Bull in the pitlane(!).
Frustrated at having lost time behind Trulli/Sato, Hamilton sets a personal best, the in-house fight appearing to swing in favour of Alonso.
At the end of lap 44, Alonso pits, rejoining in second ahead of the Englishman, the fuel strategy at the previous stop having played to his advantage. That and the Trulli/Sato problem.
A mistake from Kimi who goes too deep into Turn 3, running off into the grass. Elsewhere, Trulli and Kovalainen pit.
After 48 laps, Raikkonen leads Alonso by 14.5s, with Hamilton a further 3.9s behind. Heidfeld is fourth, ahead of Fisichella, Massa, Rosberg, Schumacher, Kovalainen and Trulli. Just three retirements, with Sutil last of the regular runners, two laps down on the race leader. Everyone bar Massa and Wurz had made at least two stops.
Its all over for Coulthard and Wurz as the Scottish veteran makes a late lunge for the Austrian's thirteenth position. It was a very late move, and the Williams driver probably didn't even notice him until the Red Bull was going over the top of his car. That could have been a lot worse.
Most of the drivers appear to have eased off, except for Massa, who is now 0.4s down on Fisichella. The Italian really must defend his position.
Coulthard takes "full responsibility" for the Wurz incident, "I was going way too fast," he admits.
Massa is all over Fisichella, but whenever he gets close the Ferrari appears to lose grip at the front. The Brazilian will be feeling very frustrated, what with yesterday's failure, and all those laps behind the Hondas earlier in the race.
Trulli is enjoying a little scrap with Kovalainen and Barrichello. "Come on mate," the Finn is urged, "Ralf might have a problem, push on mate!"
Raikkonen takes the win, getting his Ferrari career off to the best possible start, a faultless drive that will surely have pleased the man whose seat he is filling.
Alonso and Hamilton takes second and third, the Englishman, in particular, giving a superb performance, a performance that belies his youth and the fact that this is his maiden F1 race.
Heidfeld and BMW will be delighted with fourth, however, one has to wonder if the German might have been better served by saving his soft tyres for the final stint. However, Kubica's retirement is clear proof that the German team still has reliability issues.
Perhaps fifth was the best that Renault and Fisichella could hope for, however, it is probably just as well that Massa was unable to make it stick, for had the Brazilian - who started from the back of the grid - passed the Italian it would have been fodder for those that still question Renault's decision to retain him. As for Kovalainen, one can only hope that this weekend's performance was a question of 'first night nerves'.
A great performance from Rosberg, whose 2 points is the perfect foundation for Williams after the shame of 2006.
After the form shown in pre-season testing, Toyota will no doubt be delighted to see Schumacher take the final point. The fact that both cars finished - with Trulli coming home ninth, gives the team cause for optimism, especially after the difficulties of last season.
No doubt Sato will be despondent at having finished a lowly twelfth, but the fact is that he finished just 4.4s behind Barrichello in the Honda. While the Leafield team has every right to crack open the Champagne, Honda needs to open the bottle marked 'midnight oil" and get to grips with the situation.
After a tremendous qualifying performance Webber will be feeling crestfallen, however, the truth is that Red Bull has shown potential this weekend, certainly a lot more than we expected.
Spyker is well aware that it has work to do, hence the new aero package for Sepang, while Toro Rosso also has to get down to some serious work.
It wasn't the classic we'd hoped for, indeed there were times when we thought this was already a night race, such was the difficulty in remaining awake. However, the fact is that we've been served the opening course of what should be a veritable Formula One banquet this year.
The stage is set for a long hard fight all the way to Interlagos… bring it on!
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