Fernando Alonso wins his first ever Formula 1 race and becomes the
youngest ever to win. He drove a faultless race and led from start to finish
(except for a couple of laps during the first pit stop). Kimi Raikkonen
starting from seventh managed to get up into 2nd thanks to a good start while
the Williams pair of Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher managed 3rd and
4th both having bad starts and Ralf Schumacher managing to recover from a spin
into the second corner at the start which put him at the back of the
field.
David Coulthard managed to finish 5th and was the only driver in the top 8 to
go for a 2-stop strategy. Mark Webber settled for 6th ahead of Jarno Trulli
while Michael Schumacher struggled yet again and could only manage 8th and a
lap down on Fernando Alonso.
Race Start:
Alonso gets a great start and all those on the clean side of the track gain
an advantage. Those on the dirty side lose out. Order after the first lap was
Alonso, Webber, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Trulli, Coulthard, Michael,
Montoya.
Ralf Schumacher spins on the first lap and ends up in 18th!
da Matta suffers a problem at the start, he is dragged to the pits but
rejoins.
Barrichello in 3rd attempts to pass Webber but cuts the chicane and has to
give his position back but also loses to Raikkonen and Trulli!
By lap 7, Alonso had extended his lead over Mark Webber to over 13 seconds
as Webber was clearly holding up all those behind him. Raikkonen though is
unable to overtake him.
Order after lap 7: Alonso, Webber, Raikkonen, Trulli, Barrichello,
Coulthard, Michael, Montoya. Ralf Schumacher is already up into 12th place.
Order after lap 11: Alonso ahead of Webber by 19 seconds. Raikkonen in 3rd
ahead of Trulli, Barrichello, Coulthard, Michael, Montoya. Ralf Schumacher
moves into 10th.
First round of pits stops start on lap 12 with Wilson pitting first. Alonso
and Webber pit on lap 13. Alonso rejoins behind Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen and
Trulli pit on lap 15.
Villeneuve becomes the first retirement of the day with a hydraulics problem.
Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya pit on lap 16.
Michael and Ralf pit on lap 17. Michael rejoins behind Montoya. Coulthard pits
on lap 18 and rejoins behind Michael Schumacher.
Order after lap 19: Alonso, Raikkonen, Webber, Trulli, Barrichello,
Montoya, M Schumacher, Coulthard, R Schumacher.
Rubens Barrichello suffers a rear suspension failure and crashes heavily.
He is fine.
Ralf Schumacher gets ahead David Coulthard for 7th.
Order after lap 24: Alonso leads Raikkonen by 25 seconds. Webber in 3rd
ahead of Trulli, Montoya, M Schumacher, R Schumacher and Coulthard.
Fisichella retires with an engine failure.
Ralf Schumacher takes Michael Schumacher as just ahead of them Montoya was
trying to take Trulli as they were passing Baumgartner.
Alonso pits for the second time on lap 30 and rejoins in 1st.
Webber pits on lap 31 and rejoins in 9th.
Trulli pits on lap 32 Raikkonen pits on lap 33 and rejoins behind Montoya and
Ralf but ahead of Michael.
Ralf Schumacher pits on lap 34 and rejoins ahead of Trulli.
Montoya pits on lap 35 after setting the fastest lap of the race. He rejoins
ahead of Webber and Ralf Schumacher.
Baumgartner retires with an engine failure
Michael Schumacher pits on lap 39. He rejoins behind Jarno Trulli.
Order after lap 40 : Alonso, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Montoya, Webber, R
Schumacher, Trulli and M Schumacher.
Coulthard makes his second pit stop and rejoins in 7th just ahead of
Michael Schumacher.
Ralf Schumacher takes Webber for 4th.
Order after 49 laps: Alonso, Raikkonen, Montoya, R Schumacher, Webber,
Trulli, Coulthard and M Schumacher.
Alonso pits for the third time on lap 50 and rejoins in the lead. Michael
Schumacher pits on the same lap as well.
Raikkonen and Montoya pit on lap 51 Trulli pits on lap 53 and rejoins ahead of
Michael.
Ralf Schumacher pits on lap 54 and rejoins behind Montoya.
Order after lap 55: Alonso, Raikkonen, Montoya, R Schumacher, Coulthard,
Webber, Trulli and M Schumacher.
Retirements: Frentzen, Baumgartner, Fisichella, Panis, Wilson, Barrichello,
Villeneuve
Fernando Alonso laps Michael Schumacher in 8th and Jarno Trulli in 7th!
Montoya spins and recovers just moments before his team-mate Ralf
Schumacher could pass.
Order with 5 laps remaining: Alonso leading Raikkonen by over 20 seconds.
Montoya just ahead of Ralf Schumacher with Coulthard in 5th ahead of Webber,
Trulli and Michael Schumacher.
Order in the top 8 remains the same until the end of the race and Fernando
Alonso becomes the youngest driver ever to win a Formula 1 race. Kimi
Raikkonen finished second ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, David
Coulthard, Mark Webber, Jarno Trulli and Michael Schumacher.
In the Drivers' Championship, it is extremely close with Michael Schumacher
leading with 72 points ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya with 71 points and Kimi
Raikkonen in third with 70 points.
Ralf Schumacher is 4th with 58 points while Fernando Alonso takes 5th from
Rubens Barrichello with 54 points while Rubens remains at 49. David Coulthard
is in 7th with 45 points ahead of Jarno Trulli with 24 points.
Mark Webber moves into the 'best of the rest' position with 15 points.
In the Constructors' Championship, Williams have taken the lead from
Ferrari with 129 points against 121. McLaren are still very much in contention
with 115 points. Renault in 4th with 78 while Jaguar equal the points for BAR
but remain behind in 6th place based on best placings.
The Italian Grand Prix is next on the 14th of September.
