NewsOnF1 - The Real Race - Round 4

What can you say? Bibendum’s gods smiled on Imola today. The Real Race for the Michelin teams was salvaged from a soggy grave by the drops of rain that stayed away.

The absence of precipitation also salvaged a few reputations that were looking more than a little tarnished during the Free Practice sessions. Some drivers can handle the wet, some can’t. Frentzen and Fisichella must both be cursing those same gods. Yesterday saw these two taking very ordinary cars and putting them convincingly in front of some much more capable machinery.

The result at the front was almost predictable, 2 Ferraris, 2 Williams, 2 McLarens.

Ralf, like Eddie and Nick before him, responded to his Also Ran award and managed to pip JPM at the post.

Of the ‘A’ drivers only Fisichella, Coulthard and Yoong failed to beat their partners. Fisichella had problems, Coulthard had an engine change, Yoong had to rely on a lack of talent.

Despite the engine change Coulthard did manage to run a full 12 laps and was very close to winning his first, but I’m sure not last, Also Ran award for 2002. He didn’t, only because there was, down the back of the field, a much more deserving recipient.

The San Marino GP 'Also Ran' Award.

Paul Stoddard must be apoplectic – here’s this guy sitting in your car, he can’t drive but he keeps throwing buckets of Ringgit’s at the accountants. What to do? Well, in this case he can make good use of Alex tomorrow. If it rains Mr Yoong can hold an umbrella over one of the Michelins on Webber’s car, after today’s performance he certainly shouldn’t and almost certainly won’t, be driving. San Marino’s Also Ran recipient has to be the man who has come such a close second on 3 out of 3 occasions so far this year, Alex Yoong.

The San Marino GP Qualifying Heroes

1. Mark Webber, 2. Heinz Harald Frentzen, 3. Nick Heidfeld

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The Real Race - Drivers Standings - Round 4

Grid	Driver	Car	Team	Wins	Losses	Best	QualiPoints
1	M. Schumacher	1	Ferrari (B)	3	1	1	32
2	R. Barrichello	2	Ferrari (B)	1	3	1	20
3	R. Schumacher	5	BMW WilliamsF1 (M)	2	2	3	15
4	JP. Montoya	6	BMW WilliamsF1 (M)	2	2	1	20
5	K. Raikkonen	4	McLaren Mercedes (M)	2	2	5	8
6	D. Coulthard	3	McLaren Mercedes (M)	2	2	4	8
7	N. Heidfeld	7	Sauber Petronas (B)	3	1	7
8	J. Trulli	14	Renault (M)	3	1	6	1
9	J. Button	15	Renault (M)	1	3	7
10	J. Villeneuve	11	BAR Honda (B)	3	1	10
11	F. Massa	8	Sauber Petronas (B)	1	3	9
12	O. Panis	12	BAR Honda (B)	1	3	12
13	H. Frentzen	20	Arrows Cosworth (B)	4	0	11
14	T. Sato	10	Jordan Honda (B)	1	3	14
15	G. Fisichella	9	Jordan Honda (B)	3	1	8
16	M. Salo	24	Toyota (M)	4	0	10
17	A. McNish	25	Toyota (M)	0	4	16
18	E. Irvine	16	Jaguar Cosworth (M)	2	2	13
19	M. Webber	23	Minardi Asiatech (M)	4	0	18
20	E. Bernoldi	21	Arrows Cosworth (B)	0	4	16
21	P. de la Rosa	17	Jaguar Cosworth (M)	2	2	11
22	A. Yoong	22	Minardi Asiatech (M)	0	4	21

QualiPoints are awarded in the same way points are awarded to the top 6 drivers in a race. (i.e. 10, 6, 4, 3, 2,1)

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