10/10/2004
NEWS STORY
 |
As ever, the big question mark hanging over today's race is strategy. Thanks to the difficult conditions in qualifying we now have a fairly muddled grid, however, it's only in the opening laps that of the race that we'll get to see who was on what strategy. Add to this the fact that many of the drivers have yet to run a lap on dry tyres this weekend.
It was predicted that there would be rain before - and even during - the race, however, as the cars take their places on the grid, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. It looks as though the forecasters may have got it wrong.
Although Michael Schumacher looks to be back on form, as does brother Ralf, the main focus of the race is going to be the battle for runner-up spot in the constructors' championship between BAR and Renault. Many are predicting that Jenson Button could score his first win today, while others believe that local hero Takuma Sato could spring a surprise. It is also going to be worth watching the progress of Raikkonen.
The air temperature is 27 degrees, while the track temperature is 33 degrees.
Zsolt Baumgartner has opted to start from the pitlane.
At 14:30 precisely, Michael Schumacher leads the field away on the warm-up lap.
A strong start by Michael Schumacher and his brother, while Webber loses a couple of positions. Meanwhile Button slots into third ahead of teammate Sato. Panis, starting his last Grand Prix, also has a poor start.
At the end of the first lap, Michael leads his brother by 1.1s, followed by Button, Sato, Trulli, Webber, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Fisichella and Alonso.
By the end of the second lap, Michael leads Ralf by 1.6, while Fisichella is all over Villeneuve, the Italian out running the Renault on the run to the first corner.
The Schumacher brothers are forcing a tremendous pace, third placed Button 4.6s behind Ralf.
The BARs are running nose to tail, while Webber has Coulthard and Fisichella all over him, and Villeneuve is attempting to hold off a whole gaggle of cars including Alonso, Raikkonen, Montoya, Panis and Barrichello.
At the end of lap 5, Michael's lead over Button (third) has stretched to 9.1s, as Barrichello passes Panis to take thirteenth.
Massa is running in fifteenth and closing on Panis, who is having a miserable last GP. Meanwhile, teammate Jarno Trulli is in fifth, 3.1s behind Sato.
Sato gets past Button (team orders?) and sets off after Ralf Schumacher, the Japanese driver's last lap was a 1:35.2, while Button's was 1:37.4. elsewhere, Villeneuve is still locked in battle with Montoya, Raikkonen and Barrichello for tenth.
At the ends of lap 9, Michael leads Ralf by 9.0s, as the WilliamsF1 driver dives into the pits, promoting Sato to second. Panis also pits.
Webber and Coulthard are having a great fight for sixth, the Jaguar star refusing to give way to the McLaren. However, the Scot finally makes it stick and passes the Australian, while Fisichella is quick to take advantage, dropping the Jaguar to seventh.
At the end of lap 11, Michael leads Sato by 17.2s, with Button a further 2.9s behind. Webber pits as do Montoya, Glock and Massa.
Michael posts a new fastest lap, 1:32.973, as Sato pits. Trulli, Fisichella, Barrichello and Heidfeld also pit.
At the end of lap 13, Michael Schumacher pits, seven seconds later he's heading off down the pitlane again. He rejoins the race ahead of Button, still leading. Elsewhere, Sato passes Villeneuve to claim sixth, the Japanese driver not taking any prisoners today.
At the end of lap 14, Alonso (4th) pits, Button and Coulthard, second and third, have yet to stop. Raikkonen also pits.
Next time around Button finally pits, as do Coulthard and Villeneuve. This promotes Ralf back to second and Sato to third. Button is fourth ahead of Coulthard and Klien, who has yet to stop.
Meanwhile Fisichella goes off, losing some bodywork in the gravel before rejoining.
At the end of lap 16, Klien finally pits, while Michael has extended his lead over Ralf to 18.3s. That's almost enough for another pit stop, barring a major surprise this is another win for the Ferrari star.
The tightest battle at the moment is for eighth, where Webber is fighting off Montoya and Barrichello. That said, at the end of nineteen Webber pits - for the second time this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Montoya and Barrichello have closed right up on Jarno Trulli, who is running seventh. The Italian is really earning his money as he attempts to hold off the WilliamsF1 and the Ferrari. Meanwhile, teammate Olivier Panis (16th) makes his second stop of the afternoon.
Webber's race is over, the Australian driving into the Jaguar garage and retirement. It appears that Mark was complaining of something burning him.
Montoya goes to make his move on Trulli but goes too deep, losing his position to Barrichello. The Brazilian passes the Toyota driver, while the Colombian is now under intense pressure from Fisichella, who gets past just a couple of corners later. A nightmare for the Colombian.
Timo Glock is the second driver to retire, the German pulling off track before 130R.
At the end of lap 24, Ralf Schumacher pits, as Glock rejoins the race, having presumably resolved his problem.
Michael Schumacher now leads Sato by 34.5s, with Button a further 5.7s behind, ahead of Coulthard, Ralf and Alonso.
Glock pits, as does Trulli, while one lap later it's Michael Schumacher's turn to stop. The German rejoins the race still leading, as Sato makes his second stop.
Jenson Button sets a personal best time (1:34.101) as he closes to within 20.9s of Schumacher, however he has yet to make his second stop. Coulthard, who also has to stop, is 2.2s behind the Englishman.
At the end of lap 28, Barrichello pits as does Montoya - they were running seventh and eighth at the time.
Michael Schumacher is the only driver lapping in the 1:33s, as he build his lead over Button to 21.7s.
Only one retirement after 30 laps, while the race order appears to have levelled off.
Eighth placed Rubens Barrichello posts a new fastest lap, the Brazilian posting 1:32.730 as he crosses the line. The Ferrari driver is closing in on Raikkonen.
At the end of lap 32, Coulthard pits which promotes Ralf to third. Sato appears to have lost some of his pace, indeed he's now running behind Alonso in sixth.
Next time around the Spaniard pits, as Button posts a new personal best (1:33.819).
Villeneuve (11th) pits at the end of lap 34, with Button and Raikkonen the only drivers yet to make a second stop.
Next time around the Englishman pits, remaining stationary for 9s. He rejoins the race in fourth, behind Sato, but ahead of Coulthard.
At the end of lap 36, Raikkonen pits as does Panis. Meanwhile, Michael now leads his brother by 28.4s, with Sato a further 17.3s down the road. Button is fourth ahead of Coulthard, Barrichello, Alonso, Montoya, Fisichella and Raikkonen. Massa is eleventh, ahead of Trulli, Villeneuve and Heidfeld.
Game over for Barrichello and Coulthard who collide. Both men manage to get back to their garages but retire from the race. Meanwhile Michael Schumacher makes his final stop as does Ralf. This is the first time that Barrichello has retired this year, up until now he has completed every race lap of the season.
Ralf rejoins the race ahead of Button, which is bad news for the Englishman who looked like grabbing second.
At the end of lap 41, Sato makes his final stop, as do Montoya and Fisichella.
The race stewards announce that they are to investigate the Barrichello/Coulthard incident, with the Brazilian admitting that he tried to take the Scotsman "by surprise", and DC saying that the move was "optimistic".
At the end of lap 44, Michael leads Ralf by 22.6s, with Button 6.2s behind and Sato a further 11.7s down the road. Alonso is fifth ahead of Raikkonen, Montoya, Fisichella, Villeneuve and Massa.
Zsolt Baumgartner's race is over, he stops out on track.
Jacques Villeneuve is under pressure from Massa, the Brazilian keen to relieve the Canadian of ninth position.
Takuma Sato appears to have a problem with his helmet, he keeps fiddling with it, much like Jenson Button earlier in the season. Elsewhere, Massa attempts to make a move on Villeneuve, but the Canadian slams the door, firmly. However, shortly afterwards the Brazilian goes for it once again, this time making it stick.
Michael Schumacher eases right off, even allowing Felipe Massa to un-lap himself. The German begins his last lap, his lead over his brother now 16.8s.
The seven-time world champion takes his thirteenth win of the season, erasing the memory of Shanghai. Another win, another pole position, while teammate Barrichello takes fastest lap.
Ralf takes second, after a fairly uneventful race, but one in which he did the job, and (once again) outshone teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, who finishes a distant seventh.
Jenson Button takes third, 12.1s ahead of teammate Sato, who seemed to 'drop off' in the final stages of the race. Another podium for the Englishman, who next week will learn who has his (valid) contract for 2005.
Fernando Alonso takes fifth for Renault, but its little consolation for the French outfit which has now clearly lost any hope of taking the runner-up spot in the championship.
Low-key performances from both Raikkonen and Montoya, who finish sixth and seventh, both outshone by their respective teammates.
The final point goes to Giancarlo Fisichella after another strong performance in the Sauber.
A strange weekend, what with the lack of action on Saturday, however, despite Michael's bravura performance, and the hyperbole of the commentators, a flag to flag 'stroll' for Michael.