Another disastrous race for WilliamsF1

The sixty seven lap German Grand Prix would see the BMW WilliamsF1 teams drivers, Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld, starting from sixth and seventh. Rain had come into play as light rain was falling an hour prior to the start of the race. As the cars went off on their parade lap it was overcast with showers predicted
during the race.

With Raikkonen on pole the cars would form up on the grid. Button was in second with the Renault's of Alonso and Fisichella making up the second row. Mark was next to Michael Schumacher who was in fifth. The start of the race would see Kimi leading from Alonso and Button. Michael was able to pass Button after having goner off briefly. Nick was in fifth but Mark had dropped to last. Sato was involved in a collision with Fisichella damaging his front wing. Sato would pit joined by Trulli. Mark would also come in after travelling very slowly back to the pits. Coulthard and Massa were in sixth and seventh. Kimi would set a fastest lap with a 1m:16.795 leading from Alonso and Michael. Mark was to suffer from a mechanical problem that was to force him to pit.

Lap three and Kimi was leading by 2.0 seconds after having set another fastest lap, a 1m:16.346. Mark was still in the pits with the team trying to make repairs. Nick was still running in fifth. Lap four and Kimi was fastest again with a 1m:15.915. His lead was now out to 2.5 seconds. Villeneuve would have a coming together with Doornbos when he tried to pass the Minardi. Jacques and Robert would both pit, returning after replacing wings. Mark was now three laps down. Lap six and Kimi still lead from Alonso, Michael, Button, Nick, Coulthard, Massa, and Fisichella. Montoya was in ninth.

Lap seven and it was another fastest lap for Kimi a 1m:15.683. His lead was now out to 4.0 seconds the following lap. Fernando was trying to keep in contact with the McLaren of Raikkonen. He would lower Kimi's lead to 3.7 seconds. Michael was 5.7 seconds behind the Renault. Lap eleven and Kimi would respond to Alonso's challenge by setting another fastest lap, a 1m:15.637.

Nick was still running in fifth 3.8 seconds behind Button. Mark would return to the track on lap twelve but was ten laps down. Kimi would set another quick lap, a 1m:15.192 his lead now 5.2 seconds. Lap fourteen and Kimi's lead was now 6.3 seconds. Jordan's Tiago Monteiro would pit on lap fifteen. Nick would also pit returning in twelfth. It looks like he would be on a three stop strategy. Coulthard was now running in fifth, with Massa sixth. Montoya was running close behind seventh placed Fisichella.

Lap eighteen and Kimi's lead was now 7.9 seconds. Michael was 9.5 seconds behind the Renault with Button's BAR 3.0 seconds behind the Ferrari. The next lap would see another fastest lap from Kimi, a 1m:14.996. His lead was now 8.6 seconds over Alonso. Massa would pit from seventh, joined by Klein who stopped from tenth. Nick was running behind Barrichello who was in eleventh. Button and Coulthard would both pit on lap twenty.

The next lap would see Alonso pit from second. Michael would join him pitting from third. Prior to the Renault's stop he was 9.9 seconds behind Kimi. Lap twenty three and Klein would go off the track at Turn 12 but was able to keep running. Fisichella would pit from fourth. Doornbos was given a ten second stop and go for replacing a tyre while refuelling. Lap twenty four and another fastest lap for Kimi, a 1m:14.873. Montoya was running in third with Ralf in fourth.

Kimi would pit on lap twenty six. Ralf would also come in for his first stop. Kimi would retain his lead coming back out in front of Alonso. Barrichello would make his first stop on lap twenty seven coming in from sixth. Montoya had yet to stop, but would do so the next lap. Villeneuve would damage the front wing of his Sauber pushing it underneath his car. With the first round of stops completed the top ten after thirty laps was Raikkonen, Alonso, Michael. Schumacher, Button, Montoya, Fisichella, Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, Heidfeld and Massa.

Lap thirty two and Kimi's lead was now 11.8 seconds over Alonso. Michael was in third but was 21.4 seconds behind the Renault. Button was just 1.0 seconds behind Michael. Montoya was running in fifth 7.1 seconds behind Button. Monteiro would make another pit stop on lap thirty five. Kimi would lose time to Alonso when the Finn set a time that was 1.8 seconds slower than the following Spaniard.

Lap thirty six and Nick would make his second stop from ninth. For Kimi his race would end in disaster as he crawled to a stop with what appeared to be an engine failure with smoke coming from the left bank of cylinders, allowing Alonso to take the lead. Michael was now in second but Button was just 0.5 seconds behind. Montoya was now in fourth, followed by Fisichella, Coulthard, Ralf Schumacher, and Massa. Nick was in eleventh and staring at the likelihood that he would be lapped.

With Mark still running and Kimi retired at least Mark would not be the first car to qualify in Hungary. Lap thirty nine and Montoya would close the gap to Button while Button was still running close behind Michael. Klein had passed Rubens for ninth. By lap forty two Button's lead over Montoya was down to just 1.1 seconds. It looked like their would be a fierce battle for second and third. At the front Alonso's lead was such that he would be able to pit and return in the lead. Button was running right on Michael's gearbox but could not find a way past.

As predicted Nick would go a lap down in what was proving to be another disaster of a race for the BMW WilliamsF1 team. Lap forty five and Albers would pit from fourteenth. Button would finally pass Michael at the hairpin in a forceful move taking second in the process. Montoya was now right behind Michael. Button would quickly open up a 1.4 second lead over Michael. Jenson would pit from second on lap forty seven. Massa and Klein would also come in.

The next lap and Alonso would pit from the lead, joined by Coulthard would stopped from fifth. Michael was now in second with Montoya third. Button had returned in seventh. Lap forty nine and Trulli would pit from twelfth, his third stop. Alonso's lead was now 16.2 seconds over Michael and Montoya. Fisichella was in fourth with Ralf fifth. Button was now in sixth. Lap fifty and Michael would pit. Team-mate Rubens would pit from eighth.

Lap fifty and Alonso was now 17.8 seconds ahead of Montoya. Fisichella and Ralf would make their second stops. Michael had come out behind Jenson so the BAR driver would be in second once the round of pit stops were completed. Lap fifty two and Nick would make his third stop. Michael was 5.0 seconds behind third placed Button. Montoya was now 15.6 seconds behind Alonso. Montoya was trying to open up the gap to third placed Button prior to making his second stop to see if he could stay ahead of the BAR.

Lap fifty five and Sato pitted from eleventh, while Trulli came in from thirteenth taking a penalty for ignoring the blue flags when Montoya was trying to pass him. Lap fifty six and Montoya's lead over Button was now 22.7 seconds, which should be enough to see him retain second. Juan Pablo would stop the next lap and would return in second place. A great effort after having started from the back of the grid. But at the front it was looking so very easy for the Renault of Alonso. His lead was now 30.7 seconds over Montoya, with Button 4.0 seconds behind Montoya. Michael was in fourth but was been challenged by Fisichella.

Mark would pit for the third time with ten laps remaining. Lap sixty and Trulli would make his sixth stop. Fisichella was now just 0.4 seconds behind Michael. The top three drivers were separated by margins that would make it unlikely that their positions would change. Nick was running in eleventh. Ralf had closed to now be right behind the Renault of Fisichella. Michael was having a difficult time trying to retain fourth. Lap sixty three and Alonso was 28.0 seconds in the lead from Montoya.

Coulthard had now closed in onto the rear of Ralf's Toyota as Michael slowed everyone up. Michael would run wide at the chicane but Giancarlo was now able to get by the Ferrari. But Michael would not be able to hold off Fisichella and the Italian would pass him under barking taking fourth position. Trulli would finally retire from the race on the last lap. Alonso would cross the line to win the German Grand Prix, with Montoya second and Button third. They were followed by Fisichella, Michael, Ralf, Coulthard, and Massa. Nick would finish in eleventh one lap down.

This would make it the third race in a row that the BMW WilliamsF1 team would come away with what can only be described as a disaster of a result. Despite their promising qualifying positions the team still has a long way to go to get back near the top.