San Marino: Michael makes it four out of four

Micheal makes it 4
By pitpass.com (25/04/2004)
April 25 2004

Following heavy overnight rain, which will have had the tifosi cheering, the track has now dried out and the sun is shining and conditions are ideal.

As ever, the big question today is strategy, with some predicting that the front-runners will opt for three stops, though there's a question mark concerning the WilliamsF1s.



The other big question is can Jenson Button take his, and BAR's, maiden win, indeed can the Englishman beat Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya off the grid.

As the cars prepare to head off on the warm up lap, air temperature is a cool 19 degrees C, while track temperature is 38 degrees. Jenson Button leads the field away for the first time in his 70-race F1 career.

The red lights go out and Button holds position while Schumacher and Montoya are involved in a titanic battle with Ralf Schumacher also in there, the Colombian and Michael appear to hit one another but they continue.

At the end of the first lap Button leads Schumacher by 2.7s with Montoya third ahead of Sato, Ralf and Barrichello. Coulthard pits having gone of at the first chicane having hit one of the Renaults.

Schumacher sets the fastest lap on lap 2 as he closes the gap to Button to 2.1s, Montoya is still third ahead of Sato, Ralf, Barrichello, Trulli, Webber, Alonso and da Matta.

Another dreadful day for McLaren, with Coulthard already in twentieth 56s behind Button, though Raikkonen is up to fifteenth.

Schumacher is now within 0.9s of the BAR, the German closes in remorselessly. Ralf Schumacher is all over the back of Sato, with Barrichello and Trulli in hot pursuit.

Button ups his pace, the Englishman and his German adversary lapping one second a lap faster than anyone else. At the end of lap 6 Button leads by 0.7s with Montoya 7.5s down the road. The Colombian is 5.2s ahead of Sato who is still under pressure from Ralf, Barrichello and Trulli, who now has Webber and Alonso snapping at his heels.

Da Matta and Massa are the first to pit (lap 7), while Pantano's race is over, the Italian is stuck in one of the gravel traps. Fisichella has an off but is able to continue.

Montoya pits at the end of lap 8 as does Webber, Button now leads by 1s. He pits at the end of lap 9, he's stationary for 9.7s rejoining the race ahead of Barrichello. Meanwhile Schumacher posts the fastest lap of the race, 1:20.411.

Sato pits as does Barrichello and Ralf, while Michael stops next time around. The German is stationary for 7.9s, rejoining still in the lead and ahead of Trulli - who has yet to stop - and Button. Montoya is fourth ahead of Ralf and Barrichello. Pantano is the only retirement thus far, while Coulthard is running eighteenth, 75s behind the leader.

Trulli pits at the end of lap 12, allowing Button through to pursue Schumacher. Montoya is third while Barrichello continues to hound Ralf with Alonso in hot pursuit.

Sato is running eighth ahead of Fisichella, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Webber, Massa and da Matta. Fisichella and Raikkonen have yet to stop.

At the end of lap 14, Schumacher leads by 8.8s, with Montoya a further 11s down the road.

Schumacher continues to stretch his lead - 9.9s at the end of lap 16 - while Montoya has dropped to 12.4 behind the lead Ferrari. Barrichello is continuing to run in Ralf's wake, with Alonso behind him, but nobody seems prepared - or able - to make a mover.

Fisichella and Raikkonen are still running in ninth and tenth, the only drivers still to stop. Elsewhere Coulthard is having a great scrap with Heidfeld for fifteenth. At the end of lap 20 the Scot makes his second stop of the day, another miserable day for the Scot who is unlikely to be taking any points today.

Fisichella pits at the end of lap 21, leaving Raikkonen (tenth) the only driver not to stop. Next time around the Finn finally pits, rejoining the race in fourteenth, while Webber appears to have a problem with the Jaguar.

Twenty-three laps completed and Schumacher now leads by 14.7s with Montoya in third, 29.5s behind the German. In all honesty this is turning into yet another yawn-fest.

Da Matta makes his second stop of the day while Bruni returns to his garage with what appears to be a technical problem. Massa and Webber pit at the end of lap 25, while Montoya pits next time around.

Raikkonen - who took the world Championship down to the wire last year - pulls over to allow Schumacher through; the Ferrari driver laps the McLaren.

At the end of lap 26 Button pits, which seems remarkably early, next time around his German rival makes his second stop. He rejoins still leading; the 2004 San Marino GP is essentially decided.

Bruni is still in his car in the pits, the Minardi appears to have a brake problem.

Ralf and Barrichello both pit at the end of lap 28, both exit at the same time, the WilliamsF1 right in front of the Ferrari. In Bahrain Ferrari was fined for 'releasing' Barrichello early, will WilliamsF1 be punished here?

The two Renaults of Trulli and Alonso are running third and fourth, though the have yet to make their second stop.

At the end of lap 30 - almost half distance - Schumacher leads Button by 16s, from Trulli, Alonso, Montoya, Ralf, Barrichello, Sato, Raikkonen and Fisichella. Alonso pits at the end of the next lap and teammate Trulli the lap after that.

After the two Renaults have pitted, Trulli is running fifth, behind Ralf and ahead of Barrichello, while Alonso is shadowing the second Ferrari. Da Matta has a big off, he continues for a few more corners before calling it a day.

After 36 laps, Schumacher leads Button by 17.4s, with Montoya a further 18.5s behind. Ralf Schumacher is running 9s behind his WilliamsF1 teammate with Trulli, Barrichello and Alonso running on his heels.

Sato is running in eighth, 16.2s behind Alonso, with Raikkonen a further 6.9s behind followed by Fisichella, Massa, Panis, Webber, Coulthard, Heidfeld, Klien and Baumgartner.

On lap 40 Coulthard makes his third stop of the afternoon, next time around teammate Kimi Raikkonen makes his third stop.

Montoya pits at the end of lap 43, as does Barrichello. Clearly Ferrari wants to get the Brazilian ahead of Ralf and the Renaults, hence they've brought him in out of sequence.

Next time around Button pits, he's out again in 8.2s.

Ralf pits, he's out in 7.1s and ahead of Rubens Barrichello, who is about to be lapped by his teammate, who continues to lap at a remorseless pace.

At the end of lap 46 Schumacher makes his final stop, the Ferrari stationary for 6.8s.

All eyes on the Renaults now, which have yet to make their third stop. Trulli makes his final stop (6.3s) and emerges ahead of Barrichello, the Brazilian unable to take advantage of the change of strategy.

Meanwhile.. Schumacher is now leading Button by 26.5s with Montoya a further 13.7s down the road.

Alonso pits at the end of lap 48, he's stationary for 6s, emerging ahead of Trulli and Barrichello, brilliant work by the French team and its Spanish driver.

Alonso makes a move on Ralf, the two touch and Ralf spin losing several places, while the Spaniard gains fourth position.

Heidfeld is the fourth retirement of the day, and the second Jordan, the German pulls off track with a terminal problem.

At the end of lap 52 Schumacher leads Button by 26.7, with Montoya 24.8s down the road. Alonso is closing in on the Colombian, with Trulli fifth ahead of Barrichello, Ralf and Sato. Raikkonen is ninth ahead of Fisichella, Massa, Panis, Coulthard and Webber, who is understood to have an engine problem.

Alonso is 3.4s behind Montoya, but the Colombian hits back, he refuses to lose a podium for the second race in a row.

Schumacher is now lapping in the 1:25s, he's eased right off. Next time around he posts a 1:26s, surely a confidence issue rather than a problem.

Sato's engine blows up big time as the stewards announce that they are to investigate an incident involving Ralf Schumacher and Alonso. Meanwhile, Sato's loss is Raikkonen's gain, the Finn is now in the points.

Schumacher ups his pace as Button eases off following his teammate's retirement.

Barrichello continues to shadow Trulli, though it's unlikely he'll do so.

Further up the road, Alonso is all over Montoya, however he's unable to make anything stick, just a late lunge by Barrichello on Trulli proves pointless.

It's business as usual for Schumacher and Ferrari. Despite what looked like a change to the 'old order' the German is still the only man to win a Grand Prix this season with his teammate second in the title race - such as it is.

Other than a superb opening lap, and the odd moment spread thin over the next 62 laps, this was pretty much another yawn-fest, with no disrespect to Schumacher, Ferrari or indeed Jenson Button.

That Ralf, the Renaults and Barrichello could circulate for lap after lap, with no change in the order, other than for when they pitted, is clear indication that Max Mosley's radical proposals are needed, and needed now. For if it continues like this - never mind the tobacco and GPWC issues, F1 won't be here in 2008, certainly the spectators won't be.

This article was written by pitpass.com and is used with permission.