|
With Mark Webber
and Nico Rosberg starting from eleventh and fourteenth grid positions the
drivers would prepare for the start of the sixty seven lap German Grand
Prix. Both WilliamsF1 drivers spoke on their confidence in performing well
in the race. Will they be the result that they hope for? With Kimi Raikkonen
on pole followed by the Ferrari's of Michael Schumacher and Massa the grid
would move away for their parade lap. Yamamoto would start from the pit
lane. Michael would move ahead of Kimi as they moved off but Kimi would
repass the Ferrari. On the Mercedes Benz grandstand it had the message Go
Kimi Go Pedro. There would be the usual swerving to heat up the tyres as
they
moved up to the grid.
 The
start would see Kimi leading from Michael and Massa third. Alonso was in
fifth behind fourth placed Fisichella. Button was in sixth. But Button would
pass Alonso at the hairpin. Ralf would make contact with Coulthard as after
lap one we had Villeneuve, Ralf, and Heidfeld all pit as a result of the
incidents at the hairpin. Mark was now in eighth but for Nico his race would
end as he was to crash his car after having spun off all by himself. A bad
mistake by Nico as replays showed him getting a big wobble up on his car and
spinning off. At the front Kimi was still leading after three laps with
Michael second and Massa third. Button was in fourth with Mark now in
seventh behind the two Renault's.
De la Rosa would be off the track to retire his car. It looked like Pedro
had a problem with his car that forced him to pull off. Kimi had set a
series of fastest laps at the front, lap four it was 1m:16.475. Trulli had
moved up to now be in eleventh. Barrichello was in eighth. Lap six and
Kimi's lead was 2.8 seconds. Mark was 3.4 seconds behind sixth placed
Alonso. Yamamoto had also
retired. Both of the BMW's were running at the back of the field. Kimi would
extend his lead on lap seven, 3.0 seconds, as Mark would lose a few tenths
to Alonso. Mark was showing a good turn of speed at 313 kph, this been third
fastest. Tenth placed Liuzzi would run wide at Turn one but was able to keep
running.
Barrichello was now
challenging Mark just 0.7 seconds behind. Lap nine and Michael would set a
new fastest lap, 1m:16.455. Klien was in ninth as Fisichella started to pull
away from Alonso. Kimi would be the first of the leaders to pit on lap
eleven, showing that Kimi was light on fuel. His stop would be long seeing
him rejoin in tenth. Heidfeld would pit and was pushed back into his garage
to retire. Mark was now in sixth. Lap twelve and Michael was leading from
Massa, Button, Fisichella, Alonso, and Mark. Kimi's long stop was due to
problem with his right rear wheel. After thirteen laps Michael was leading
Massa by 1.2 seconds.
 Kimi
was closing in onto the battle between Barrichello and Mark. Mark was now
only 1.8 seconds behind Alonso. Fifth placed Alonso seemed to be struggling
for pace. Kimi was in eighth and Klien ninth. Lap sixteen and Mark was now
1.3 seconds behind Alonso. Lap seventeen and Button would pit from third.
Rubens would finally pass Mark going into the hairpin. Michael would set a
new fastest
lap with a 1m:16.357. Button would come out behind Kimi. Rubens would now
start to attack Alonso. Mark was 1.4 seconds behind Barrichello.
Barrichello would pit on lap nineteen seeing Mark move into fifth followed
by Button and Raikkonen. The first of the Ferrari's, Massa, pitted on lap
twenty. He was followed by Fisichella. Barrichello's race would end as he
pulled off the track with fire coming from his car. the fire would be put
out but Rubens race was over. Michael would pit on lap twenty one. Mark was
running in third as Alonso pitted. Michael was still leading as Alonso came
out in ninth. Button was in fourth
followed by Raikkonen. Eleventh placed Coulthard would pit on lap twenty
two.
Mark was 17.4 seconds
behind second placed Massa, but had yet to pit. Trulli and Klien had also
yet to come in. Mark was losing time to Massa but the big question was what
strategy was he running. Lap twenty three and Mark would set a personal
best, 1m:17.837, as he pushed hard. His lead over Button was 2.6 seconds.
Alonso was down in ninth. Mark was to continue to push with his time on lap
twenty four been 1m:17.797. the next lap and Mark would continue to set
personal best times, 1m:17.758. lap twenty six and Klien would pit. Mark was
further extended his lead over Button, 3.4 seconds. Liuzzi would pit from
ninth.
 Mark
was now making any time to the Ferrari's but was pulling away from Button.
Lap twenty seven and Mark's lead was now 4.6 seconds. It looked more and
more likely that Mark was on a two stop strategy. The WilliamsF1 mechanics
were getting ready and Mark would pit on lap twenty nine. Kimi would also
make a second stop. they were joined by seventh placed Trulli. Mark would
come put in fifth. Tenth placed Ralf would pit on lap thirty one. Mark was
now 8.2 seconds behind fourth placed Fisichella. Alonso was 1.4 seconds
behind Mark. Third placed Button was 27.2 seconds behind second placed
Massa.
Mark was closing in onto Fisichella. lap thirty two and it was down to 7.3
seconds. Sixth placed Alonso was 1.9 seconds behind Mark. Kimi was down in
seventh. On lap thirty three we would see Villeneuve have a big crash at the
final corner. The left side of Jacques car was ripped off. His car just
understeer wide and into the tyre barrier. That was the end to a poor race
for the BMW team. Mark was now just 5.4 seconds behind Fisichella. The order
as of lap thirty five was Michael from Massa by 1.2 seconds, then Button,
Fisichella, Mark, Alonso, Raikkonen, and eighth placed Klien. Ralf was to be
given a drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane, which he would
take straight away.
Lap thirty seven and Mark was now just 2.6 seconds behind Fisichella. The
next lap and it was 1.4 seconds. The race was looking quite encouraging for
Mark and the WilliamsF1 team. Now it was just 0.6 seconds as Mark challenged
the Renault. Mark would pass Fisichella for fourth in an easy pass at the
Mercedes Benz grand stand. Fisichella would pit from fifth on lap forty one.
Button would
pit on lap forty two, seeing Mark move into third. Sato would retire the
second Super Aguri. Button would come out in sixth. Alonso was in fourth
followed by Raikkonen. Mark was 40.7 seconds behind second placed Massa. Lap
forty four and Alonso would pit from fifth. The next lap and Massa would
pit from second. the next lap and Michael would pit from the lead.
 Mark
was still in third now 18.0 seconds behind second placed Massa. Michael was
still leading but Mark was now 14.0 seconds behind Massa on lap forty eight.
Mark would make what should be his final stop on lap forty nine. He would
come back out in sixth behind Trulli. Raikkonen was now in third, Button
fourth, and Trulli fifth. Tenth placed Liuzzi would pit on lap fifty one.
Mark was 4.7 seconds behind Trulli. Alonso and Fisichella were in seventh
and eighth. Trulli would pit on lap fifty two seeing Mark move into fifth.
He would come back out in eighth. The Red Bull's of Klien and Coulthard were
in ninth and tenth. Mark was 4.4 seconds behind Button. Mark would lower
this to 4.0 on lap fifty three.
lap fifty six and Kimi would pit from third as Mark was now just 2.5 seconds
behind Button. Kimi's stop was just 6.6 seconds. Kimi would come out just in
front of Mark. The McLaren team fuelled Kimi to make sure he came out in
front of Mark. Mark did not give up his place easily but if Mark wanted to
get on the podium he would have to pass the McLaren. Button was in third
with Kimi 0.5 seconds behind the Honda in fourth. Lap fifty seven and Kimi's
lead was 4.5 seconds over Mark. Kimi would pass Button for third on the
drive into the stadium But for Mark his race would go from good to bad as he
was to slow dropping to eighth with a major problem with his car.
Mark would told to drive slowly back to the pits by Sam Michael. He would
finally pit with puffs of smoke coming from his FW28 as he coasted to the
pit lane. Such as big disappointment for Mark and the rest of the WilliamsF1
team. The mechanics would put out a small fire as his car pulled into its
garage. Lap sixty three and Michael was still leading from Massa, Raikkonen,
Button, Alonso,
Fisichella, Trulli, and Klien. Alonso would have a major moment when he went
off the track but was able to stay ahead of his team-mate. Trulli was
looking to pass both Renault's.
With two laps to go Michael was comfortably leading from Massa and
Raikkonen. Button was still in fourth. The positions would remain the same
through to the end of the race too see Michael Schumacher win the 2006
German Grand Prix. For the WilliamsF1 team it would be a race that would
see them again fail to come away with a points scoring result but it was
still a great drive from Mark. It was a shame that the same could not be
said of Nico. |
