|
With the circuit
wet and overcast the drivers would run with either wets or intermediates.
With the WilliamsF1 team drivers in 14th and 15th, with Mark Webber ahead of
Nico Rosberg the grid was cleared and the drivers would move off on their
parade lap. At the front Alonso was leading team-mate Fisichella. Alonso was
on intermediates. The cars would continue to produce lots of spray as they
moved around the lap to the start of the fifty six lap Chinese Grand Prix.
 Alonso would take up his pole position and with the grid formed up behind
him the race would get underway with Alonso leading from Fisichella, Button,
Raikkonen, Barrichello, Michael, de la Rosa. Raikkonen would pass Button
going down the main straight for third place. Mark and Nico were in twelfth
and thirteenth. Doornbos would pit for a new wing while Kimi would close in
onto Fisichella. Lap two and a fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:45.236. Alonso was
3.9 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Button was dropping away from Kimi.
Kubica would have an off at Turn one that would see him drop to seventeenth.
Lap three and another fastest lap fro Alonso, 1m:44.824. He was now 5.3
seconds ahead of Fisichella. Mark was now some 21 seconds behind the leader.
Michael was challenging Barrichello for sixth. De la Rosa was seventh
followed by Speed. Again the Bridgestone runners weer struggling in the
conditions.
Lap five and a new fastest lap fro Alonso, 1m:44.747. Most drivers were
running a second slower than the Spaniard. Kimi had dropped off Fisichella's
tail, now been 1.5 seconds adrift. Mark was attacking eleventh placed
Coulthard. Kubica had passed Nico and was now up to thirteenth and looking
to find a way past Mark. De la Rosa was now challenging Michael for sixth.
Fifteenth placed Trulli was looking to pass Nico. Lap six and Alonso's lead
was out to 6.8 seconds. Mark would pass Coulthard in the infield section and
move into eleventh. Kubica was now ready to pass the Red Bull driver, which
he would do on the second last turn. Nico was now attacking Coulthard. Lap
ten and Michael would pass Rubens for fifth. Mark would pass Liuzzi for
tenth. Massa was down in sixteenth. Alonso was now 11.5 seconds ahead of
Fisichella with Kimi third followed by Button, Michael, Barrichello, de la
Rosa, and eighth placed Heidfeld. Coulthard would allow Nico past but would
regains his position on the back straight. Massa was pass Nico for
fourteenth.
Mark was still in tenth, 1.3 seconds behind Speed. Lap twelve and a new
fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:44.658. Kimi had closed to be just 0.5 seconds
behind Fisichella. The Finn would pass the Renault and move into second.
Team-mates Sato and Yamamoto would make contact but both were able to
continue.
Lap fourteen and Michael would pass Button for fourth as Mark would pass
Speed for ninth. A new fastest lap for Kimi, 1m:44.094. He was 15.9 seconds
behind Alonso. Michael was running a second a lap faster than Fisichella and
was closing rapidly onto the rear of the Renault. Massa was now up to
twelfth.
Lap sixteen and Button would pit from sixth. New intermediates for the
Honda. He would come out behind Webber while at the front Alonso would have
a moment at Turn one running wide that would cost him a few seconds. Lap
seventeen and Raikkonen would pit, stopping just for fuel. Mark was now in
eighth and Nico fifteenth. Michael was now just 1.6 seconds behind
Fisichella. Lap eighteen and Barrichello and de la Rosa would pit from
fourth and sixth. Rubens would not take on new tyres. De la Rosa would come
out in front of Button. Kubica would pass Button for ninth. Alonso's lead
was now
19.2 seconds over Fisichella.
 With the pit stops Mark had moved up to now be sixth. For Kimi his race
would end when he would pull his car of the track with a failure. This would
see Michael now third followed by Heidfeld, Mark, Barrichello, de la Rosa,
and Kubica. Liuzzi would spin his Torro Rosso, but was able to continue.
Kubica would pass de la Rosa for seventh on lap twenty one. Nico would make
his first pit stop. Michael would also pit from third, taking on just fuel.
Massa was now in ninth having passed Button. Lap twenty two and Mark would
pit from fifth. Alonso would also come in for his first stop. He would take
on new front intermediate tyres.
Kubica would set a new fastest lap, 1m:44.065, as he continued his charge to
the front. The next lap and Fisichella would pit from the lead. He would
come out in front of Michael. Kubica would lower his fastest lap time with a
1m:42.072. With the track staring to dry the question of dry weather tyres
would be looked at by the teams. Alonso was 10.6 seconds ahead of Fisichella
on lap twenty four.
Kubica would pit from fifth. Speed would also come in. Kubica would take on
dry tyres. Ralf would pit from fifteenth.
On lap twenty six Heidfeld would pit from fourth. His team-mate Kubica was
not finding the going easy on dry tyres spinning his car. He would pit again
taking on used intermediate tyres. His gamble failed to pay off. Lap twenty
six and Alonso's lead was down to 6.1 seconds with Michael just 1.0 seconds
behind Fisichella. Alonso's leap times had grown considerably now been some
four seconds slower than his team-mate in second. The Spaniard was really
struggling. The top three were now running together. Fisichella was right
behind Alonso but did not want to pass. Lap twenty nine and Doornbos would
pit from eleventh. Lap thirty and Massa would pit from fifth.
Fisichella would pas Alonso but the Spaniard would retake the lead at the
end of the back straight. Coulthard would pit from eighth. Michael was just
tenths behind Fisichella. Fisichella would pass his team-mate allowing
Michael to also pass the Spaniard for second. A race that Alonso was
dominating had turned into one of damage limitation. Alonso would drop away
quickly with Fisichella and Michael. Lap thirty one and he was 2.8 seconds
behind Michael. Alonso's lead over fourth placed Barrichello was 22.1
seconds, but would he be able to maintain this gap.
Lap thirty two and a fastest lap for Fisichella, 1m:41.960. He was now 1.9
seconds ahead of Michael. For the WilliamsF1 team Mark was in eighth and
Nico thirteenth. But Nico would pit on lap thirty four taking on dry tyres.
De la Rosa would set a new fastest lap, 1m:41.690. lap thirty five and Mark
would pit from eighth. Button would also pit from seventh. Massa was also
in. A fastest lap fro Michael, 1m:40.997, as Alonso would pit on lap thirty
six. He would take on dry tyres but would have a problem with his right rear
stopping for 19 seconds.
This race was going all wrong for the Renault driver. Alonso was now down in
sixth. Michael had closed in on the leader while on lap thirty seven de la
Rosa would pit from fifth to also take on dry tyres. Mark was running in
tenth after his stop while Nico was down in fifteenth. lap thirty eight and
Rubens would pit from fourth. Running on drys de la Rosa would spin but was
able to continue. He was
now in eighth. Fisichella was still leading Michael by one second with
Heidfeld now third. Michael would close to be just 0.5 seconds behind
Fisichella.
Dry weather tyres were now proving to be faster than intermediates. Alonso
was now in fourth as on lap forty Coulthard would pit from sixth. Michael
would pit on lap forty one. He would be joined by Heidfeld. Michael would
take on dry weather tyres and receive a front wing adjustment. Michael would
have a big slide on his exit from the pits. Fisichella would pit the next
lap and would also take on
dry tyres in a six second stop. Fisichella would come out just in front of
Michael but Michael would pass the Renault going into Turn one to take the
lead. Alonso was now in third but 45 seconds behind the leader. mark was now
in tenth and Nico had improved to be in twelfth.
 Lap forty two and a new fastest lap for Massa, 1m:39.397, as he challenged
eighth placed Coulthard. Alonso would set a new fastest lap on lap forty
three, 1m:39.163, as the Spaniard looked to get up to his team-mate and
second. Michael was some 10 seconds ahead of Fisichella. lap forty four and
Alonso was pushing hard but he was 20.0 seconds behind the leader. Heidfeld was in
fourth followed by Barrichello, Button, de la Rosa and eighth placed
Coulthard. lap forty five and Alonso was now just 7.4 seconds off second
place. Lap forty six and it was down to 4.8 seconds. Fisichella was running
over two seconds slower than his team-mate.
Massa would retire from tenth with a failure in his left rear suspension
pulling off the track. This came about after making contact with Coulthard
in a passing move. Ten laps remaining and Alonso was just 14.1 seconds
behind Michael. On lap forty nine Alonso would pass Fisichella and move into
second. But now can he catch Michael? Michael's lead was 13.7 seconds. Mark
would pass Coulthard after the Red Bull driver took to the grass. mark was
now in eighth. Lap forty nine and a new fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:37.586.
Button would lose sixth to de la Rosa after making a mistake and ran wide.
With just a few laps remaining Michael's 12 second lead was looking
comfortable. Ralf would pull into his garage to retire on lap fifty one.
Alonso was now 11.7 seconds behind Michael. A few spots of rain would fall
but not enough to make any difference. Lap fifty two and Alonso was now 9.7
seconds
behind Michael. The next lap and it would be 8.8 but there would not be
enough laps. The lead would drop to just 6.6 seconds on lap fifty five but
Michael was able to take the chequered flag and win an amazing Chinese Grand
Prix. Alonso was in second followed by Fisichella. Button was able to get
pass Heidfeld for fourth. He would be followed home by Barrichello, de la
Rosa, Heidfeld, and Mark Webber securing the final point. Barrichello would
make contact with Heidfeld in the final lap and would lose his wing as a
result.
The result would now see Alonso and Michael equal on 116 points while
Renault would take the lead in the Constructors championship by a single
point. As for the WilliamsF1 team Mark's race was a great result in
difficult conditions. |
