Race to forget for WilliamsF1

Prior to the race start heavy rain would deluge the track forcing the race organisers to delay the start by fifteen minutes and after the rain eased the race was started under the safety car, with Barrichello leading the the field away with Coulthard, Jaguar's Mark Webber and the rest of the field following closely behind.

Several drivers including Jordan's Ralph Firman, Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia, and Sauber's Heinz Harald Frentzen, and Minardi's Jos Verstappen all started from the pitlane. Toyota's Olivier Panis would pit after the first lap of the race to fuel his Toyota.

After eight laps the safety car would pull into the pits. Barrichello was to bunch the field up as he drove slowly through the final corner but this tactic failed with Coulthard passing him into the first corner while Webber held his third place behind.

Webber was overtaken by Kimi Raikkonen, with the Finn moving past Barrichello to claim second and Juan Pablo would also pass Rubens into third. Raikkonen would eventually pass team-mate Coulthard on lap eleven as they headed into turn one.

Montoya would follow Raikkonen and he would pass Coulthard and go second. Barrichello was dropping slowly back from the leaders. Ralf was to lose control of his car and spun out but soon returned to the track and continue

Coulthard was able to repass Montoya on lap fifteen. On the same lap Michael Schumacher would pass Mark Webber to take fourth. Sauber's Nick Heidfeld pitted on lap 20 while Minardi's Justin Wilson would end his race early when he spun out at turn three on lap fifteen. He would be the first of many drivers to do so.

Jordan's Ralf Firman would crash on the main straight with front suspension failure on lap eighteen. Involved in his accident would be Olivier Panis. Once again the the safety car would take to the track while the debris littering the track was cleared. Several of the lead drivers including Coulthard and Michael Schumacher would stop for fuel while leader Raikkonen would continue. The race would restart on lap twenty three with Raikkonen leading Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Barrichello in second third and fourth.

For Juan Pablo his race would come to an end as he was to spin out on turn three crashing into the tyre barrier. He was closely followed by Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia who spun out on the same corner and hit the stationary Williams.

Another driver to join them was Michael Schumacher who also was caught out by the conditions on turn three and the three-car pile up brought the safety car out again on lap twenty seven. Michael was lucky not to hit a tractor that was out on the circuit trying to lift Pizzonia's Jaguar behind the barrier.

For Kimi Raikkonen this further safety car period would allow him to pit and take on enough fuel to last the end of the race. He would return to the track in ninth place. The safety car went in on lap thirty with Coulthard leading. 

Minardi's Jos Verstappen was another driver to spin on turn three stalling his car in the process, seeing his race end. But again he was closely followed by BAR's Jenson Button who crashed heavily into the barriers after his car spun on lap thirty three. Again we were to have a further safety car period, with the race restarting on lap thirty seven.

After Buttons accident there was only eleven cars left running with Coulthard leading Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher and Renault's Alonso. Raikkonen would pass Alonso on the next lap in a move into the first corner. Alonso would then pass Ralf claim fourth but lost his place when he was given a drive-through penalty for overtaking under yellow flags.

With Coulthard still leading Barrichello started to close and as he entered the first corner on lap forty five Coulthard ran went wide allowing Barrichello into the lead. But for Rubens his bad lick at this circuit would again strike as on lap forty seven he would pull off the circuit leaving him sitting on a bank by the side of the track shaking his head.

At the front Coulthard would pit on lap fifty two, with Raikkonen assuming the lead with Fisichella second in the Jordan. For Fisichella he was able to pass Raikkonen when the McLaren driver ran wide on lap fifty four at the Mergulho corner.

But in a major accident Jaguar's Mark Webber would crash heavily in the final corner prior to the start-finish straight with parts of his car covering the track. For Alonso this debris was to be his down fall as he would hit one of Webber's tyres that was sitting in the middle of the track. His Renault would be launched across the track and into the barrier opposite with the Renault throwing debris all across the track. For Alonso he was able to get out of his car but was obviously in some pain from the accident. he would sit next to his car while medical officials checked his out. He would be taken to hospital for further checks.

As a result of these accident the race would be stopped and the race victory, even though Fisichella was leading, would be given to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen. The regulations state that the result would be declared from two laps prior to the race been stopped. Even though he was not running Alonso would been declared as been the third place finisher.

In an other moment in a race full of them Fisichella's car would burst into flames in parc ferme. David Coulthard could finish fourth, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen fifth for Sauber, Jacques Villeneuve sixth for BAR Honda, Mark Webber seventh for Jaguar and Jarno Trulli with the final point for Renault.

It was a race that saw neither of the BMW WilliamsF1 drivers take away any points but Ralf could feel disappointed in that, like Coulthard, he had pitted prior to the accident and if the race had run its normal course there was every chance he would have finished in third. Ralf said: "The timing of the red flag was really bad luck for me. If this accident hadn’t happened I assume that I would have been on the podium as many cars in front of me still had to stop for fuel."

But this was not to be and now the team can only work on getting ready for the next race in Imola. This is a race that the BMW WilliamsF1 team must win if they are to get their season on track.

Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time

1. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1h29:53.179
2. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) + 0.831
3. Alonso Renault (M) + 6.695
4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) + 7.391
5. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) + 9.392
6. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) + 17.910
7. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) + 20.070
8. Trulli Renault (M) + 23.500
9. R. Schumacher Williams BMW (M) + 33.500
10. da Matta Toyota (M) + 1 lap

Not Classified/Retirements:

Driver Team On Lap
Barrichello Ferrari (B) 46
Button BAR Honda (B) 32
Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 30
M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) 26
Montoya Williams BMW (M) 24
Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 24
Panis Toyota (M) 17
Firman Jordan Ford (B) 17
Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 15
Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 4