Disappointing USA GP for WilliamsF1

Prior to the start of the race Juan Pablo Montoya would have problems with his car forcing him to run back to his pit to get into his spare car. The race would see Rubens Barrichello leading from Michael Schumacher and going into the first corner there would be contact between Klein, Massa, Pantano, and the Minardi of Bruni. Alonso was to make a brilliant start forcing his way past Sato into the first corner to be in third place. With several damaged cars on the track the safety car was brought out. Toyota's Cristiano da Matta would pull into the pits. Da Matta was hit by Klein and this was what caused the accident. He would be slow out on the track and would return to his pit.

JPM was running in fourteenth. The safety car period would end and Michael would use the slip stream of his team mate to pass Rubens into the first corner taking first place. Alonso was trying to catch the Ferrari's ahead of him. Kimi Raikkonen was up to fifth position while Montoya was fighting with Heidfeld for twelfth. There was a question mark over when Michael passed Rubens.

Barrichello had set the fastest lap, a 1m:10.399. Button was trying to pass Raikkonen in fifth. For Alonso his race would end in spectacular fashion as his right rear tyre would fail going down the main straight into the first corner. His car would slew sideways down the track. Fernando was able to get out of his car. But we would have another major accident on the main straight, this time it was Ralf who would lose control of his car and slam into the wall rear end first.

Bt the impact was huge and Ralf would appear to have been knocked out and there was no movement from the cockpit. Ralf was lucky not to have been hit by cars following as he spun down the straight. The safety marshals would take their time getting to his car but eventually the medical car would get to his wrecked FW26. The safety car would be back out again.

There was carbon fibre everywhere on the main straight. Ralf was to move up his visor before the medical car got to him. When the safety marshals were present Ralf did try to get out of the car but was unable to do so. Dr. Sid Watkins was present making sure that all the necessary precautions were taken before they removed him from his car. Ralf would eventually be put into an ambulance and taken away from the scene of the accident. Of those cars still running Sato, Button, Webber and JPM had not stoped. The marshals would spend a considerable amount of time cleaning the track of debris.

Ralf would be sent to Indianapolis Methodist Hospital for him to be checked. On initial examination at the circuit Ralf did have bruising to his back but was OK.
So with fifteen laps run Michael would lead from Takuma Sato, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Juan Pablo, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, Jarno Trulli, Oliver Panis, Nick Heidfeld, Giancarlo Fisichella, David Coulthard, Cristiano da Matta and Zsolt Baumgartner. Webber would finally pit while da Matta would stop out on the circuit.

The would go green on lap nineteen with Sato close behind Michael. Neither BAR or JPM had yet to pit. Sato would close in on Michael to be only .5 seconds behind the Ferrari. Button would pit and make a mistake coming into his pit box nearly hit his mechanics. He would stop for 6.7 seconds. Sato would follow next lap. Both drivers would lose a considerable amount of time having stopped not under the safety car.

Sato would pass Coulthard going into turn one, moving into ninth. Button would retire in his pit. The BAR team must have know of a problem with his car. It was to be a gearbox problem. JPM was up in second with Raikkonen was in third. Sato would pass Fisichella for eighth while Kimi was to pit, stopping for 7.0 seconds. Sato would pass Jordan's Nick Heidfeld for sixth. Barrichello was in third, Trulli fourth, and Panis fifth. Sato was ten seconds further behind the Toyota.

Kimi would pit again with the team trying to sort out a problem with his car. On lap thirty five JPM would finally pit, stopping for 7.9 seconds. Rubens would be back in second while JPM returned back in sixth position. So the order was Michael leading Rubens with Trulli in third, Panis in fourth, Sato fifth, Montoya sixth, Heidfeld seventh, and Fisichella eighth.

Sato was right behind Panis and he would eventually pass the Toyota for fourth position. It was announced that JPM was under investigation for an incident. Michael would pit on lap forty two returning in third position. Trulli was in second. Rubens was just 6.3 seconds ahead of Michael. Heidfeld would retire out on the circuit. Sato would pit with twenty eight laps left of the race. Trulli would stop from second position. Oliver Panis would stop from third coming out behind the BAR of Sato. Coulthard would pit.

Fisichella would suffer a punctured left rear tyre, seeing him take to the grass. He would limp back to the pits. Rubens would pit, 7.9 seconds, returning in second position very close behind Michael. What would we see from the Ferrari pair as the race comes to a close. Webber would pit from seventh. Unfortunately JPM would have to pit again and with seventeen laps left to run he would dive into the pit lane. But it would be finally announced that he was to receive the black flag, seeing his race come to an end.

Once again we would have both cars out of the race. JPM was black flagged because of his use of the T car. What a joke as it took the stewards an hour and a half to finally make the call that they would black flag JPM. Trulli in third was under pressure from Sato, while Mark Webber would retire with an engine failure. Trulli would go off the track seeing Sato move into third as a result of Sato and Trulli getting together coming into the first corner. It looked like both drivers got caught up by a McLaren going into the corner.

With ten laps left to run the Ferrari's at the front appeared to have given up their fight for the lead. With Fisichella slowing in eighth we would have the sight of Minardi's Zolt Baumgartner passing the Sauber for the single point. So it would be another Ferrari one-two with Sato in third.

P. No Driver Team - Engine Tyres Gaps/Laps Average Stops

1. 1 M. SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1h40'29"914 Km/h 2
2. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B + 0'03"600 182.590 Km/h 2
3. 10 SATO BAR Honda M + 0'19"500 182.110 Km/h 2
4. 7 TRULLI Renault M + 0'33"200 181.698 Km/h 2
5. 17 PANIS Toyota M + 0'37"100 181.582 Km/h 2
6. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 1 lap(s) 3
7. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1 lap(s) 3
8. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 3 lap(s) 3
9. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 4 lap(s) 3
10. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 10 lap(s) 2
11. 3 MONTOYA WilliamsF1 BMW M 13 lap(s) 3
12. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 27 lap(s) 2
13. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M 44 lap(s) 2
14. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 53 lap(s) 2
15. 4 R. SCHUMACHER WilliamsF1 BMW M 61 lap(s) 0
16. 8 ALONSO Renault M 62 lap(s) 0
17. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 71 lap(s) 0
18. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 71 lap(s) 0
19. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 71 lap(s) 0
20. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 71 lap(s) 0