Nico seventh in European GP

With Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg starting nineteenth and twenty first the European Grand Prix would be a race that would difficult for both drivers but strategy would play a big part in any possible points scoring result plus a bit of luck. The cars would move away on their formation lap and start their formation lap for the sixty lap race.

Alonso would lead the field back onto the grid and take up his pole position spot. The red lights would go out and the race was under way. Alonso would lead from Michael and Massa. But there would be a tangle at the rear of the field. Liuzzi would have damage to his car. Button was in fourth followed by Raikkonen, Trulli, and Barrichello. Liuzzi would make contact with Coulthard. Coulthard would pit his car for repairs. Liuzzi would park his car after spinning to retire. Lap two and Alonso would set a fastest lap, 1m:52.078. Mark had moved from nineteenth to twelfth. Not a bad start. The safety car would be deployed with Liuzzi's car parked in the middle of the track. Liuzzi had been hit by the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher that had caused him to hit Coulthard.

Lap four and the race was back under way. Nico was down in nineteenth. Alonso was leading from Michael and Massa. Coulthard would retire his car. Kimi would pass Button for fourth in the chicane, while Montoya would pass Fisichella for tenth in turn one. Lap five and Michael would set a fastest lap, 1m:33.903, as he attacked Alonso. Mark was still in twelfth. The next lap it was Alonso fastest, 1m:33.493. Montoya would start to attack Heidfeld for ninth.

Another fastest lap from Alonso, 1m:33.339, as he opened up a one second lead. mark was 18.4 seconds behind the leader. There was a queue of drivers forming up behind Heidfeld. Lap eight and another fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:33.210. With nine laps run the order was Alonso, Michael, Massa, Raikkonen, Button, Trulli, Barrichello, Villeneuve, Heidfeld, and Montoya. Michael would put in a fastest lap and was now just 0.8 behind Alonso. Nico had moved up to now be in sixteenth with Mark still in twelfth. Montoya continued to attack Heidfeld.

Coulthard said his retirement was due to a hydraulic problem, seeing him lose all gears. When would the first pit stops be made. Alonso was leading by 0.7 seconds. Klien was right behind Mark. Lap fourteen and Alonso was leading Michael by just 0.9 seconds. Mark would retire his car after running wide and coming to a stop. This would make Nico fifteenth. Lap sixteen and little had changed in the order with Alonso still holding off an attacking Michael Schumacher. Michael would set a fastest lap, 1m:32.794. The Renault mechanics were out joined by those from Ferrari. Alonso and Massa would pit. Massa would return in sixth and Alonso fourth.

The next lap, nineteen, and Michael would pit. 7.9 seconds and Michael would come out behind Alonso. Kimi was now leading Button by 9.9 seconds, with Alonso right behind Button. Nico was still in fifteenth. Lap twenty one and Barrichello would pit. Mark would explain his retirement by saying that it was going well until the failure when he lost all hydraulics. He added that they were going long so he could have score points. He was looking to pit on lap thirty one. Button and Villeneuve would pit on lap twenty two. The next lap team-mate Heidfeld would also pit. Lap twenty four and Kimi was still leading from Alonso, Michael, Massa, Trulli, Montoya, Fisichella, and Ralf.

Lap twenty four and Kimi would pit returning in fourth behind Massa. Alonso's lead was out to 2.1 seconds with the Renault lapping over a second faster than the Ferrari. Lap twenty six and Trulli would pit from eighth. Fisichella would make his first pit stop getting a front wing adjustment. Lap twenty eight and Montoya would pit after a long first stint. Nico was now in eight but yet to make a stop. Ralf would make his first stop leaving just Nico yet to come in. On lap twenty nine Button would pull his car off the track to retire with smoke coming from the rear of his car. He would be joined by Klien who would also retire his car. So with thirty laps run the order was Alonso, Michael, Massa, Raikkonen, Nico, Barrichello, Ralf and Villeneuve. Was Nico on a one stop strategy?

Fisichella was challenging eight placed Villeneuve. Lap thirty two and Montagny would retire his Super Aguri. Michael was now just 0.6 seconds behind Alonso. Lap thirty five and Nico would make his pit stop. Michael would continue to follow the Renault as the pair traded fastest laps and sectors. Lap thirty eight and Alonso would pit. It was a long stop for the Spaniard. Lap thirty nine and Michael was pushing setting a new fastest lap, 1m:32.099. Nico was now down in tenth. With Alonso 24 seconds behind Michael it looked like Michael would come back out in front of the Renault driver.

Lap forty one and Massa would pit. Michael was running a second faster tan Alonso. The next lap and Michael would pit from the lead. It would be a quick stop for the Ferrari allowing him to come out in front of Alonso. Kimi was now leading by just 3.2 seconds from Michael with Alonso 5.98 seconds behind the Ferrari. Kimi would put in a quick lap to extend his lead out to 4.7 seconds. But Alonso was now 6.9 seconds behind Michael. Massa was in fourth and Barrichello fifth. Lap forty four and Trulli would pit from eleventh. He was joined by Scott Speed. Kimi would pit on lap forty five. He would be joined by Barrichello, Ralf, Villeneuve, and Fisichella. His top would see Giancarlo move ahead of Villeneuve.

At the end of lap forty five the order was Michael followed by Alonso, Massa, Raikkonen, Montoya, Rosberg, Barrichello, Ralf, and Fisichella in eighth. The next lap and Heidfeld would pit from tenth. This would leave just Montoya and Nico to make a second stop, assuming the WilliamsF1 driver is going to make a second stop. Even if he continues to finish and Montoya stops the best Nico can hope for is fifth, unless their are retirements in the top four. Sato would retire on alp forty eight. At the front Michael was now 7.1 seconds ahead of Alonso.

On lap fifty and Nico would make a second stop. This was a strange strategy for the team after
having run so long in his first stint. Nico would come out in eighth running close behind Fisichella and Ralf. Could Nico take a few places before the end of the race? Lap fifty two and Michael's lead was out to 9.1 seconds with Massa 2.8 seconds behind Alonso. Kimi was in fourth followed by Barrichello, Ralf, Fisichella, and Nico. But Nico was under pressure from ninth placed Montoya. But the pressure would come off when Juan Pablo would pull his car off the track to retire. He would be joined by Ralf in retirement when the Toyota would slow with an engine problem, smoke pouring from the rear of his car, and pull off the track.

This would put Nico in seventh just 0.4 seconds behind Fisichella. Villeneuve was now in eighth. Nico was pushing Giancarlo hard as the race came down to its final laps. Kimi was now just 1.1 seconds behind Massa. Lap fifty seven and the order was Michael leading Alonso by 6.7 seconds, Massa, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Fisichella, Rosberg, and Villeneuve. Kimi was putting the pressure on Massa now been just 0.5 seconds behind the Ferrari. Massa was just 1.0 seconds behind Alonso. But with Michael staring his last lap it was unlikely the order would change.

Michael would cross the line taking victory for Ferrari. Alonso was second and Massa third. Kimi was fourth. The final points scoring positions were made up of Barrichello, Fisichella, Rosberg, and Villeneuve. Two points for Nico is a small consolation prize for the team after what has been a difficult weekend.