WilliamsF1 pointless in 2006 Spanish GP

With Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg starting from eleventh and thirteenth grid positions the field would move away on the parade lap for the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. Alonso would take up his pole position. The red lights would go off and the field would get away. Alonso would lead from Fisichella followed by Michael Schumacher. Kimi was now in fifth and Button had moved up to seventh.

Mark and Nico were down in twelfth and fourteenth and the leaders completed lap one. Massa was running in fourth followed by Kimi and Barrichello. At the end of the first lap Alonso's lead was 1.6 seconds. Lap two and Alonso would put in a fastest lap, 1m:18.412, extending his lead out to 2.2 seconds. Mark was just 0.4 behind eleventh placed Montoya. Lap four and Alonso would lower his times with a 1m:18.084, his lead now out to 3.8 seconds over Fisichella and 5.1 seconds over Michael. Button was challenging Rubens for sixth. Lap five and Alonso was extending his lead further with another fastest lap, 1m:17.807.Michael was now 5.7 seconds behind the Renault. 1m:17.794 from Alonso on lap six. mark and Nico were still in twelfth and fourteenth. Trulli and Ralf were running in eighth and ninth.

Lap seven and Alonso's lap time would come down again, 1m:17.416. He was now 5.5 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Michael was 1.7 seconds behind the second Renault. Lap nine and Alonso's lead was out to 6.5 seconds. Mark was challenging Montoya for eleventh. Another fastest lap from Alonso on lap ten, 1m:17.247. Montagny would pit on lap twelve and his car would remain stationary in the pits with the front tyres off. He would finally be pushed into his garage.

Lap twelve and another fastest lap fro Alonso, 1m:17.226. mark was now 1.0 seconds behind Montoya, while Nico was only 0.9 seconds behind Scott Speed. Lap fifteen and Alonso's lead was out to 9.4 seconds over Fisichella. Kimi had fallen back fro fourth placed Massa. Ralf would lose part of his front wing in a collision with team-mate Trulli. Ralf had hit the back of Trulli's car. Ralf would pit for repairs.

Lap eighteen and Alonso would pit from the lead. He would come back out in fourth place. Fisichella was now leading with Michael 2.5 seconds behind. But Giancarlo would pit the next lap handing the lead to Michael. Montoya would stop in sector one. He had spun his car and was out of the race. Massa would pit on lap twenty. Michael was leading with Alonso in second. Kimi was in fourth and Fisichella fifth but Kimi had yet to stop. Mark was in tenth and Nico twelfth. Lap twenty and Michael was 11.6 seconds ahead of Alonso.

Kimi would pit on lap twenty three. Michael would pit the next lap returning ahead of Fisichella and in second place. Barrichello would pit from fourth on lap twenty five. Team-mate Button would come in the next lap. Rubens was down in tenth. mark was now running in ninth while Nico was in twelfth. Fisichella would take to the gravel at Turn three dropping him further behind Michael. Lap twenty nine and Mark would pit from eighth. He was joined by tenth placed Klien. Alonso was leading by 10.5 seconds over Michael, Fisichella, Massa, Raikkonen, and Heidfeld. Nick would pit on lap thirty from sixth place. Villeneuve and Albers had yet to pit.

Albers would finally pit on lap thirty one. At the front Michael had reduced Fernando's lead to 9.7 seconds at the end of lap thirty one. Mark was running in tenth and Nico twelfth. Mark was just 0.9 seconds behind ninth placed Trulli. Nico was one lap down. Ralf would pit on lap thirty three while Villeneuve still had to come in for his first stop. Ralf's car would go into the garage where he would retire. Alonso's lead was out to 11.6 seconds on lap thirty five. With half distance the order was Alonso, Michael, Fisichella, Massa, Raikkonen, Button, Barrichello and Heidfeld in eighth. Alonso would extend his lead out to 12.4 seconds at the end of lap thirty six. Mark had gone a lap down to the leader.

Such was the pace of Alonso that he had lapped everyone up to seventh placed Barrichello. Lap thirty nine and it was another fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:16.723. His lead was now 13.4 seconds. Fernando was pushing for good reason as he was to pit on lap forty one. He would get new tyres and fuel to the finish.

He would come out behind Fisichella. Fisichella would pit the next lap, joined by Villeneuve making his first and only stop. Barrichello would also pit from seventh. Massa would push and would set a new fastest lap 1m:16.648 on lap forty two. Michael was leading Alonso by 9.6 seconds while on lap forty four Massa would pit from third. Massa would come back out in fifth behind Fisichella. Kimi was running in third but yet to make his second stop. Button would pit from sixth on lap forty five. ON lap forty five Michael would set a time three quarters of a second faster than Alonso.

Michael was pushing as he would pit on lap forty seven. He was joined by Raikkonen. Heidfeld had passed Rubens for seventh. Trulli would also pit coming in from tenth. mark was now running in ninth and Nico eleventh. Mark would pit on lap forty nine. Scott Speed would also pit. But for the American his race would come to an end as his car is pushed into his garage and retirement. Scott had reported that something had happened to his engine. Nico was now in ninth eighteen seconds ahead of Mark. Nico would make his second stop on lap fifty one. He was followed in by Liuzzi who came in from thirteen.

Lap fifty two and Heidfeld would pit from seventh. Alonso was now 14.4 seconds ahead of Michael and looking very comfortable in the lead. Fisichella was third from Massa in fourth. Klien would pit from twelfth. Nico was now running in eleventh while Mark was 8.4 seconds behind eighth placed Heidfeld. Unless there were retirements neither Mark or Nico looked likely to score any points. The gasp between the top eight positions made it very unlikely that there would be any change before the end of the race. Albers would retire in his garage on lap fifty six.

Even with his one stop strategy Villeneuve was down in twelfth position. End of lap fifty six Alonso's lead was now 15.7 seconds. Massa was 3.6 seconds behind third placed Fisichella. Lap fifty eight and Michael was 16.5 second behind the leader. His pace was half a second slower than Alonso. For Alonso it was a case of bringing his car to the finish. He had lapped everyone up to seventh place such was his pace. Mark was pushing hard, a personal best on lap sixty one, as he closed in on eighth placed Heidfeld. He was 2.7 seconds behind the BMW Sauber. Nico was attacking tenth placed Trulli.

Lap sixty two and Mark was now 2.4 seconds behind Heidfeld. But with three laps to go it did not look like he would be able to get past the BMW Sauber. Alonso was now 17.2 seconds ahead of Michael on lap sixty five. Nico was right behind Trulli but could not get past. Alonso would start his final lap and would cross the line to take a dominate victory in Spain. Michael was second followed by Fisichella, Massa, Raikkonen, Button, Barrichello, and the final point going to Heidfeld.

As for the WilliamsF1 team Mark and Nico would finish in ninth and eleventh positions, both drivers out of the points in what was an even more difficult weekend than that endured by the team at the Nürburgring.