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With Mark Webber
and Nico Rosberg starting from seventeenth and twelfth grid positions the
2006 British Grand Prix was going to be a difficult one. With Alonso on pole
the grid would move away on their parade lap of the sixty lap Grand Prix.
Alonso would get away cleanly and was followed by Raikkonen, Michael
Schumacher, Massa and Fisichella. But for Mark Webber his race would come to
an end when he was involved in an accident with Ralf Schumacher. Ralf would
go off at Chappel with rear wing damage and Mark would get out of his car to
retire. Nico was down in ninth.
 The safety car would be deployed while replays showed that Scott Speed had
hit Ralf causing the spin and Mark had no where to go except into Ralf's
Toyota. Scott Speed would pit getting a new nose. The race would restart on
lap four with Alonso still leading from Kimi, Michael, Massa, Fisichella,
and Heidfeld. Barrichello was attacking Montoya for seventh. A fastest lap
for Alonso on lap four, 1m:25.126. By lap six Alonso was only just 0.7 seconds ahead of
Kimi but would put in another fastest lap, 1m:23.323. Michael was 1.4
seconds behind Alonso. Nico was still in ninth.
Lap seven and another fastest lap for Fernando, 1mL23.030. He was slowly
pulling away from Kimi, but it was still a very close race. Lap nine and
another fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:22.997. Kimi was now 1.4 seconds behind
the Renault as they started lap ten. Nico was 2.4 seconds behind eighth
placed Barrichello. For team-mate Button his race would come to an end on
lap ten when his engine failing sending him into a spin at Priory and into the gravel with flames
coming from his Honda. Lap twelve and Alonso had extended his lead out to
1.9 seconds.
Fernando was slowly building a lead of the following McLaren. At the end of
lap twelve it was 2.1 seconds. Fernando would lower his fastest time each
lap by fractions but it was enough to see his lead grow over Raikkonen.
Montoya in seventh could not find a way past the BMW of Heidfeld. Team-mate
Villeneuve was down in tenth. With fifteen laps complete the order had
settled but with the drivers running fairly close together. Lap seventeen ad Alonso's lead
was now 3.2 seconds. Trulli would pit from twelfth.
Of the leaders it would be Michael who would pit first stopping on lap
nineteen. Michael would come back out in seventh. At the front Fernando was
pushing setting another fastest lap, 1m:21.873. Both Kimi and Massa would
pit on lap twenty. Kimi would come back out in sixth just ahead of Michael.
Rubens would pit from ninth. Nico was now in eighth. The second McLaren of
Montoya would pit from fifth on lap twenty one. Now in second was Fisichella
some 10.5 seconds behind team-mate Alonso. Lap twenty two and Giancarlo
would pit with Fernando still leading. Fisichella would come out in the
middle of the two Ferrari's.
The next lap and Alonso would pit. He would come back out still in the lead.
Barring any problems with his car Fernando looked to have the race in his
grasp. Nico was now in seventh and yet to make his first stop. Heidfeld was
now in second and also yet to come in. Kimi was now in third followed by
Michael. Fisichella was in fifth followed by Massa. Nico was 20.4 seconds
behind Alonso. Lap twenty six and Heidfeld would pit from second. Kimi was
now 21.1 seconds behind Alonso. Nico would also pit joined by Coulthard and
Albers. It would be a long stop for Heidfeld, 15 seconds, which would cost
him. The German would come back out in eighth.
Nico was now in eleventh on lap twenty seven. Kimi was now 13.1 seconds
behind Alonso. Villeneuve would pit from sixth on lap twenty eight. He was
joined by Liuzzi and Klien who were in tenth and eleventh respectively. As
the laps counted down Alonso would maintain his lead. On lap thirty one it
was 12.6 seconds over Raikkonen. Michael was just 1.3 seconds behind Kimi.
Nico was in eighth 6.1 seconds behind seventh placed Heidfeld. Lap thirty
four and Kimi had reduced Alonso's lead down to 11.2 seconds. In fourth was
Fisichella followed by Massa and Montoya. Villeneuve was in ninth followed
by Barrichello and Trulli.
On lap thirty seven Michael was now just 1.0 seconds behind Kimi. Trulli
would pit from eleventh on lap thirty nine. Lap forty and Alonso's lead was
now 11.5 seconds, a very healthy lead. The field had been lapped up to
eleventh placed Klien. Nico was still in eighth some 8.4 seconds behind
Heidfeld. Lap forty two and Michael would pit from third. The next lap and
Kimi would pit in response to Michael's pit stop. Michael was now in fifth.
Michael was able to push and end up ahead of Kimi after the McLaren drivers
pit stop. Alonso was till leading from Fisichella and Massa. Michael was now
in fourth followed by Raikkonen.
Lap forty five and Alonso would pit. It would be a quick stop, 6.8 seconds.
Fernando would come out in front of Massa, who was yet to pit. Fisichella
was now leading but he would pit the next lap. He was joined by Massa.
Montoya would pit from sixth. Nico would also come in from ninth. Coulthard
would pit from twelfth. At the front on lap forty seven the order was Alonso
followed by Michael and Kimi. Fisichella was in fourth followed by Massa.
Heidfeld would pit from sixth on lap forty seven. Kimi was dropping away
from second placed Michael. Villeneuve would pit from seventh on lap forty
nine.
With ten laps remaining Alonso was 12.3 seconds ahead of Michael. Kimi was
in second 6.2 seconds behind Michael. Fisichella was in fourth followed by
Massa, Montoya, Heidfeld and Villeneuve. Nico was in ninth. Lap fifty two
and Kimi was now 8.2 seconds behind Michael. Nico was 2.1 seconds behind
eighth placed Villeneuve and the German was pushing to try and close the
gap. Tenth placed Barrichello was lapped by the leader on lap fifty five. Nico was now 1.8
seconds behind Villeneuve. Fisichella was now just 1.1 seconds behind third
placed Raikkonen. Nico was closing slowly into the rear if the BMW Sauber
but would not have enough laps left in which to really attack Villeneuve for
the last point scoring position.
Lap fifty six and Giancarlo was now just 0.9 seconds behind Kimi. But Kimi
did appear to have the situation in hand as they started their penultimate
lap. Nico was now 2.0 seconds behind Villeneuve and facing the prospect of
not scoring any points. Alonso would start his final lap and would cross the
line to take his fifth win of the season and extend his championship lead.
Nico would come home in ninth some 80.3 seconds behind the leader. It has
been another difficult race for the WilliamsF1 team, what with Mark's
retirement on lap one. Michael Schumacher finished second and Kimi third.
Fisichella was fourth ahead of Massa, Montoya, Heidfeld and Villeneuve. |
