Italy: Michael masters Monza and Montoya

By pitpass.com (14/09/2003)
September 14 2003

After a scintillating qualifying session yesterday we're hoping for a magnificent race today, however much will depend on the pack getting through the first chicane - and indeed the second - without incident.

There's speculation that Michael ran light in qualifying yesterday and will consequently be making an early stop, all will be revealed soon enough.

As they head off on the warm-up lap Montoya is slow getting away, consequently Barrichello passes him, hope that doesn't lead to problems later. Fisichella is also slow getting away off the grid, however the Italian finally gets going. However as the grid forms the Jordan driver returns to the pits.

They get through the first chicane cleanly but there's problems behind. One of the Toyotas appears to jump the start while Alonso runs into the back of Verstappen (?) At the second chicane Montoya makes a move but Schumacher stands his ground. The two cars run side by side but the Ferrari star slams the door shut.

At the end of the first lap it's Michael leading by Montoya by 0.7s followed by Barrichello, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Panis, Gene and Villeneuve.

Trulli, who got away well, has stopped on track while Verstappen and Wilson have both pitted.

Three laps completed and Schumacher leads by 1.280s from Montoya who is followed by Barrichello, Raikkonen and Coulthard. There's a 3.8s gap to Gene who is leading Panis, Villeneuve, Button and Webber.

Wilson returns to the pits, the Jaguar driver clearly has a problem as da Matta spins off at the Parabolica following what appeared to be a blow-out.

Although Schumacher has posted the fastest lap of the race thus far, Coulthard is also setting a blistering pace.

Montoya continues to shadow Schumacher as news come through that Wilson is the second retirement of the day after Trulli.

1:22.402 Rubens Barrichello posts fastest lap on lap six as Michael extends his lead to 2s. The following lap he posts another fastest lap.

Behind the leaders Villeneuve is trying to hold off team-mate Button while Baumgartner and Kiesa are having a great scrap for thirteenth.

At the end of lap eight Michael leads by 2.5s with Rubens third ahead of Raikkonen, Coulthard and Gene. The two McLarens are holding station, a mere 2s behind Barrichello. 1:22.238 sees Raikkonen post the fastest lap, next time around Michael goes quicker with a 1:22.126.

Schumacher now leads by 4.1s as Coulthard is the first of the run runners to pit, that's very early, it's still only lap eleven, Panis (ninth) also stops.

Out front Schumacher continues to set a blistering pace, his lead now up to 4.3s, Montoya heads Barrichello by 1..2 with Raikkonen another 1.2s behind the Brazilian. Coulthard has dropped to eleventh as Michael posts another fastest lap, 1:22.069.

At the end of lap thirteen both Gene and Raikkonen both pit, as do Heidfeld and Webber.

Schumacher is the first to break the 1:21s barrier as Barrichello pits at the end of lap 14. Next time around it's team-mate, and race leader Schumacher that stops for fuel and rubber. After 8.6s he out again, re-joining in second behind Montoya.

Next lap (16) it's Montoya that stops, the Colombian out again 8.4s. The WilliamsF1 rejoins the race behind Schumacher but ahead of Barrichello, the status-quo is maintained.

Other than Baumgartner, the only other driver not to stop thus far is Villeneuve, the Canadian is running in fourth before finally stopping at the end of lap 17. Elsewhere Alonso's misery continues as he make a real 'pig's ear' of the chicane. From hero to zero in two weeks, but that's F1.

With eighteen laps completed Schumacher leads Montoya by 3s with Barrichello a further 3.4s down the road. 5s behind the Brazilian is Raikkonen who is followed by Coulthard, Gene, Villeneuve, Panis, Button and Frentzen. Webber is running in eleventh ahead of Heidfeld, Fisichella, Baumgartner, Alonso, Kiesa and Verstappen.

Montoya, who before his stop had been complaining of understeer, is now closing on the leading Ferrari, the gap's now down to 2.4s Barrichello is now 4.1s down on the Colombian and falling into the clutches of Raikkonen.

Jenson Button, currently ninth, appears to have a problem, reportedly he's lost second gear, he's lapping several seconds slower than Villeneuve.

The leading trio is now lapping in a steady 1:22.5, that's how evenly matched they are.

Twenty-four laps completed and Michael leads by 1.8s however the Colombian is clearly having to work very hard. Further back Webber is all over Frentzen for tenth. Button pits with what appears to be a terminal gear selection problem.

What irony, Schumacher is coming up to lap Alonso, remember the fuss two weeks ago when the situation was reversed?

Montoya continues to push hard, the WilliamsF1 driver really riding the notorious Monza kerbs. Button is still in the pits.

Montoya is all over the back of Schumacher, the gap is less than a second, the German lost almost half-a-second to the WilliamsF1 driver on the last lap.

The two title protagonists are now going at it hammer and tongs, however it's the WilliamsF1 driver who seems to have the most work to do in the cockpit.

Behind the leading duo Barrichello is running third - 6.9s behind - before pitting at the end of lap thirty-one, as does Panis.

At the end of lap thirty-two Montoya pits as does Coulthard, the Colombian's stationary for 9s rejoining in fourth behind Raikkonen and Gene. Coulthard rejoins in sixth behind Barrichello.

At the end of lap thirty-four Schumacher pits, 9.4s he back on track, Raikkonen also pits. The German exits the pits alongside Gene but it's the Spaniard that has the momentum. Schumacher slots in behind, just ahead of Montoya.

Next time around Gene pits and it's Schumacher that re-takes the lead with Montoya 1.3s behind and Barrichello a further 13s down the road valiantly holding off Raikkonen who is all over the back of the Ferrari.

With thirty-eight laps completed Schumacher leads Montoya who is followed by Barrichello, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Gene, Villeneuve, Frentzen, Webber and Heidfeld.

Panis looks to be another retirement, sixth of the day, as the Toyota driver returns to his garage.

Montoya loses valuable time passing Frentzen - in the Ferrari powered Sauber - the gap to Schumacher expanding to 2.3s. Meanwhile Villeneuve is giving a great performance, he's currently running in seventh.

Montoya is now 3.6s behind the Ferrari, the Colombian's rhythm has clearly been broken, the German lapping 0.4s a lap quicker. Barrichello is 12.4s behind the WilliamsF1 with Raikkonen now 2s behind the second Ferrari.

Has Montoya got a problem? On lap forty-four he loses 2s to the Ferrari? Barrichello is now 10.8s behind the Colombian. Next time around his lap time almost matches Schumacher's, panic over.

The man to watch right now is Marc Gene, the Spaniard is all over Coulthard who stops at the end of the pitlane with a terminal problem.

Forty-seven laps completed and Schumacher leads Montoya by 7s, with Barrichello 9.9s behind followed by Raikkonen, Gene, Villeneuve, Frentzen, Webber, Heidfeld and Alonso.

Barrichello is having problems getting past Frentzen (seventh), which might kind of even things out after the German's earlier 'run in' with Montoya.

The gap expands slightly to 7.7s, the Colombian appears resigned to taking second, though Barrichello is now running 8.4s behind.

Further back Alonso is all over Heidfeld for ninth while Raikkonen continues to shadow Barrichello. Villeneuve looks comfortable in sixth, a great solid performance and a well deserved three points.

Sadly Frentzen stops three laps from the end with some sort of problem, while Kiesa pulls off to the side of the track smoke pouring out of the back of the Cosworth.

Michael takes a well deserved victory ahead of Montoya, thus keeping the championship fight well and truly alive, with Barrichello third ahead of Raikkonen, Gene, Villeneuve, Webber and Alonso.

We couldn't expect every lap to be like the first but it's sad that Montoya seemed to settle for second following the moment with Frentzen, surely this will provide further fodder for some sections of the media.

The title fight continues and hopefully the tyre feud will be settled before the next round at Indianapolis, this is what the fans want, racing not politics and bickering.

A great drive from Schumacher, his fiftieth Grand Prix win for Ferrari, and indeed great performances form Gene and Jacques Villeneuve.

Roll on Indianapolis!

This article was written by pitpass.com and is used with permission.