*** 2005 Spanish Grand Prix ***

[Toronto]

1 9 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 66 Winner 1 10
2 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 66 +27.6 secs 3 8
3 16 Jarno Trulli Toyota 66 +45.9 secs 5 6
4 17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 66 +46.7 secs 4 5
5 6 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 66 +57.9 secs 6 4
6 7 Mark Webber Williams-BMW 66 +68.5 secs 2 3
7 10 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 65 +1 Lap 7 2
8 14 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 65 +1 Lap 9 1
9 2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 65 +1 Lap 16
10 8 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW 65 +1 Lap 17
11 12 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas 63 +3 Lap 10
12 18 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota 63 +3 Lap 18
13 19 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota 63 +3 Lap 13
Ret 11 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas 51 +15 Lap 12
Ret 1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 46 +20 Laps 8
Ret 21 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth 19 +47 Laps 14
Ret 20 Patrick Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth 11 +55 Laps 15
Ret 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull Racing 9 +57 Laps 11

Fastest Lap: Giancarlo Fisichella 1:15.641

Fernando Alonso’s hopes of a fourth straight victory, and one in front of his home crowd, were cruelly dashed by the juggernaut that was Kimi Raikkonen.

McLaren’s Flying Finn took no prisoners as he stormed to victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, leaving Alonso’s Renault struggling some 28 seconds behind.

The style in which Raikkonen took victory was a signal of his championship ambitions, a sign to his rival that the fight was now on.

But while Alonso couldn’t offer pace to faze the Finn, Fisichella rallied the Renault team on the final circuit of the race with a new lap record.

However a broken nosecone had robbed any ambitions the Italian had for victory, an unscheduled pit stop cost him dearly and he eventually finished fifth.

Between the pair were the two Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher.

They too had hoped to fight for victory but in the end it was a race for second place.

That too proved elusive with Trulli finished almost 20 seconds short of Alonso in third.

Ralf had hoped to score his first podium of the year but he was passed in the pits by his team-mate.

The German never gave up and took the fight to Trulli until the final turn.

But the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix winner didn’t succumb to the pressure, Ralf finished fourth.

In sixth was the Williams of Mark Webber. The Spanish race was another one to forget for the Australian who started on the front row but never managed to put up a fight.

By the first turn he was already in fourth, and from there is afternoon went down hill.

He ran off the track allowing Barrichello to pass and was also done by his team-mate Nick Heidfeld, who started last, into turn one.

But the pair both had a stop in hand and Webber managed to hold on to a three-point finish.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s afternoon wasn’t much better. The Colombian span his McLaren at turn eight early in the race and during his first stop he had refuelling dramas.

But he overcame the troubles to run home in seventh and add two points to his championship tally.

Rounding out the eight was David Coulthard who kept up Red Bull Racing’s record of point scoring in every event.

Ferrari failed to manage that feat with Rubens Barrichello coming home ninth and Michael Schumacher retiring.

Barricello’s weekend was disrupted by an engine replacement while two tyre deflations in a few laps was enough for Schumacher to call it quits.

The Scuderia’s stranglehold on the Formula One crowns has now seriously beginning to slip with Renault scoring another bag of points and McLaren proving they are once again a force.

Alonso remains in the lead of the drivers’ race with 44 points. Trulli is second on 26 and Raikkonen third on 17.

Renault also command the constructors’ championship with 58 points to Toyota’s 40. McLaren are quickly closing them down with 37 points on the board now.

The circus now heads to Monte-Carlo for the famous Monaco Grand Prix.

Pole position is vital on the tight street circuit so if McLaren can keep up their single-lap pace Raikkonen could easily be on for another win.

Renault triumphed in the principality last year and with grip more important than power they are likely to give McLaren much more of a fight.

Written: Sun, 08 May 2005 13:38:28
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