28/05/2006
NEWS STORY
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Just in case you've returned from holiday, have been down a mineshaft, stuck in a massive traffic jam or merely only watch F1 races on Sunday afternoons, it might be an idea to quickly bring you up to speed before today's Monaco Grand Prix gets underway.
Should you have checked any of the major websites just after 14:00 (BST) on Saturday, you'll be aware that Michael Schumacher took pole position for today's race. The words 'dubious' or 'controversial' in the headlines might have escaped you.
Since that time however, a couple of relatively minor things have happened.
After race stewards had deliberated for eight hours, the German was stripped of his times, relegated to the back of the grid, and newspapers, websites and internet forums have made generous use of the word "cheat".
In a nutshell, Michael Schumacher has been accused, and found guilty, of deliberately stopping his car at Rascasse in the closing moments of the session, thereby preventing his rivals from improving their times. Somewhere along the way, Giancarlo Fisichella was also found guilty, of an entirely different crime, and demoted to tenth on the grid.
Therefore, today's race takes place under a shadow, as the German's seven-titles and numerous records are waived away, and Adelaide 94 and Jerez 97 dredged up all over again.
For his part, Schumacher has remained silent, which is not what can be said for almost every other inhabitant of Planet Paddock. Willi Weber has said that the German will speak after today's race, while others believe the Ferrari driver will do his talking on track - as he attempts to make a point.
Schumacher will start from the pitlane in a 248 F1 fitted with a brand new engine and filled to the gills with fuel, we might be about to witness one of the most determined drives in F1 history. Felipe Massa, who crashed in qualifying, and starts alongside his teammate at the back of the grid, also has a new engine.
In all the confusion, Alonso has been promoted to pole position, with Mark Webber starting alongside him, following an absolutely superb performance. Kimi Raikkonen starts from third, ahead of Montoya, Barrichello, Trulli, Coulthard, Rosberg and Fisichella.
In Yesterday's GP2 race we witnessed absolute mayhem, with a number of drivers eliminated just a few metres into the race, and one, Nicolas Lapierre, hospitalised. Therefore, with such a jumbled grid, it is not entirely impossible that we might witness something similar here today.. fingers crossed they all get away cleanly.
It's a pity that what was shaping up into a classic championship fight, featuring two of the sports finest, has now been overshadowed. The fact is that should Michael be unable to stage a comeback today, Fernando will take another huge step towards a second title. All of us have lost out as a result of yesterday's little incident.
Watching Michael stride towards the pits, one has to repeat that the German should have been stripped of his times, and demoted to the back of the grid, if only for those bloody awful overalls. What on earth possessed him to wear them? Ugh!
Anyway, onwards and upwards, let's try to put all the nonsense behind us, for now, and get on with the real business, today's race.
As the cars take their place on the grid, the air temperature is 24 degrees, and the track temperature is 27 degrees. The sun is shining and the sky is blue.
The cars head off on the warm-up lap, all but Schumacher, who waits in the Ferrari garage before heading out into the pitlane at the very last moment.
The get through Ste Devote cleanly, with Webber holding off Raikkonen as Alonso heads off up the hill. At the back, Schumacher makes short work of Massa and Montagny.
At the end of the first lap its Alonso, Webber, Raikkonen, Montoya, Barrichello, Rosberg, Coulthard, Fisichella, Trulli and Klien. Button drops two places, as Monteiro pits for a new nosecone, having collided with his teammate on the startline. Meanwhile, Raikkonen passes Webber on the run up the hill to Casino, the Australian having gone wide at Ste Devote.
Having got past Webber, Raikkonen is now 0.5s down on Alonso, meanwhile Michael is up to sixteenth, closing in on Button.
Alonso posts fastest lap as he tries to shake off Raikkonen, while Rosberg is all over Button, who is running fifth.
Last year, Button was unable to fend off Schumacher at Imola, can he fare any better here?
Barrichello is falling behind the leading four, the Brazilian is now 8.2s down on Montoya and falling into the clutches of Rosberg, who is in turn hounded by Coulthard and Fisichella. Elsewhere, Michael continues to badger Button, who is 1.3s down on Villeneuve.
We might have lost the Alonso/Schumacher battle, but the Alonso/Raikkonen battle is equally thrilling, the Finn is tucked up the Spaniard's exhaust pipes.
Alonso is the first driver to dip into the 1:15s, as he extends his lead to 0.7s. Meanwhile, Giancarlo Fisichella has joined the 'train' behind Barrichello. At the back, Massa is still running nineteenth behind Albers.
After 15 laps, Alonso leads Raikkonen by 0.5s, with Webber a further 1.7s down the road, 2.3s ahead of Montoya. However, fifth placed Barrichello is now 23s behind the
Colombian.
Albers gets a drive-though for that incident with his teammate.
Webber dips into the 1:15s for the first time, as the Australian extends the gap to Montoya to 4.2s.
Albers serves his drive-through, which promotes Massa to eighteenth, as Michael is fastest through the speed-trap.
Lap 19, and Kimi posts a new fastest lap (15.325), as he continues to shadow Alonso. The leading four now have a 31s lead over Barrichello, enough for a pit stop.
Michael nails Button at the Nouveau Chicane, the Englishman unable to do anything about it.
At the end of lap 21, Montoya is the first of the leaders to pit, exiting, as predicted, ahead of Barrichello. Next time around it is Kimi who stops, which is great news for Alonso. The Finn exits in third, behind Webber.
Having banged in a personal best (15.680), it looks as though Webber is going to pit, however, it's Rosberg who stops.
At the end of lap 24 Alonso pits, exiting in second, ahead of Raikkonen. Meanwhile Webber posts another 1:15s lap, a superb performance from the Australian.
Michael makes short work of Rosberg, who exited the pits ahead of the German. Meanwhile, having made their first stops, the front four are running exactly as they were before… Alonso, Raikkonen, Webber and Montoya. Barrichello remains fifth, 17s down the road, ahead of Coulthard, Fisichella and Trulli.
Michael is all over Jacques Villeneuve, one of the German's most vocal critics following yesterday's incident.
At the end of lap 27 Fisichella pits, which release Heidfeld, who has Ralf, Liuzzi, Villeneuve and Michael in tow. The Renault driver rejoins in fifteenth, behind Rosberg.
Coulthard pits at the end of lap 29, rejoining just ahead of Michael, which is bad news for the German, who would probably have been pitting after JV.
Montoya is the quickest man on track, steadily closing in on the leading trio. Elsewhere, behind Heidfeld, who is running eighth, there are no less than seven cars, all covered by less than five seconds. Button is sixteenth, just about holding off Massa.
Out front, Alonso is running in the high 1:16s as the leaders negotiate the back markers. Raikkonen is just 0.4s behind, and 1.6s ahead of Webber.
At the end of lap 36 Michael pits, heading off down the pitlane 9.1s later. He emerges in nineteenth behind Albers. Next time around its Massa who stops.
Behind the Heidfeld 'jam', we now have another, Button has three cars in hot pursuit, including Michael.
Fisichella gets past Coulthard at the Nouveau Chicane with a brilliant bit of late braking, the Scot probably thinking that he was about to be passed by Alonso. The Italian is on a flyer, he passes Rosberg, who can see two blue and yellow cars in his mirrors.
Webber is having trouble getting through the back markers, while Fisichella is under pressure to allow his Renault teammate through. Elsewhere, Heidfeld and Klien both pit, as does Button.
Liuzzi is under pressure from the two Renaults, one being the race leader, the other fighting him for on-track position, but which is which.
Fisi lets his teammate through, and then Raikkonen, a thoroughly professional performance. Meanwhile, Michael successfully, and cleanly, passes Villeneuve to take twelfth.
After 44 laps, Alonso leads Raikkonen by 1.3s, with Webber third, 5.5s down the road, 3.2s ahead of Montoya. Barrichello and Trulli were running fifth and sixth but now pit. Nonetheless they hold their positions.
Klien is seventh, ahead of Fisichella, Coulthard, Liuzzi, Rosberg, Michael, Speed, Heidfeld, Ralf, Massa, Villeneuve, Sato, Button, Albers, Montagny and Monteiro. Thus far there have been no retirements.
Webber is furious as the lack of blue flags as he continues to wind his way through the backmarkers. Sadly it's all to no avail, the Australian pulls over on the inside at Ste Devote, smoke pouring out of the car. The safety car is deployed.
Alonso pits, as do Raikkonen, Montoya, Fisichella, Liuzzi, Rosberg Speed and various others.
As the field continues behind the safety car, the order is Alonso, Raikkonen, Montoya, Barrichello, Trulli, Klien, Coulthard, Michael, Fisichella and Heidfeld.
It's all over for Raikkonen, his car grinds to a halt at Portier, like Webber, smoke and flames pouring out of the back of his car. The Finn walks through the flower beds as he makes his way back to the pits. It's likely that the heat build up during the laps behind the safety car caused the problem.
As the safety car pulls off Alonso leads, but there are a number of cars between him and second placed Juan Pablo Montoya. After an afternoon of no retirements, we've lost two of the leaders in as many laps.
Behind Alonso and Montoya, Rubens Barrichello is running third, ahead of Trulli, Klien, Coulthard, Michael, Fisichella, Heidfeld and Ralf. Meanwhile, Rosberg goes into the barriers, wrapping up a lousy day for WilliamsF1. A day that offered so much promise, delivered so very little.
Barring any surprise incidents, the podium appears to be settled, with Alonso, Montoya and Barrichello seemingly headed for a date with the Champagne. However, the fat lady is merely gargling not singing, as Christian Klien stops at the end of the pitlane. Elsewhere, Villeneuve gets a drive-through penalty for overtaking during the safety car period - which at least promotes Button to twelfth.
Fastest man on track is Michael, who is now running sixth, albeit almost 40s behind David Coulthard. Indeed, Michael is now running in the 1:15s, taking a couple of seconds from Coulthard.
Trulli is 2s behind Barrichello, who is 'under investigation', with Coulthard just 0.6s behind. Elsewhere, Albers appears ram the back of Montagny.
Sure enough, Barrichello gets a drive-through, which was for speeding in the pitlane. This drops the Brazilian to fifth, just ahead of his former Ferrari teammate, while Jarno Trulli is promoted to third. Toyota benefits as its Japanese rival Honda loses out.
Still 13 laps to go, but Alonso appears to be cruising to victory, and most probably a second title. That said, the McLarens and Williams showed promise.
Michael is closing in on Barrichello, taking 2s a lap out of the Brazilian, who is 5.5s down on Coulthard.
72 laps completed, and Alonso leads Montoya by 16s, with Trulli a further 35s down the road. Michael has closed to within 8.1s of Barrichello, as Trulli pulls off to the side of the track on the hill leading up to Casino. Disaster for Toyota, though Trulli's retirement moves Ralf into the points.
This promotes David Coulthard to third, as Michael closes to within 5.2s of Barrichello.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner has vowed that should the Scot take a podium place, he will jump naked into the team's swimming pool. A gruesome thought.
Michael posts the fastest lap of the race (15.143), as he closes to within 2.6s of his former teammate. The German clearly seeing the 'red mist'.
Out front it's a Sunday stroll, but Michael is remorseless, he closes in on his prey, but to no avail, he's out of time and out of luck.
Fernando takes a well-deserved win, another textbook performance in the bullet-proof R26, as he extends his world Championship lead to 21 points.
Juan Pablo Montoya takes a convincing second, which might be enough to persuade Ron to retain his services for another season, though in all honesty the Colombian would be best suited looking for a team that will focus entirely on him.
David Coulthard, a two-time winner here, takes the final spot on the 'podium', after a performance which will probably have given him more satisfaction than the two wins. As he collects his trophy he is wrapped in a Superman cloak, let's hopes he's getting well paid for it.
Rubens Barrichello holds off Michael to take fourth, giving Honda a little consolation, though not much. Quite how the Brazilian and his English teammate have delivered such differing performances is mystifying, Button was never in the race.
Despite a strong performance today, Michael's 2006 Monaco Grand Prix will be remembered for what happened in the closing moments of Saturday's qualifying session, which is very sad. Had the German shown the remorselessness in a battle out-front with Fernando, Kimi, Mark and Juan Pablo it could have been a truly thrilling race.
Nick Heidfeld takes two more well-deserved points, as BMW continues to make steady progress, while Toyota returns to Cologne with one meagre point, courtesy of Ralf.
After the tight twisty streets of Monaco, the F1 'circus' now heads to Silverstone, where the V8s can really stretch their legs. Then again, with the notorious British weather, despite the supposed drought, could we witness the first wet race of the season?
Sadly, the overriding memory this weekend, and the event that the media will focus on, will be the incident at Rascasse at 14:59 on Saturday. Whereas today's race demonstrated what Formula One is really about, drama and uncertainty, joy and frustration.
David Coulthard looked justifiably embarrassed swathed in his Superman cloak, but after the nonsense of the last twenty-four hours, its great to have something to about.
How does that song go… "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative".
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