Three Grands Prix in and we finally get a race. After two events
in which first corner collisions pretty much did for any kind of
real fight for the lead, this time we got it.
And for the first time in Formula One, we got a hard fought
battle for the lead between two brothers. For sure, others may
point to Canada last year, but on that occasion, there could be
little doubt that Michael didn't really have the means to put up
a proper fight against little bro. All this of course, looked
like a far-fetched scenario back at the beginning of the weekend.
For the past few years, the Brazilian crowd have rallied behind
their man in the Ferrari, the oft overlooked Rubens Barrichello.
This time round, it looked as though he overlooked even by the
Ferrari team he drivers for. While Michael Schumacher was to get
his hands on the new Ferrari F2002, the team somehow couldn't
quite marshall the resources to get two of the new cars out to
Sao Paulo, and Rubens was stuck driving the old car. Something he
didn't appear to be over the moon about, not least because of
talk that the new car was a second a lap quicker than the old.
The Brazilian fans reacted by staying away....little chance of a
victory for the home town hero who hadn't finished a race at
Interlagos in seven years. The Columbians, by contrast, were
present in droves. They'd seen the first two races of the year,
and were more than aware that their man, Juan Pablo Montoya
looked the only man really capable of taking the race to Michael
Schumacher - and remember, he almost won the Brazilian Grand Prix
at his first attempt last year.
Montoya didn't disappoint either, sticking his Williams on pole,
having looked the dominant force throughout free practice. The
new Ferrari, depsite rumours that it was a second a lap faster
than the old one, was clearly no match the Williams around
Interlagos, but Michael Schumacher almost did the impossible and
qualified second, just a tenth behind Montoya. His brother must
have been a little disappointed to end up only third, having had
the fastest time for much of the session. The locals were right
abotu Barrichello, who was outqualified not only by both of the
McLaren boys, but by a pair of Renaults as well. He lined up only
eighth on the grid. The Renaults were in fact, something of a
revelation; barely slower than the McLarens of Coulthard and
Raikkonen in qualifying. Elsewhere down the grid, Jaguar
appeareed to have taken a big leap forward, to line up eleventh
and thirteenth on the grid, while Toyota continued to underline
their potential, with Mika Salo lining up in tenth. Jordan had
another forgettable Saturday afternoon, with Fisichella lining up
fourteenth, and Sato, who seemed to be going off left right and
centre all weekend, a dismal nineteenth, barely ahead of Webber's
Minardi. Arrows, too, had little to smile about. Frentzen lined
up eighteenth, while Bernoldi fell victim to Webber's Minardi to
line up twenty first. Alex Yoong once again underlined the fact
that he doesn't belong in F1 by qualifying last, some 1.5 seconds
off the pace of his own team mate. And when you consider that
only 2.2 seconds separated Webber's time from that of Montoya,
you begin to see just what a huge gap that is.
One way or another, thoughts of the first corner incidents at the
last two races must have been on peoples minds come Sunday.
Williams and Ferrari were probably keeping their fingers crossed
that there would be no repeat. Paul Stoddart, most likely was not.
When the green light came, it was Schumacher Sr who capitalised
from the front row, just squeezing his way past a scruffy Montoya
at the first corner. There was, miraculously, no contact. It
didn't last long. On the run down to turn three, Montoya clipped
the back of Schumacher's Ferrari, dislodging his nosecone in the
process. There were no retirements, but Montoya, Fisichella and
McNish would all have to pit at the end of the lap for new front
wings. Montoya may well be a championship contender, but if he is
to rack up the necessary points over the course of the season
then he's going to have to remember that races are not won on the
first lap. Behind the lead two, the Renaults got away well,
passing both McLarens, while Barrichello began to climb up the
field from his lowly starting position. By lap thirteen he would
be in the lead, his fuel load obviously somewhat lighter than
anyone elses. The Brazilian crowd were pleased nonetheless, if a
little surprised. It didn't last, a fuel pump failure made it
eight retirements from eight starts at Sao Paulo for Barrichello.
With Massa flying off the road, Bernoldi off the pace and soon
out of the race, and Montoya having to fight his way back through
the field from near last, it wasn't a great day for the South
American contingent.
By contrast, things were looking good for Schumacher Jr. He
wasn't quite on the pace of his brother, but with everyone
convinced that Michael would be making one more tyre stop, it all
looked set for a repeat of his victory at Sepang. Behind him,
Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button were running in formation ahead of
the two McLarens. Coulthard was finally able to dispense with
Button, but this only left him trailing Trulli. Raikkonen
couldn't even deal with Button. All in all, progress has
certainly been made by the Benetton/Renault team since a year ago
when they were tailing around at the rear of the field, being
embarrassed by the Minardis. Whether the team can keep up the
momentum and find themselves in a position to win races before
the end of the year remains to be seen. Whatever, it was a
refreshing upturn in fortunes for the team, and Trulli was at
last given an opportunity to show that he could keep it together
under race conditions, providing he was given a car that did not
eat its tyres.
The balance of power in the private Schumacher battle up front
changed dramatcially at around half distance, when it became
apparent that Michael, as well as Ralf, was only planning a
single stop this weekend. Sure enough, come the pitstops, both
were fueled with enough to get to the end, and it was still
Michael that came out ahead. The Mclaren boys benefitted from the
stops, leapfrogging the Renaults for third and fourth, while
Montoya hovered just outside the points, behind Heidfeld's Sauber.
Ralf showed he was capable of catching Michael, but he could not
find a way past. The two brothers didn't run each other off, and
came home in formation to go first and second in the drivers'
championship (possibly another statistical first for the
Schumachers). Behind them, a fine drive by Trulli came to an end
when his engine let go, which allowed Montoya into the points (Heidfeld's
Sauer having by now departed the scene.) A few laps later,
Raikkonen's McLaren followed suit when a broken wheel hub pitched
him off the road. All this left Button claiming a lucky fourth
place, just two weeks after his rather unlucky fourth place in
Sepang. Montoya finished within a second of him in fifth, while
Salo claimed another point for Toyota, having successfully seen
off the Jaguars, which finished seventh and eighth. The
Bridgestone runners didn't have such a good time of it. Neither
BAR finished, Fisichella lasted just four laps, while a somewhat
unhinged drive could only land Japanese wild man Takuma Sato a
distant ninth. All had been forced to make rather more tyre stops
than the Michelin runners, or Michael Schumacher.
Once more we were left with a race that Montoya would probably
have won, had he not tried to win it on the first lap. Whatever,
there can be little doubting that we will have a three way fight
for the title, between two brothers and newcomer Montoya. The new
Ferrari proved effective, but did not apear to be in possession
of any earth shattering speed advantage. Williams continue to
look a force to be reckoned with. McLaren still need more
horsepower and more reliability...though if they get these, then
the chassis is more than up to the job. In a curiouse way, its
looking like the most interest season in a long time.
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