MAY 8, 2005

Race incidents from Catalunya

Spanish GP - Race Incidents

* Lap 1: At the start of the race the two Minardis are both left on the grid, causing some excitement for those behind, notably Nick Heidfeld, who shaved past Patrick Friesacher. At the front Mark Webber got away well but was outdragged by the Renault of Fernando Alonso and in the course of the next few corners Ralf Schumacher was also able to squeeze ahead of the Williams. Behind them Michael Schumacher overtook Juan Pablo Montoya for seventh place, while Tonio Liuzzi did not have a good first lap and was beaten by Jacques Villeneuve and Heidfeld. A Safety Car was sent out while the Minardis were pushed off the grid.

* Lap 3: The race restarts at the end of the second lap and Raikkonen gets away well. Behind him the order is the same, except that Montoya jumps ahead of Schumacher to reclaim seventh place. Both Minardis hvae rejoined the action two laps behind. At the end of the lap Raikkonen is ahead by nearly two seconds then comes Alonso, Ralf, Webber, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella. Montoya is seventh ahead of Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard and Felipe Massa.

* Lap 7: Raikkonen has pushed the lead out to four seconds with five consecutive fastest laps. Alonso was 3.3secs ahead of Ralf Schumacher. Montoya has a spin and loses four seconds but he has a big enough lead over Michael Schumacher to stay ahead.

* Lap 10: The lead at the front is up to 6.6secs, while in the infield Tonio Liuzzi spins into the sandtrap and retires.

* Lap 13: Raikkonen's lead is up to 10 secs. while the gap behind Alonso has stabilised and Ralf Schumacher remains three seconds behind the Renault. Down at the back Narain Karthikeyan has an off and is overtaken by Tiago Monteiro for 14th place.

* Lap 15: The Raikkonen domination continues with the lead up to 12.5secs. At the back Friesacher goes off and retires.

* Lap 18: Mark Webber heads for the pits showing that the Williams strategy was to run light in qualifying. He drops from fourth to 10th.

* Lap 22: Christijan Albers retires with a mechanical problem.

* Lap 24: Raikkonen's lead is around 25secs as Ralf Schumacher becomes the first major player to pit. He falls from third place to ninth but stays ahead of Webber.

* Lap 25: Raikkonen pits and rejoins just ahead of Alonso. Behind him Trulli comes into the pits and exists with a small fire behind his car, the result of a minor fuel spillage. He drops from fourth place to eighth. Down at the back Monteiro has his first pits stop.

* Lap 27: Alonso heads for the pits and in followed into the pits by sixth-placed David Coulthard and Felipe Massa. This puts Fisichella up to second place with Montoya third and Michael Schumacher fourth. Alonso rejoins in fifth with Coulthard and Massa 12th and 13th.

* Lap 28: Down at the back Karthikeyan has his first stop.

* Lap 29: Second-placed Fisichella stops and is followed into pitlane by Montoya. As Michael Schumacher really puts the hammer down, Fisichella rejoins in third place, ahead of Alonso, but Montoya is fifth. Further back Heidfeld (in 10th place) pits and drops to 13th.

* Lap 30: All eyes are on Michael Schumacher, who sets the fastest lap of the race as he tries to make up ground. There is a big surprise when Montoya returns to the pits and refuels again, suggesting that the refuelling machine had malfunctioned. This drops him from fifth to 12th.

* Lap 31: Raikkonen is still 11secs ahead of Michael Schumacher with a pit stop in hand and it is clear that Ferrari is not the force it was in Imola. In the midfield Villeneuve, who is running eighth, stops and falls to 13th.

* Lap 32: Michael Schumacher pits and falls behind the two Renaults, with Fisichella ahead of Alonso. Trulli and Ralf are fifth and sixth the two Toyotas. Webber is right with them while Barrichello is eighth but still has to stop.

* Lap 34: Raikkonen's advantage over Fisichella is a solid 25secs. Barrichello pits and drops from eighth to 12th.

* Lap 40: The pattern has been set for some laps but then Fisichella unexpectedly heads into the pits and the team changes the nose of his car. There is a problem with the "tray" beneath the nose. The team also removes something from the sidepods and so Fisichella is 11th before he rejoins.

* Lap 43: Webber's unusual strategy sees the Australian heading into the pits for the second time. He falls from sixth to ninth.

* Lap 44: There is another big surprise as Michael Schumacher heads into the pits with a left rear puncture. Schumacher tumbles from third to eighth. As Michael rejoins Raikkonen laps Montoya.

* Lap 46: There is another shock as Schumacher suffers a left front tyre failure, indicating that the previous problem was not because of debris but rather because the tyres are worn out. Michael drives around the pits and retires.

* Lap 47: Raikkonen is half a minute ahead of Alonso with Jarno Trulli third ahead of Ralf Schumacher, David Coulthard, Felipe Massa, Montoya and Webber. The Australian is well-positioned as most of the men ahead still have to stop.

* Lap 49: Raikkonen and Alonso both stop but they rejoin first and second again.

* Lap 51: Fifth placed Ralf Schumacher and sixth-placed Coulthard both stop. Ralf stays fifth but the Red Bull drops back to 10th. Down at the back Villeneuve retires with an engine problem.

* Lap 52: Third-placed Trulli stops and is followed into pitlane by sixth-placed Felipe Massa. Trulli rejoins third but Massa tumbles back to 11th.

* Lap 55: Heidfeld is running seventh but obviously has to stop again. When he does he drops back to 10th.

* Lap 56: Montoya is the last man to complete his second stop and falls from fifth to seventh. The order is set with Raikkonen leading by 25secs from Alonso. The two Toyotas are running together in thrid and fourth with Webbber sixth but under pressure from a rampaging Fisichella, fighting back from his delay. Montoya is seventh ahead of Coulthard. Barrichello is ninth a lap down but ahead of Heidfeld.

* Lap 64: Fisichella passes Webber for fifth place, the Australian unable to do anything to stop the Renault. Massa pulls off and stops with a broken wheel rim.

* Lap 66: Raikkonen wins the race in dominant fashion. On the last lap Fisichella sets the fastest lap of the race.