Race Notes - Schumacher wins San Marino GP

Michael Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix, at Imola this afternoon in his Ferrari, holding off the fast charging Renault of Fernando Alonso, who took second.

The win is Schumacher's seventh victory at San Marino.

Third place went Juan Pablo Montoya in his McLaren Mercedes, who methodically worked his way up through the race, followed by the second Ferrari of Felipe Massa in fourth, Kimi Raikkonen in his McLaren in fifth, Mark Webber in the Williams-Cosworth in sixth, Jenson Button in the Honda in seventh and Giancarlo Fisichella taking the final points paying position.

At the start Michael Schumacher led the field away from a record 66th pole position into the first corner, with Barrichello losing two spots to fall to fifth, while Christijan Albers crashed, the MF1 rolling, to bring out the safety car for one lap.

On lap 5 Trulli pitted from eighth position and retired.

At lap 10, Schumacher led Button by 2.4 seconds followed by Massa in third, Alonso in fourth, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, Webber Raikkonen and Villeneuve in tenth.

At lap 14 the first rounds of stops began with Barrichello pitting from fifth, followed by Button on lap 15, Ralf Schumacher on lap 16, Massa on lap 19, Schumacher from the lead on lap 20.

At lap 21, Alonso led from Schumacher, Montoya, Webber, Raikkonen, Button, Massa, Villeneuve, Fisichella and Ralf Schumacher in tenth.

On lap 22 Raikkonen pitted, followed by Montoya and Webber on lap 23, Alonso on lap 25, Villeneuve on lap 27 and Fisichella on lap

Meanwhile Button made his second stop on lap 30.

At half distance Schumacher led Alonso by 4.6 seconds, with Massa in third, followed by Montoya, Webber, Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Button, Barrichello and Fisichella in tenth.

During this second stint, Alonso was eating away at Schumacher's lead, dropping the gap from 11 seconds on lap 26 to 5 seconds on lap 30, to 4.6 seconds on lap 31, 2.4 seconds on lap 33 to 0.4 seconds on lap 34.

Ralf pitted on lap 32, followed by Barrichello on lap 34.

On lap 40, Schumacher led Alonso by 0.5 seconds followed by Massa, Montoya, Webber, Raikkonen, Button, Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, and Nico Rosberg in tenth.

On lap 41 Alonso and Massa pitted, followed by Schumacher and Webber on lap 42, Schumacher getting out in front of Alonso.

On lap 44 Montoya and Button pitted, followed by Ralf Schumacher on lap 46, Raikkonen on lap 47 and Fisichella, Rosberg and Villeneuve on lap 48.

At lap 50, Schumacher led with Alonso continuing to hound the German, only 0.3 seconds behind, with Montoya in third, followed by Massa, Raikkonen, Webber, Button, Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher and Barrichello in tenth.

Alonso continued to follow close on Schumacher's heels to the finish, but could not find a way past the German.