Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Very exciting race, differing from it's dowdy image |
| Disadvantages: |
Buttons misfortune, the boredom of seeing Schumacher win - again |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Time for another of my fortnightly editions of the Grand Prix weekend. If you’ve missed anything, you can catch up here
It doesn’t seem a long time since the F1 party returned in Australia nearly 2 months ago, but we are already at the 5th round in Spain. With Ferrari staking their claim after a simple 1-2 at the last round in San Marino, Williams have shown some cracks in their armour, after a mediocre weekend. Mclaren too have now found themselves in a bitter battle with the resurgent Renault, and not tackling Ferrari, their season objective. But with 12 rounds to go, there is a long way to go.
SUMMARY OF LAST YEARS RACE
In what was a rather mundane race, the spoils went to Michael Schumacher who was handed victory on a silver plate, when the already trouble hit Mika Hakkinen stuttered to a halt on the final lap after leading from the pit stops. Not many (especially WHITBYBUNNY), will forget that moment. Juan Pablo Montoya scored his first finish of 2001 with second place, while BAR scored their first podium after Jacques Villeneuve benefited from the misfortune of others.
THE HISTORY OF THE SPANISH GP
Despite having some memorable moments, Hakkinens last lap retirement, Mansell and Senna only inches apart down the home-straight, Michael Schumachers utterly dominant rain performance in 1996, the Catalunya circuit has also been subject, and criticism for it’s largely uneventful races.
There isn’t a real home for the Spanish GP as it has been passed through several of Spain’s circuits including, Jarama, Montjuich Park and Jerez. But since 1991, the Circuit di Catalunya has played host to the Spanish Grand Prix. With fine weather from the Mediterranean as well as the popular
Barcelona nearby, it is no surprise then that many of the teams test at the track every other week and throughout the winter.
This means that many of them could drive the race with their eyes closed. This is usually why the races are usually insomnia curing. The perfect set-up and in-depth knowledge of the circuit enables the drivers to hit maximum and stay there.
However, despite this there have been calls by F1 fans to have the Spanish GP cut from the calendar. The processional races have meant that
Spain has been shortlisted to be one of the circuits to be scrapped from the calendar to make way for other venues.
In my opinion, I think another track would add more spice and less boredom of that induced by the Spanish GP.
THE TRACK
Incredibly similar to the Portuguese Circuit of Estoril, used by F1 in the mid-90’s, the smooth, quick corners please the drivers. Down the incredibly fast home straight and it’s the uphill right, left flick, of elf, which is probably the best overtaking corner on the track and round the extremely long right hander of Curvone Renault. Hold a good line and dart into the wide hairpin of Repsol. From there it’s a quick blast to SEAT, another slow corner, which demands patience and then it’s back uphill, lifting off for Wuth slightly and accelerating up to Campsa.
A sight right-hander, which requires a small lift and then it’s down the second longest stright into La Caixa, a corner that is hard to judge as it opens then tightens. Then it’s up to Banc de Sabadell. A tight corner, it again demands a bit of an easy foot on the accelerator. Now it’s down to the ultra-fast final corner, which sorts the men from the boys. Then it’s foot on the pedal and off for another lap.
NEWS
2 weeks after seeing engine sharer BAR shed 50 jobs, Jordan has followed suit by sacking 40 of it’s workforce, indicating that Eddie Jordan is being bitten by the F1 recession. After plenty of accidents and blow-ups, Jordan is forking out a large bill and is reported to be looking for an engine supplier for 2003, after Honda have hinted, they favour BAR’s future over that of the yellow sharks. One of the staff to go is Egbdil Hamidy. Pinched from Arrows in 2001, Hamidy has been left unemployed by Jordan, but with a productive history, he should be snapped up soon. Jordan are yet to score a point this season.
One week it’s Russia, the next it’s Turkey, now it seems Dubai wants to host an F1 race. And it seems to have been met by approval. Dubai, famed for it’s richness, horses and luxury buildings, is to build their first motor racing circuit and they pledge to make it up to F1 standards if they can have a meeting. With facilities promised to rival that of Malaysia’s Sepang circuit, how could Bernie refuse?
After leaving F1 last year, it seems Jean Alesi has found his talents can be used elsewhere after climbing from 14th on the grid to 3rd place at the first round of the DTM series (the German equivalent of the BTCC), beating more established and experienced Touring Car pros like Peter Dumbreck and Bernd Schneider. Laurent Aeillo and Mats Ekstrom in the Audi TT’s led the way.
THE WEATHER
It has only rained once for the Spanish GP, in 1996, and boy did it rain. However, it is expected that sun and heat will be the weather of the weekend.
FRIDAY PRACTICE
As the teams set about looking good for the media on the first official day out at the Spanish circuit, the final result was an interesting. The day was very close, with less than two seconds covering the top 20, but by the end Michael Schumacher led a Bridgestone dominated session. 7 of the Japanese shod cars took to the top 10, with Jacques Villeneuve lowest down in 16th. Trailing Schumacher’s Ferrari by just a tenth was surprisingly Heinz-Harald Frentzen who gradually moved up the order to finish second fastest. It was no fluke as sister orange car claimed 6th place in free practice.
Just ahead, Jenson Button was the best Michelin car with 3rd place, confirming his excellent form, while Rubens Barrichello was just behind and former second place finisher Olivier Panis bringing a little light into the dingy BAR atmosphere.
Kimi Raikkonen led Mclaren’s increasingly damp challenge, with 7th place, but David Coulthard could do no higher than 12th. Even worse were the Williams-BMW’s as both drivers could only scrape the top 17. Montoya languished in 17th, with Ralf Schumacher just 2 places higher in 15th. Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella is looking for an improvement this weekend and 8th place was a step forward, while Takuma Sato was 14th.
Sauber were solid in 9th and 13th, but Felipe Massa was ahead of Nick Heidfeld. Jarno Trulli rounded out the top 10, but was well off his teammate. Jaguar, after a difficult San Marino, were 11th and 19th, with Irvine ahead of his Spanish teammate, upholding home honours. Toyota and Minardi scrapped for the bottom few places. Mika Salo and Allan McNish were 18th and 21st, as they struggle on a track they lack experience on. Mark Webber was comfortable with 20th, while Alex Yoong, after failing to qualify for the last GP, was nearly a second off the nearest car – surely his days at Minardi are looking stormy?
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- HH FRENTZEN (ARROWS)
3- J BUTTON (RENAULT)
4- R BARRICHELLO (FERRARI)
5- O PANIS (BAR)
6- E BERNOLDI (ARROWS)
7- K RAIKKONEN (MCLAREN)
8- G FISICHELLA (JORDAN)
9- F MASSA (SAUBER)
10- J TRULLI (RENAULT)
11- E IRVINE (JAGUAR)
12- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
13- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
14- T SATO (JORDAN)
15- R SCHUMACHER (WILLIAMS)
16- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
17- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
18- M SALO (TOYOTA)
19- P DE LA ROSA (JAGUAR)
20- M WEBBER (MINARDI)
21- A MCNISH (TOYOTA)
22- A YOONG (MINARDI)
SATURDAY PRACTICE
With not long before the qualifying hour, the second practice session would be a good indicator as to where the drivers would be lining up on the grid. And if qualifying would match the result here, we are in for a topsy-turvy grid. Instead of Michael Schumacher leading the way, it was his revitalised teammate Rubens Barrichello setting the pace, followed by the improved Sauber of Nick Heidfeld. Schumacher lay 3rd, ahead of the Brits of David Coulthard and Jenson Button.
Proving his 2nd place yesterday was no fluke, Heinz-Harald Frentzen led a double top 10 with 6th and Bernoldi 10th. Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Olivier Panis rounded out in 7th, 8th and 9th place.
Out of the top 10, were once again both Williams’ who mysteriously remain off the pace in 12th and 14th, with Ralf leading Juan. Jordan’s woes continue with a mediocre 11th and 15th for Fisichella and Sato. Villeneuve was 4 places below his teammate in 13th, as Jaguar, Toyota, Minardi and Jarno Trulli rounded out the last 7 places. Hardly delighting his home fans, Pedro De La Rosa was ahead of 18th place Irvine in 16th place. Jarno Trulli, on a track he has struggled on, was a disappointing 17th, well below Button’s 5th place. Toyota consolidate 20th and 21st for Salo and McNish, as they continue to develop their new car, while Minardi’s were 19th and 22nd, Yoong once again rock bottom of the time sheets.
1- R BARRICHELLO (FERRARI)
2- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
3- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
4- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
5- J BUTTON (RENAULT)
6- HH FRENTZEN (ARROWS)
7- K RAIKKONEN (MCLAREN)
8- F MASSA (SAUBER)
9- O PANIS (BAR)
10- E BERNOLDI (ARROWS)
11- G FISICHELLA (JORDAN)
12- R SCHUMACHER (WILLIAMS)
13- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
14- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
15- T SATO (JORDAN)
16- P DE LA ROSA (JAGUAR)
17- J TRULLI (RENAULT)
18- E IRVINE (JAGUAR)
19- M WEBBER (MINARDI)
20- M SALO (TOYOTA)
21- A MCNISH (TOYOTA)
22- A YOONG (MINARDI)
2001 QUALIFYING
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- M HAKKINEN (MCLAREN)
3- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
QUALIFYING
On a track not exactly renowned for it’s overtaking opportunity’s, the qualifying for the Spanish GP would be very vital. The warm conditions and a slippery surface, meant no one was really willing to do that first lap and deposit their rubber to the late runners. But after around 15 minutes, the flurry of activity and the roar of an engine was soon heard, because Renault’s Jarno Trulli gets onto the track first. From here many cars are edging onto the track, as if they were testing the water.
It wasn’t long before the times began to fall. Trulli’s fastest lap was beaten by the Arrows of Enrique Bernoldi, who in turn was beaten by Massa and then by Heidfeld who put in the best ever qualifying lap for the Circuit De Catalunya, indicating, the times were to be fast ones.
Soon Coulthard was ahead, but demoted by Ralf Schumacher popping in a lap over 2 seconds faster than he has gone all weekend. His excellent lap was then demolished by a stunning lap by Rubens Barrichello in his Ferrari, as he dipped into the 1 minute 16’s for the first time, rather putting the wind up Schumacher and showing the media his San Marino form was no fluke.
With such speed from that Ferrari, it shouldn’t be long before Michael Schumacher began to show them the way, but like in San Marino, the German just couldn’t hook up a lap good enough to beat his Brazilian teammate.
After a difficult start to the weekend, Allan McNish was lucky not to wreck his car after spinning at Turn 12 and brushing the inside of the pit wall. Luckily, a swift spin and down the pits, with no damage. Having jumped into the spare car after engine problems, Juan Pablo Montoya’s first lap moved into 8th position, but well off the pace.
The battle between 4th, 5th and 6th rages, on as Nick Heidfeld moved closer up to 6th place, only to be displaced by Jenson Button, once again showing his under performing teammate Jarno Trulli the way. A quiet patch on the track was shattered after a bizarre incident down the home straight.
The Minardi teams have been left in a predicament after a string of problems with the front wing. In the morning session, Mark Webber, sporting a new front wing design, was lucky not to spin after losing his front wing. But his teammate, Alex Yoong too was left reeling after his front wing just sheered off, launching the front end of the car into the air, but soon came back to the ground, pulling into the pits, leaving Minardi wondering whether to race tomorrow.
The session was soon stopped, to retrieve the debry of Yoong’s front wing laying on the track, but soon started again, with a flurry of activity and an exciting last 10 minutes.
Arrows looked set for their first top 10 placing on the grid since mid 2000, after Heinz-Harald Frentzen piloted his orange car to 9th place. The two horse race of the Ferrari’s was made even more enticing, when Rubens Barrichello improved yet again on his provisional pole time, really taking it to his favoured teammate.
But cool as a cucumber, smooth as a fax machine, Michael Schumacher remained unfazed and so in a similar situation to that of San Marino, pipped his utterly gutted teammate to his third pole position of the year.
But further down the order, things once again are changing, Juan Pablo Montoya stuck a quick lap together to sit behind his teammate Ralf Schumacher in 4th place. He would start just ahead of Kimi Raikkonen who for the third time of the year out qualified his highly experienced and increasingly agitated teammate, David Coulthard who finished in 7th, behind Jenson Button who slipped ahead of his British rival.
The second Renault of Jarno Trulli left it to the last minute, literally, to move up from a dismal 20th to 9th place. Just ahead, the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld proving, the team aren’t ready to give up their 4th place. Indeed Arrows, had a very encouraging display. Heinz-Harald Frentzen nipped the Arrows into 10th place, ahead of Bernoldi in 14th, who took his best ever-qualifying position. Felipe Massa will stand 11th, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella, whose Jordan is still not performing to its ability.
But he did better than his team mate and engine sharer BAR. After a good start to the weekend, Panis would end 13th, and Villeneuve a poor 16th. Even worse, Takuma Sato could only manage 19th place on the grid.
Jaguar once again was rooted to the back end of the twenties, with Irvine in 15th and De La Rosa in 17th. Toyota looked a little off the pace, in 18th and 20th, with Salo ahead of McNish. Rooted to the back of the grid, Minardi ended their session early, but Webber still finished a second and a half ahead of Yoong, although the Malaysian did still qualify this time.
GRID
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- R BARRICHELLO (FERRARI)
3- R SCHUMACHER (WILLIAMS)
4- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
5- K RAIKKONEN (MCLAREN)
6- J BUTTON (RENAULT)
7- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
8- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
9- J TRULLI (RENAULT)
10- HH FRENTZEN (ARROWS)
11- F MASSA (SAUBER)
12- G FISICHELLA (JORDAN)
13- O PANIS (BAR)
14- E BERNOLDI (ARROWS)
15- E IRVINE (JAGUAR)
16- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
17- P DE LA ROSA (JAGUAR)
18- M SALO (TOYOTA)
19- T SATO (JORDAN)
20- A MCNISH (TOYOTA)
21- M WEBBER (MINARDI)
22- A YOONG (MINARDI)
SUNDAY WARM-UP
The Sunday Warm-up isn’t the most important session of the weekend, as it is used to fine-tune the cars for the race later that day. But before the session, Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine has been demoted to the back of the grid due to apparently using irregular fuel in qualifying. However, he will still start in 20th place, as Paul Stoddart, the Minardi boss, has decided to withdraw his team from the Grand Prix. Two front wing failures yesterday, were followed up by the rear wing collapsing off Mark Webber’s car.
Spain saw the launch of their new wings, but have been unreliable all weekend, so Minardi have decided not to risk anything and pull both Yoong and Webber out of the race. It’ll be the second race in a row, when Yoong will have to sit on the sidelines.
Back in the session, the fastest lap went to Michael Schumacher, but he too experienced a problem with his car. Just before he peeled into the pits, his Ferrari’s hydraulics let go, ruining the cars 100% reliability record. Sauber were once again on the pulse, taking 2nd and 4th for Heidfeld and Massa, with Barrichello in 3rd, making it 4 Ferrari powered cars in the top 4.
Arrows once again held in the top 10, with Frentzen 5th and Bernoldi 7th. Having pulled something out of the bag in qualifying, Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya were once again looking staid in 6th and 12th. Panis, Sato and Button rounded out the top ten. 11th was Fisichella, ahead of Montoya and Villeneuve (2nd ad 3rd last year). However, Mclaren ere off the pace as they concentrate on their racecar. Raikkonen in 14th and Coulthard in 16th. Separating the two was Mika Salo, with his Toyota, while McNish was 21st.
The Jaguars of De La Rosa and Irvine in 17th and 19th were split by another poor placing for Jarno Trulli in 18th. The Minardi’s rounded of the 20th and 22nd, but will still not start.
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
3- R BARRICHELLO (FERRARI)
4- F MASSA (SAUBER)
5- HH FRENTZEN (ARROWS)
6- R SCHUMACHER (WILLIAMS)
7- E BERNOLDI (ARROWS)
8- O PANIS (BAR)
9- T SATO (JORDAN)
10- J BUTTON (RENAULT)
11- G FISICHELLA (JORDAN)
12- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
13- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
14- K RAIKKONEN (MCLAREN)
15- M SALO (TOYOTA)
16- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
17- P DE LA ROSA (JAGUAR)
18- J TRULLI (RENAULT)
19- E IRVINE (JAGUAR)
20- M WEBBER (MINARDI)
21- A MCNISH (TOYOTA)
22- A YOONG (MINARDI)
2001 RESULT
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
3- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
4- J TRULLI (JORDAN)
5- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
6- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
THE RACE
Record crowds and a warm and cloudy day, the temperatures were perfect for the Spanish Grand Prix – and Bridgestone. With the Ferrari’s dominating practice and qualifying, the race was set to follow suit, but as the grid – the 20 runners - left off, Rubens Barrichello jerked forward and stopped. With no gears, the Ferrari would be going nowhere. Despite the frantic attempts of his time, Barrichello led the retirements for the 4th time this year.
But as the lights hit green it was go. Drivers on the ‘odd’ side, Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen would have the benefit of the smooth side, and so into the first corner Michael Schumacher led his brother, followed by Montoya and Raikkonen who had just edged out the speedy Renault of Button. Coulthard, Trulli, Heidfeld, Massa and Frentzen continued the top 10. Further back, Mika Salo pits for a new left-front tyre after a puncture.
With Minardi out, the Jaguars held the last two places, until last place Pedro De La Rosa finished off his awful home weekend, in the gravel trap, after losing the back end of his R3 at turn 6. As the order pans out, the order up front was given a slight reshuffle, as Kimi Raikkonen became another victim of the circuit’s abrasive surface by depositing his rear wing on the home straight. With part of the wing in the suspension, Raikkonen eased round the track and pulled into the pits to become the 3rd retirement in just 5 laps. Just one more lap though would see the 4th retirement, as Giancarlo Fisichella’s awful season continued with another early retirement, with hydraulic failure. It’s the third race in a row where the Italian hasn’t got into double lap figures. Adding insult to injury though for Eddie Jordan, a man fraught with worry over the flagging future of his team, his second driver, Takuma Sato took another trip off the track and added to the retirement list after losing his car at turn 13, the last corner. Such has been his off track excursions, Sato is set to come under scrutiny from the team whose disappointment is turning to anger, for the promising Japanese.
With Michael Schumacher sprinting out in front, and slashing the race record at each try, the battle for second between the two Williams boys is intensifying, as Montoya is slowly closing in on his German rival. With the drivers still close on the track, it would be down to the pit lane engineers to get their driver in front of their rivals. However, as the teams see to their cars, the order doesn’t change.
POSITIONS AFTER 20
1- M SCHUMACHER
2- R SCHUMACHER
3- JP MONTOYA
4- J BUTTON
5- D COULTHARD
6- J TRULLI
7- N HEIDFELD
8- F MASSA
9- HH FRENTZEN
10- O PANIS
11- E BERNOLDI
12- J VILLENEUVE
13- A MCNISH
14- E IRVINE
15- M SALO
Last into the pits was David Coulthard but despite his efforts to leap frog in front of Jenson Button, he rejoined just behind his new rival, but closer than he was before. Further up the road though, Ralf Schumacher’s race falls apart as well as his front wing. After running wide, parts of the front wing have split, leaving him to pit for a new nose cone, thus dropping the German to 13th. With Button now in 3rd and chasing his first ever podium, Renault’s fortunes were looking up. However, the new Michelins on Buttons car are causing the car to be slow round the corners, enabling Coulthard to slide up the inside into the turn 1, kissing the front wheel of Button. With Trulli just behind, Button looks to be struggling and soon drops another place to his Italian teammate.
Buttons ailing car is now falling into the clutches of 6th place Nick Heidfeld, who has been running a rather solitary race, ahead of his teammate, Massa. Arrows and BAR are battling for 8th and 9th, with Panis now ahead of Frentzen, as well as 10th and 11th, again the white car ahead of the orange one. However, Bernoldi’s race ended a few minutes later as he pulled into the pits and then out again, only to pull back in on the next lap – this time permanently.
Now running in 12th place, Ralf Schumacher is still having problems with his motor and pits for the third time for tyres, fuel and yet another new nose. No points for the German today then. Running last but one, Eddie Irvine ended Jaguars weekend with yet another retirement, as he costs down the pits.
The battle on the race track is now down to Jenson Button having to fight off the blatantly quicker Nick Heidfeld as they pit. Some frantic work by the Sauber crew left the two cars side by side down the exit, with the German edging ahead of the Brit and was soon speeding away in his new 5th place. Looking for his first finish of the year, Olivier Panis’ transmission, and his race ended as he exited the pit lane and rolled to a halt, making his BAR the eighth car to bite the dust.
With clear air in front of him, the Arrows of Heinz-Harald Frentzen was beginning to make his move and catch the Sauber of Felipe Massa in front of him, who in turn was storming up to the gearbox of the ailing Jenson Button, to battle for that final point.
Juan Pablo Montoya, comfortable in 2nd place pits for the final time, but he nearly didn’t get out at all after running over the ‘lollipop man’ after problems with the refuelling. No one was badly hurt and Montoya held onto his 2nd place.
Almost a forgotten figure in the race, Michael Schumacher continued to lead by a long way, ahead of the Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, and David Coulthard in 2nd and 3rd. After an awful weekend, 4th place was set to be a great boost for Jarno Trulli’s. Nick Heidfeld continued in 5th, ahead of an extremely viscous battle between Button, Massa and Frentzen for that last point.
But as it seemed Jenson Button looked to have stablised his speed, his Renault lost speed at turn 6, leaving Massa to move into the points, and battle Frentzen. With Button out of the points, hopes for Renault rested on 4th place Jarno Trulli, but as Button dropped further down the order, a similar problem was causing the blue and yellow car of the Italian to drop back, behind Heidfeld and into the welcoming clutches of the Massa and Frentzen battle, who eagerly snapped him up to move into 5th and 6th.
On lap 62, Button pulled off the track to retire, followed one lap later by his teammate, to end a rather anti-climatic weekend for the French team. Even on the final lap, the high attrition rate claimed another victim, this time Ralf Schumacher whose problems throughout the race ended with his BMW engine letting go in a big way, less than a mile from the finish.
But it was his brother Michael taking 4 wins from 5 starts, with a truly dominant win, ahead of Montoya, repeating his 2001 finish in 2nd, while David Coulthard gave something for Mclaren to cheer about, by taking the final step of the podium.
Taking 5 points altogether, Sauber were the only team to bring 2 cars home inside the top 6 with 4th and 5th for Heidfeld and Massa, proving they aren’t ready to give up their 4th place in the constructors championship. Gladly taking Arrows’ first point in 15 races, Heinz-Harald Frentzen harassed Massa over the line, but his great drive had now lifted Arrows off the ground, leaving the Honda cars still with no points.
Outside the points, Jacques Villeneuve coasted home in 7th, while the two Toyota’s once again proved their reliability by bringing both cars home in 8th and 9th, McNish ahead of Salo. Button, Ralf Schumacher and Trulli would be classified, although failing to see the chequered flag.
THE RESULTS
1- M SCHUMACHER (FERRARI)
2- JP MONTOYA (WILLIAMS)
3- D COULTHARD (MCLAREN)
4- N HEIDFELD (SAUBER)
5- F MASSA (SAUBER)
6- HH FRENTZEN (ARROWS)
7- J VILLENEUVE (BAR)
8- A MCNISH (TOYOTA)
9- M SALO (TOYOTA)
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1- M SCHUMACHER (44)
2- JP MONTOYA (23)
3- R SCHUMACHER (17)
4- D COULTHARD (9)
5- J BUTTON (8)
6- R BARRICHELLO (6)
7- N HEIDFELD (5)
8- K RAIKKONEN (4)
9- E IRVINE (3)
10- F MASSA (3)
11- M WEBBER (2)
12- M SALO (2)
13- HH FRENTZEN (1)
THE AWARDS
BEST DRIVER OF THE WEEKEND
This is a hard one to call, but perhaps David Coulthard should get this one. After poor qualifying, he defied his 7th place to take a podium finish, and proving his worth by beating Jenson Button, the man who many think is better. Felipe Massa and Heinz-Harald Frentzen too should get a mention too.
BEST TEAM OF THE WEEKEND
Most people would immediately shout Ferrari, but instead I think two teams should get this award. Quick from the off, Arrows have had an excellent weekend and really deserved that point. If they’d qualified a bit better and been as fast as they had in practice, then more points would have been available. Considering the cars testing mileage has been during the races, the car could well be Sauber standard by the end of the year.
Speaking of Sauber, they too have done extremely well. Bringing both cars home high in the points, and Massa coming 5th in only his 5th GP, shows the speed and reliability of that car. Although it doesn’t have the speed of Mclaren or Renault in the race, they will snap up the misfortune of others.
BEST OUTSIDER
With a modified engine and chassis, Nick Heidfeld looked very competative all weekend and his battle with Button, showed an aggressive style of driving from the German, not seen very often from the coy star. He truly deserved his 4th place and his 3 points, ironically putting him ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in the standings, the man his parent team Mclaren chose over him, in a controversial move, which angered the German.
WORST DRIVER
After the hype, especially back home in Japan, many have started to doubt the ability of Takuma Sato, who has been in the gravel trap at every race so far this year. His messy spin into the gravel in today’s race more than proved that perhaps Sato is out of his depth. Eddie Jordan, not one to bad mouth his drivers, has begun to question his worth on the track – maybe Justin Wilson will get that drive after all!
UNLUCKIEST TEAM
Pumped up after the disappointments of San Marino, Minardi came to Spain with a new wing design aimed at closing the gap to the mid-field. However, it turned out to be a fiasco for the Italian/Australian team, with wings falling off at high velocity. After the collapse of Mark Webber’s wing on Saturday morning, Yoong followed suit in qualifying. Thinking the problems were sorted and that the old wings would do better, Minardi decided to race. However, Webber was sent spinning ferociously into the gravel trap in morning warm-up, after the rear wing collapsing, promting the team to withdraw from the event.
Defying it’s critics, the Spanish GP was a corker with all the excitement rarely seen at the Circuit Di Catalunya
5 races in and all but two manufacturers have scored points. Ferrari lead the way at the top, with Michael Schumacher way ahead of now Montoya who managed to leap frog his teammate. Coulthard moved ahead of Button, who along with his teammate, had a rather unfulfilling day, with constant problems.
Sauber join the Renault team on 8 points, and 4th place, after a very impressive race. Jaguar, Toyota and Minardi stay 3, 2 and 2 points respectively, while Arrows start off their campaign with a point here, with their undeveloped car.
Again BAR and Jordan had a pointless weekend, but if the team and their engine supplier, Honda, get their act together, we could be heading for every team scoring points, for the first time in a decade at least.
Hope you can catch my next report at the Austrian GP at the A-1 Ring
Thanks for reading
SOLEX/OLLIE
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