Thoughts on the Spanish Grand Prix

Tim · Joined: 19 Jan 2005 Posts: 506

Kimi Raikkonen dominated on Sunday starting from Pole he wasn't threatened by anyone. He even had enough time to make his first stop and stay in the lead!

Fernando Alonso seemed to struggle in the first stint but picked up the pace in the second and third stints. He managed to finish second losing just 2 points to Raikkonen.

Jarno Trulli did well managing to finish 3rd ahead of his team-mate Ralf Schumacher who seemed faster this weekend.

Giancarlo Fisichella continues to have some bad luck but at least this time he managed to finish the race in 5th place and set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap!

Mark Webber starting from second ended up in 6th. Not the result expected.

Juan Pablo Montoya had to make an extra pit stop for fuel yet managed 7th. A reasonable effort given that he was out with a shoulder injury for the last 2 races. He finished a lap down on his team-mate though and that must hurt!

David Coulthard managed to get his Red Bull into the points. He has to be one of the most consistent point scorers out there.

Rubens Barrichello after starting from the back struggled on a 1 stop strategy and couldn't make it into the points. Nick Heidfeld also starting from the back finished in 10th just behind Barrichello

Michael Schumacher appeared to be having a good race until his left rear tyre had a puncture then his left front had a puncture. Perhaps pushing to the limit put extra stress on the tyres ? we may never know. What we know is that Michael and Ferrari have a very difficult task in front of them if they aim to challenge for the titles this year.

Thoughts ?

sgd · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 971 Location: SoL III

I really liked Fisichella's race, he overtook Alonso, in pits, i think, then Webber in race, that was awesome!!! fastest lap Wink

for me he's the driver of the race!!

Three potential podium-drivers with bad luck... MShumierda, Montoya, Fisichella... would be better to see their battle in the track....but anyway Trulli vs Ralf was also interesting.
Still MShumierda's problem maybe was not bad luck, but as Tim suggests, result of over-pushing his tyres, in deed it didn't surprised me as I knew that with those track temperatures, the Bridgestone should melt if don't take care of them... I think with a better managment, MS could finished in top 6, but looks like he uses his premise 'i have nothing to lose'...
I didn't like Webber at all. blocking his teammate there was really dumb.(Nick had to do 1 more pit stop...) and later lose a place to Fisichella was not good in a circuit where is very hard to overtake.

Graham Ross · Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 687 Location: Australia

Kimi Raikkonen was in a class of his own I must admit and I would have liked to see Montoya closer to him. Montoya did have bad luck but Kimi had some too in past races

At least Montoya passed Michael on the track and they had similar fuel levels.

It was a strange race from Alonso who wasn't fast early in the race and got hassled by the Toyotas but then he built up a huge gap. Fisichella again having bad luck but setting the fastest lap of the race on the final lap was something.

I was impressed by the Toyotas fighting. It is good to see 2 red cars fighting until the end

Webber, well it seems that he is like Trulli, superb in qualifying but then drops back in the race. I agree with Bill Woods that no one would have thought that his best finish would still be that 5th place with Minardi in 2002!

And the Bridgestones MELTED
They are no good when track temperatures move into the 40's
Aren't we glad that we can't yet control the weather Shocked

The championship is starting to look like a 2 way fight between Alonso and Raikkonen and that is if Alonso hits some bad luck soon

Bundy · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 10:23 am Post subject:

sgd · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 971 Location: SoL III

Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 11:17 am Post subject:

Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 11:29 am Post subject:

Graham Ross · Joined: 25 Jan 2005 Posts: 687 Location: Australia

Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 11:51 am Post subject:

Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 12:00 pm Post subject:

rah · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 3:11 pm Post subject:

Was good to finally have my opinion of Kimi changed. He has always been fast but that race was won very proffesionally. Now if only Monty could do the same I might even start to like McLaren.

Webber continues to dissapoint me. I would like, just once, to see what he can do in a fast car with a good strategy. Even a decent strategy with the current car would be nice. I bet he wishes he took that contract with Toyota when it was offered.

I think Kimi will be hard to beat next race. Looks like it is all comming together at McLaren.

I can't say too much about the race, as I fell asleep in the middle. Damn delayed telecasts!
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Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 3:35 pm Post subject:

Bundy · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 4:04 pm Post subject:

it was me and my reasoning is simple;

Heidfeld (his 3rd place excluded) finishes 7-10th. MW worst finish is 8th generally finishes 5-6th.

What this tells you is the car is a lemon and not up to the standard required to compete at the front. Those who knock MW are abviously under the impression that he has a competitive car, which by Williams own admission, its not.

What he has managed to do though is to get the most out of the car for the 2 single qualifying laps and give himself a chance of finishing in the points.

Being quick for 1 lap takes skill, being quick for 60 odd laps takes skill, a quick car, good team, good tyres, good strategy etc etc etc. The last few is what Williams are lacking. I doubt there would be too many other drivers in that field that would be finishing 6th in the 2005 Williams.
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Julian Mayo · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 4:35 pm Post subject:

Could'nt have said it better, Bundy Laughing

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JayVee · Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 10:47 pm Post subject:

Kimi was the man to beat and even Alonso The Cute couldn't match him.
He lapped his own teammate and Barrichello.

I was amazed by Fisichella who set the fastest lap time on the last lap. Talk about MicheGrip!!!

Barrichello struggled and Michael cooked his tyres. There is no way that the two left tyres deflating was just bad luck.
Ferrari not only have tyre problems but reliability problems too.

Expect more mistakes!

Good to see Ralf fighting his teammate for a change.

Something is definetly wrong at the Webber/Williams camp. Even their strategies are poor Shocked

And Webber should have let Heidfeld through due to different strategies, there is no point fighting like that. He should have saved his car and tyres for the real fight with Fisichella later on

The Red Bulls were fighting the Ferrari's. How's that sgd!!

The Saubers were dissapointing

TV coverage was shocking. The slow mo of Alonso with Ralf's engine sound (I think) was something!!

Monaco next!! How do you pick that!!
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