ALONSO TRAMPLES ON KIMI'S SHATTERED DREAMS

The Renault ace walked away with a 36-point lead in the championship chase after Raikkonen's McLaren failed him while leading the race.

Juan Pablo Montoya battled through from the back of the grid after his qualifying crash to finish second ahead of BAR's Jenson Button, who out-duelled Michael Schumacher with an audacious overtaking move in the second half of the race.


Raikkonen took off cleanly from pole, but immediately had to fend off a challenge from Alonso, whose Renault got off the line with its characteristic alacrity.

Button squandered his front-row starting spot when he bogged down and was passed by Schumacher, while David Coulthard charged from 11th to sixth in the course of the opening lap.

Montoya made short work of the cars around him on the grid, but his progress was halted once he caught eighth-placed Giancarlo Fisichella and he had to hold station behind the Renault.

At the front of the field Raikkonen was in total control, stretching his lead with each new lap and circulating roughly half a second quicker than Alonso.

The Spaniard, in turn, was under no pressure from Schumacher, while Button was keeping the Ferrari in sight in fourth.

Just as Raikkonen appeared to be cruising serenely to another emphatic victory, he was struck by more of the cruel misfortune that has dogged him all season.

Without apparent warning a hydraulic failure robbed him of forward drive and he crawled to a stop by the side of the track.

A resigned Raikkonen didn’t indulge in any histrionics but simply trudged back to the paddock and slipped out of the circuit before the race had even ended, aware that his title hopes now hang by a thread.

Thus Alonso was handed victory on a silver platter, and duly cantered home to the flag with more than 20 seconds in hand over his nearest competition.

Fortunately the other two podium spots were still up for grabs, as what threatened to become a rather soporific high-speed procession took on new life as the second pit stops approached.

Second-placed Schumacher, who had opted for the softer of the two Bridgestone tyre compounds, was grappling with severe wear on his right rear and had Button’s BAR snapping at his heels.

However, the Briton found overtaking no easy task as the baleful impact of the 2005 aerodynamic regulations manifested itself once again.

After a couple of thrusts up the inside were easily parried by Schumacher, Button finally made the pass stick with an exquisitely judged outbraking manoeuvre at the hairpin on lap 45.

The bad news from his point of view was that he had only a lap and a half to make his escape before peeling off for his second pit stop.

Although he pulled out over two seconds on Schumacher in that time, Button knew a potential second place was now in serious jeopardy from Montoya, who was filling Schumacher’s mirrors and, crucially, would not have to pit for several more laps.

Sure enough, the Ferrari came in for service on lap 50 and left Montoya with six laps in which to build the cushion he needed to leapfrog both Schumacher and Button and annex the runner-up spot.

It wasn’t a foregone conclusion, because traffic made Montoya’s life difficult, but he had enough extra pace on a skinny fuel load to get the job done and salvage some pride after his embarrassing blunder in qualifying yesterday.

Button’s fine drive netted his first official podium finish of the year (his third place at Imola having been annulled due to an underweight car), and provided further evidence that he can race wheel-to-wheel with the best.

The ailing Schumacher defended his fourth place valiantly but finally succumbed to Fisichella on lap 66.

Indeed, over the last few laps the world champion had his hands full fending off his brother Ralf and Coulthard.

Fifth place was scant reward for a never-say-die performance, one that will no doubt provoke another round of head-scratching at Maranello and Bridgestone’s Tokyo headquarters.

Alonso's win coupled with Raikkonen's DNF gives the Spaniard a well-nigh unassailable cushion in the points standings, and to compound his misery Kimi will have the least favourable slot in the running order for qualifying in Hungary next weekend.


The Finn once again did everything right but it will now take a minor miracle for him to stop Alonso becoming the youngest ever world champion this year.


German Grand Prix result

1. ALONSO Renault 1h26m28.599s

2. MONTOYA McLaren +22.5s

3. BUTTON BAR +24.4s

4. FISICHELLA Renault +50.5s

5. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari +51.6s

6. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota +52.2s

7. COULTHARD Red Bull +52.7s

8. MASSA Sauber +56.5s

9. KLIEN Red Bull +1m09.8s

10. BARRICHELLO Ferrari +1 lap

11. HEIDFELD Williams +1 lap

12. SATO BAR +1 lap

13. ALBERS Minardi +2 laps

14. TRULLI Toyota +3 laps

15. VILLENEUVE Sauber +3 laps

16. KARTHIKEYAN Jordan +3 laps

17. MONTEIRO Jordan +3 laps

18. DOORNBOS Minardi +4 laps

19. WEBBER Williams +12 laps

20. RAIKKONEN McLaren +32 laps

Credits: Oneshift News Team