JENSON GETS POLE BUT ALONSO WINS IN OZ
(Images taken from BBC)
Well for the previous decade, the season started in Melbourne, the only reason that it didn't do so in 2006 was due to the Commonwealth Games. Still, the circus had finally arrived in Oz - but it's late arrival was paid for with cooler weather and a rougher track. Big names ahoy though and no one looking like they could stop a Renault charge to the title.
Qualifying was certainly eventful. Ide's general messiness in round one led to a red flag half way through and on the flipside of the DC and Jenson only just scrabbled through late on while Barrichello had the trapdoor shut in his face. Round 2 and DC looked like he'd be solid enough to reach the final round for the first time this season only to come up short after another red flag thanks to Massa crashing. Both Ferraris found themselves toasted with Michael in 11th and DC in 12th(which became 10th and 11th - the Scotsman's best grid spot of the season so far - after Villeneuve got thrown back ten places after an engine change). The final session got very interesting thanks to a short shower beforehand. Heidfeld was the first to set a time but Alonso was leading at the halfway point before Montoya destroyed the World Champion's time only for Alonso to later retake pole. However, soon there were four drivers steaming through on hot laps and one of them was Jenson, and the Brit ripped apart a Renault 1-2 by grabbing his first pole of 2006 with a wicked lap! Fisichella started second and Alonso third.
Unfortunately for Jenson that was as good as it got. He managed to hold on to his lead at the start only for a safety car to be needed early on after a midfield pile up. The Honda's chilled tyres were no good at the restart and Jenson got toasted by Alonso. Klien crashed out a few laps later and up came another safety car...and it was the surging Raikonen who snatched second from Button on this occassion. Montoya then took third off Button who later fell behind Heidfeld in the pits and his dodgy tyres sent him back to sixth. Montoya's electrics stopped working late on which boosted Jenson up to fifth but he then had the resurgent Fisichella on his heels and though he was technically able to hold the Italian off his engine then blew on the start-finish straight of the last lap! A sickening end to the Grand Prix though he did offically pick up 10th place.
DC, after getting involved in the early midfield pile up DC found himself in 15th and generally had a pretty quiet race despite getting held up by Sato early on. Once he took care of the Japanese driver though, he was one of the main beneficaries of retirements further up the fields and Jenson's blown engine allowed him to finish ninth...only to amazingly given the circumstances picked up his first point of the season when Speed was disqualified for overtaking up der yellow flags putting the Scotsman up to eighth.
Further up, an on form Ralf Schumacher managed to make his way into third place with Heidfeld finishing in fourth. However from the time he overtook Button after the first restart there was only ever going to be one winner. Alonso got his second victory of the season and Raikonen got second.
Lessons learned in Austrailia:
Honda: If your tyre supplier thinks that the compound you want for a race is useless in certain conditions, it might be wise to listen to them. Credit where credit's due though, Honda boss Nick Fry has admitted the blatently obvious - his guys have a lot of work to do before the show hits Europe.
The Championship standings looks like this: Alonso leading with 28 points, Fisichella is up to second with 14 points(including a win in Malaysia), Raikonen up to third, also with 14 points, Michael Schumacher down to fourth with 11 points(including a second in Bahrain) and Jenson down to fifth, also with 11. DC gets on the scoresheet with one point, putting him in 14th.
Who's going to challenge Alonso?
Comments go here
Click here to return to sports homepage
Click here to return to Matt G's homepage