F1 : Chinese Grand Prix

[Ferry_vO]

The last Grand prix of the 2005 campaign; Time to decide the constructors championship !

Renault leads McLaren by only two points, and the Macs have been in excellent shape for the last few races !

The saturday qualifying results :

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 01:34.080
2. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault 01:34.401
3. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 01:34.488
4. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 01:34.801
5. Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes 01:35.188
6. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 01:35.301
7. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth 01:35.428
8. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 01:35.610
9. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota 01:35.723
10. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW 01:35.739
11. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas 01:35.898
12. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota 01:36.044
13. Antonio Pizzonia Brazil Williams-BMW 01:36.445
14. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth 01:36.472
15. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota 01:36.707
16. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas 01:36.788
17. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 01:37.083
18. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth 01:39.105
19. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota 01:39.233
20. Robert Doornbos Holland Minardi-Cosworth 01:39.460

Seems the new Renault engine is giving them some extra speed; Both cars on the front row for the first time this season.

An interesting accident occured on the lap from the pits to the grid; Michael Schumacher was driving slowly towards the grid, and just as he sarted weaving to warm up the tyres, he was hit from the back by the much faster driving Christijan Albers, who could not avoid the former worldchampion.
Both will have to start in the spare car; Not ideal for the race.

Sunday's race results :

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 56 laps 01:39:53.618
2. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes +4.015
3. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +25.376
4. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault +26.114
5. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth +31.839
6. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +36.400
7. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW +36.842
8. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +41.249

9. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth +44.247
10. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas +59.977
11. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota +84.648
12. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +92.812
13. Antonio Pizzonia Brazil Williams-BMW +1 lap
14. Robert Doornbos Holland Minardi-Cosworth +1 lap
15. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +1 lap
16. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth +4 laps

Rtd Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 34 laps completed
Rtd Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota 28 laps completed
Rtd Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes 24 laps completed
Rtd Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 22 laps completed

Fastest lap:
Kimi Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes 01:33.242 lap 56

Renault ends on a high, with the seventh win (As many as Raikkonen) for Fernando Alonso. His win also means Renault take the constructors' championship in style. First time for Renault that they've won both championships as a constructor.

Montoya retired after hitting a loose drain cover (??) , Michael Schumacher spun out while driving behind the safety car and Karthikeyan destroyed his jordan in a highspeed shunt coming up on the long straight.

The final standings :

Drivers' championship :

1. FERNANDO ALONSO RENAULT 133
2. KIMI RAIKKONEN MCLAREN 112
3. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FERRARI 62
4. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA MCLAREN 60
5. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA RENAULT 58
6. RALF SCHUMACHER TOYOTA 45
7. JARNO TRULLI TOYOTA 43
8. RUBENS BARRICHELLO FERRARI 38
9. JENSON BUTTON BAR 37
10. MARK WEBBER WILLIAMS 36
11. NICK HEIDFELD WILLIAMS 28
12. DAVID COULTHARD RED BULL RACING 24
13. FELIPE MASSA SAUBER 11
14. JACQUES VILLENEUVE SAUBER 9
= CHRISTIAN KLIEN RED BULL RACING 9
16. TIAGO MONTEIRO JORDAN 7
17. ALEXANDER WURZ MCLAREN 6
18. NARAIN KARTHIKEYAN JORDAN 5
19. CHRISTIJAN ALBERS MINARDI 4
= PEDRO DE LA ROSA MCLAREN 4
21. PATRICK FRIESACHER MINARDI 3
22. ANTONIO PIZZONIA WILLIAMS 2
23. VITANTONIO LIUZZI RED BULL RACING 1
= TAKUMA SATO BAR 1

And the constructors' championship :

1. RENAULT 191
2. MCLAREN 182
3. FERRARI 100
4. TOYOTA 88
5. WILLIAMS 66
6. BAR 38
7. RED BULL RACING 34
8. SAUBER 20
9. JORDAN 12
10. MINARDI 7

Time for some goodbye's as well, now that the season has ended.

This was the last race with 3.0 liter V-10 engines; They'll be replaced with 2.4 liter V-8 engines from next season. (to reduce ever increasing speeds.)

China was also the last race for Jordan, Minardi, Sauber and BAR. From next season those teams will be known as respectively Midland, Squadra Toro Rosso (Italian for Team Red Bull; Red Bull bought the minardi team.), BMW and Honda.

There will also be a few drivers not on the grid next year; Most likely to leave are karthikeyan, Monteiro and both Dutch drivers Albers and Doornbos.

But maybe there will be eleven teams next year; According to rumours Honda migh start a second team next year. (With Sato and Davidson as drivers.)

This will also most likely most likely be my last F1 post here; Not much interest in F1 here I've noticed (Except Cybr and Panther; Thanks guys !).

[Sturmvogel]

This isn't the first time for the "loose drain cover" incident at Shanghai. Earlier this year during the Australian V8 Supercar visit to the track, one of the Fords hit a drain cover (in about the same spot I believe) which was then flung up into the underside of the car almost tearing it in half. The car then apparently suffered an engine failure due to the cables/hoses the cover severed. I'm actually suprised JPM made it back to the pits.

At least 2005 was a better season to 2004 ... Racing wise. Bring on 2006!

(And yes, I'll be at Melbourne).

[Ferry_vO]

I remember an accident quite a few years ago, when a porsche GT (956 or 962, not sure.) actually sucked a big drain cover through the car !

Those cars had a lot of downforce created by two large 'tunnels' under the car.
The vacuum underneath the vehicle caused the cover to shoot up, and rip straight through the bottom of the car, cutting and destroying several vital components.

The one Montoya hit was stuck at a ninety degree angle, and he hit it with his frontwheel, damaging the frontsuspension. Would not have been pretty if the cover was flung into the air by JPM's car, and maybe would have hit another car...:mix-smi:

[CybrSlydr]

Thanks for all the coverage, Ferror!!!!!! Much appreciated!

Too bad McLaren-Mercedes couldn't pull off the constructors this year - but there is next year. Congrats to Fernando and Renault!

[fliger747]

I was in Shanghai last week and saw some of the cars on display. In fact we saw some of the cars up close a bit earlier as we got to fly some of cars in for the event. One of the more fun type charter loads we get. Didn't get to stick around for the race though.