Ferrari Score Another 1-2 at the Bahrain GP
Sunday April 4th, 2004
By Will Gray
World champion Michael Schumacher completed Ferrari's desert storm on Sunday when he left his rivals trailing in his dust to win the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix and keep up his 100 percent record for this season.
German Schumacher escaped pre-race perils of sand storms and light rain to post his third consecutive victory from pole position in three races as the opposition floundered on the new track.
In doing so he equalled his best ever start to the season for Ferrari and, in 31 degree heat under overcast skies, proved to his rivals that their trophy cabinets could once again remain as empty as the arid Middle East landscape.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello finished second to hand Ferrari their second one-two in three races as their long-term rivals fell away and Briton Jenson Button claimed his second consecutive podium finish for BAR-Honda.
Schumacher's win strengthened his stranglehold on the early-season title battle as he moved nine points clear of Barrichello with Button moving up to third place with 15 points.
Italian Jarno Trulli finished fourth for Renault with Takuma Sato, of Japan, fifth to hand BAR their first double-points finish of the season and move them to join third with Williams.
Spaniard Fernando Alonso claimed three more points for Renault to put his team up to second some 29 points behind Ferrari, while German Ralf Schumacher, of Williams-BMW, and Australian Mark Webber, of Jaguar, claimed the final points.
The wind that had gusted over the circuit earlier in the day had abated by the time the cars lined up on the grid but a few spots of rain continued to fall and temperatures remained below 30 degrees Celsius.
Italian Gianmaria Bruni failed to get going from the grid when he stalled his Minardi and McLaren-Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen, of Finland, was almost left behind him but got going in time to line up in his 19th place.
The Ferrari pair had a smooth start to claim the first corner as their own, with Barrichello trailing Schumacher and Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya slotting into third for Williams-BMW as Sato got past German Ralf Schumacher's Williams.
Trulli was also a winner at the start as he passed Button to move into sixth while Webber finally had a good start and shot up to 10th from 14th as his Austrian team-mate Christian Klien dropped three places to 15th.
Alonso, attempting to fight his way up from 16th on the grid, collided on his way through the pack and was forced to pit at the end of the first lap for a new nosecone, dropping him to 19th place.
Michael Schumacher posted a couple of fastest laps as the field remained static but his brother Ralf hit trouble at the start of lap seven when he attempted to pass the BAR of Sato ahead of him.
Schumacher made it through on the inside of turn one but then Sato attempted to keep his nose inside into turn two, refused to give way and clattered into the Williams. Sato stayed out, Schumacher pitted and dropped to the back.
Raikkonen's race came to a fiery end on lap eight when the rear of his car erupted in flames to end a disastrous weekend that had seen his team already forced to change his engine after Friday practice.
Michael Schumacher was the first driver to pit when he came in at the end of lap nine and he was stationary for 7.2 seconds. Barrichello and Montoya were in on the next lap and stopped for 12.1 and 9.2 seconds respectively.
Once all of the first pit stops were completed, by lap 13, Schumacher led Barrichello by 11.7 seconds with Montoya 15.1 seconds back followed by Trulli, Sato, Button, German Nick Heidfeld of Jordan and Scot David Coulthard's McLaren.
Klien spun his Jaguar at turn 11 on lap 16 and two laps later Sato, under pressure from Button, ran wide over the kerbs. The incident damaged his front wing and he pitted for 11 seconds for a new nose to be put on his car.
With 20 laps gone, Schumacher was 13.5 seconds ahead of Barrichello and 21.5 seconds ahead of Montoya. Trulli was fourth, Button fifth, Coulthard sixth, Webber seventh and Giancarlo Fisichella of Sauber in the final spot.
Coulthard and Webber were the first of the top eight to pit for a second time on lap 23 and race leader Schumacher pitted one lap later, stopping for 8.1 seconds then just getting past Trulli when he came out alongside the Renault driver.
The second round of stops were completed on lap 27 and it left Schumacher 12.1 seconds ahead of Barrichello and 19.4 seconds ahead of Montoya with Trulli, Button, Coulthard, Sato and Webber completing the top eight.
Former Minardi pair Alonso and Webber had an entertaining and aggressive battle on lap 31 with the frustrated Renault driver raising his hand out the cockpit to demonstrate his frustration.
But Webber failed to cope with the pressure from Alonso and when he missed his braking point into turn one on lap 32 he was passed leaving the Spanish Renault driver free to quickly gather his pace.
Sato, undeterred by his previous clash with Schumacher, attacked Coulthard into turn one on lap 33, made the move stick and held his line on the outside of turn two to move up a place into sixth.
Before the third round of stops began, with Sato coming in on lap 37, Schumacher had a 12.9 second lead over Barrichello with Montoya almost twice as far behind and Trulli, Button, Sato, Coulthard and Alonso completing the top eight.
Button gained a place in the third stops when quick pit work moved him ahead of Trulli and up to fourth. Alonso moved past Coulthard to put himself into seventh place.
Schumacher and Barrichello, meanwhile, stayed comfortably out in front after smooth final stops of 7.6 and 6.9 seconds respectively to leave Montoya in their dust and 22.8 seconds off the lead.
Montoya picked up a problem, however, and Button passed him to put himself in line for another podium finish on lap 49. Trulli then moved past as the ailing Williams dropped back on lap 50 and eventually finished 13th.
Coulthard dropped out of the points when he pitted on lap 51 then stopped at the end of the pit lane, disconsolately replacing his steering wheel before marching back down to his pit garage. |
