tamermotorsports.com - Formula 1 - Great Prize of Australia

Who would be had bold to foretell a result like occurred in the Albert Park de Melbourne? , It is possible that many guessed right the three first positions. But who imagined that Mark Webber with the modest Minardi would finish fifth. Or, that only twelve cars completed the first return, or that the Williams BMW of Ralf Schumacher would become an authentic “Hunting” battle on the verge of taking off in the heat of straight main…
All this and more happened in the first date of the world-wide Championship of the F1, disputed in beautiful drawing up the street one of Melbourne, Australia.
The incidents of the first Great Prize began early. Even before the race begins. Both Arrows Cosworth de Heinz-Harad Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi remained unemployed in the heat of grilla to begin with. Neither A23 wanted to start. Later one knew that the problems were of electrical origin. Frentzen and Bernoldi managed to return later to track, but it was disqualified so that they omitted a red light in the street of boxes.
After this incident the true problems began. Ralf Schumacher, that had divided third party, realized an excellent one released and surpassed to its brother Michael. The next objective of Ralf, was the Ferrari de Rubens Barrichello. The German, with much more speed than the Ferrari de Barrichello, tried to surpass it by the internal side, in first I finish, and soon by the external side. Barrichello, with a quite unsportsmanlike attitude, treacherously blocked the road of the Williams BMW. Second blocked that Barrichello offered to him to Ralf it did not finish well. The German mounted on the back wheel of the F2001 and the Williams began in line straight a phantasmagoric flight. Luckyly, the single-seater did not ease up and Ralf finished against the containment barriers.
“These things happen in the races, and is a pain that Ralf and I finished the competition immediately. In the started one, I tried to defend my position and soon I had to restrain. Nonfodder has done that it too much soon. In fact, fodder, that rather on the contrary, I restrained later than the normal thing since something was worried that as this could happen. It was a fort impact and I consider that Ralf went too fast. Nonfodder that had been able to double in the curve”, commented Barrichello. On the other hand, Ralf said: “I had a great one started and it had already happened to Michael and I wanted to happen to Barrichello, so I tried to handle inwards but it closed the door. Soon I was myself on the part of outside it closed and it again. I made my last attempt go on the inside and it closed the door and it restrained at the same time. I cannot complain with respect to the braking, since we went towards the first curve, even though fodder were a little too much soon, but definitively changed of direction twice and we only have allowed to do it one. I felt like a passenger in an airplane.”
Behind this incident, the true Calvary. Nick Heidfeld realized an authentically ruthless maneuver, cutting the first curve by the internal side of I graze. Its Sauber Petronas was uncontrolled and returned to the track hitting against the squad, especially against the Jordan de Giancar it Fisichella.
“I could see a great accident being developed in front of me, and tried to stay on the inside to avoid problems. Unfortunately, I could not avoid to be catched in the argument. He would have been better for me if the race were prisoner, but thus are the races”, said Heidfeld.
In the mess they were eliminated Giancar it Fisichella, Felipe Massa, Nick Heidfeld, Jenson Button, Olivier Panis and Allan McNish. To these pilots Rubens Barrichello and Ralf Schumacher were added to him, by the touch carried out between both.
Inexplicably after this spectacular accident, most important from Belgium `98, the Directors of the race chose to make enter the Safety Car, instead of to put flag red and to return to resume the race. It would have been most logical with as much eliminated cars. A very unfortunate decision.
After the setback initial twelve cars only survived. David Coulthard inherited the end, followed of Jarno Trulli, Juan Pablo Montoya, Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, Pedro of the Rose, Takuma Sato and Mark Webber.
The Safety Car released the track after several returns and the race was started again. Coulthard began to escape, since Jarno Trulli was bottled in a fight everything or nothing against Michael Schumacher. The Ferrari far beyond the Renault, at all costs tried to surpass it. Trulli was defended through thick and thin but the pressure of the German was too much. When coming out of the first curve, the Italian realized I spin a top striking the wall. Again the Safety Car in track.
When the race was to seconds to be reinitiated happened the unexpected thing for David Coulthard. The Scot went of length in the “S” previous to the main straight line. A maneuver that lined the ridiculous situation and I leave Coulthard very badly stopped. Also it was not the day of the Scot, since it committed other three errors more until leaving definitively. Without words.
Before the amazing maneuver of the leader, Juan Pablo Montoya took advantage of the panic to stick to the Ferrari de Michael Schumacher and to surpass it at the end of the main straight line. The Colombian executed the amble by outside, demonstrating his inexhaustible anger to face the German. After this maneuver, Schumacher, with a car clearly superior to the one of Montoya began to watch it to reclaim the end. Both pilots carried out an unforgettable duel. Montoya spilled each drop of sweat to contain the impatient German. Finally, the Colombian went a little in the first turn, Schumacher was useful by the external side it surpassed and it. The emotion had been finished and the result of the race already was at sight.
From turn 35 the haltings in boxes began. First in doing it was Montoya, followed of Schumacher, Irvine and Raikkonen. After the haltings and with 40 completed returns, Schumacher was the comfortable leader followed of Montoya, Raikkonen, Irvine, Webber and Salo. Fascinating the work of these two last pilots. I publish Australian was delirious against the fifth position of Webber in its first Great Prize and with a modest Minardi.
“This was a really difficult race, and I had to tighten the way throughout. We had a little drama in the shutdown of pits, when the tongue-piece of opening of fuel report was not abrió, but we recovered and I did not lose the position. Whenever it arrived at the straight line from pits, it could see the public in the tribunes rise, but there was no picture flag, and he was not safe if the race had finished or no. I must say, that I was alleviated when I arrived and finally I saw they waved that it”, commented Webber.
The last part of the race did not present/display great alternatives, except for an interesting dispute between Mark Webber and Mika Salo by the fifth position. The Australian hold a position and Salo, I spin a top by means of, added the first point for Toyota.
The equipment Jaguar had its reward with the fourth position of Eddie Irvine. After a traumatic beginning, escudería adjudged three valuable points for the Glass of constructors.
Also the first presentation of Kimmi Raikkonen with McLaren is commendable. The young Finn did not commit errors, unlike Coulthard, he handled to he limits his single-seater and he obtained first podio of his sport race.
After this vibrant presentation of the F1 in Australia, the fans hope with more anxiety than ever the Great Prize of Malaysia, to dispute the 17 of March in Kuala Lampur. We waited for them by tamermotorsports.com

To see result of the race