Formula One news
Engine blow hands Alonso victory
24 July 2005 / Results / PhotosAnother engine failure for Kimi Raikkonen handed Fernando Alonso his sixth victory of the season and allowed the Spaniard to extend his championship lead to 36 points with just seven races remaining. Montoya came from the back of the grid to finish second ahead of Jenson Button.
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Raikkonen made a strong start from pole as Alonso challenged him around the outside of turn one. The Finn held his ground and from then on did not look back. Alonso did all he could to pressure Raikkonen from second place, but the Renault just did not have enough pace to match the McLaren.
Jenson Button had a poor start slipping from second to fourth, behind Michael Schumacher. At the end of the first lap Juan Pablo Montoya was already in eleventh place after starting from the back of the grid.
Takuma Sato was involved in an incident on the first lap when damaged his nose in a collision involving Webber and Trulli. Trulli and Sato pitted for repairs while Williams needed ten laps to get Webber's car back on track.
Raikkonen dominated the first part of the race, pitting later than everyone but Montoya and never relinquishing the lead. Montoya had been running in eighth, held up by Fisichella but the Colombian ran a longer first stint and by the end of the first round of pit stops had passed the Renault and set about hunting down fourth place from Jenson Button.
Half way through the race Raikkonen saw his championship chances go up in smoke as his Mercedes engine expired at the team's home circuit. The Finn wearily climbed from his car after yet another engine failure, a problem which has plagued his season. Alonso cruised into the lead with a comfortable advantage over Michael Schumacher knowing all he had to do was cruise to the flag.
While Alonso was cruising in first place, half a minute ahead of Michael Schumacher, the German began to struggle on his soft Bridgestone tyres. By lap 40 Button was right behind the Ferrari and eager to overtake. Juan Pablo Montoya had also cruised up to the back of Button. Button set up Michael Schumacher and outbraked the German down the inside of the hairpin, stealing second place on lap 45.
Button's second place would not last long, he pitted on the next lap and Schumacher came in another lap later. Montoya suddenly found himself with some clear air and put the hammer down. The Colombian kept going until lap 56 - just 11 laps from the end when he had built up enough advantage to refuel and retain second place.
Alonso cruised to the flag and his sixth victory of the season. The ten points takes him 36 clear of Raikkonen with just seven races remaining and now looks insurmountable. Montoya recovered from his qualifying spin to finish second after starting from the back of the grid. It was a great drive from the Colombian, but without his qualifying mistake it could have been so much better.
Jenson Button kept his cool and drove another strong race at the Hockenheimring to get back on the podium in third. Giancarlo Fisichella passed a struggling Michael Schumacher two laps from the end to secure fourth place for Renault. Michael fended off brother Ralf to claim fifth while David Coulthard and Felipe Massa claimed the remaining points in seventh and eighth.
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