FORCDA 2010 Season

[Wizzie]

2009 Pre-Season Test 1: Barcelona, Spain

Before pre-season testing began there were many rumours concerning certain teams. First up was the unexpected news of Honda pulling out of Formula One. After months of speculations the team was eventually bought out by Ross Brawn with Jenson Button and Frank Zimmer at the wheel. The car immediately turned out to be a rocketship with Button and Zimmer putting the second and fourth fastest times over the 2 hour session. Next was the continuing saga at Williams after their dismal 9th place finish in the constructors championship last year. With less prize money heading to the team Sir Frank Williams has been forced to go for free Toyota engines with Kazuki Nakajima over the proven talent of Heikki Kovalainen while over at Toro Rosso there was little surprise as Sebastian Buemi was signed alongside Thomas De Bock. Finally there was a huge surprise as a new team in the form of USF1 took to the grid with Cosworth engines and drivers Scott Speed and Danica Patrick. However Patrick has clearly stated that she will only run races that won't clash with her IndyCar schedule which means Christian Klien will do quite a few races in the USF1 car.

Entry List:

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
1. L. Hamilton
2. S. Jones
T/D. G. Paffert/P. De La Rosa

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
3. K. Raikkonen
4. F. Massa
T/D. L. Badoer/G. Fisichella

BMW Sauber F1 Team
5. D. Melrose
6. R. Kubica
T/D. D. Simpson/M. Asmer

Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari
7. T. De Bock
8. S. Buemi
T/D. J. Alguersuari/B. Hartley

Red Bull Racing Renault
9. M. Webber
10. S. Vettel
T/D. S. Bourdais/M. Ammermuller

ING Renault F1 Team
11. F. Alonso
12. N. Piquet Jr
T/D. R. Grosjean/L. Di Grassi

Panasonic Toyota Racing
14. T. Glock
15. J. Trulli
T/D. K. Kobayashi

Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes
16. F. Zimmer
17. J. Button
T/D. A. Davidson/A. Wurz

AT&T Williams Toyota
18. N. Rosberg
19. K. Nakajima
T/D. H. Kovalainen/R. Barrichello

Force India F1 Team Mercedes
20. P. McAllister
21. A. Sutil
T/D. V. Liuzzi/N. Hulkenberg

US F1 Team Cosworth
22. D. Patrick
23. S. Speed
T/D. C. Klien

Test Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1:18.588
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +2.396 (No, I can't explain the gap either. )
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): +2.925
4. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +3.076
5. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +3.252
6. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +3.332
7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +3.607
8. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +3.631
9. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +3.719
10. F. Alonso (Renault): +3.739
11. J. Trulli (Toyota): +3.800
12. T. Glock (Toyota): +3.800
13. R. Kubica (BMW): +3.865
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota): +4.659
15. N. Piquet Jr (Renault): +5.042
16. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +5.061
17. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +5.089
18. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari): +5.119
19. F. Massa (Ferrari): +6.233
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari): +6.554
21. D. Patrick (USF1-Cosworth): +7.451
22. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +7.502

[East Londoner]

Test Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1:18.588
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +2.396 (No, I can't explain the gap either. )

I'm assuming you've turned the difficulty back down to 5%

[Phoenix]

Test Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1:18.588
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +2.396 (No, I can't explain the gap either. )

I'm assuming you've turned the difficulty back down to 5%

More like 1% to me, if that's even possible.

[Wizzie]

Nah. I'm just that damn brilliant

Anyways:

2009 Pre-Season Test 2: Silverstone, Great Britain

Test Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1:17.819
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1.775
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): +2.259
4. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +2.356
5. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +2. 575
6. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +2.703
7. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +2.717
8. F. Alonso (Renault): +2.785
9. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +2.848
10. J. Trulli (Toyota): +3.119
11. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +3.213
12. R. Kubica (BMW): +3.345
13. T. Glock (Toyota): +3.419
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota): +3.829
15. N. Piquet Jr (Renault): +4.185
16. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari): +4.401
17. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +4.407
18. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +4.600
19. F. Massa (Ferrari): +5.362
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari): +5.680
21. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +6.659
22. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth): +6.800

[Wizzie]

2009: Round 1: Australia

Qualifying:

With rain falling on the Albert Park circuit there was some hope that Daniel Melrose could have been stopped before the juggernaut really took off. However all the rain did was make Melrose's talent even more obvious as his first lap (and only) lap was good enough for pole by a considerable margin. Jenson Button was the best of the rest in 2nd place with teammate Frank Zimmer 4th infront of his home crowd. Robert Kubica shook off to an extent the troubles he had in pre-season testing to put the sister BMW in 7th place. However there was no such luck for Ferrari with Kimi Raikkonen having alot of work to do from 13th on the grid with Felipe Massa a dismal 19th.

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
4. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
5. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
6. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
7. R. Kubica (BMW)
8. F. Alonso (Renault)
9. J. Trulli (Toyota)
10. T. Glock (Toyota)
11. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
12. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
13. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
15. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
16. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
17. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
18. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
19. F. Massa (Ferrari)
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
21. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
22. D. Patrick (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

Daniel Melrose was simply peerless around the Albert Park Streeet Circuit as he won his thrid Australian Grand Prix in 4 years by over a lap from Jenson Button who did a similar demolition job on the rest of the field. Frank Zimmer and Sebastian Vettel were both in contention for the last spot on the podium before both cars retired with mechanical problems. Lewis Hamilton therefore got his championship defense off to a solid start with 3rd place ahead of the disappointed Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso finished 5th for the third race in a row continuing his streak from last season with Timo Glock 6th. Sammy Jones passed Kimi Raikkonen with a few laps to go to secure 7th and 2 points with the Iceman salvaging 8th at the end of the race.

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 17m 04.711
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +1 LAP
4. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +1 LAP
5. F. Alonso (Renault): +2 LAPS
6. T. Glock (Toyota): +2 LAPS
7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
8. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +2 LAPS
9. J. Trulli (Toyota): +2 LAPS
10. R. Kubica (BMW): +2 LAPS
11. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
12. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
13. N. Piquet Jr (Renault): +2 LAPS
14. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
15. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
16. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari): +3 LAPS
17. F. Massa (Ferrari): +3 LAPS
18. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +4 LAPS
DNF. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
DNF. D. Patrick (USF1-Cosworth)
DNF. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
DNF. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:32.272
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.25.135
Leaders: D. Melrose: 1-58 (Total: 58)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 10 points (1 win)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 8 points (1 2nd)
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 6 points (1 3rd)
4. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 5 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
5. F. Alonso (Renault): 4 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
6. T. Glock (Toyota): 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 2 points (Best Result: 1 7th)
8. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)

Constructors:

1. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 10 points (1 win)
2. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 8 points (1 2nd)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 8 points (1 3rd)
4. Red Bull Racing Renault: 5 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
5. ING Renault F1 Team: 4 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
6. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
7. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)

Next up is the 11th running of the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit.

[Wizzie]

Race results for Australia now up.

[Wizzie]

Pre-Malaysia:

It turns out Patrick in one of the USF1 cars is not much more than a publicity stunt thanks to her Indycar Commitments which means Christian Klien will do the next 11 races in the USF1 car alongside Scott Speed. Felipe Massa on the other hand is looking increasingly likely to not last the next 11 races as his dismal performance in Australia has made him an effective persona non grata at Ferrari. The logical choice would be to put either Badoer or Fisichella in the car in the next few races but there are rumours floating about from Spain that Spaniard Phoenix McAllister may be on the verge of signing a 3 year deal with Ferrari starting next season.

Round 2: Malaysia:

Qualifying:

Everyone was left scratching their heads after qualifying in Malaysia. Daniel Melrose's first lap of his first and only run would have been good enough for pole except he found another 1.1 seconds over the next 2 laps to make his pole position all the more secure. Jenson Button joined Melrose on the front row for the second race in a row while the Red Bull duo beat Frank Zimmer to row 2. Kimi Raikkonen hauled his Ferrari into the top 10 but there was no such luck for Felipa Massa who was stuck on row 10 for the second race in a row.

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
4. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
5. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
6. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
7. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
8. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
9. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
10. J. Trulli (Toyota)
11. F. Alonso (Renault)
12. T. Glock (Toyota)
13. R. Kubica (BMW)
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
15. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
16. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
17. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
18. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
19. F. Massa (Ferrari)
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
21. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)
22. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

One can't help but feel sorry for Mark Webber as the one time he gets into a front running car he has a future legend as a teammate and the car is fragile as he made an unscheduled pitstop for a loose wheel which relegated him out of podium contention. There were no such problems however for fellow Australian Daniel Melrose as he marched home to another win by over a lap from Jenson Button and Frank Zimmer who scored his first podium after being so cruely denied in Australia. Kimi Raikkonen demonstrated Ferrari's good race pace to pick up 5 points for 4th while veteran Sammy Jones led home McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton for 5th and 6th. Mark Webber eventally salvaged a point for 8th place in what was a bad day for the Red Bull teams as both Sebastian Vettel and Sebastian Buemi retired with mechanical problems and Thomas De Bock being nowhere again. Buemi was also delayed by a first lap collision which involved himself, Pheonix McAllister, Felipe Massa and Kazuki Nakajima which put the Ferrari and Williams out of the race with the USF1s suddenly finding themselves in the lower midfield. However it didn't last long as Christian Klien's engine blew up after a few laps and Scott Speed fell back before an oil leak put him out.

Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 29m 54.805
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
4. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +1 LAP
5. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +1 LAP
6. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +1 LAPS
7. F. Alonso (Renault): +1 LAP
8. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +1 LAP
9. J. Trulli (Toyota): +1 LAP
10. R. Kubica (BMW): +2 LAPS
11. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
12. T. Glock (Toyota): +2 LAPS
13. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
14. N. Piquet Jr (Renault): +2 LAPS
15. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
16. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari): +3 LAPS
DNF. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
DNF. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
DNF. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
DNF. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)
DNF. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
DNF. F. Massa (Ferrari)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:33.374
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.34.200
Leaders: D. Melrose: 1-56 (Total: 56)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 20 points (2 wins)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 16 points (2 2nds)
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 9 points (1 3rd)
4. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): 6 points (1 3rd)
=5. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
=5. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
=7. F. Alonso (Renault): 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
=7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
9. T. Glock (Toyota): 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)

Constructors:

1. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 22 points (2 2nds, 1 3rd)
2. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 20 points (2 wins)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 15 points (1 3rd)
4. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
5. Red Bull Racing Renault: 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
6. ING Renault F1 Team: 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
7. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 3 points (Best Result: 1 6th)

Next up is the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit, a track where Melrose has never won at.

[Wizzie]

Race results for Malaysia now up.

[MinardiFan95]

2005 Australian GP Practice

The wait is over as the Formula One season kicks off in Melbourne. For the Australian crowd this practice session has extra significance, as it is the first time that Daniel Melrose will drive a Ferrari in a Grand Prix race, but also the fact that 3 Australian drivers competed in the first practice session, as Melrose's former junior category teammate Dave Simpson took to the track in a one off drive for the Minardi team. Initially he was two seconds slower than teammate Albers, but he improved after each lap behind the wheel, even holding off Fisichella for a full lap and setting a lap faster than Albers and the rival Jordans. The car was brought back to the pits to have the qualifying setup applied. Dave was brought out behind the Ferrari's, and astonishingly he caught them and managed to pass Schumacher, with the crowd going absolutely nuts! Schumacher, however did not like this one bit, and promptly cut in front of the Minardi at the end of the back straight, leaving Simpson with nowhere to go but the rear of Schumi's car and into the gravel trap with broken suspension.

Times from FP1:

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Australian Grand Prix:
IT’S BACK!!

Qualifying:
The two McLaren drivers, Davies and Hakkinen, immediately took the front row, with just 3 tenths between them. The next best were Montoya in his Williams and Frentzen for Jordan - 1 and a half seconds behind Davies! Of course, Montoya and Michael Schumacher both improved as the session went on, but not enough to prevent Davies taking pole position at his home race.

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:23.189
2nd: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.374
3rd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +0.388
4th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.477
5th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1.282
6th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1.306
7th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +1.370
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.602
9th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.671
10th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1.751
11th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.077
12th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +2.189
13th: J. Button (Benetton): +2.523
14th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +2.691
15th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +3.014
16th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +3.377
17th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +4.182
18th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +4.287
19th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +4.660
20th: T. Marques (Minardi): +4.983
21st: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +5.081
22nd: J. Alesi (Prost): +5.121

Race:
McLaren told Davies that they want him to pit on lap 2 of 6. Bit early (even for a short race), but whatever. It meant he’d pit before Hakkinen did. At the start, Montoya got the initial jump, but couldn’t hold off Davies. At the back, Bernoldi made a brilliant start, ruined by Fisichella running up his backside at turn 3. Davies ran wide at 14, losing a spot to Montoya but staying ahead of Hakkinen. The pit stop on lap 2 went ahead without a hitch, with Ralf Schumacher, Jones and Heidfeld all pitting as well. Davies emerged 13th between Fisichella and Frentzen, who had pitted on lap 1. While running fourth, Barrichello’s engine blew up, and as Davies came up behind Fisichella at turn 11, he was unsighted and hit Rubens, sending them both spinning. Frentzen was also caught up in this, running straight ahead. As the leaders stopped that lap, Davies found himself 7th, behind Raikkonen and barely ahead of Panis! It became 6th as Button pitted on lap 4. The collision with Barrichello had done damage, as he couldn’t shake Panis while Raikkonen’s Sauber disappeared into the distance. The pressure of the BAR was released when Panis spun on some oil left behind by Barrichello, but with one lap to go, Raikkonen was 3 seconds up the road. The new 7th placed driver was Sammy Jones, but he was 10 seconds back. Up front, Ralf took victory from Montoya, after Williams botched his stop.

1st: R. Schumacher (Williams): 8:45.374
2nd: J. Montoya (Williams): +1.927
3rd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +8.036
4th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +9.389
5th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +13.215
6th: R. Davies (McLaren): +23.671
7th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +33.402
8th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +34.540
9th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +35.705
10th: O. Panis (BAR): +37.497
11th: J. Button (Benetton): +41.523
12th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +44.606
13th: T. Marques (Minardi): +46.822
14th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +50.116
15th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +51.069
16th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +54.543
17th: J. Alesi (Prost): +57.259
18th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1:16.080
19th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +1 LAP
DNF: G. Fisichella (Benetton): Suspension
DNF: J. Villeneuve (BAR): Engine
DNF: J. Trulli (Jordan): Suspension

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 10
2nd: J. Montoya - 6
3rd: M. Schumacher - 4
4th: M. Hakkinen - 3
5th: K. Raikkonen - 2
6th: R. Davies - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 16
= 2nd: Ferrari - 4
= 2nd: McLaren - 4
4th: Sauber - 2

And now it’s off to Sepang, now at the start of the year.

[Wizzie]

2004: Round 7: Europe

Qualifying:

The 18 year old Daniel Melrose in his first season in Formula One has been in impeccable form in a Minardi which has obviously benefited from the finance and input Ferrari have put into the car. Ferrari are advised to put some more effort into their car as Melrose came even closer than he did in Monaco to scoring his first pole position. This time the gap between him and polesitter Michael Schumacher was under 3 hundreths of a second ahead of the BAR pair of Takuma Sato and Jenson Button with the second Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello a relatively disappointing 7th. Sauber were nowhere as both suffered massive handling issues to be 17th (Massa) and 19th (Fisichella) who will be joined in the last row by McLaren's David Coulthard.

Grid:
1. M. Schumacher (Ferrari)
2. D. Melrose (Minardi-Cosworth)
3. T. Sato (BAR-Honda)
4. J. Button (BAR-Honda)
5. K. Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes)
6. J. Trulli (Renault)
7. R. Barrichello (Ferrari)
8. J. Pablo Montoya (Williams-BMW)
9. R. Schumacher (Williams-BMW)
10. O. Panis (Toyota)
11. F. Alonso (Renault)
12. C. Da Matta (Toyota)
13. C. Klien (Jaguar-Cosworth)
14. M. Webber (Jaguar-Cosworth)
15. N. Heidfeld (Jordan-Ford)
16. G. Pantano (Jordan-Ford)
17. F. Massa (Sauber-Petronas)
18. Z. Baumgartner (Minardi-Cosworth)
19. G. Fisichella (Sauber-Petronas)
20. D. Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)

Race:
To say that Daniel Melrose was fuming after the European Grand Prix was an understatement as time and again he got held up and involved with incidents in traffic before eventually retiring after Giorgio Pantano slammed into the back of the Australian whilst he was hunting down Michael Schumacher. With Melrose elminated Schumacher eased off to take yet another Ferrari win this season ahead of teammate Rubens Barrichello and the Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso. Jaguar scored 5 vital points with Mark Webber 5th and Christian Klien 8th with Juan Pablo Montoya and Giancarlo Fisichella filling the other points positions.

Results:
1. M. Schumacher (Ferrari): 1h 36m 07.916s
2. R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1.494
3. J. Trulli (Renault): +10.159*
4. F. Alonso (Renault): +1:33.036
5. M. Webber (Jaguar-Cosworth): +1 LAP
6. J. Pablo Montoya (Williams-BMW): +1 LAP
7. G. Fisichella (Sauber-Petronas): +1 LAP
8. C. Klien (Jaguar-Cosworth): +1 LAP
9. N. Heidfeld (Jordan-Ford): +1 LAP
10. F. Massa (Sauber-Petronas): +1 LAP
11. Z. Baumgartner (Minardi-Cosworth): +2 LAPS
12. R. Schumacher (Williams-BMW): +2 LAPS
DNF. D. Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes)
DNF. D. Melrose (Minardi-Cosworth)
DNF. G. Pantano (Jordan-Ford)
DNF. K. Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes)
DNF. T. Sato (BAR-Honda)
DNF. O. Panis (Toyota)
DNF. J. Button (BAR-Honda)
DNF. C. Da Matta (Toyota)

Pole: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): 1.31.807
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (Minardi-Cosworth): 1:31.525
Leaders: M. Schumacher: 1-15, 23-47, 56-60 (Total: 25)
D. Melrose: 16-22 (Total: 7)
R. Barrichello: 48-55 (Total: 8)

Championship Standings (Half points for Bahrain):
Drivers:
1. M. Schumacher (Ferrari): 44 points (3 wins, 2 2nds)
2. R. Barrichello (Ferrari): 42.5 points (1 win, 3 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. D. Melrose (Minardi-Cosworth): 33 points (2 2nds, 3 3rds)
4. J. Button (BAR-Honda): 27 points (2 wins, 1 3rd)
5. J. Trulli (Renault): 27 points (1 win, 1 3rd)
6. F. Alonso (Renault): 19 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
7. J. Pablo Montoya (Williams-BMW): 17 points (1 3rd)
8. D. Coulthard (McLaren-Mercedes): 8 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
9. C. Da Matta (Toyota): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
10. O. Panis (Toyota): 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
11. M. Webber (Jaguar-Cosworth): 5.5 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
12. R. Schumacher (Williams-BMW): 5 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
13. T. Sato (BAR-Honda): 4.5 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
14. N. Heidfeld (Jordan-Ford): 4 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
15. G. Fisichella (Sauber-Petronas): 4 points (Best Result: 1 7th)
16. C. Klien (Jaguar-Cosworth): 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)

Constructors:
1. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 76.5 points (4 wins, 5 2nds, 1 3rd)
2. Mild Seven Renault F1 Team: 46 points (1 win, 1 3rd)
3. Wilux Minardi Cosworth: 33 points (2 2nds, 3 3rds)
4. Lucky Strike BAR Honda: 31.5 points (2 wins, 1 3rd)
5. BMW WilliamsF1 Team: 22 points (1 3rd)
6. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 12 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
7. West McLaren Mercedes: 8 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. Jaguar Racing Cosworth: 6.5 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
9. Jordan Ford: 4 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
10. Sauber Petronas: 4 points (Best Result: 1 7th)

Next up is the first of the North American races in Montreal for the Canadian GP

[Phoenix]

Impeccable form = it's very easy to keep the car on the black stuff on Very Easy difficulty

[Wizzie]

Impeccable form = it's very easy to keep the car on the black stuff on Very Easy difficulty

And to think that I was about to give you a long term contract at Ferrari

Seriously though it's all down to setup work. Straightline speed doesn't really matter that much in GP4 and you really need a car that turns well (Hence why I struggled so much in 2008 because the car simply didn't want to stop and turn) so the more forward you can move the balance of the car the better.

[Phoenix]

Impeccable form = it's very easy to keep the car on the black stuff on Very Easy difficulty

And to think that I was about to give you a long term contract at Ferrari

You can still give me a long term contract at McLaren, perhaps in place of Sammy Jones

And since when does a Minardi PS04 turn well?

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Malaysian Grand Prix

Qualifying:
Nothing special here. Davies took pole. Again. By more than a second. Again.

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:29.546
2nd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1.254
3rd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +1.295
4th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +1.705
5th: J. Montoya (Williams): +1.755
6th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +2.048
7th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +2.164
8th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +2.382
9th: O. Panis (BAR): +2.505
10th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +3.095
11th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +3.126
12th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +3.381
13th: J. Button (Benetton): +3.417
14th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +3.479
15th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +3.688
16th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +4.392
17th: J. Alesi (Prost): +5.428
18th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +5.702
19th: T. Marques (Minardi): +5.954
20th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +6.104
21st: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +6.307
22nd: F. Alonso (Minardi): +6.349

Race:
Hakkinen got the jump on Ralf Schumacher, and then passed Barrichello at turn 4. However, Davies had already pulled a second on the lot of them. Schumacher would be the first to pit at the end of lap 1. By the end of lap 2, Davies had a 3 second lead. That became almost 4 seconds when Davies pitted on lap 3. Montoya, Raikkonen, Panis and Jones also stopped. Davies popped out in 3rd, 10 seconds behind Montoya and 3 ahead of Barrichello, after a pathetically slow pit stop. Unfortunately, Davies also botched the out lap, so when Hakkinen stopped on lap 4, he was right behind his teammate. Raikkonen’s engine blew that lap, and spilled oil at turn 4, although he managed to get back to the pits pretty quick. As Davies started the last lap, Montoya was still 9 seconds up the road, and Hakkinen was falling back. He managed to stay 2nd to take the 6 points.

1st: J. Montoya (Williams): 9:33.590
2nd: R. Davies (McLaren): +9.881
3rd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +12.100
4th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +14.483
5th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +17.779
6th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +20.142
7th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +23.015
8th: O. Panis (BAR): +23.889
9th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +43.194
10th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +44.006
11th: J. Button (Benetton): +46.371
12th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +46.895
13th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +48.010
14th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +51.930
15th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +1:01.072
16th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1:01.843
17th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +1:08.567
18th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +1:09.551
19th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1 LAP
20th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +1 LAP
21st: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +1 LAP
DNF: T. Marques (Minardi): Suspension

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: J. Montoya - 16
2nd: R. Schumacher - 12
= 3rd: R. Davies - 7
= 3rd: M. Hakkinen - 7
5th: M. Schumacher - 5
6th: R. Barrichello - 3
7th: K. Raikkonen - 2

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 28
2nd: McLaren - 14
3rd: Ferrari - 8
4th: Sauber - 2

Next up is the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Brazilian Grand Prix

Qualifying:
Davies took his third pole of the year, but only by tenths over Barrichello. Interlagos has never been one of his strong tracks, so any points here would be brilliant.
1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:09.536
2nd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +0.320
3rd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +0.339
4th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.717
5th: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.784
6th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.934
7th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1.171
8th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1.209
9th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.326
10th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.510
11th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +1.597
12th: J. Button (Benetton): +1.749
13th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1.829
14th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +1.898
15th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.517
16th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +2.626
17th: J. Alesi (Prost): +3.527
18th: T. Marques (Minardi): +3.764
19th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +4.044
20th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +4.135
21st: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +4.525
22nd: F. Alonso (Minardi): +4.610

Race:
The only incident at turn 1 was Mazzacane running up the backside of his teammate Alesi, with Alonso driving into them both. Davies managed to hold the lead for the first lap, but he ran straight ahead at turn 4 on lap 2 and lost the spot to Barrichello. Michael Schumacher meanwhile was a bit upset after a clash with Hakkinen at the Senna chicane, and did not want to see any silver or red cars in front of him. Unfortunately for him, running in third place meant he was looking at another Ferrari and a McLaren. Of course, Jarno Trulli barging his way past on lap 3 didn’t help. And then he hit Montoya. Not a good da. Trulli would also wind up spinning Davies, spinning himself and allowing Frentzen into second and Heidfeld into third. Davies would get going in fourth, while Panis got past Trulli for 5th. Davies would pit that lap, along with Panis, Trulli and Montoya. Montoya would once again get out ahead of Davies, gaining three spots. They would emerge 15th and 16th, right behind Ralf Schumacher. As a lot of drivers filed in on lap 4, Davies got to 11th, but now 2 seconds behind Montoya. That blew out to 5 seconds after yet another mistake while trying to pass Hakkinen as the Finn exited the pits. Davies managed to pass him properly the second time around for 8th with three laps to go. And then he spun at Juncao, dropping behind Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher. Well, until they collided on the straight. Thanks to more stops, Davies was now 7th with two to go, a long way behind Hakkinen and with Jones and Button breathing down his neck. That became 6th as Frentzen slowed in the second sector, and hit both the Jag and Benetton! Both continued, now 7th and 8th, but they lost a lot of time to Davies. They stayed that way when they all eventually crossed the line. Barrichello won his home race, 11 seconds ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld.

1st: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): 9:58.740
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +11.504
3rd: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +17.449
4th: J. Montoya (Williams): +19.581
5th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +20.893
6th: R. Davies (McLaren): +31.020
7th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +40.481
8th: J. Button (Benetton): +42.724
9th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +43.169
10th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +45.095
11th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +46.400
12th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +51.323
13th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +52.595
14th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +54.649
15th: T. Marques (Minardi): +1:00.272
16th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1 LAP (Engine/Collision)
17th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +1 LAP
18th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1 LAP
19th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): Collision
20th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): Engine
21st: F. Alonso (Minardi): Suspension
22nd: O. Panis (BAR): Engine

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: J. Montoya - 19
2nd: R. Schumacher - 18
3rd: R. Barrichello - 13
4th: M. Hakkinen - 9
5th: R. Davies - 8
6th: M. Schumacher - 5
7th: N. Heidfeld - 4
8th: K. Raikkonen - 2

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 37
2nd: Ferrari - 18
3rd: McLaren - 17
4th: Sauber - 6

Next it’s the San Marino GP at Imola.

[Wizzie]

A question for Mr Davies. First of all how have you settled into the team so far and secondly do you think you can defend your championship despite the slow start to your season?

[the Masked Lapwing]

A question for Mr Davies. First of all how have you settled into the team so far and secondly do you think you can defend your championship despite the slow start to your season?

I have settled into the team very well so far. Everyone here is a great bunch of guys, and Mika has been helping me to get the most out of the car. Yes, I have had a slow start to the year, both of us have. But I feel that with perserverance we can climb back to the top. Some of my favourite tracks are coming up, like Imola, Barcelona and Monaco, so I expect we can turn things around.

[Wizzie]

Pre-China:

The "McAllister to Ferrari" rumours have gotten stronger by the day but more interestingly there are also rumours that fellow Spaniad Fernando Alonso might be going to Ferrari aswell. Couple that with Kimi Raikkonen who in his own right is a world class driver and you have a mathematical equation that simply doesn't work. Not that Felipe Massa would know anything about it as Ferrari have told him he's only got a definite drive as far as Monaco if he doesn't pick up the pace soon. Thomas De Bock has reportedly been given a similar warning at Toro Rosso as Sebastian Buemi has been consistantly out-performing the Belgian driver.

Round 3: China

Qualifying:

Yet again rain produced a mixed up grid although it was the same men up front with Daniel Melrose scoring another pole position ahead of Jenson Button and Mark Webber. From there the grid gets very interesting with Melrose's teammate Robert Kubica 4th, Kazuki Nakajima 5th and Sebastian Buemi 6th. Conversely Frank Zimmer was trapped in 13th alongside Kimi Raikkonen. The rain didn't help the USF1 cars however as both Scott Speed and Christian Klien were firmly entrenched on the back row of the grid.

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
3. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
4. R. Kubica (BMW)
5. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
6. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
7. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
8. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
9. T. Glock (Toyota)
10. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
11. F. Alonso (Renault)
12. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
13. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
14. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
15. J. Trulli (Toyota)
16. F. Massa (Ferrari)
17. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
18. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
19. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
21. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
22. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

If there was any comfort Jenson Button can take out of yet another Melrose roadshow is that for most of the race the Brit held fastest lap of the race and that whilst Melrose is running away with the races he is not by any measuring doing the same in the championship. All things considered however the harsh reality is weird strategy or not nobody can hold a candle to Daniel Melrose as he streaked away to his third in of the year ahead of Button and Sebastian Vettel. The two McLarens had a race of their own with Sammy Jones using his vast experience to beat home Hamilton by a dozen or so seconds with Frank Zimmer putting in a good comeback drive to finish 6th ahead of the two Toyotas. Pheonix McAllister didn't do any favours on his quest for a better drive as he ran into the back of teammate Adrian Sutil on the first lap forcing both to make pitstops for repairs. McAllister made up for it in the race by clawing his way back up to 13th.

Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 33m 10.399
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): +2 LAPS
4. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
5. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
6. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
7. J. Trulli (Toyota): +2 LAPS
8. T. Glock (Toyota): +3 LAPS
9. F. Alonso (Renault): +3 LAPS
10. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +3 LAPS
11. R. Kubica (BMW): +3 LAPS
12. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrai): +3 LAPS
13. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +4 LAPS
14. F. Massa (Ferrari): +4 LAPS
15. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth): +5 LAPS
16. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +5 LAPS
DNF. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
DNF. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
DNF. A. Sutil (Force India-Ferrari)
DNF. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
DNF. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
DNF. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:54.728
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.37.325
Leaders: D. Melrose: 1-56 (Total: 56)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 30 points (3 wins)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 24 points (3 2nds)
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 13 points (1 3rd)
4. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 11 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
5. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): 9 points (1 3rd)
6. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): 6 points (1 3rd)
7. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
9. F. Alonso (Renault): 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
10. T. Glock (Toyota): 4 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
11. J. Trulli (Toyota): 2 points (Best Result: 1 7th)

Constructors:

1. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 33 points (3 2nds, 1 3rd)
2. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 30 points (3 wins)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 24 points (1 3rd)
4. Red Bull Racing Renault: 12 points (1 3rd)
5. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
6. ING Renault F1 Team: 6 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
7. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 6 points (Best Result: 1 6th)

Next up is the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sakhir circuit.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 San Marino Grand Prix

Qualifying:
No one can think of a reason why Rhys Davies enjoys Imola so much, when he can only qualify 12th while his teammate takes pole. Maybe it’s just the final sector, where Davies was the easily fastest. Or the second, where only Davies can take the Villeneuve chicane flat.

1st: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): 1:12.037
2nd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +0.038
3rd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.399
4th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.436
5th: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.454
6th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +0.675
7th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +0.688
8th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +0.842
9th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1.121
10th: J. Button (Benetton): +1.382
11th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.426
12th: R. Davies (McLaren): +1.446
13th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +1.508
14th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.776
15th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.083
16th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +2.242
17th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +3.233
18th: T. Marques (Minardi): +3.270
19th: G. Mazzacane (Prost): +3.325
20th: J. Alesi (Prost): +3.730
21st: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +4.012
22nd: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +4.315

Race:
ATTACK OF THE BENETTONS! Davies got spun 3 times before the Villeneuve chicane by Button and Fisichella. This saw him drop to 15th, just ahead of Button (although when Davies got through with him, he was a vital piece of aerodynamic equipment…) and way behind Verstappen, who made a brilliant start. As they got halfway around the lap, rain started to fall, just a little drizzle, which most of the grid had prepared for by starting on inters. Davies made his way to 13th when he passed Verstappen and Villeneuve pitted, but Juan Pablo Montoya was now 12th after pitting himself. And then, after the highs of Brazil, Barrichello’s engine gave up the ghost at Tosa, and he managed to coast for a while. On lap 2, the rain started to fall in earnest, and a few drivers spun, bringing out temporary yellow flags. And then it just stopped. Which helped out Ralf Schumacher, the new race leader, who was on slicks. Davies passed Montoya at the final chicane, as well as Marques and Heidfeld for 8th at Tamburello. Both Minardis had benefitted from the mess left by Davies and the Benettons, with Alonso also in the top 10 before he pitted on lap 2. Mika Hakkinen and Sammy Jones got tangled up as the Briton tried to pass the Finn for 6th (since he hadn’t yet pitted, while Hakkinen had, it was unnecessary, but funny), sending Mika spinning, and dropping to 12th. The incident also indirectly caused Heidfeld to hit Marques, Burti to hit Heidfeld and Montoya to skip past the lot of them. Jones, however, found himself in fourth as Trulli and Raikkonen pitted, coming out on either side of Davies. Lap 4 saw the busiest pit activity, as Ralf Schumacher, Panis, Jones and Davies all stopped, along with a few midfielders. In fact, Davies would only lose a few spots, and Hakkinen was way behind him, after Villeneuve and Alonso both hit him. This meant, with 3 laps to go, Davies was 9th, 5 seconds off Burti and 9 ahead of Villeneuve. Of course, there was a small(ish) problem. McLaren had whacked a fresh set of dry tyres on the car at the stop. Literally 30 seconds later, it started to rain again. Fortunately, Burti was in the same boat, and Davies had experience of wet weather-dry tyre driving, so the gap was down to 2 seconds with 2 laps to run. Of course, the rain just started to fall heavier, and both of them spent the next two laps slipping and sliding their way around, while Villeneuve and Verstappen in 10th and 11th pitted for inters, allowing Hakkinen into the top 10, some 45 seconds behind. One final spin at the Variante Alta saw Davies way behind Burti, in a pathetic 9th. Yet still considers Imola a favourite… Up front, Ralf Schumacher won for Williams, ahead of Jarno Trulli and his brother.

1st: R. Schumacher (Williams): 9:24.078
2nd: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1.526
3rd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +8.036
4th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +10.006
5th: O. Panis (BAR): +10.537
6th: J. Montoya (Williams): +11.234
7th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +17.897
8th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +23.821
9th: R. Davies (McLaren): +32.484
10th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +1:06.476
11th: T. Marques (Minardi): +1:06.798
12th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +1:07.245
13th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1:07.749
14th: J. Button (Benetton): +1 LAP
15th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +1 LAP
16th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1 LAP
17th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1 LAP
18th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +1 LAP
19th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +1 LAP
DNF: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): Engine
DNF: G. Mazzacane (Prost): Accident
DNF: G. Fisichella (Benetton): Collision

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 28
2nd: J. Montoya - 20
3rd: R. Barrichello - 13
= 4th: M. Schumacher -
= 4th: M. Hakkinen - 9
6th: R. Davies - 8
7th: J. Trulli - 6
8th: K. Raikkonen - 5
9th: N. Heidfeld - 4
10th: O. Panis - 2

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 47
2nd: Ferrari - 22
3rd: McLaren - 17
4th: Sauber - 9
5th: Jordan - 6
6th: BAR - 2

Next is the Spanish GP at Barcelona, another of Davies’ favourite tracks.

[Wizzie]

Race results for China now up.

[Phoenix]

I don't want to boast too much about it but...I finished ahead of Felipe Massa...

[Wizzie]

I don't want to boast too much about it but...I finished ahead of Felipe Massa...

No need to boast because it's done your chances of getting a Ferrari drive next year a whole world of good.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Spanish Grand Prix
Pre-race:
Gaston Mazzacane has been given the sack by Prost, after a, well, lacklustre season so far. Over at Jaguar, Luciano Burti has also been shown the door, despite two top 10s in the last two races. Burti will go to Prost, while Jag promote Pedro de la Rosa to a drive.

Qualifying:
Unlike Imola, Catalunya is a track that Davies is actually good at. And taking pole almost 2 seconds proves it.
1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:13.267
2nd: J. Montoya (Williams): +1.802
3rd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +1.839
4th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1.977
5th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +2.022
6th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +2.097
7th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +2.639
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +2.656
9th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +2.710
10th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +2.830
11th: O. Panis (BAR): +3.019
12th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +3.079
13th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +3.363
14th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +3.545
15th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +3.712
16th: J. Button (Benetton): +4.089
17th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +5.261
18th: L. Burti (Prost): +5.326
19th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +5.389
20th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +5.449
21st: T. Marques (Minardi): +5.634
22nd: J. Alesi (Prost): +5.913

Race:
The first lap of the race was as if Davies was racing for the Championship. Which in a way, he was, as his season needed a kickstart. Badly. Of course, that didn’t look like happening, since his second lap was spent so close to the edge that Davies very nearly fell off. And then at turn 1, Montoya gave him a push. Davies managed to hold the spot, but barely, and they went around turn 3 side by side. And there are some that think he only held that spot because Montoya’s engine chose that instant to let go. And suddenly, Davies was 4 and a half seconds clear of Barrichello. Which became 6 over Mika when Rubens pitted. But then, Davies pitted. 5.5 seconds later, so did Hakkinen. Davies would come out third, between the Ferraris. Hakkinen, meanwhile, just drove straight through the lane, coming out way into first place. But once again, Davies would get lucky with the engines, as Michael Schumacher’s grenaded right in front of him. This put Davies 11 seconds down on Hakkinen with two laps to go (and hopefully, Mika would need to pit for fuel. And a new set of tyres.) But then Hakkinen set the fastest lap. And any hope dissipated when Barrichello went kamikaze and spun them both, allowing Ralf Schumacher into second (wrong German, Rubens!) Davies had to go kamikaze himself to get the spot back, and that resulted in Villeneuve being granted a podium spot. And as a result, Hakkinen would win by 17 seconds, without stopping. That’ll piss a lot of drivers off…

1st: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): 8:57.920
2nd: R. Davies (McLaren): +17.967
3rd: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +18.778
4th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +19.475
5th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +20.131
6th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +20.664
7th: O. Panis (BAR): +21.942
8th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +28.066
9th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +33.509
10th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +34.737
11th: J. Vertsappen (Arrows): +46.005
12th: T. Marques (Minardi): +48.244
13th: L. Burti (Prost): +49.962
14th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +50.631
15th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +51.675
16th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +52.074 (oops...)
17th: J. Button (Benetton): +52.946
18th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +54.318
19th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): Engine
DNF: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): Engine
DNF: J. Montoya (Williams): Engine
DNF: J. Alesi (Prost): Collision

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 28
2nd: J. Montoya - 20
3rd: M. Hakkinen - 19
4th: R. Davies - 14
5th: R. Barrichello - 13
6th: M. Schumacher - 9
= 7th: J. Trulli - 6
= 7th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 7th: K. Raikkonen - 6
10th: J. Villeneuve - 4
11th: H. Frentzen - 3
12th: O. Panis - 2

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 47
3rd: McLaren - 33
2nd: Ferrari - 22
4th: Sauber - 12
5th: Jordan - 9
6th: BAR - 6

Next is the Austrian GP at the A1-Ring.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Austrian Grand Prix

Qualifying:
It seems that Davies is only good at the first sector here, and absolutely horrible at the second and third. But he was good enough to take yet another pole.

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:05.112
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.637
3rd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +0.673
4th: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.704
5th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +1.028
6th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1.299
7th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.377
8th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1.426
9th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.515
10th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +1.630
11th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1.741
12th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1.915
13th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +2.036
14th: J. Button (Benetton): +2.368
15th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.564
16th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +3.099
17th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +3.625
18th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +3.668
19th: T. Marques (Minardi): +3.732
20th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +4.102
21st: J. Alesi (Prost): +4.252
22nd: L. Burti (Prost): +4.525

Race:
Both McLarens lost off the line, but Davies still managed to outrun Schumacher to turn 1. Hakkinen, meanwhile, was forced off the road by Montoya, and he hit Trulli as he rejoined the track. At turn 3, karma struck as Montoya ran off the track. Davies managed to pull a 1 second lead over Ralf, which became two after the first sector. And then 0.9 after the second. And then a collision at the last corner. The other Schumacher inherited second as Montoya pitted, while Davies managed to spin 360 to keep going (or was it 720?) Hakkinen’s race went from bad to worse as he spun twice in the final sector. Davies pitted on lap 3, as would Frentzen, who had been running third. Davies would emerge 9th, ahead of Raikkonen, and right behind Montoya! However, he would take advantage of Burti holding Juan Pablo up and pass them both at turn 3, immediately setting off after Barrichello, who had just run wide. Davies would try to do same thing to Barrichello, who was stuck behind Bernoldi, but Rubens didn’t appreciate that and sent the Aussie spinning, dropping him back behind Raikkonen. Trying to pass the Finn was made impossible by him going three wide with Burti and Montoya, resulting in Burti spinning and collecting Davies, with the McLaren dropping to 11th, behind Trulli and Frentzen! But Davies would simply drive on past Frentzen down the straight, and thanks to pit stops and a pass on Trulli at turn 1 on lap 6, found his way back into the points. He would take fourth when Montoya pitted again, after his engine started belching smoke (right as he exited the second to last corner!), giving Davies two laps to fight his way back onto the podium. Raikkonen would lose control at turn 3, giving Davies third, with a few seconds to make up to the Ferraris, with Schumacher leading Barrichello. But the gap was too large to make up, and Davies had to settle for third, but at least ahead of the Williams and Hakkinen.

1st: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): 9:47.612
2nd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +2.255
3rd: R. Davies (McLaren): +5.699
4th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +9.884
5th: O. Panis (BAR): +11.854
6th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +13.061
7th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +15.974
8th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +29.403
9th: J. Button (Benetton): +33.246
10th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +34.686
11th: J. Montoya (Williams): +35.285
12th: T. Marques (Minardi): +46.548
13th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +47.707
14th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +48.168
15th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +48.662
16th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +53.788
17th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1:05.752
18th: L. Burti (Prost): +1 LAP
19th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +1 LAP
DNF: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): Collision
DNF: J. Alesi (Prost): Suspension
DNF: J. Verstappen (Arrows): Suspension

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 28
2nd: J. Montoya - 20
= 3rd: M. Schumacher - 19
= 3rd: M. Hakkinen - 19
= 3rd: R. Barrichello - 19
6th: R. Davies - 18
7th: K. Raikkonen - 7
= 8th: J. Trulli - 6
= 8th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 8th: H. Frentzen - 6
= 11th: J. Villeneuve - 4
= 11th: O. Panis - 4

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: Williams - 48
2nd: Ferrari - 38
3rd: McLaren - 37
4th: Sauber - 13
5th: Jordan - 12
6th: BAR - 8

Next is the world famous Monaco GP, where Davies hopes to revive his season.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Monaco Grand Prix

Qualifying:
It took Davies 3 laps to finally get the pole position, and he didn’t bother going out for a fourth, despite being just 3 tenths up, as the weather chose the perfect moment to ruin everyone else’s final laps. Take that, Schumacher!

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:16.668
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.380
3rd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +0.635
4th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.675
5th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +0.830
6th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +0.863
7th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +1.103
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.135
9th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1.330
10th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.508
11th: J. Montoya (Williams): +1.560
12th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +1.585
13th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +1.639
14th: J. Button (Benetton): +1.880
15th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +3.047
16th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +3.136
17th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +3.531
18th: J. Alesi (Prost): +3.701
19th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +3.882
20th: L. Burti (Prost): +3.908
21st: T. Marques (Minardi): +3.968
22nd: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +4.054

Race:
The start of the race, was, well, wet. Very wet. As in lightning and everything. And it only added to the usual turn 1 drama, which involved everybody. Except Davies, who disappeared up the road. In fact, he pulled out a 9 second lead, before he’d even finished the first lap! By the end of lap 2, it was 21 seconds. He was so far ahead that when he pitted on lap 3, only 1 car got past - Jarno Trulli, but he was a lap down after pitting for repairs thanks to the turn 1 catastrophe, which also claimed the races of Sammy Jones and Pedro de la Rosa. It didn’t take long for Davies to get ahead of him again anyway (at Massenet, in fact.) On lap 5, however, his momentum was ruined when he came across a line of cars travelling so slowly that they were effectively a moving yellow flag. Which meant Davies couldn’t pass them. Fortunately, they all piled into the pits. And apart from being almost killed by Marques and Button as they exited the pits, it was a quite uneventful race for him. However, at the back there was a massive amount of attrition, as Michael Schumacher took 2nd, Kimi Raikkonen scored his first ever podium, and Mika Hakkinen took 4th. But then the brilliant bit - Jos the Boss finishing 5th for the ridiculously slow Arrows! And even better, Tarso Marques scoring a point for Minardi, the team’s first in a few years!

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 11:51.313
2nd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +51.246
3rd: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +54.124
4th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +1:001.259
5th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +1 LAP
6th: T. Marques (Minardi): +1 LAP
7th: J. Button (Benetton): +1 LAP
8th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1 LAP
9th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +1 LAP
10th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +1 LAP
11th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +1 LAP
12th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +1 LAP
13th: J. Montoya (Williams): +1 LAP
14th: O. Panis (BAR): +1 LAP
NC: J. Trulli (Jordan): +2 LAPS
NC: L. Burti (Prost): +2 LAPS
DNF: N. Heidfeld (Sauber):
DNF: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): Engine
DNF: H. Frentzen (Jordan): Accident
DNF: G. Fisichella (Benetton): Accident
DNF: S. Jones (Jaguar): Collision
DNF: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): Collision

Drivers’ Championship:
= 1st: R. Schumacher - 28
= 1st: R. Davies - 28
3rd: M. Schumacher - 25
4th: M. Hakkinen - 22
5th: J. Montoya - 20
6th: R. Barrichello - 19
7th: K. Raikkonen - 11
= 8th: J. Trulli - 6
= 8th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 8th: H. Frentzen - 6
11th: J. Villeneuve - 4
12th: O. Panis - 4
13th: J. Verstappen - 2
14th: T. Marques - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: McLaren - 50
2nd: Williams - 47
3rd: Ferrari - 44
4th: Sauber - 15
5th: Jordan - 12
6th: BAR - 8
7th: Arrows - 2
8th: Minardi - 1

After the race, Davies received a call from Williams, asking if he wanted to come back. Jean Todt also approached Davies after the race, offering a spot at Ferrari. It was a difficult choice, because he hadn’t really been happy at McLaren at all, but since if he went to Williams he’d be replacing Montoya, and if he went to Ferrari he’d be Schumacher’s #2, he decided to stay where he was, stick out the season, and see what happens from there. So Davies went back to McLaren, to race at… Canada.

Bugger.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 Canadian Grand Prix

Pre-race:
Heinz-Harald Frentzen suffered a massive crash at the hairpin during practice, and was declared unfit to race. Jordan have had to rush in Ricardo Zonta to replace, but for how long is unclear.

Qualifying:
You’d think that Montreal would be a favourite track of Davies’, considering his ability to be a good 3 seconds faster than everyone else oh his first qualifying lap. But you watch. He’ll disappear into the mirrors in the race.

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:12.570
2nd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +2.948
3rd: J. Montoya (Williams): +3.052
4th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +3.078
5th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +3.176
6th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +3.184
7th: R. Zonta (Jordan): +3.629
8th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +4.019
9th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +4.090
10th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +4.132
11th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +4.293
12th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +4.341
13th: J. Button (Benetton): +4.378
14th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +4.547
15th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +4.761
16th: O. Panis (BAR): +5.191
17th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +6.657
18th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +6.670
19th: J. Alesi (Prost): +6.875
20th: T. Marques (Minardi): +6.938
21st: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +7.085
22nd: L. Burti (Prost): +8.080

Race:
Davies got off to an absolute shocker, allowing Hakkinen into the lead. Davies managed to hold off Montoya, and was aided by the Colombian spinning, holding up the field and allowing the McLarens to open a 4 second lead. It was obvious straight away that Hakkinen was much faster, and Montoya was gaining on Davies too. And then he spun at turn 4 on lap 2, letting Montoya past but helping Zonta pass Barrichello for fourth. Until Zonta also spun, giving Raikkonen the spot. And then Davies’ race went from bad to worse, as he hit the Wall of Champions. Zonta got past just as Davies righted himself, and he tried to get in Jordan’s slipstream, only for Zonta to brake test him - before they got to the start/finish line! As Davies got back up to speed, Fisichella rammed into him, spinning him again. This put Davies 5th, with a car that was now barely going around corners (why does this always at Montreal!) Another spin at turn 7 let Button past, although he gained one again when Montoya’s engine blew up once again. A few drivers pitted, and Davies passed Button into turn 1, giving him second place, although Hakkinen, one of the stoppers, was not far behind. He spun (again) at turn 7, and stopped just to let Hakkinen through. Davies pitted on lap 4, emerging 8th, behind Zonta and Jones. Which became 9th as Trulli watched him spin. Burti stopped on lap 5, giving Davies 8th. When Barrichello went into the wall at the hairpin, Davies got to 7th. When Button pitted, he emerged barely in front of Davies. Cue epic battle for 6th that involved surprisingly minimal spinning. Which became for 5th as, heartbreakingly, Sammy Jones’ engine went up in flames while the Englishman was running in fourth place! But then, as Davies and Button came into the final chicane, they collided and spun! The incident brought out the yellow flags, and in the worst case of officialdom ever, Davies was given a stop-go penalty - for passing Button! The annoying part - he would have to serve it on the final lap! He would almost certainly lose the spot back to Button as he went down pit road - and he might lose 6th to Barrichello as well. It would be a slow race to the finish line. But fortunately, the line was closer to the entrance than he thought - he beat Button to 5th! And he wasn’t the only one to pit, as Michael Schumacher had to repair an almost blown apart engine. Up front, Hakkinen would win the race, beating Raikkonen and Ricardo Zonta.

1st: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): 10:05.750
2nd: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +16.141
3rd: R. Zonta (Jordan): +23.671
4th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +33.604
5th: R. Davies (McLaren): +46.610
6th: J. Button (Benetton): +48.802
7th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +49.433
8th: O. Panis (BAR): +53.493
9th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +58.698
10th: L. Burti (Jaguar): +1:00.084
11th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +1:01.714
12th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1:02.872
13th: J. Montoya (Williams): +1 LAP
14th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +1 LAP
15th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +1 LAP
16th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +1 LAP
17th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +1 LAP
DNF: T. Marques (Minardi): Suspension
DNF: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): Engine
DNF: J. Verstappen (Arrows): Engine
DNF: R. Schumacher (Williams): Accident
DNF: J. Villeneuve (BAR): Collision

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: M. Hakkinen - 32
2nd: R. Davies - 30
3rd: R. Schumacher - 28
4th: M. Schumacher - 25
5th: J. Montoya - 20
6th: R. Barrichello - 19
7th: K. Raikkonen - 17
8th: J. Trulli - 9
= 9th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 9th: H. Frentzen - 6
= 11th: J. Villeneuve - 4
= 11th: R. Zonta - 4
= 11th: O. Panis - 4
14th: J. Verstappen - 2
= 15th: J. Button - 1
= 15th: T. Marques - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: McLaren - 62
2nd: Williams - 47
3rd: Ferrari - 44
4th: Sauber - 21
5th: Jordan - 19
6th: BAR - 8
7th: Arrows - 2
8th: Benetton - 1
9th: Minardi - 1

Next up is the European GP at the Nurburgring, another track where Davies has been dominant in the last few years.

[Wizzie]

Pre-Bahrain:

It's official. This will be the last race of the thus far disappointing Felipe Massa with test drivers Luca Badoer and Giancarlo Fisichella expected to share the driving duties while it is expected to be announced within the next few days who one of their drivers are for next season with Spaniards Phoenix McAllister and Fernando Alonso in a tight race for the seat according to the bookies. Also there are some disturbing rumours that thanks to the financial crisis that several unnamed manufacturers could be pulling out at the end of the season or even forming a breakaway series as the power struggle between the FIA, FOM and FOTA starts to rear its ugly head.

Round 4: Qualifying:

At the best of times Daniel Melrose is always a force to be reckoned with in qualifying but when he's in a bad mood like he was in the Sakhir heat you seriously don't mess with him. He showed because he found half a second from his Free Practice time on his very first flying lap to be on pole by just over a second from Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel. There was no weather to intervene so there were no real surprise performances except for Nico Rosberg putting in one of the best laps of his career to be 7th ahead of Sammy Jones

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
4. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
5. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
6. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
7. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
8. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
9. F. Alonso (Renault)
10. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
11. T. Glock (Toyota)
12. J. Trulli (Toyota)
13. R. Kubica (BMW)
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
15. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
16. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
17. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
18. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
19. F. Massa (Ferrari)
20. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
21. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
22. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

It was another quiet affair as Daniel Melrose romped away to yet another victory as he tries to put a foothold on this year's championship. Yet again Jenson Button was Melrose's closest challenger as he led the first few laps before Melrose took over proceedings. Sebastian Vettel was 3rd for the second race in a row while McLaren surrounded Frank Zimmer in the second Brawn with 4th (Hamilton) and 6th (Jones) after Zimmer found a way around Sammy with a few laps to go. Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso rounded out the points.

Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 31m 25.664
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): +1 LAP
4. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +1 LAP
5. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
6. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
7. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +2 LAPS
8. F. Alonso (Renault): +2 LAPS
9. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
10. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +2 LAPS
11. R. Kubica (BMW): +2 LAPS
12. J. Trulli (Toyota): +2 LAPS
13. T. Glock (Toyota): +2 LAPS
14. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari): +2 LAPS
15. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota): +3 LAPS
16. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
17. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
18. N. Piquet Jr (Renault): +3 LAPS
19. F. Massa (Ferrari): +3 LAPS
20. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +4 LAPS
21. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth): +4 LAPS
DNF. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:33.086
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.34.048
Leaders: J. Button: 1-3 (Total: 3)
D. Melrose: 4-57 (Total: 54)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 40 points (4 wins)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 32 points (4 2nds)
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 18 points (1 3rd)
4. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 14 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
5. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): 13 points (1 3rd)
6. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): 12 points (2 3rds)
7. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 8 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. F. Alonso (Renault): 7 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
9. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 6 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
10. T. Glock (Toyota): 4 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
11. J. Trulli (Toyota): 2 points (Best Result: 1 7th)

Constructors:

1. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 45 points (4 2nds, 1 3rd)
2. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 40 points (4 wins)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 32 points (1 3rd)
4. Red Bull Racing Renault: 18 points (2 3rds)
5. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 8 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
6. ING Renault F1 Team: 7 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
7. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 6 points (Best Result: 1 6th)

Next up is the first of the European races at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya

[Wizzie]

Race results for Bahrain now up.

[Wizzie]

Pre-Spain:

In the buildup to the Spanish Grand Prix the grid was awash with news from the Ferrari camp. First was the return of Luca Badoer in a Formula One car for the first time since 2005 when he subbed for Daniel Melrose and scored his first world championship points at the Hungarian Grand Prix that year. He's expected to drive the next two or three races before Fisichella takes over with the pair unofficially racing for a drive at the Italian Grand Prix. Second and even more importantly was the news Spain had been waiting for as their hero Fernando Alonso has been signed on as one of their drivers for next season. Fellow Spaniard Phoenix McAllister is said to be incredibly disappointed with the decision but rumour has it he's well in contention for drives at Brawn, McLaren and Williams for next season.

Round 5: Spain

Qualifying:

Yet again rain played havoc on the grid and yet again Daniel Melrose steamrolled his way to pole position by nearly 2 seconds over Kimi Raikkonen who is allegedly driving for his career as McAllister hasn't been ruled out by Ferrari management as a possible future driver. Lewis Hamilton hauled his McLaren to third on the grid miles behind the Australian while Nico Rosberg and Frank Zimmer rounded out the top 5. Adrian Sutil was absolutely dynamite in the wet conditions as he qualified 6th miles ahead of his more highly-rated teammate McAllister. Other disappointments included Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button 9th and 10th with Mark Webber 13th and Sammy Jones a simply abysmal 14th on the grid.

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
4. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
5. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
6. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
7. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
8. J. Trulli (Toyota)
9. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
10. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
11. F. Alonso (Renault)
12. R. Kubica (BMW)
13. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
14. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
15. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
16. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
17. T. Glock (Toyota)
18. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
19. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
20. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
21. L. Badoer (Ferrari)
22. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

The 2009 Spanish Grand Prix will be remembered as one of the most dramatic Spanish races in history but the winner remained the same as Daniel Melrose won the race by over a lap. However he ended up crossing the line with only 3 wheels on his wagon after a last lap collision where Scott Speed slammed the door on him whilst the Australian was trying to lap him for the 6th time that afternoon. Elsewhere Frank Zimmer put in one of the drives of his career to finish 2nd whilst there was more controversy at Ferrari where Jenson Button overtook Kimi Raikkonen for 3rd on the exit of the very last corner. Ferrari have said that there was no apparent problems with the car but they are going to conduct further investigations. And what of the surprise qualifiers? Well, Piquet was an early retirement but not before his stricken car was collected by Timo Glock, Adrian Sutil fell out of the points early and finished 13th ahead of teammate McAllister while Nico Rosberg spent most of the race in 5th or 6th before finishing a disappointing 9th. Finally Luca Badoer put in a simply embarrassing performance by running into the back of Robert Kubica, pitted for a new front wing and ended up a mammoth 5 laps down.

Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 29m 59.445
2. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
4. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +2 LAPS
5. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): +2 LAPS
6. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
7. J. Trulli (Toyota): +2 LAPS
8. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +2 LAPS
9. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
10. F. Alonso (Renault): +2 LAPS
11. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): +2 LAPS
12. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota): +2 LAPS
13. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
14. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
15. L. Badoer (Ferrari): +5 LAPS
16. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth): +7 LAPS*
DNF. S. Buemi (Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
DNF. R. Kubica (BMW)
DNF. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)
DNF. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
DNF. T. Glock (Toyota)
DNF. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:31.392
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.19.648
Leaders: D. Melrose: 1-66 (Total: 66)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 50 points (5 wins)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 38 points (4 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): 21 points (1 2nd, 1 3rd)
4. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 21 points (1 3rd)
5. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): 16 points (2 3rds)
6. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 14 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
7. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 13 points (Best Result: 2 4ths)
8. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 7 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
9. F. Alonso (Renault): 7 points (Best Result: 1 5th)
10. T. Glock (Toyota): 4 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
11. J. Trulli (Toyota): 4 points (Best Result: 2 7ths)

Constructors:

1. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 59 points (5 2nds, 2 3rds)
2. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 50 points (5 wins)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 35 points (1 3rd)
4. Red Bull Racing Renault: 23 points (2 3rds)
5. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 13 points (Best Result: 2 4ths)
6. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 8 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
7. ING Renault F1 Team: 7 points (Best Result: 1 5th)

Next up is the Monaco Grand Prix, the crown jewel of Formula One

[Phoenix]

I'm not disappointed, I knew my chances were slim. I'll try to finish this year with good results, then I'll see what I do next year.

[Wizzie]

Race results for Spain now up

[Phoenix]

I must improve. Adrian Sutil is beating me, if not by much.

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 European Grand Prix
Pre-race:
Heinz-Harald Frentzen has recovered from his smash at Gilles Villeneuve, and is now back in his car - although after Zonta’s podium, he is suddenly in danger of losing his seat.
Qualifying:
The Nurburgring. Probably Davies’ most favourite track in existence. Apart from Mount Panorama. Monaco, Suzuka and Indy are the only other tracks where Davies has won every race he’s started there, and he plans on continuing that. And being two seconds faster than everyone else straight off the bat is always a positive sign. At the back, however, Benoldi, Verstappen and Alesi were all within 1 thousandth of a second. That’ll make things fun!

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:09.744
2nd: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +2.469
3rd: J. Montoya (Williams): +2.570
4th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +2.748
5th: R. Schumacher (Williams): +2.943
6th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +2.953
7th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +3.188
8th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +3.190
9th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +3.439
10th: O. Panis (BAR): +3.590
11th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +3.815
12th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +4.063
13th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +4.081
14th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +4.419
15th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +4.752
16th: J. Button (Benetton): +5.068
17th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +5.678
18th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +5.679
19th: J. Alesi (Prost): +5.679
20th: T. Marques (Minardi): +5.826
21st: F. Alonso (Minardi): +6.173
22nd: L. Burti (Prost): +6.957

Race:
The last time the McLarens started on the front row, Hakkinen got away in front. This time, Davies held off the Finn, and immediately disappeared. In fact, he pulled three seconds on him in two and a half laps. Hakkinen pitted on lap 2, leaving Barrichello second. But then, at the chicane on lap 3, Davies locked his front brakes and went straight into the wall! The six second gap he’d had over Barrichello disappeared in the blink of an eye, although when Davies pitted, he was still technically in the lead. Ralf Schumacher would also pit. Davies would pop out 12th, and lap 3 for him had been fast enough that he didn’t lose a massive amount of time to Hakkinen. He was so close that Davies managed to pass him at the hairpin while they navigated Jos Verstappen’s stricken Arrows. At the same time, Davies would pass Marques, taking 3 places in one corner! Then, when Button and Michael Schumacher pitted, he realised that Ralf had just done exactly what Mika did at Spain - he’d drive down pit lane without stopping! This put him 10 seconds up the road, and would surely take an easy win. But after two laps, and taking the lead, it was obvious to everyone that the gap back to Davies had shrunk. Big time. To 5 seconds. And then 2.7 when they started the final lap. And then, as they went on to the back straight, Davies caught him. Schumacher tried to drive the world’s widest Williams through the chicane, but that didn’t work as he spun out on the curbing, giving Davies the lead with one corner to go! And so he took one of the best wins of his career, taking the lead of the championship for the first time this year.

1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 10:19.223
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +7.084
3rd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +10.521
4th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +12.001
5th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +13.902
6th: J. Montoya (Williams): +15.633
7th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +20.436
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +27.284
9th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +31.248
10th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +35.969
11th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +39.758
12th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +40.199
13th: O. Panis (BAR): +42.030
14th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +42.693
15th: J. Button (Benetton): +43.437
16th: L. Burti (Prost): +56.178
17th: T. Marques (Minardi): +57.814
18th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1:06.922
19th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1 LAP
DNF: J. Verstappen (Arrows): Engine
DNF: F. Alonso (Minardi): Collision
DNF: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): Collision

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Davies - 40
= 2nd: R. Schumacher - 34
= 2nd: M. Hakkinen - 34
4th: M. Schumacher - 28
5th: R. Barrichello - 23
6th: J. Montoya - 21
7th: K. Raikkonen - 17
8th: J. Trulli - 9
= 9th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 9th: H. Frentzen - 6
= 11th: J. Villeneuve - 4
= 11th: R. Zonta - 4
= 11th: O. Panis - 4
14th: J. Verstappen - 2
= 15th: J. Button - 1
= 15th: T. Marques - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: McLaren - 74
2nd: Williams - 55
3rd: Ferrari - 51
4th: Sauber - 23
5th: Jordan - 19
6th: BAR - 8
7th: Arrows - 2
8th: Benetton - 1
9th: Minardi - 1

Next is the French GP at Magny-Cours. Fun…

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 French GP

Qualifying:
Here at Magny-Cours again, and both McLarens struggled. A lot. Fortunate then that one of them is a qualifying specialist.
1st: R. Davies (McLaren): 1:09.351
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.169
3rd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +0.259
4th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.367
5th: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.804
6th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +0.832
7th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +0.881
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1.028
9th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +1.062
10th: O. Panis (BAR): +1.228
11th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1.855
12th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +2.038
13th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +2.132
14th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +2.171
15th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.223
16th: J. Button (Benetton): +2.647
17th: L. Burti (Prost) +3.470
18th: J. Vertsappen (Arrows): +3.630
19th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +3.646
20th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +3.706
21st: T. Marques (Minardi): +3.998
22nd: J. Alesi (Prost): +4.066

Race:
Both Schumachers got brilliant starts, while Davies and Barrichello bogged down slightly. Michael, however, would go too wide when trying to pass Davies around the outside at Estoril, and spun on the grass. This put Jacques Villeneuve in third, the Canadian also getting a brilliant start (although he was only there because he punted Barrichello off the road). Ralf immediately built a 3 second lead, and they hadn’t even finished the first lap. And then, at Estoril on lap 2:

Sido by sido! AHHHHHHH, CRAAAAASHUUUUUU!

Villeneuve hits Davies, Montoya hits Villeneuve, Davies hits Barrichello and it all goes downhill from there. Michael Schumacher, Jones, Hakkinen, Panis and both Jordans also got in it, and, well, it was brilliant. And thanks to all the spinning Ralf now had a massive lead. Davies was the best off, keeping second, while Hakkinen got out behind. Well, till Hakkinen’s engine packed it in, giving Jenson Button third. A message came over the radio that Hakkinen had encountered a problem with the coolant, so Davies had to be extra careful. He took the lead on when Ralf pitted, while Trulli had to pit for suspension repairs. And then, on the run to Adelaide, his engine started to warm up. Just a bit. Okay, quite a bit. And it was obvious to everyone that it was slowing him down. Button caught him, but couldn’t pass as Ralf returned and punted them both off the track to take back the lead. Davies managed to recover, but was passed for second by Sammy Jones at Imola (passed by a Jag! Oh, the humanity!) Villeneuve got him for third, and suddenly Button was right behind him again. Davies pitted from 4th at the end of lap 4, emerging 7th thanks to Frentzen and Michael Schumacher pitting as well. Cue the shame of being outpaced down the straight by Burti’s Prost. In fact, they had a pretty epic duel. Until Button and Heidfeld separated them when they exited the pits, putting Davies 5th. In fact, Heidfeld managed to knock Burti into the wall, enough to end his race. Panis crashed out in the third sector, bringing out the yellows. The implication was Davies was forced to slow, and couldn’t beat Villeneuve out of the pits for third. Conspiracy theorists, stand up. Heidfeld then got past at Adelaide, but he spun at the final corner. And up front, Villeneuve was setting about running other people’s races, as he tried to run Sammy Jones off the road - while he was second with a lap to go! Fortunately, Jones got revenge, and it was all settled. But cruelly (for Davies, anyway), Villeneuve’s engine let go - just after he crossed the line! Ralf Schumacher won by several years, with Jones taking a brilliant second, and Villeneuve barely managing third.

1st: R. Schumacher (Williams): 9:35.435
2nd: S. Jones (Jaguar): +40.467
3rd: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +41.005
4th: R. Davies (McLaren): +49.651
5th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +57.641
6th: J. Button (Benetton): +1:00.107
7th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +1:00.614
8th: T. Marques (Minardi): +1:04.189
9th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +1:05.317
10th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +1:07.336
11th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +1:07.999
12th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +1:08.387
13th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +1:10.112
14th: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +1:10.719
15th: J. Alesi (Prost): +1:14.609
16th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +1 LAP
17th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +1 LAP
18th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +1 LAP
19th: J. Montoya (Williams): +1 LAP
DNF: O. Panis (BAR): Accident
DNF: L. Burti (Prost): Collision
DNF: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): Engine

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 44
2nd: R. Davies - 43
3rd: M. Hakkinen - 34
4th: M. Schumacher - 28
5th: R. Barrichello - 23
6th: J. Montoya - 21
7th: K. Raikkonen - 17
8th: J. Trulli - 9
9th: J. Villeneuve - 8
= 10th: S. Jones - 6
= 10th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 10th: H. Frentzen - 6
= 13th: R. Zonta - 4
= 13th: O. Panis - 4
= 15th: G. Fisichella - 2
= 15th: J. Verstappen - 2
= 15th: J. Button - 2
16th: T. Marques - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: McLaren - 77
2nd: Williams - 65
3rd: Ferrari - 51
4th: Sauber - 23
5th: Jordan - 19
6th: BAR - 12
7th: Jaguar - 6
8th: Benetton - 4
9th: Arrows - 2
10th: Minardi - 1

And so now it’s off to Silverstone for the British GP.

[BlindCaveSalamander]

8th: T. Marques (Minardi): +1:04.189
9th: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +1:05.317

That is awesome - just a shame that points only went to 8th in 2001!

[Wizzie]

Pre-Monaco:

With the Ferrari announcement the focus of silly season has now firmly turned onto Toro Rosso's Thomas De Bock who has so far proven to be a massive disappointment as he has been utterly dominated by Buemi. Word has it Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari and New Zealander Brendan Hartley are going head to head for the seat which could open up as early as the British Grand Prix according to sources inside the team. Elsewhere Nico Rosberg has said he is looking for a way out at Williams as they endure yet another disappointing season.

Round 6: Monaco

Qualifying:

The 2009 Monaco Grand Prix had all the hallmarks of being a historic weekend for Daniel Melrose as he was gunning for his 5th Monaco Grand Prix win which would put him equal second on the all time list with "Mr Monaco" Graham Hill. In addition to that if he won Monaco it would have been his 41st Grand Prix win which would put him equal with the late, great Ayrton Senna on the all time winners list as well as break Nigel Mansell's 17 year old record of most wins from the first race of the season. Melrose took one giant stride closer to that win with a brilliant on the limit pole position lap to be ahead of Jenson Button and Frank Zimmer by 1.7 and 2 seconds respectively. Both Toyotas cracked into the top 10 in what was otherwise a session devoid of surprises.

Grid:
1. D. Melrose (BMW)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
3. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
4. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault)
5. M. Webber (RBR-Renault)
6. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
8. T. Glock (Toyota)
9. J. Trulli (Toyota)
10. F. Alonso (Renault)
11. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari)
12. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
13. R. Kubica (BMW)
14. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
15. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
16. S. Buemi (STR-Ferrari)
17. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
18. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)
19. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes)
20. L. Badoer (Ferrari)
21. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
22. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)

Race:

It may not have been Melrose's best drive on the track but afterwards he said this was the most unforgettable race of his career, and with good reason too. The focus was on the Australian to win the race and that he did by over a lap from Jenson Button and Mark Webber as attrition ran havoc in the midfield. 9 drivers either found the wall or each other to put themselves out of the race while 2 more had their cars give up on them. Two of those drivers were Sebastian Vettel and Robert Kubica after a mixup between the BMW teammates while Melrose was trying to lap Kubica for the third time that day and Vettel slammed into the back of Kubica as a result which promoted Force India's Phoenix McAllister into the points where he stayed after holding off Sebastian Buemi for the last dozen laps for the race.

Results:
1. D. Melrose (BMW): 1h 29m 59.445
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): +1 LAP
3. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): +2 LAPS
4. F. Alonso (Renault): +2 LAPS
5. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): +2 LAPS
6. J. Trulli (Toyota): +3 LAPS
7. T. Glock (Toyota): +3 LAPS
8. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): +3 LAPS
9. S. Buemi (Toro Rosso-Ferrari): +3 LAPS
10. A. Sutil (Force India-Mercedes): +4 LAPS
11. L. Badoer (Ferrari): +6 LAPS
DNF. S. Vettel (Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
DNF. R. Kubica (BMW)
DNF. K. Nakajima (Williams-Toyota)
DNF. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes)
DNF. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
DNF. N. Piquet Jr (Renault)
DNF. N. Rosberg (Williams-Toyota)
DNF. S. Speed (USF1-Cosworth)
DNF. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes)
DNF. T. De Bock (STR-Ferrari)
DNF. C. Klien (USF1-Cosworth)

Pole: D. Melrose (BMW): 1:14.194
Fastest Lap: D. Melrose (BMW): 1.14.513
Leaders: D. Melrose: 1-78 (Total: 78)

Championship Standings:
Drivers:

1. D. Melrose (BMW): 60 points (6 wins)
2. J. Button (Brawn-Mercedes): 46 points (5 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. F. Zimmer (Brawn-Mercedes): 21 points (1 2nd, 1 3rd)
4. L. Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes): 21 points (1 3rd)
5. K. Raikkonen (Ferrari): 17 points (Best Result: 2 4ths)
6. S. Vettel (RBR-Renault): 16 points (2 3rds)
7. S. Jones (McLaren-Mercedes): 14 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. M. Webber (RBR-Renault): 13 points (1 3rd)
9. F. Alonso (Renault): 12 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
10. J. Trulli (Toyota): 7 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
11. T. Glock (Toyota): 6 points (Best Result: 1 6th)
12. P. McAllister (Force India-Mercedes): 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)

Constructors:

1. Virgin Brawn GP F1 Team Mercedes: 67 points (6 2nds, 2 3rds)
2. BMW Sauber F1 Team: 60 points (6 wins)
3. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 35 points (1 3rd)
4. Red Bull Racing Renault: 29 points (3 3rds)
5. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro: 17 points (Best Result: 2 4ths)
6. Panasonic Toyota Racing: 13 points (Best Result: 2 6ths)
7. ING Renault F1 Team: 12 points (Best Result: 1 4th)
8. Force India F1 Team Mercedes: 1 point (Best Result: 1 8th)

The next race is the Turkish Grand Prix at the Istanbul circuit.

[Phoenix]

Wow. Just wow. Scoring points in aFI isn't something that happens every day.

[MinardiFan95]

Wow. Just wow. Scoring points in aFI isn't something that happens every day.

It took a while, but you finally scored a point, nice job. Just don't take my seat at BMW next season, ok?

[the Masked Lapwing]

2001 British Grand Prix

Qualifying:
Rain, rain, go away…
Silverstone is one of just two tracks where Davies has never even scored a point. To be fair, that can be attributed to not being used to his new car in 1999, and sheer bad luck (and an incompetent pit crew) in 2000. And this year, the rain stopped falling at precisely the wrong time, which Davies didn’t think would happen. Neither did Hakkinen, for that matter.

1st: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): 1:17.025
2nd: R. Schumacher (Williams): +0.035
3rd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +0.104
4th: J. Montoya (Williams): +0.206
5th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +0.578
6th: O. Panis (BAR): +0.646
7th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +0.800
8th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +0.824
9th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +1.328
10th: R. Davies (McLaren): +1.654
11th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +1.684
12th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +2.423
13th: J. Button (Benetton): +2.501
14th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +2.635
15th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +2.679
16th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +2.715
17th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +4.276
18th: J. Alesi (Prost): +4.294
19th: L. Burti (Prost): +4.494
20th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +4.505
21st: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +4.699
22nd: T. Marques (Minardi): +4.984

Race:
And a brilliant start in the wet sees Davies move to 5th place, between Montoya and Trulli. That was where the progress ended, as Davies was running a higher downforce setup than everyone else. It did mean, however, that he caught Montoya in the final sector and passed him around the outside at Luffield (but he pitted anyway, so it made little difference). Barrichello also stopped, so Davies was now third behind the Schumachers, with Michael leading the way. But they were both running similar setups to Davies, so the gap actually grew over the next two laps, and Trulli wasn’t that far behind. Trulli and Raikkonen both stopped on lap 3, and both Schumachers and Davies on lap 4. Panis spun out while running just behind Davies at Priory, giving 4th to Sammy Jones, although he also stopped on lap 4 (and from miles behind). Davies emerged having lost only two spots, to Barrichello and Trulli (!), but right in front of a battle between Hakkinen and Montoya. Hakkinen got past at Stowe, but Montoya couldn’t find a way through (world’s widest McLaren, you see). And then he spun at Vale. Ha! But all that achieved was to put Raikkonen on his tail, and the Finn couldn’t get past him either. And while they were battling for the final point, the Schumachers crossed the line for a brotherly 1-2, with Ralf (damn!) winning.

1st: R. Schumacher (Williams): 9:36.214
2nd: M. Schumacher (Ferrari): +0.738
3rd: R. Barrichello (Ferrari): +12.464
4th: J. Trulli (Jordan): +21.989
5th: M. Hakkinen (McLaren): +22.755
6th: R. Davies (McLaren): +32.226
7th: K. Raikkonen (Sauber): +32.882
8th: H. Frentzen (Jordan): +33.315
9th: J. Villeneuve (BAR): +34.317
10th: J. Montoya (Williams): +34.575
11th: G. Fisichella (Benetton): +42.637
12th: N. Heidfeld (Sauber): +43.334
13th: J. Button (Benetton): +44.220
14th: S. Jones (Jaguar): +45.269
15th: P. De la Rosa (Jaguar): +45.986
16th: J. Alesi (Prost): +52.168
17th: J. Verstappen (Arrows): +53.786
18th: E. Bernoldi (Arrows): +54.786
19th: F. Alonso (Minardi): +55.616
20th: T. Marques (Minardi): +56.618
21st: L. Burti (Prost): +1:29.732
DNF: O. Panis (BAR): Spun off

Drivers’ Championship:
1st: R. Schumacher - 54
2nd: R. Davies - 44
3rd: M. Hakkinen - 36
4th: M. Schumacher - 34
5th: R. Barrichello - 27
6th: J. Montoya - 21
7th: K. Raikkonen - 17
8th: J. Trulli - 12
9th: J. Villeneuve - 8
= 10th: S. Jones - 6
= 10th: N. Heidfeld - 6
= 10th: H. Frentzen - 6
= 13th: R. Zonta - 4
= 13th: O. Panis - 4
= 15th: G. Fisichella - 2
= 15th: J. Verstappen - 2
= 15th: J. Button - 2
16th: T. Marques - 1

Constructors’ Standings:
1st: McLaren - 80
2nd: Williams - 75
3rd: Ferrari - 61
4th: Sauber - 23
5th: Jordan - 22
6th: BAR - 12
7th: Jaguar - 6
8th: Benetton - 4
9th: Arrows - 2
10th: Minardi - 1

And next is the other track (actually, I suppose it’s the only one now) where Davies hasn’t yet scored a point - Hockenheim. Cue sarcastic “yay”.