Bharath Kumar

Schumacher and Ferrari dominated the United States Grandprix at Indianapolis with Alonso managing no better than 5th place. Schumi made 5 wins out of 7 appearances in the US GP for ferrari. Right from the first lap ferrari was on their own race with all others having a race of their own. The start itself was brilliant as, into turn 1 and Massa takes the lead from Schumacher with Alonso side by side with the german. Schumi keeps second, but there has been drama at the back of the grid with a pile up into turn one.

Safety car was deployed. A total of seven cars are in the gravel trap at the first turn. Hiedfeld, Webber, Klien, Montagny, Montoya, Speed, Raikkonen all gone. That was an amazing start for Alonso, for a moment it looked as if he was going to take the lead into turn 1. Replays showed that it was a huge accident at the back, the two mclarens made contact. They in turn touched a Super Aguri. The result was a further impact with Heidfeld’s BMW sauber which sent the german into a spectacular barrel roll. There is smoke comming from Button’s car and he retires in Honda garage. Montoya was the guy responsible for triggering atleast some of the drama on lap 1.

On lap 7 the safety car is comming out and Massa times it perfectly and he’s away and gone, while Schumi didn’t react in time. The Renault’s are side by side and Alonso holds position. A contact between Super Aguri and Sato, but Sato managed to get going. Yellow on the straight as Alonso having to defend hard from Fisichella. Schumi sets a fastest lap and he’s right up on Massa now. Only 12 runners left in it by lap 12 and ferraris are having a race of their own. On lap 15 Fisichella passes team mate Alonso into turn one to take P3.

Michael flying as he is the fastest man so far in S1. Massa and Schumacher now trade fastest sector times and keeps pulling away. Fisichella goes fastest on lap 21 and Alonso is slowing and it looks like he really has a problem. Can he hold of barrichello who is just 0.7 seconds behind him. On lap 22 Villeneuve stopped by the side of the track and he is out of the car and we got only 11 cars running. Lap 25 and Schumi goes fastest in S3 and Fisichella is dropping away again. Massa slams another fastest lap on Lap 27 and yellow flags are still out as Villeneuve’s car is recovered. Schumi pits from second place on Lap 29 and fisi is in too, meanwhile massa sets a new fastest lap. Massa pits in the next lap and can he comes out of Schumi. No, Schumi takes lead for the first time in 3 races. Wooooo. Alonso pits on lap 31 and joins behind Fisichella as Schumi leads Massa by 2.4 secondsafter the first stops. If Trulli is on one-stop strategy, this could turn into a very good result for Toyota, as he is 6.4 sec ahead of Fisichella. Trulli finally comes in for his first stop from P3 on lap 40 and it looks like he’s on a single-stop strategy, which could pay off by the end of the race.

Lap 46 and it looks as Renault will struggle to keep Alonso ahead of trulli after the champion makes his second stop. Great inlap by Coulthard enables him to come just ahead of Rosberg to claim the final point of the race, but it was too close and great work by Coulthard. Schumi sets the fastest lap of the race on lap 51 and Ralf closes to 1 second behing Alonso. massa pits from the 2nd place and Fisi takes 2nd, but still have to make one more stop. Fisichella pits from P2 and emerges just before Trulli. Damn it and ralf pits too and Schumi Pits from the lead in the next lap and re-emerge in the lead. Alonso pits on lap 55 and where will he rejoin?. long stop of 8.4 secs and he joins just behind barrichello in 7th place which may give him only 3 points. Schumi goes fastest again as Rosberg and Liuzzi battle it for the last point.

Ralf Schumacher retires from 5th place on lap 64 handing the 5th place to Alonso. Damn it!. Lap 69 and this looks set to be a procession to the flag unless something dramatic happens. Into final lap and Schumi is already waving from his cockpit and Massa behind him crosses the brick wall for the final time. Fisichella, Trulli, Alonso croses the line respectively behind ferrari. Rosberg is the only one not to pick any oints here at Indianapolis as David Coulthard takes two well deserved championship points for red Bull in 7th. Torro Rosso will be delighted as Liuzzi scores their first point in 8th place. Schumi is king of US GP as he wins 5th time here out of 7 appearences and he is just 18 points behind Championship leader Alonso now. Who knows, Ferrari and Schumi might kick Renault’s and Alonso’s ass in the remainder of the season as the US GP marks the start of the second half of the season.