Alonso wins at Oz

In a race where the safety car completed more laps than some regular drivers did, Alonso kept his nerve to come home first, and the man who can keep Alonso at bay, Kimi Raikkonen, bounced back after a dissapointing show at Sepang to come in second. Schumacher (Ralf, for a change) came in third, followed by quick Nick. Fisichella, whose weekend in Australia was nothing like the one he had at this venue last year came in fifth, with Villeneuve coming in sixth to give BMW valuable points for the Constructor's championships. Barrichello was lucky to come seventh despite his dismal driving, and Coulthard took eighth, after a 25-second penalty was imposed post race on Scott Speed for ignoring the yellow flags. Overall, an incident filled race, thanks to the track that was as slippery as an eel.

To talk the race driver by driver, Alonso was clearly a class apart.He showed that the Renault's package was still leagues ahead of the rest. His race pace was amazing, infact amazing enough to keep the freakishly fast Finn at bay. In their battle, Alonso and Raikkonen posted 31 of the 33 fastest laps, each trying to gun down the other, oblivious of the 'traffic' on the circuit. Their respective partners did not have a good day, with Juan Pablo Montoya being silly enough to spin his car on the parading lap (yes, parading lap!), and Fisichella stalling his car after the first parading lap. Montoya then did what he does best, which is disobeying the flags. He overtook Button on the yellows, and perhaps would have got the same penalty as Speed had it not been for the last-corner goofup. Montoya alleged that the car had shut itself down!

Button the talkative, who was looking to win his maiden grand prix from the third pole position of his career had a bad sunday. Despite fending off super-starter Alonso on lap 1, he couldn't hold on to the lead after the safety car pulled off the first time around. Clearly, the Honda's tyres were at fault, for it looked like Alonso overtook a near-stationery and cold Button. A re-enactment took place a couple of laps later, only this time it was Raikkonen who overtook Button for second spot. A spectacular blow-up of his engine just meters before the finish line meant that he would finish tenth instead of fifth. And a blown engine would also mean that the best he could qualify at Imola would be eleveth. The other Honda driver Barrichello still could not find his groove with Honda, and after an amazingly poor qualifying managed to tumble into seventh, after a record number of drivers pulled out owing to a myriad of reasons. Clearly, Barrichello does not have the pace, and he would be in big trouble if he can't fit himself into the Brackley-made car soon enough.

Schumacher had an anonymous race until lap 25, after which, for a brief period of time he did show us why he was considered one of the best drivers ever to grace a formula one cockpit. But as luck would have had it, the German pushed his machine a bit too far, running wide into the last corner, and ending up in the barriers. With Schumacher displaying such driving prowess, and Todt promising a whole new package for Imola, I still wouldn't count Ferrari out of plucking a race or two from the Renault's and the McLaren's.

Toyota did reasonably well, and something that's a lot closer to the budget they are spending. Ralf came in third, inspite of having done nothing dramatic. Trulli didn't even have a race, after he, Rosberg and Massa came together on lap 1.

BMW had a field day, with both their drivers landing in the points. Mario's blue-eyed boy, Nick, came in fourth, and Villeneuve, who started ninteenth, thanks to the silly engine rule, came in sixth, proving that he still had it in him to race. A good show by the French-Canadian, and I hope he can carry this form into the European leg.

As for Redbull, Coulthard gained the solitary point despite driving poorly, thanks to an aggressive Scott Speed who incurred a 25-second penalty because of disobeying the flags. Klein, on the other hand, made a silly error very early in the race, braking too hard on a bump and ending up in the barriers, strewing enough debris on the track to bring out the safety car.

The Super Aguri team continues to impress, with Sato coming in twelveth. Though only Ide was behind him, Sato did show us how fast he really could be. After running well, he left some of the more experienced and respectable drivers in his dirt-trail. Surely, Sato might spring some surprises with the SA06, due to be released mid-season.

The Toro Rosso did impress too, for otherwise the Taxi team (read: Midland) wouldn't cry foul and ask for the Masechitz's B-team to be excluded from the WCC points ratings. The junior Red Bulls are indeed trying to match their elder brothers.

Overall, an incident filled race, one where Alonso stamped his authority yet again, proving to the crowds that Renault was still the best team and he was still the driver to beat.

A 3-week hiatus, as the Formula One juggernaut rolls on to more the traditional pastures of Europe. Come Imola, and I would forever be reminded of the man who continues to rule the hearts of F1 fans all over the world, twelve years after his death at this very track. Long live Ayrton Senna da Silva.

I yearn that Imola 2006 would be as interesting as the 2005 edition, where a ressurgent Michael Schumacher chased the crown Prince Alonso to the very finish. I would expect a strong performance from Ferrari, who should, hopefully, mount a challenge to the supremacy of the Renault's and the McLaren's.

The Tifosi shall holler at Imola!