Austrian Grand Prix Review

This was an unusual qualifying session in more ways than one. With the track providing hardly any grip, everyone waited and waited and waited, and no-one ventured onto the track for some 22 minutes. When they did, mayhem started breaking loose, with Tarso Marques and Fernando Alonso both spinning their Minardis, Jean Alesi taking his Prost off-road, and Jacques Villeneuve, who quite simply had an awful weekend, complaining of back trouble after his Melbourne smash, losing his BAR.

Just as amazing was the fact that virtually all the times were set with some 15 minutes left in the session. Normally in the frantic last few minutes, the times tumble and the order is shuffled like a pack of cards. Not this time. Some of the top drivers managed to improve on their second runs, but for most of the session the order remained static, with Michael Schumacher taking his 9th pole in 10 races, ahead of the brilliant Juan-Pablo Montoya, brother Ralf Schumacher, and an impressive Rubens Barrichello.

In fact, they were both outdone by the sensational Nick Heidfeld in the Sauber, who is proving to be something of a revelation in what is undoubtedly Sauber's best ever package. To prove the point, Kimi Raikkonen was 9th for the second race in succession. Once again the top 12 spots on the grid were filled by the top 6 teams, showing the very distinct hierarchy of teams which has emerged so early in the season. Not that that's a bad thing because, in general, those top 6 teams are remarkably close.

A very order has developed at the back of the grid as well. For three races in succession Alonso has been 18th, Giancarlo Fisichella 19th, Jenson Button 21st and Marques 22nd. This time it was the disappointing Alesi in 20th, outqualified again by new team-mate Luciano Burti. Let me also point out that, for the fourth race in a row Enrique Bernoldi has beaten his veteran team-mate Jos Verstappen. At the start of the season, I said Bernoldi could surprise, and everyone scoffed ...

The Finn has now stalled in 33% of the races this year, and is winless in 10 starts. For his second grid stall in 4 races (and in the process handing McLaren's championship hopes to DC), Mika gets out 'Reject of the Race' award.

Just to prove that launch control has not made the first corner any less exciting, what an awful start for Michael Schumacher, but conversely what a terrific getaway for both Williams cars! While it's been refreshing to see an individual Williams at the front (Montoya in Brazil, Ralf at Imola), to see both lead the field was just as nice a change. It was also amusing to see the way Montoya squeezed Ralf doing into the first corner. As if we needed any reminder, here is a man in the Senna and Schumacher mould.

REJECT OF THE RACE
Mika Hakkinen's grid stalling - 2 from 4 races
Drive the car like your golf ball, Mika!

Yet in truth Irvine did not have the pace to hang on, and was soon passed by a number of drivers, including Raikkonen and Olivier Panis in the second BAR. The first to pass Irvine, though, was Verstappen in the Arrows. On a tank of fuel half as full as everyone else, he scythed past Irvine, and then, quite astonishingly, breezed past Coulthard. He then clung ferociously to the back of the Ferraris, while Barrichello, showing his continued independent streak, dared to take a few looks inside Schumacher.

This was the second time that Verstappen this year has been unbelievable in the early stages of a race, the first being Malaysia. Clearly, the Arrows A22 is a good chassis, but the Asiatech engine has generally raised plenty of doubts. It is, after all, the shocking Peugeot motor from last year. Even taking into account that both Arrows were on low fuel, this was an impressive performance. Bernoldi moved up as high as 8th before suffering yet another mechanical failure, even passing Villeneuve along the way.

Back at the front, so much for Williams dominance. Firstly Ralf retired for the second race in a row with brake problems, and then Montoya slowed down dramatically. Apparently this has something to do with the Michelin tyres; they perform brilliantly for some ten laps, then drop off for 15 laps, and then come back again. I'm no chemist (and you have to be to understand tyre technology these days), but doesn't all that sound faintly ridiculous?

In terms of the race (and indeed the World Championship) it proved a blessing in disguise, as Montoya fell back and bunched the field up with some terrific defensive driving, allowing the top 6 (JPM, Schumacher, Barrichello, Verstappen, Coulthard and Raikkonen) to run nose-to-tail for several laps. An anomaly by F1 standards these days, but so great to see. There was nothing dastardly about it; there was no reason why Montoya shouldn't have defended his position.

My F1 Rejects co-author doesn't agree 100%, though. He thinks Montoya had every right to defend his line and his position, but also should have known when enough was enough. He was never going to keep Schumacher at bay with the Michelins, and his breaking into the Remus Kurve was left so late that he hadn't a hope of making the corner. Juan Pablo's manoeuvre was foolish, reckless and cost both of them dearly. But each to their point of view!

Regardless, this put Barrichello in the lead in front of Verstappen in something of a false 2nd, followed by Coulthard, Raikkonen, Panis and Schumacher. The German got past the BAR and the Sauber, and once Jos came in and finished his little cameo, it was down to a three-horse race between the Ferraris and the lone McLaren. And for once, in the strategy stakes, things worked out for Coulthard. Schumacher lost time on his out-lap, Coulthard stayed out longer and pumped out some quick traffic-less laps, and the Scot thus got out ahead of Barrichello.

Make no mistake, this was a sterling drive by Coulthard. Patient early on from his low grid position, he was fast when it mattered most, and he drove faultlessly in the last third of the race. Easily one of his finest wins, this drive firmly establishes his world championship credentials. Hakkinen has all but admitted that the championship is lost for him, and for crying out loud, if Ron Dennis doesn't give Coulthard all the help he can get, he is an idiot. Coulthard has scored points in every race this year, and should have been on the podium in each.

Barrichello returned to his emotional self by leaving it till the last corner to let Schumacher by in a form of protest at Ferrari's team orders. One can appreciate his disappointment. He had stuck with Schumacher in the early stages and even challenged him; he had led for a good portion of the race, and but for Coulthard's strategy he did no wrong. This was perhaps his most convincing drive all year, and to have team orders slapped on him was a cruel blow.

One final note: at the time of writing it was unclear whether Raikkonen or Panis would be classified in 4th. Kimi crossed the line 4th, but BAR argued that he had passed Burti's Prost while under yellows for Button's abandoned Benetton. While we were watching the race, Jamie McGregor picked up on it as it happened; all parties involved have agreed the pass took place under yellows. Unless rules exist that cater for a driver letting another by during yellows, then Raikkonen should be demoted to 5th, and Panis bumped up to 4th. That would be sweet revenge for the Frenchman after what happened in Melbourne.

Not a real good week for Australians in motorsport. In Austria, Mark Webber started just 6th on the grid at the F3000 race in Spielberg. But in the race he was off at the first corner, and had to watch Justin Wilson win the race and lead Webber (4th in the Championship) by 15 points with 7 races left. There was no British F3 race this week, and Ryan Briscoe was missing from the Formula Renault EuroCup meet at Silverstone, taking part instead in a test session at Magione.

However, more exciting news came in the form of confirmation that the Australian leg of the American Le Mans Series will be run in Sydney! When the South Australian state Government decided the $8 million cost of staging the race in Adelaide was too great, and surprised Panoz Motorsport by announcing it would not continue with the event, the battle was on between Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney to see who would get the race. The Sydney event, expected to run four hours with the last 90 minutes at night, would be the grand finale of the various ALMS series and is currently planned for December 8. It will follow a (rather boring) three-kilometre circuit encircling the Olympic Stadium at Homebush Bay. Naturally, we are rather excited, seeing as both of us live only a few kilometres away!!