European Grand Prix Review

Apart from qualifying, when it really mattered in the race it was all about the red cars. Ferrari arrived at the Nurburgring with a slightly modified chassis, featuring a new engine cover (the best way for me to describe it would be to call it non-smooth-sloping) that seemed strangely reminiscent of midfield machines from about twelve years ago! At any rate, it seemed effective enough, with Michael Schumacher just being edged out by the Williams cars in a close qualifying, and Rubens Barrichello not far behind.

Whether or not Ferrari expected Williams to be on a one-stopper, the fact was that they had chosen a two-stop strategy, and while the Michelins were getting up to speed it was imperative that Schumi and Rubens try to get ahead. That they did, and how! As James Allen on the ITV commentary suggested, Rubinho drove perhaps the best first lap (in terms of going for the lead) since Ayrton Senna's barnstormer at Donington in 1993, leaping from 4th on the grid into the lead in a matter of corners.

It was the assured assertiveness of Barrichello that made these moves all the more brilliant. He had taken his chances and caught the Williams drivers napping. On the other hand, when it was time for Michael to slice pass the Williams cars, both JPM and Ralf were 'in the groove', and were able to make it a lot harder. Montoya was particularly dogged in putting the 'one-move' on Schumi. By the time the German was clear, Rubens was already a few seconds down the road.

Let there be absolutely no doubt in anyone's mind that the Ferrari drivers then proceeded to race each other fair and square. Yes they had to charge to pull out a gap over Ralf and JPM to make their strategy work, but the way in which Michael charged and Rubens responded lap by lap was beyond the call of team duty. The rate at which they pulled out from the opposition was staggering. Sure it was down to fuel load and tyres, but it was also down the fact that both drivers were genuinely pushing each other.

The fact that Schumi spun when he got too close to the 'dirty air' behind Rubinho, and the fact that generally whenever Michael attacked Rubens was able to respond in at least one sector of the circuit per lap, makes us think that the German would have found it very hard, if not impossible, to find a way through. Schumi paid the price for an indifferent start and a less opportunistic first few turns. He was right when, after the race, he said that Rubens deserved to win and he deserved to come second.

True, the Ferraris weren't racing in the last ten laps, but in the wake of the Austrian debacle, this has been reported as a case of Ferrari gifting the win to Barrichello to make up for the A1-Ring. What a load of rubbish. There is a huge difference between 'gifting' a win to the Brazilian and adopting the tactic that any team - be it Williams or McLaren or anyone else - would use towards the end when their cars are running 1-2. Any team would be likely to tell their men to back off some laps from the end to ensure the result.

For one thing, Schumacher's advantage now is so much greater than it was at the A1-Ring. But, mathematically, the championship is still not secured. Why were Ferrari not following their usual practices? Did this mean a change of policy? Had Ferrari gone soft in the face of public and peer pressure? Considering their defiant stance ever since Austria, that seems hardly likely. Were Ferrari trying to appease the FIA before the hearing at the World Council a few days later? Possibly.

But there is a very simple reason why Ferrari, a team that crunches the numbers and uses team strategy to maximise results, saw value in not having Barrichello move over and allowing Rubens to take a deserved win. The only thing that could be better than a Schumi title is a Ferrari 1-2 in the championship. With Williams faltering of late, and the F2002 such a superior car, after Rubens' early-season reliability woes he is now right in the hunt for second place in the championship.

A word, then, about the punishment that was meted out to the Maranello mob on Wednesday. I'm sure someone can tell us whether or not a fine of US$500,000 with another US$500,000 suspended for 12 months is the largest fine in motor racing history. I'm guessing it could well be. While the FIA were saying that it was for Michael and Rubens' shenanigans on the podium, it is notable that the Articles in relation to bringing the sport into disrepute don't seem to have an automatic fine amount attached to it.

In other words, that figure the FIA decided to impose on Ferrari was completely arbitrary and discretionary. And while Max Mosley, being the good lawyer that he is, will say that it was only for the breach of podium protocol, you can be assured that the FIA were trying to send Ferrari a message in the strongest possible terms: use team orders if you wish, but don't do it in such a blatant way that it brings the sport into disrepute and is of such bad sportsmanship that it turns the fans away in droves.

Williams came, saw and conquered (by all of one-tenth of a second) qualifying, but were in truth horrible in the race. Their drivers made the error of fighting at the first turn. There is no doubt they touched, and touched quite heavily. JPM's car actually bobbled up in the air when his left front touched the right rear of Ralf who was going by on the outside. They failed to concentrate on keeping the Ferraris behind (not that they could have anyway, I don't think), and subsequently paid a heavy price.

True, the Michelins wore quickly and badly, and that put the Williams at a tremendous disadvantage, such that by around lap 10 they were out of contention for victory. But the Williams suffered more than the McLarens and Renaults, and late into the first stint, they were an astonishing three seconds slower than the McLarens, which were on the same tyres but also a heavier fuel load! Williams' title campaign has gone sadly haywire of late, and we can expect some heavy-duty debriefs back at the Grove factory.

After impressing so much at Monaco, and being closer to the Williams in Canada, at the Nurburgring the silver cars were only 0.6s away from the Williams and Ferraris in qualifying, an improvement by almost half a second compared to their early-season form. With power circuits coming up later in the season, Williams can be expected to reassert themselves, so McLaren, and DC in particular, had to take advantage now. Coulthard missed out on a near-certain 3rd place here, and was duly disappointed.

Much can be said for the way Räikkönen drove in this race though. Apart from his wonderfully consistent qualifying (he has only qualified either 5th or 6th this year), he drove a very fine race here despite an error at turn one, and took advantage of the DC-JPM stoush to claim 3rd having passed Ralf in the stops. Who knows, had Montoya stayed out there maybe both McLarens could have leapt pass in the pits, giving Mercedes a much-needed fillip on home soil in their battle with rivals BMW.

Trulli may have out-qualified Button this year, but Button has in general definitively out-raced his team-mate. With Fernando Alonso all but confirmed to take his place for 2003, Jenson seems to have become the victim of Flavio Briatore's politics. Any neutral observer would suggest that Button and Alonso in 2003 might be a better pairing than Trulli and Alonso. After his struggles last year, Button has fought back commendably this year, and to see him shafted possibly to Jaguar next year would be a real shame.

Sauber were unspectacular, but Felipe Massa was rewarded for being able to get pass team-mate Nick Heidfeld by collecting his fourth point for the year in 6th place. Jaguar were relegated to midfield anonymity once again, and must hope that the R3B is a drastic improvement. Arrows recovered from an indifferent qualifying, with Enrique Bernoldi in particular having a fine race from 21st on the grid. Toyota did the exact opposite, having a great qualifying but falling in the race with an ill-handling machine.

REJECT OF THE RACE
Giancarlo Fisichella
100th race sees horrible qualifying, then first corner kamikaze

Villeneuve spent the weekend having a spat with team boss David Richards, who had revealed the exorbitantly high salary the Canadian is being paid. It was not a very nice way to put pressure on his star driver, but having said that, when the 1997 World Champion qualifies a career-worst 19th, and gets trounced by his team-mate all race, he's not exactly letting his actions speak louder than his words, is he? Unfortunately for JV, BAR was a fatal career mistake, but by now he's gone beyond the point of no return.

The less said about Jordan the better. Thus far Giancarlo Fisichella has been trying his best, and recently racking up a few points, whilst Takuma Sato has racked up nothing but repair bills. Now, just as Sato begins to settle down, Fisi celebrates his 100th GP by qualifying a dreadful 18th, running into Taku at the first corner, cutting the Veedol chicane, dropping his bodywork on the main straight, and then retiring with an 'undriveable' car. He had absolutely no competition for 'Reject of the Race'.

To reiterate what we said last time, if that Prost money was that important, then one wonders if Stoddart was treading too fine a line right from the start. He has the air of a distracted team boss, and the on-track performance of his drivers matched that mood. Alex Yoong made a very silly jump start and spun going into the pits, while Mark Webber also spun during the race, and whatever Stoddart may say, seems to be seriously entertaining offers from other teams for next season.

Not for the first time this year, however, everyone else was a bit player on Ferrari's stage. Thank goodness Ferrari used that stage to give everyone a good show, and a meritorious result. Whatever happens for the rest of the season in terms of team strategy, Rubens Barrichello has had his day of days when he can safely say that he beat Michael Schumacher fair and square. Brazil 1, Germany 0. A portent of what is to come in Yokohama on Sunday?