Alonso wins Chinese GP to seal title for Renault (Reuters) Updated: 2005-10-17 08:41
SAFETY CAR
Renault had arrived in China with a two-point lead and could breathe easy for
most of a race interrupted by two safety car periods.
Renault's World
Champion Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain races to win the
Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai October 16, 2005.
[Reuters] | The turning point in a knife-edge
battle between the two teams who have dominated the season came when Montoya,
following Raikkonen closely in fourth place, ran over a loose drain cover.
He made two stops to try and fix the damage and then drove into the pits and
got out of the car on lap 25.
Alonso could ease off the revs but Renault were still made to sweat when
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who finished fourth behind Toyota's Ralf
Schumacher, collected a drive-through penalty for obstructive driving with six
laps to go.
"The car wasn't quick enough," Raikkonen said.
"It got quicker and quicker and at the end was perfect. Unfortunately it came
about 40 laps too late. The Renault was too quick so all the compliments to them
and next year we try again," the Finn added.
Austrian Christian Klien was fifth for Red Bull, with Brazilian Felipe Massa
sixth for Sauber. Australian Mark Webber was seventh in a Williams and Briton
Jenson Button took the final point for BAR.
Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher was first to end the
season, colliding on the way to the starting grid and spinning off during the
race when following the safety car.
Australian Paul Stoddart, watching his final race as Minardi boss before
handing over to new owners Red Bull, blamed the German for the astonishing
collision with his Dutch driver Christijan Albers.
"It was Michael's fault," Stoddart told Reuters. "He just didn't look in his
mirrors and pulled across. Typical Minardi -- go out with a bang."
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