F1 - Canadian GP: Raikkonen & McLaren again

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F1 - Canadian GP: Raikkonen & McLaren again

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Alonso and Raikkonen came in at the end of lap 24, both taking on board enough fuel for a long middle stop. The leader came in next time round followed by Montoya. The Colombian briefly ran across the grass after exiting the pits as he tried to stay ahead of Alonso who was coming up fast behind him. But the Spaniard just managed to save his second place.

After the first run of refuelling, the order on lap 26 was Fisichella, Alonso, Montoya, Raikkonen, Button, M Schumacher, Webber, Trulli, Barrichello (yet to stop,) Massa, Heidfeld, R Schumacher, Coulthard, Klien, Villeneuve, Monteiro, Albers and Freisacher as Karthikeyan retired after clouting the wall.

The gap between the two Renaults had come down from around 5 seconds to just over 2 on lap 28.

As the two Renaults came up behind backmarkers Alonso began to close on his team-mate. Barrichello finally pitted from eighth on lap 31. Alonso took the lead on lap 33 and it appeared Fisichella was in trouble as Montoya also went by to take second place. Sure enough, the Italian cruised round to pit and retire.

Button and M Schumacher refuelled on lap 34, as Montoya closed the gap to Montoya to 0.9 seconds. Raikkonen was a further 4.4 behind his team mate.

But then on lap 39 the race leader was in trouble as he hit the wall and cruised into the pits, but a quick look from the mechanics and the championship leader was out of the race.

This now left the West McLaren Mercedes duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen in first and second place, followed by Jenson Button who was being gradually closed on by M Schumacher. Ninth placed Heidfeld suffered an engine failure on lap 44.

R Schumacher refuelled on lap 45. One lap later, an unusual sight in F1, Takuma Sato who had pulled into the pits presumably to retire, much earlier in the race, now went out again, presumably to gain some data for the team. But there was only BAR on track as Button hit the famous wall at the last corner having been thrown out of shape over the kerb at the chicane. Because the car was in a dangerous place, the SC was deployed as the team brought Raikkonen in to refuel. M Schumacher also refuelled, followed by Trulli, Massa and Webber. Montoya refuelled on the next lap.

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