Italian F1 Grand prix: McLaren 1-4, Renault 2-3

McLaren once again showed it had the fastest cars and the worst luck of the leading Formula 1 teams at the weekend when its drivers won the race, but Renault and its champion-elect Fernando Alonso continue to fight an effective rear-guard action – Alonso increased his championship lead while Renault only conceded one solitary point in the manufacturers championship and maintains an eight point lead. The race was only the third time in F1 history that all cars have completed a race, and the first time since the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. It was also the official end of an era – Michael Schumacher and Ferrari came away without points and neither have any chance of retaining the titles they have owned for half a decade.

McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya drove a faultless if troubled race to his second race win at Monza when he won today’s Italian Grand Prix. It is ironic how close he came to losing the win, as when he took the chequered flag he was only 2.479s ahead of Fernando Alonso after 53 laps as he suffered a damaged rear tyre in the final six laps which saw his lead reduced from eleven seconds. Alonso was followed home by Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella to give the Renaults a total score of 14 points compared to McLaren’s 15 for the day.

Montoya’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth, after setting a pole position time but blowing a motor and having to start in tenth place due to the need for an engine change. He then damaged a tyre early in the race, and still managed fourth – had he started from pole, with no field to pass and tangle with, he would certainly have won by a margin, with his teammate pushing Renault and Alonso into lesser points. But it was not to be and Mclaren looks likely to finish as bridesmaid in both titles.

The up-and-comer award of 2005 will probably go to Toyota. The Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher were fifth and sixth respectively, giving the team a 24 point buffer over fifth placed Williams in the constructors title with just four races to go. Toyota is now just eight points behind third-placed Ferrari and with results running their way, a podium finish in the prestigious manufacturers award would no doubt give the company a sense of achievement .

Montoya took straight off into the lead at the start of the race in warm conditions, heading Alonso, Jenson Button, Takuma Sato (BARs), Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. Fisichella was next from Ralf Schumacher, then Jacques Villeneuve (Sauber) with Raikkonen close behind him.

Montoya quickly opened up a 2.4s lead over Alonso, but there it stabilised. However, the pair were soon pulling away from the BARs, while the lighter Ferraris moved ahead of Trulli in the opening stages, only for Trulli to get back ahead of Michael again on lap four. However, they now gathered behind Sato: Barrichello, Trulli, Michael and Fisichella. Ralf Schumacher was next under pressure from Villeneuve and Raikkonen.

Montoya’s lead over Alonso never grew to more than 2.7s during the opening stages, the Colombian suffering oversteer. But by the time the first of the BARs pitted – Sato making the first of two stops on lap 16 - they were 17s behind. But at least Sato had pulled away a little bit from those behind, particularly as the Ferraris came in on laps 13 and 14 as had Villeneuve, allowing Raikkonen a clear track.

Alonso was next to pit on lap 19, the Renault driver finding opposition from championship rival Raikkonen as he came out of the pits when he understeered off at the first corner, and then being overtaken by the Finn two corners later. Massa also pitted on that lap, while Montoya and Trulli came in on lap 20. Fisichella was relatively late, pitting on lap 21, but Raikkonen didn’t come in until lap 25.

After the stops, Montoya’s lead had grown to 9.3s from Alonso, but now Fisichella had leaped into third place ahead of Trulli in fourth. Raikkonen was fifth for a couple of laps before he suffered a cut left rear tyre and had to pit again on lap 28, dropping to eleventh.

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