MANAMA, April 3: Spaniard Fernando Alonso secured his second successive win and stamped his and Renault’s authority on the Formula One world championship after just three races when he cruised to victory in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Alonso, who started from pole position in the hottest race in Formula One history, led from the start and fought off an early challenge from defending champion Michael Schumacher, in his new Ferrari, before claiming his third career win.
Seven times champion Schumacher was forced to retire with a hydraulics failure on his new Ferrari F2005 but remained defiant he could recover from the Italian team’s worst start to a season since he joined the team in 1996.
Italian Jarno Trulli took full advantage of the champion’s first mechanical failure for three-and-a-half years to claim another second place for the much-improved Toyota team ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen who came home third for McLaren.
The race was run in air temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius and track temperatures of up to 55 degrees, conditions which were tough for both men and machines.
Results: 1. Fernando Alonso (SPA) Renault 1h29:18.531, 2. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 13.409, 3. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 32.063, 4. Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota 53.272, 5. Pedro de la Rosa (SPA) McLaren-Mercedes 1:04.988, 6. Mark Webber (AUS) Williams-BMW 1:14.701, 7. Felipe Massa (BRA) Sauber-Petronas 1 lap, 8. David Coulthard (GBR) Red Bull 1 lap, 9. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari 1 lap, 10. Tiago Monteiro (POR) Jordan 2 laps, 11. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) Sauber-Petronas 3 laps, 12. Patrick Friesacher (AUT) Minardi 3 laps, 13. Christijan Albers (NED) Minardi 4 laps.—AFP
