Schumacher leads Ferrari one-two
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-03 08:52
INDIANAPOLIS, July 2 - Michael Schumacher won the U.S. Grand Prix on
Sunday in a Ferrari one-two that slammed the brakes on Formula One world
champion Fernando Alonso's run of success.
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| Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa (from L-R) of Brazil,
Michael Schumacher of Germany and Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy
celebrate on the podium after the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix in
Indianapolis July 2, 2006. [Reuters] |
| Schumacher's 87th career win, from
pole position and ahead of Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa, trimmed Spaniard
Alonso's overall championship lead to 19 points after 10 of the season's 18
races. Alonso now has 88 points to Schumacher's 69.
The Renault driver, ending a run of four wins and 15 podium finishes in a
row, finished fifth in a field depleted by a first lap pile-up.
His Italian team mate Giancarlo Fisichella was third with Toyota's Jarno
Trulli, starting from the pit lane after suspension problems on Saturday,
fourth.
It was the Spaniard's worst result since he finished 11th in Hungary last
July but his first finish in five visits to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ferrari's first one-two finish of the season meant seven times world champion
Schumacher has now won five of the seven races held at Indianapolis since
Formula One returned to America in 2000.
The German also led a Ferrari one-two at Indianapolis last season but that
was a hollow victory, with just six cars starting after the Michelin-equipped
teams withdrew for tyre safety reasons.
Sunday's race had the full line-up of 22 cars but returning fans might have
had a sense of deja vu with the first lap wipe-out decimating the field within
seconds of the start lights going out.
Just nine cars finished the race, with Germany's Nico Rosberg the only one
left without a point on a sweltering afternoon at the Brickyard.
Honda's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello finished sixth with Briton David
Coulthard seventh for Red Bull and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi collecting Toro
Rosso's first point of their debut season in eighth place.
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