Hamilton wins in McLaren 1-2
Lewis Hamilton led a McLaren 1-2 in Indianapolis on Sunday, winning his second grand prix in as many races and dealing a psychological blow to team-mate Fernando Alonso, who could not find a way past the rookie despite several attempts.Hamilton now...
Lewis Hamilton led a McLaren 1-2 in Indianapolis on Sunday, winning his second grand prix in as many races and dealing a psychological blow to team-mate Fernando Alonso, who could not find a way past the rookie despite several attempts.
Hamilton now extends his championship lead to 10 points over Alonso and McLaren continue to build on their constructors lead over Ferrari to 35 points.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa came in third, having managed to hold off his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages of the race.
The exciting race, which saw plenty of wheel to wheel racing, ended with Renault's Heikki Kovalainen coming in fifth followed by Jarno Trulli (Toyota) in sixth, Mark Webber (Red Bull) in seventh and BMW Sebastian Vetel in eighth, thus winning a point in his debut race.
Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton had a clean getaway with Alonso trying to pass around the corners but always finding his team-mate closing the door.
Raikkonen, the only one of the top drivers on the harder compounds, had a terrible start, falling to sixth from fourth after having been passed by Heidfeld (BMW) and Kovalainen (Renault), but no one was worse off than Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard (Red Bull) and Barrichello (Honda), knocked out after a coming together apparently triggered by Schumacher – not a good sign for the German, fighting for his future with Toyota. Fisichella had a spin and fell to 18th where he had a wheel to wheel battle with Button in the corners but finally got the better of the Briton in the straight and started his fight back up the field but lost time as Speed and Wurz battled in front of him..
Hamilton now started reeling some fast laps and by lap 5 had built 1.3s over Alonso and almost 4s over Massa in third while Kovalainen started to feel the pressure from fellow Finn Raikkonen.
Sato, who had been under investigation for overtaking under yellow flags ended up in the gravel and out of the race after an error on lap 14. The stewards later decided against him and docked him 10 grid positions at the next race.
By lap 20 Hamilton was 3.2s ahead of Alonso and the two now started trading records with Massa 7s behind. Heidfeld made a mistake from which Kovalainen profited to move to fourth on lap 21.
Hamilton, Massa and Heidfeld went into the pits together on pit 21 followed a lap later by Alonso leaving Kovalainen in the lead followed by Raikkonen who went in on lap 25.
Fisichella managed to pass Wurz after some more exciting wheel to wheel racing for P12.
Kovalainen went in for his pit stop on lap 27 and Hamilton took the lead ahead of a fast gaining Alonso, now just over one second behind, followed by Trulli (Toyota) and Webber (Red Bull) who still had to pit, and Massa while Raikkonen, now on soft tyres, got the better of Heidfeld on lap 28 and moved to seventh.
Fisichella at last passed fellow Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso) for P11 and had some clear track ahead of him.
All eyes however were now at the front, where Alonso was closing in on team mate and chief rival Hamilton with Massa 14s behind and four back markers bunched just in front.Liuzzi took his time to get out of the way, allowing Alonso to draw up. The McLaren drivers went down the straight side by side but the Briton held his ground and his position and Alonso relented, but still filled Hamilton's mirrors. Later in the race they settled with 2.3 seconds between them.
Raikkonen, free from the late pitting Webber moved to fourth and started gaining on Massa, even setting a new fastest lap.
Alonso was the first of the McLarens to come in for his second pit stop on lap 50 and Hamilton could take it a bit easier. Hamilton came in a lap later and rejoined the race ahead of Alonso. Raikkonen also came in at this time and rejoined in fourth with Massa in the lead for one lap. He kept position in third place just ahead of team-mate Raikkonen, the Finn now the only one in the front on the softer tyres. Would he pressure his team-mate? He got right up to his gearbox with nine laps to go, but found no way past although he drove hard right up to the end.
Trulli and Webber were in fifth and sixth now, but still had to pit. Behind them and already refuelled were Heidfeld and Kovalainen but the BMW driver was having problems and eventually fell back and retired to a deckchair to watch the race.
On lap 61 Webber tried and failed to pass Trulli now seventh, took a shortcut over the grass and then had to let the Toyota through to start all over again.
Honda suffered on lap 67 when Davidson on the Honda-engined (and old Honda chassis?) Super Aguri passed Jenson Button for twelfth.
Rosberg (Williams), running on a one-stop strategy, suffered a retirement with flames emitting from his engine with four laps to go. He had been sixth after having started well down the grid. That moved BMW stand-in Sebastian Vettel into the points in his first race.
Liuzzi also parked in the garage at this time and the race ended with yet another McLaren 1-2 and Ferrari in third and fourth having never challenged the McLarens.
Hamilton now extends his championship lead to 10 points over Alonso and McLaren continue to build on their constructors lead over Ferrari to 35 points.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa came in third, having managed to hold off his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages of the race.
The exciting race, which saw plenty of wheel to wheel racing, ended with Renault's Heikki Kovalainen coming in fifth followed by Jarno Trulli (Toyota) in sixth, Mark Webber (Red Bull) in seventh and BMW Sebastian Vetel in eighth, thus winning a point in his debut race.
Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton had a clean getaway with Alonso trying to pass around the corners but always finding his team-mate closing the door.
Raikkonen, the only one of the top drivers on the harder compounds, had a terrible start, falling to sixth from fourth after having been passed by Heidfeld (BMW) and Kovalainen (Renault), but no one was worse off than Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard (Red Bull) and Barrichello (Honda), knocked out after a coming together apparently triggered by Schumacher – not a good sign for the German, fighting for his future with Toyota. Fisichella had a spin and fell to 18th where he had a wheel to wheel battle with Button in the corners but finally got the better of the Briton in the straight and started his fight back up the field but lost time as Speed and Wurz battled in front of him..
Hamilton now started reeling some fast laps and by lap 5 had built 1.3s over Alonso and almost 4s over Massa in third while Kovalainen started to feel the pressure from fellow Finn Raikkonen.
Sato, who had been under investigation for overtaking under yellow flags ended up in the gravel and out of the race after an error on lap 14. The stewards later decided against him and docked him 10 grid positions at the next race.
By lap 20 Hamilton was 3.2s ahead of Alonso and the two now started trading records with Massa 7s behind. Heidfeld made a mistake from which Kovalainen profited to move to fourth on lap 21.
Hamilton, Massa and Heidfeld went into the pits together on pit 21 followed a lap later by Alonso leaving Kovalainen in the lead followed by Raikkonen who went in on lap 25.
Fisichella managed to pass Wurz after some more exciting wheel to wheel racing for P12.
Kovalainen went in for his pit stop on lap 27 and Hamilton took the lead ahead of a fast gaining Alonso, now just over one second behind, followed by Trulli (Toyota) and Webber (Red Bull) who still had to pit, and Massa while Raikkonen, now on soft tyres, got the better of Heidfeld on lap 28 and moved to seventh.
Fisichella at last passed fellow Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso) for P11 and had some clear track ahead of him.
All eyes however were now at the front, where Alonso was closing in on team mate and chief rival Hamilton with Massa 14s behind and four back markers bunched just in front.Liuzzi took his time to get out of the way, allowing Alonso to draw up. The McLaren drivers went down the straight side by side but the Briton held his ground and his position and Alonso relented, but still filled Hamilton's mirrors. Later in the race they settled with 2.3 seconds between them.
Raikkonen, free from the late pitting Webber moved to fourth and started gaining on Massa, even setting a new fastest lap.
Alonso was the first of the McLarens to come in for his second pit stop on lap 50 and Hamilton could take it a bit easier. Hamilton came in a lap later and rejoined the race ahead of Alonso. Raikkonen also came in at this time and rejoined in fourth with Massa in the lead for one lap. He kept position in third place just ahead of team-mate Raikkonen, the Finn now the only one in the front on the softer tyres. Would he pressure his team-mate? He got right up to his gearbox with nine laps to go, but found no way past although he drove hard right up to the end.
Trulli and Webber were in fifth and sixth now, but still had to pit. Behind them and already refuelled were Heidfeld and Kovalainen but the BMW driver was having problems and eventually fell back and retired to a deckchair to watch the race.
On lap 61 Webber tried and failed to pass Trulli now seventh, took a shortcut over the grass and then had to let the Toyota through to start all over again.
Honda suffered on lap 67 when Davidson on the Honda-engined (and old Honda chassis?) Super Aguri passed Jenson Button for twelfth.
Rosberg (Williams), running on a one-stop strategy, suffered a retirement with flames emitting from his engine with four laps to go. He had been sixth after having started well down the grid. That moved BMW stand-in Sebastian Vettel into the points in his first race.
Liuzzi also parked in the garage at this time and the race ended with yet another McLaren 1-2 and Ferrari in third and fourth having never challenged the McLarens.