Hungary: Hungry Ralf gets that podium!

By Karl King
July 31 2005

He shoots, he scores...ITV's man of the race has finally grabbed what he's been waiting for. His team-mate has done it three times over with Toyota, but Ralf Schumacher today drove an impressive race, following his brother to the line in third.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen won today's Grand Prix after passing his heavier team-mate and Jarno Trulli by the incident packed first corner where Barrichello made contact with Trulli and had to dive for the pits. Jarno did not have to make a visit to his pit crew but his diffuser was damaged.

Villeneuve touched Christian Klien and sent him rolling into the kitty-litter where he should land the correct-side-up unhurt.

The young championship leader Alonso hit Ralf's Toyota and broke his front wing and had to make a dash for the pits. Luckily Schumacher's car was not damaged, however David Coulthard was innocently taken out of the GP as Fernando's wing flew offand landed in the track. The car in front of the Scot swerved and David was left with no time to see the object and went ploughing into it. The blue wing broke Coulthard's right front giving his Red Bull wings with a one-way ticket to the gravel.

Alonso pitted but could not get back up the pack at a track where it is known to be nutoriously difficult to make a move. Fernando would later leave the circuit pointless.

Talking of pits, Kimi Raikkonen was the first to blink on lap 11, before Michael Schumacher who pitted two laps later. This was the indication that they were both on three stoppers.

In the second round of stops Michael Schumacher entered the pits before Raikkonen, leaving Kimi out on track to lay down the gauntlet to Schumacher. The Iceman hammered in some brilliant laps - enough to get him out in front of Michael after his stop, and pull away rapidly.

This left only one more man for Kimi to overtake - Juan Pablo Montoya. McLaren were geared up for their first 1-2 of the season, unsure which driver would take the gold, and which the silver. But, yes that iminent but which always pops up with McLaren, JPM's driveshaft broke. The team would let their leading driver down again, and Raikkonen was left to stroll to the flag.

However, the Schumacher brothers had decided that the fight was obviously not over for second place. Ralf was closing in quickly on his grip-losing brother. Schumacher could not find a way past on the twisty Hungaroring, and had to settle for third, crossing the line within 6 tenths of a second of his successful brother.

Jarno finished 18 seconds behind Ralf, struggling with a broken diffuser all race.