Schumacher victory puts title challenge firmly on track

New car, same old story as German world champion finds immediate success in updated Ferrari while rivals suffer self-inflicted problems

It is hard to see how the McLaren-Mercedes officials, Ron Dennis and Norbert Haug, could have come up with a more nightmare scenario than the one which befell them here. First, Ferrari's brand new F2003-GA was every bit as fast as everyone had feared it would be, but was more reliable than they had secretly hoped.

Then, having screwed up qualifying and been obliged to start from the back of the grid, the series leader Kimi Raikkonen, of Finland, speared into the back of the Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia's stricken Jaguar on the startline, becoming an instant retirement. Virtually at the same time, Britain's David Coulthard was being bundled off the road in the second corner by an over-enthusiastic Italian, Jarno Trulli.

It scarcely needs saying that Michael Schumacher won the race with an insouciant ease that points firmly to a sixth championship after all for the man whose 2003 campaign had got off to such a shaky start in the first three races.

The German's sole real problem was his Brazilian team-mate, Rubens Barrichello. As they fought with the local favourite, Fernando Alonso, on the run to the first corner, Barrichello had the outside line which then gave him the inside line for Turn Two. But in his usual uncompromising manner Schumacher kept coming and they rubbed wheels as the team leader edged his No 2 on to the dirt to confirm his lead.

Behind them there was carnage not only on the startline, but also on the entry to Turn Two as Trulli tagged Coulthard and sent both into the dirt. Only the Scot resumed. As the safety car came out, some lesser runners took advantage by pitting to top up with fuel, while Coulthard came in for attention to floor and tyre damage before rejoining.

At the restart on lap five, Schumacher simply drove away and soon it became clear that Barrichello has his hands full with the upstart Alonso, who is carving a name for himself the way that Schumacher did back in 1991. It soon transpired that both Ferrari and Renault were on three-stop refuelling strategies and, after stopping for the first time on lap 17, Alonso was able to move into second place when Barrichello refuelled three laps later. After that the young Spaniard thrilled his countrymen with a superbly mature performance that kept the pressure on Schumacher, albeit from a courteous distance.

Alonso was delayed by a fight with Ralf Schumacher after his second stop on the 37th lap, as they battled for second place. This ultimately led to the German getting into a wobble and sliding his BMW-Williams into the dirt three laps later. They met again, as Alonso came up to lap him on lap 63.

It was not an edifying afternoon for the champion's younger brother, as he struggled with his car's hard compound Michelin tyres and an early change from three to two-stop refuelling strategy. He lost out in a fight with his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya, which momentarily saw them running wheel to wheel until the Colombian moved ahead to finish fourth. In the closing stages the battle for fifth between a defensive Schumacher and the challenging Brazilian Cristiano da Matta was one of the race's highlights.

The final points fell to Jaguar's Mark Webber, after the Australian's steady two-stop run, and Jordan's Ralph Firman, who once again staked his claim to a grand prix seat with a spirited drive to eighth place and his first-ever championship point.

For a while Firman had fended off his fellow Briton Jenson Button, who delayed himself on the 18th lap after hitting Coulthard in Turn One. The two were due to party together after the race as their boats were moored in the local marina, and remained cordial despite the tangle.

"I thought you were my mate," Coulthard smiled, hands spread, as Button approached.

"Didn't you see me alongside?" Button responded.

"Alongside?" Coulthard enquired, and Button laughed. "Well, halfway ..."

None of this was any concern to Michael Schumacher.

"This was a perfect day for the championship and for the new car," he said. "I am very happy and must thank the team for their 100 per cent effort.

"At the first corner I did not expect Rubens on the outside and I moved over the inside kerb and slid a bit and thought we might touch. I am not sure if we did or not. But that is racing and it is supposed to be a competition. I really love this new car."

Renault's team chief, Flavio Briatore, described their result as "a victory for the whole team". Alonso said: "This is the best day of my life and I feel I am dreaming."

The result puts Schumacher within four points of Raikkonen in the title chase, with Alonso third another three adrift of Schumacher. McLaren-Mercedes is three points ahead of Ferrari in the constructors' points table, but the writing is on the wall: Ferrari's challenge is now firmly back on track.

BARCELONA DETAILS

1 M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1hr 33min 46.933sec

(ave speed: 196.619 kph/122.200mph)

2 F Alonso (Sp) Renault +5.716sec

3 R Barrichello (Br) Ferrari +18.001

4 J P Montoya (Col) Williams-BMW +62.022

5 R Schumacher (Ger) Williams-BMW +one lap

6 C da Matta (Br) Toyota +one lap

7 M Webber (Aus) Jaguar +one lap

8 R Firman (GB) Jordan-Ford +two laps

9 J Button (GB) BAR-Honda +two laps; 10 N Heidfeld (Ger) Sauber-Petronas +two laps; 11 J Wilson (GB) Minardi-Ford +two laps, 12 Jos Verstappen (Neth) Minardi-Ford +three laps.

Did not finish: G Fisichella (It) Jordan-Ford 43 laps completed; O Panis (Fr) Toyota 41 laps; H-H Frentzen (Ger) Sauber-Petronas 38; D Coulthard (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 17; J Villeneuve (Can) BAR-Honda 12; J Trulli (It) Renault 0; A Pizzonia (Br) Jaguar Racing 0; K Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 0.

Fastest lap: Barrichello 1min 20.143sec (lap 52)