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What can you say? Bibendum’s gods smiled on Imola today. The Real Race for the Michelin teams was salvaged from a soggy grave by the drops of rain that stayed away.
The absence of precipitation also salvaged a few reputations that were looking more than a little tarnished during the Free Practice sessions. Some drivers can handle the wet, some can’t. Frentzen and Fisichella must both be cursing those same gods. Yesterday saw these two taking very ordinary cars and putting them convincingly in front of some much more capable machinery.
The result at the front was almost predictable, 2 Ferraris, 2 Williams, 2 McLarens.
Ralf, like Eddie and Nick before him, responded to his Also Ran award and managed to pip JPM at the post.
Of the ‘A’ drivers only Fisichella, Coulthard and Yoong failed to beat their partners. Fisichella had problems, Coulthard had an engine change, Yoong had to rely on a lack of talent.
Despite the engine change Coulthard did manage to run a full 12 laps and was very close to winning his first, but I’m sure not last, Also Ran award for 2002. He didn’t, only because there was, down the back of the field, a much more deserving recipient.
The San Marino GP 'Also Ran' Award.
Paul Stoddard must be apoplectic – here’s this guy
sitting in your car, he can’t drive but he keeps throwing buckets of Ringgit’s
at the accountants. What to do? Well, in this case he can make good use of
Alex tomorrow. If it rains Mr Yoong can hold an umbrella over one of the
Michelins on Webber’s car, after today’s performance he certainly shouldn’t
and almost certainly won’t, be driving. San Marino’s Also Ran recipient
has to be the man who has come such a close second on 3 out of 3 occasions so
far this year, Alex Yoong.
1. Mark Webber, 2. Heinz Harald Frentzen, 3. Nick Heidfeld
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