h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

And they say the Germans have no sense of humour...

For the second successive race Michael Schumacher failed to make it past the first corner. With Coulthard in pole position and Hakkinen storming past into the lead from fourth, Schumacher pulled in front of Giancarlo Fisichella, who had nowhere to go except into the back of the Ferrari, taking both drivers out of the race immediately.

The fun and games continued with the motor racing equivalent of a dog on the pitch midway through the race, as a member of the public appeared out of nowhere and proceeded to walk across the track in gap between cars. The safety car was called into action while the marshalls removed the intruder, and everyone toom the opportunity to pit, except David Coulthard for some reason, who pitted a lap later and dropped from second to sixth as a result.

Three laps later, Pedro Diniz and Jean Alesi came together, somehow managing not to kill each other but sending loose wheels bouncing down the track and bringing the safety car out again.

Another three laps on and the rain which had been threatening since before the race began finally delivered - but only on some parts of the track. Those who came in for wet weather tyres found their performance in the wet areas significantly improved than those who chose to stay out, but the improvement was cancelled out by poor handling on the dry areas. With conditions thus shaken up, Rubens Barrichello, who had qualified in 18th only after borrowing the spare car from Schumacher, fought his way through the field and into the lead, where he somehow stayed on his dry weather tyres, to win his first ever Grand Prix. Mika Hakkinen followed, with David Coulthard somehow struggling back into third, and Jenson Button - who had started last after stalling on the grid - unexpectedly making his way up to fourth place.

And after all that - Michael Schumacher still leads the drivers' championship!

Yeah how did Reubens manage that. I was at the golf all afternoon and couldn't believe the result when I heard it on the radio.

He was on a two-stop strategy and everyone else was on a one-stop... but then it rained and screwed up all the one-stoppers.

You have to say that Reubens deserved it, though. After all, he was up in third (or was it fourth) place before he made his first pit stop, and after that nutter stepped onto the track he was right on the tail of Mika. How he could hold the car on the track in the rain is beyond me, though. Coulthard tried to stay on him on the slicks, but the Ferrari seemed to be more easily controlled in the wet part of the track.

And as always, it wasn't Schumahers fault (according to himself) that he blocked Fisichella so that Fisichella had nowhere to go but into the rear of Schumacher.
Lesser miracle that he's still two points ahead of both Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard in the driver's championship standings. And he has Barichello to that for it.

All I can say is that Reubens Barichello had a miraculous race and that he deserved the win.

Mind you, fair play to Schumacher - I was expecting him to blame Coulthard, but instead he blamed Fisichella.
I was happy to see Barrichello win at last - I hope it's the first of many, although it won't be unless Schumi keeps having those incidents at the first corner of each race...

I have to say that I sat with a broad grin all over my face as he ascended the podium and waved the Brazilian flag. I just sat waiting for Mika and David to grab one end of the flag each and display it behind Barichello. I personally thought that that had been somewhat appropriate for a first-time winner. BUt then again, that's just me.

Well, what a fantastic race! Does anyone here feel sorry for Mr Scuhmbag?

Given that he's failed to finish 4 of the last 5 races and is still leading the championship, no, not really.

I can't say that I feel very sorry for "Schumi" either. And I think that it sounds pretty funny how Murray Walker keeps defending his actions all the time. However, this past weekend, Murray had to admit that Schumachers misfortunes were of his own doing.

The most astounding thing about Barrichello's win was he started 18th - winning from there is almost IndyCar!

And that dog on the track? A disgruntled Mercedes employee who probably cost the silver arrows a 1-2 with that timely intervention of the safety car.........

Or maybe.. **Conspiracy mode on** Maybe it was a Ferrari employee that only dressed up in a Mercedes jacket, to make it look as if it was a Mercedes employee. **Conspiracy mode off**

Hmmmm, Are we sure it wasn't actually Shumie?

No, he would have stood in the middle of the track and blamed everyone else for being there.

There is that.

And if it was a Ferrari employee, he wouldn't have run across the track, they would just have lodged a formal complaint against McLaren.

Again.

For failing to break down first

No, for even existing to provide a challenge!

Have you notice how, when he finishes in the top 3 behind a McLaren (if you can remember that far back), he always has a good old nose around inside the McLaren to see if there's anything there he can complain about?

Yup. He probably complains about 'they had seat cushions' and 'but there's half a milliltre of spilt paint here!' at whick point a scrutineer arrives, and says 'Nein, Michael, tha's bird s**t, that is. Aye.' (Being son of a Yorkshireman who married a German while drunk.)