Michael Schumacher reclaimed the lead for the final time on the 50th lap and pulled away from teammate Rubens Barrichello to win Sunday's US Grand Prix for his eighth victory in nine races this year.
Schumacher avoided trouble in a crash-marred race and cruised to a 2.9-second victory over Barrichello on Indianapolis' 13-turn, 4.192km road course. Japan's Takuma Sato was third, 22.0 seconds off the pace.
After struggling all weekend with the car's handling, the only challenge Schumacher had Sunday was picking spots to make moves.
PHOTO: EPA
Barrichello and Schumacher, teammates for Ferrari, filled the front row for the start, and the German wasted no time in testing the pole winner.
Schumacher darted inside heading into the first turn, but Barrichello moved down on the track, cutting off Schumacher to retain the lead.
It lasted just five laps.
When the race restarted after a five-car crash in the second turn of the race, Schumacher again tried an inside move coming out of turn 13 and this time raced Barrichello, a Brazilian, wheel-to-wheel down the straightaway. Barrichello couldn't him hold off this time.
Barrichello regained the lead when the Schumacher pitted on lap 42. Eight laps later, Barrichello pitted, giving Schumacher the lead again. On Lap 52, they waged their biggest battle.
As Barrichello tried to pass Schumacher in three consecutive turns, Schumacher cut him off each time, sometimes getting dangerously close to his teammate. Schumacher then pulled away for his third win in five starts at Indianapolis.
The BMW Williams team again struggled.
First, Juan Pablo Montoya's car wouldn't start. Montoya, a Colombian, was pushed into the pits and surrendered his No. 5 starting spot before the green flag even waved.
Then Montoya's teammate, Ralf Schumacher, lost control on lap 10. The car spun twice coming out of turn 13, then slammed hard into the outside wall before stopping in the straightaway. Schumacher stayed in the car for several minutes as track workers freed him. Schumacher, Michael's brother, was taken to Methodist Hospital for further examination.
On lap 58, Montoya was black-flagged for starting the race in a spare car and not starting the race within 15 seconds of the start. He also ignored his team's instructions to return to the garage. It was the second time in two weeks the Williams team did not score points. Last week both cars were disqualified for using illegal front brake ducts at the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Williams team wasn't the only one having problems.
As Schumacher and Barrichello battled for the lead, sometimes side-by-side and nearly touching, the rest of the drivers simply tried to stay out of trouble.
It wasn't easy.
Austria's Christian Klien ran into the back of Brazil's Felipe Massa, starting a four-car crash on the second turn. Italy's Gianmaria Bruni and Giorgio Pantano, Massa and Klien were all knocked out of the race before completing a lap and Cristiano da Matta, another Brazilian, had to pit twice because of damage to his car. Da Matta dropped out on lap 18 when his car stopped on the track.
The crashes continued. On lap nine, a right rear tire puncture sent Spain's Fernando Alonso into the outside wall and crashing through some signs on the track.
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
Carlos Alcaraz on Monday powered into the French Open second round with a resounding win to start his title defense, while world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and three-time defending women’s champion Iga Swiatek also progressed at Roland Garros. Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz struck 31 winners in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri and is to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in round two. Alcaraz is now on an eight-match winning streak at the French Open and also took Olympic silver at Roland Garros last year, losing the final to Novak Djokovic. “The first round is never