Motorsport: Alonso eludes the carnage

Felipe Massa's red Ferrari rear-ends Nico Rosberg's Williams and runs off the track. Picture / Reuters

MELBOURNE - Renault's Fernando Alonso won an incident-packed Australian Grand Prix yesterday to claim a 14-point lead in the Formula One standings.

The world champion claimed his second victory in three races this season when he established an early lead then held off McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen to win by less than two seconds on a dramatic afternoon at Albert Park.

"The car was perfect. We were not in danger of losing the race at any time," the Spaniard said. "There were no problems at all. Twenty eight points in the first three races is a dream come true, so let's hope we finish like last year."

Ferrari's seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher was among a handful of drivers who were involved in high-speed crashes that forced officials to interrupt the drama-filled race.

Briton Jenson Button, who started on pole position, pulled over agonisingly within sight of the finish line when his Honda's engine blew and burst into flames. He had been in fifth place.

The safety car was introduced four times to clear the track after the circuit was showered by debris on a day of carnage when almost half the drivers failed to complete the distance. Ralf Schumacher stayed out of trouble to steer his Toyota into third place, ahead of fellow German Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber and Alonso's Italian teammate Giancarlo Fisichella, who profited from Button's misfortune to finish fifth and claim a share of second place in the drivers' championship.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was sixth for BMW Sauber, Button's Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello was seventh and American Scott Speed was eighth, taking the first points for Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Alonso has 28 points to 14 for Fisichella and Raikkonen. Schumacher and Button are level on 11.

Renault lead the constructors' standings with 42 to McLaren's 23.

There was drama even before the race began when Fisichella, who had qualified on the front row as second fastest, stalled his Renault on the grid and had to start from the pit lane after a second formation lap.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, who later retired while challenging for a podium, also spun his McLaren on the first formation lap.

There was immediate chaos when the race started with Brazilian Felipe Massa hitting Austrian Christian Klien's Red Bull and running into the rear end of Nico Rosberg's Williams after the first corner.

Massa lost control of his Ferrari and slammed sideways into a wall, destroying the car, while Rosberg retired after limping back to the pits.

Italian Jarno Trulli also quit on the first lap when he damaged his Toyota after making contact with Scotsman David Coulthard's Red Bull.

The safety car was reintroduced when Klein slammed into a wall after locking up under braking.

The delays proved costly for Button, who lost the lead to Alonso as soon as the safety car left the track the first time and was then overtaken by Raikkonen immediately after the second safety car.

The Englishman then gradually slipped back through the field before the final engine blow.

Australia's Mark Webber briefly took the lead in his Williams when Alonso and Raikkonen stopped to refuel but his hopes with a gearbox problem.


Driver standings

* Fernando Alonso (Spain), Renault 28pts
* Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy), Renault 14
* Kimi Raikkonen (Finland), McLaren 14
* Michael Schumacher (Germany), Ferrari 11
* Jenson Button (Britain), Honda 11

- REUTERS