US Grand Prix

What a beautiful day for a race... too bad F1 screws up the on track product again.

Juan Pablo Montoya's car wouldn't start, so he went to the backup and started from pit lane.

Big pileup in T1 at the start knocks out Klein, Massa, Pantano and Bruni.

Fernando Alonso shreds a tire down the front straight and crashes in T1 leaving shreds of carbon fiber all over the track. FIA only threw a local yellow and never cleaned up the track.

Ralf Shumacher had a scary crash in T13 (T1 of the oval) one lap later. Either a tire went down (debris from Alonso's crash?) or a suspension piece failed sending him spinning backwards into the wall. FIA needs some help on their safety. It took them 4 minutes to get assistance to him. Thank goodness he wasn't hurt and needed help. It then took them 2 laps under yellow before they started picking up the debris on the track. Amazing.

After 59 laps and with Montoya in 3rd, FIA black flagged him over an improper way of getting in the backup. WTF? Nice of the FIA to let him drive most of the race for the fans knowing he wouldn't be allowed to finish. I'm sure that was just to appease the large number of Columbians in attendance.

DaMatta, Button, Heidfeld, Webber and Fisichella had mechanical problems.

The Podium:
Michael Shumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Takuma Sato

Only 8 cars were running at the end giving Joel Buamgartner Minardi's first point of the season... sad.

I do have a new driver to root for... the first Japanese driver to get a podium in 14 years... Takuma Sato... that guy was enthusiasm plus after getting on the podium. Nice to see.

Final Results