Rookie SCOTT SPEED finished eighth, but was later penalised and lost his - and the team's - first
F1 point. After the race, the Stewards of the Meeting assessed a reprimand to Speed, a time penalty of 25 seconds to his race time, and a $5000 fine. The SOMs, now led by the permanently-assigned TONY SCOTT ANDREWS, with PAUL GUTJAHR and GARTH WIGSTON assisting, penalised Speed for ignoring waving yellow flags and fined him for abusive language to another competitor in the hearing. Speed can appeal.
DAVID COULTHARD told the SOMs that Speed passed him under the yellow flags at the scene of TONIO LIUZZI's accident. Liuzzi is Speed's team-mate, and Coulthard races for the other
Red Bull team.
After the penalty was issued, Speed's Toro Rosso team, sometimes called Red Bull Junior Team, said: "So ladies and gentlemen of the media, you've only had to wait until race three of the season to see that Red Bull Racing and
Scuderia Toro Rosso are serious about being rivals on the track, as the former has now benefited from the misfortune of the latter."
Liuzzi was driven off course by Villeneuve in turn two on lap 38 and the rookie racer was done for the day.
Earlier in the race, Speed was charging. At one point, he was right on top of MICHAEL SCHUMACHER.
TAKUMA SATO was reprimanded for ignoring waving blue flags. He finished twelfth out of 13 cars, two laps down.
No drivers were hurt Sunday.
The start wasn't picture-perfect. First, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA spun while scrubbing his cold tyres, a mistake he later admitted. Then, GIANCARLO FISICHELLA stalled, threw his hands in the air, and the formation lap was aborted. Montoya took his original grid position, while Fisichella started from the pit-lane. The race length was reduced by one lap.
FELIPE MASSA and NICO ROSBERG hit in turn two and a disappointed Massa retired on the spot, while Rosberg pitted...and retired.
Still on the first lap, Coulthard and JARNO TRULLI made contact in turn six. Coulthard continued and Trulli retired with a broken suspension.
The second safety car incident was right after the first restart - when CHRISTIAN KLIEN crashed hard in turn nine.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER took a rough ride on lap 33, going over the kerbs to driver's left on the front straight, and spun around, smashing hard into the wall on driver's right. All the wheel tethers worked, but body parts went flying. Schumacher made a quick exit through an emergency hole in the fence and scurried through the
Toyota garage and away from everyone.
