Raikkonen superiority steals Alonso thunder

At Imola they had the first warning, and here in Spain Renault received confirmation that they have some very tough opposition at last. And it is not Ferrari.

At Imola they had the first warning, and here in Spain Renault received confirmation that they have some very tough opposition at last. And it is not Ferrari.

In all the excitement over the scrap between Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher in San Marino, not to mention the ensuing and interminable hoopla over BAR Honda, it was easy to forget that Kimi Raikkonen was running away with the race until his McLaren broke after nine laps. Here yesterday, the Finn reminded everyone of his credentials by dominating the race in a style that left thousands of Alonso's fans trudging home a trifle disappointed to see "their boy" finish as runner-up.

This was no classic in the mould of Imola, but it was every bit as important a race. Since Melbourne Renault have been top dog by the time the chequered flags fell, but this was their first defeat of the year.

Raikkonen sprinted into the lead from pole position and attacked the fastest lap with intent. Between lap three and lap 20, he defined the mark 13 times.

"The car was perfect all weekend," he said. "At first I pushed really hard to see how far ahead I could get. I had a small scare as I pulled away because the engine did not pick up, but after that I just took it easy during my second stop and everything was fine. I cannot think of anywhere the car was not strong. It was really good, one of the best cars I have driven."

By the time Raikkonen refuelled on lap 25 he was 26.5sec ahead. In his wake Alonso was struggling with a set of rear tyres that seemed to have lost their edge, and was beginning to think it might be all over. "The tyres did not feel good at all," the Spaniard said.

The problem lay in blisters he had generated by pushing too hard. Once he settled into his second stint after refuelling on lap 27, the effectiveness came back and he described his car as perfect through to the end.

If only Michael Schumacher could have said the same. Ferrari expected Spain to be tough, but it still surprised them. Schumacher went to the line with enough fuel to go through to lap 32, and that was sufficient to lift him from an initial eighth to second as others pitted before him.

But this was no Imola performance, and though he rejoined fourth behind Raikkonen and the Renaults (Giancarlo Fisichella having passed Alonso during their pits stops), he was 35 seconds in arrears of the McLaren and clearly had no chance of winning. Twelve laps later the Ferrari was back in the pits for a replacement left rear tyre, after what Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt amusingly described as a "loss of pressure".

Two laps later, having dropped a lap on Raikkonen, Schumacher's left front tyre also "deflated", and he toured in to retire. That left the way clear for the battling Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher to take home another useful haul of 11 points.

Fisichella's fightback to fifth place ahead of Mark Webber's BMW Williams, following a problem with the floor which robbed him of downforce and prompted an earlier stop than planned, on lap 40 for a replacement nose, was a highlight that kept Renault at the top of the pile. But McLaren have begun to hit their stride at last, and their success was very popular.

Not surprisingly, Raikkonen was ebullient after the most convincing of his three victories to date. "I wish this had happened in Imola," he said. "But now we have nothing to lose and it's good to get back into it. We just have to keep winning races, but there is still a long season ahead and we can do it."

Alonso, the chants of his adoring countrymen still ringing in his ears, was philosophical about his first defeat in four races. "For me, this is the same feeling as winning," he said. "We had a fantastic car, almost no problems all weekend and I think we did the maximum we could by finishing second. We thought McLaren would be a little bit quicker than us, although maybe it looked too easy for Kimi in the first stint because of my tyre problem. I have five podiums from five races, and 44 points, that is a fantastic score."

With his two most convincing challengers so fired up - Alonso has 44 points and Raikkonen 17 - Schumacher must be wondering what on earth has happened to the fabled domination of his red steed, especially after its extraordinary speed at Imola.

Better warm up your televisions and set your videos for the forthcoming Monaco Grand Prix. This has the makings of a Championship fight you do not want to miss any part of.