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Giancarlo Fisichella wins Australian GP
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-03-06 14:53


Renault Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy raises his Australian Grand Prix winners trophy on the podium at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit March 6, 2005. Fisichella won the season-opening grand prix with Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello of Brazil second and Renault's Fernando Alonso of Spain third. [Reuters]
Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, capping a weekend highlighted by rule changes and a downpour in qualifying that ended Michael Schumacher's hopes of defending his title.   

Fisichella finished 57 laps on the 3.295-mile Albert Park circuit in 1 hour, 24 minutes, 17.336 seconds in his Renault. Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello finished second, 5.55 seconds back, and Fisichella's Renault teammate, Fernando Alonso, was third.

Schumacher, the German star who won 13 races last year en route to his seventh world championship, crashed out with 15 laps left after starting in the back row.

The 32-year-old Fisichella's only previous F1 win in 141 races was at the controversial 2003 Brazilian GP, when he wasn't awarded the victory for five days until it was discovered he was ahead when the race was stopped.

"It's my first time to celebrate the victory on the podium," Fisichella said. "It's been fantastic, a great experience — I want to do it again."

On Sunday, the Italian punched the air from inside his cockpit as he crossed the finish line. He stood up in the car as his crew pushed his blue and yellow racer to the garage, pumping his helmet into the air repeatedly. Fisichella stood on the podium and did a double thumbs-up as the Italian national anthem was played.

"It's a great day for me. It's been a fantastic race," Fisichella said. "I was quite conservative and never pushed the limit, until the end when Rubens was catching me I drove a little bit faster. The car was great ... we're really in very good shape. It's the best start of my career."

With new rules restricting drivers to one engine for two races and one tire setup per race, Fisichella's smooth driving made the difference.

Avoiding heavy rain that drenched the circuit just after he'd finished his first qualifying lap Saturday afternoon also helped. He returned for the second qualifying session Sunday and easily maintained his lead, giving him pole position in an all-Italian front row with Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

Trulli finished ninth.

Barrichello, who started in 11th place, drove a smart, tactical race to make the podium and give Ferrari some points it might not have expected after the opening qualifying runs.

"I enjoyed every second. It proves Ferrari has no crisis," Barrichello said. "We are here, we are going to fight. The new car is going to come and give us even more pleasure."

Alonso produced the fastest lap of 1:26.411 and, despite some minor damage when he skipped off the circuit onto the grass, worked his way up from 13th on the grid.

Red Bull driver David Coulthard was fourth, getting as high as second during the race, while Williams' Mark Webber was fifth and Juan Pablo Montoya was sixth in his first race for McLaren.

Schumacher moved as high as seventh after starting 19th with a new engine. His Australian title defense ended when he and Nick Heidfield touched wheels and then collided at in the third turn.

Schumacher was never in contention after Saturday's downpour, which started just as he started his first qualifying lap. His qualifying time was almost 25 seconds slower than Fisichella.

After Kimi Raikkonen's mechanical problems forced an aborted start and extra formation lap, the race got underway with pole-sitter Fisichella and Trulli holding their front places.



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