Schumacher scorches to victory in new car
The German sliced his deficit to Finland's Kimi Raikkonen from 13 points to just four in one fell swoop of his scarlet car as the Finn paid a heavy price for his mistake in qualifying.
Raikkonen slammed into the stationary Jaguar of Antonio Pizzonia a couple of seconds after the red lights went out after being forced to start from the back of the grid at the Circuit de Cataluyna.
Schumacher's victory was not the Sunday afternoon stroll in the sunshine everyone expected after Ferrari finally unleashed the F2003-GA which was expected to be even better than last year's all-conquering model.
Renault's Fernando Alonso was inspired by his fellow Spaniards in the 96,000 crowd as he scored the best finish of his career with second place less than six seconds adrift of the five-time world beater.
But after giving the old car a winning send off in Italy, Schumacher's second successive win has put him within striking distance of Raikkonen heading into the next race in Austria in two weeks as he bids for a record sixth drivers' crown.
"This is a perfect day in both directions, for the championship and for a new era with the car," said Schumacher after scoring his third win in a row in Spain, his fifth in all and the 66th of his career.
"It was not an easy win, but it was not a surprise looking at the lap times they were doing. I knew it would be a very tough fight and it was.
"With the old car we would not have been able to make it, but this new car is so very special. It is so beautiful and fine and I love it very much."
Raikkonen's hopes of making up any places at the start were abruptly ended when he hit the stalled Jaguar of Pizzonia though Minardi's Justin Wilson - directly in front of the McLaren driver had managed to avoid a collision.
McLaren's nightmare afternoon continued with team-mate David Coulthard being hit from behind by Renault's Jarno Trulli on the opening lap, ending the Italian's race and forcing him into a pit-stop for repairs.
The 32-year-old Scot was then dumped in the sand after a collision with Jenson Button as his fellow Brit tried to overtake him on lap 19, sending Coulthard plummeting from second to fifth in the drivers' standings as a result of his double whammy.
Trulli blamed Coulthard for their collision, saying: "It was a racing accident, but in situations like that you should know where the spaces are and give room."
Coulthard, tongue firmly in cheek, responded: "Jarno is Italian, so it is his fault."
But McLaren boss Ron Dennis blamed Button for the later collision, saying the Brit had produced a "badly judged overtaking manoeuvre".
Button, who finished ninth, refused to become embroiled in any row, declaring: "It was just one of those things, nothing more to say really. A racing incident."
Schumacher and team-mate Rubens Barrichello had also come so close to a first corner collision that they could not agree afterwards whether they had touched.
The 34-year-old had been forced to defend first place after Barrichello came around the outside having initially lost second place to Alonso who blasted off the grid with the force of a Roberto Carlos free-kick. And he was more accurate than the watching Real Madrid ace.
"Rubens says we didn't touch, but I don't know," said Schumacher, who only relinquished his lead during the three pit-stops.
"But even if we did I don't think it would have damaged the car."
The 21-year-old Alonso confirmed his status as a future world champion even though he is just into his second season with his third podium finish of the campaign and he is now third in the driver" standings just three points further adrift of Schumacher.
Barrichello finished third with Juan Pablo Montoya benefiting from a sweeping pass on fellow Williams-BMW driver Ralf Schumacher who skidded into the gravel when overtaken by Alonso later to finish fourth just ahead of his team-mate.
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