Alonso triumphs in 'crazy' race

Fernando Alonso claimed his Australian Grand Prix win was never in doubt after a dominant display in a “crazy” race.

The world champion led comfortably after diving past Jenson Button early in the race and breezed to a victory which extends his championship lead to 14 points.

Button held high hopes of breaking his duck at Albert Park but his Honda never looked a threat, and to compound his misery its engine exploded on the final corner.

The race was interrupted by four safety car periods as a result of several accidents but Alonso was imperious at the front.

He said: “The race was a bit crazy. Some moments I didn’t understand – I was 20 seconds ahead and then the gap disappeared after three or four safety cars in 10 laps.

“The car was perfect and there was no risk to lose the race at any time.”

Alonso had the race in the bag once he muscled past Button at turn one after the first safety car.

The Spaniard praised his rival for a fair fight, even though the move ended Button’s hopes of a maiden win.

“I locked the tyres and nearly hit him in the first corner,” he added.

“But we fought close at turn three and like always when I fight with Jenson we had no problems at all – we fight clean.

“After that it was easy for me.”

Button had plenty of practice at being overtaken, especially after safety car periods.

The 26-year-old suffered a problem warming his tyres and he slid down the order before a fiery exit just yards from the chequered flag.

McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen was among those to pass the Englishman on his way to second place while Ralf Schumacher gave Toyota a surprise return to the podium with third.

Nick Heidfeld scored the best result of BMW-Sauber’s debut season with fourth place and team-mate Jacques Villeneuve added three more points for sixth. Giancarlo Fisichella was fifth for Renault.

Button’s team-mate Rubens Barrichello was off the pace all day but scraped into the points in seventh. Scott Speed scored his first Formula One point with eighth.

A race of high attrition saw the Ferrari duo of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa crash out, along with Vitantonio Liuzzi, Nico Rosberg, Christian Klien and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Another driver to retire was home hero Mark Webber, who suffered a heartbreaking exit when his Williams expired while he led.

Webber conceded a win was unlikely but felt he was denied just his second-ever podium finish.

He said: “It’s a real shame because we had a great strategy.

“Although it might have been tough to keep Kimi and Fernando away from my lead, I think we had lots of other people covered and a podium would have been reasonably straightforward.”

Scotsman David Coulthard did reach the end, in a lowly ninth place after a disappointing race for Red Bull.

He accused Speed, who drives for the Red Bull-owned Scuderia Toro Rosso team, of illegally passing to claim the final point.

“He overtook me under a yellow flag,” said Coulthard.

“The data shows that he overtook while the yellow flags were being waved.”

Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia

57 Laps: 1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1hr 34mins 27.870secs, 2 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 1:34:29.699, 3 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 1:34:52.694, 4 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 1:34:58.902, 5 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 1:35:06.291, 6 Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW Sauber 1:35:17.170, 7 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 1:35:19.770, 8 Scott Speed (USA) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:35:21.670, 9 David Coulthard (Gbr) Red Bull 1:35:21.770, 10 Jenson Button (Gbr) Honda at 1 lap, 11 Christijan Albers (Ned) Midland at 1 lap, 12 Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri at 2 laps, 13 Yuji Ide (Jpn) Super Aguri at 3 laps

Not Classified: 14 Juan Montoya (Col) McLaren 46 laps completed, 15 Tiago Monteiro (Por) Midland 39 laps completed, 16 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) Scuderia Toro Rosso 37 laps completed, 17 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 32 laps completed, 18 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 22 laps completed, 19 Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 4 laps completed, 20 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams no laps completed, 21 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota no laps completed, 22 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari no laps completed

Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 1min 26.045secs on lap 57

World Championship Standings

Drivers’ Championship: 1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 28, 2 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 14, 3 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 14, 4 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 11, 5 Jenson Button (Gbr) Honda 11, 6 Juan Montoya (Col) McLaren 9, 7 Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Toyota 7, 8 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 5, 9 Jacques Villeneuve (Can) BMW Sauber 5, 10 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 4, 11 Mark Webber (Aus) Williams 3, 12 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams 2, 13 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Honda 2, 14 Scott Speed (USA) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1, 15 Christian Klien (Aut) Red Bull 1

Manufacturers’ Championship: 1 Renault 42pts, 2 McLaren 23, 3 Ferrari 15, 4 Honda 13, 5 BMW Sauber 10, 6 Toyota 7, 7 Williams 5, 8 Scuderia Toro Rosso 1, 9 Red Bull 1