An incident filled race in cooler than expected temperatures saw almost half of the competitors in today’s Australian Grand Prix sliding and spinning off the track and into the barriers and run-off areas.
The top step of the podium looked somewhat familiar as Fernando Alonso took his second, and Renault’s third, win of the year but below that almost every team was represented in the top ten finishers.
A post-race penalty cost Scott Speed and the Toro Rosso team their first–and only–world championship point. Speed had originally finished in eighth place after a spirited drive which kept his step-teammate David Coulthard’s Red Bull from passing him.
Proving once again the old adage about squeaky wheels, David Coulthard complained that Speed had passed him under yellow and Speed was handed a 25 second penalty which was enough to move him down to 11th place and out of the points.
Surprise, surprise, the lucky recipient of eighth place and a sparkly new championship point was none other than Red Bull’s own David Coulthard.
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Alonso (ESP) | Renault | 10 |
| 2 | Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) | McLaren Mercedes | 8 |
| 3 | Ralf Schumacher (GER) | Toyota | 6 |
| 4 | Nick Heidfeld (GER) | BMW Sauber | 5 |
| 5 | Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) | Renault | 4 |
| 6 | Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) | BMW Sauber | 3 |
| 7 | Rubens Barrichello (BRA) | Honda | 2 |
| 8 | David Coulthard (GBR) | Red Bull | 1 |
| Fastest Qualifier: Jenson Button (GBR) | |||