Schumacher still the fastest draw in town

Michael Schumacher arrived in the US looking for a Formula One showdown and he left on Sunday with one rival’s title hopes dead and bur...

Michael Schumacher arrived in the US looking for a Formula One showdown and he left on Sunday with one rival’s title hopes dead and buried and another’s barely alive.

The Ferrari hot shot must wait two more weeks for his unprecedented sixth crown but his US Grand Prix win killed off the challenge of Williams’s swashbuckling Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.

Montoya storms away after loss

Indianapolis: Juan Pablo Montoya stormed out of Indianapolis Motor Speedway an inconsolable figure on Sunday after his Formula One championship dreams were left in tatters.

Story continues below this ad

Barely minutes after the race had ended, with Ferrari’s Schumacher still celebrating atop the podium, Montoya hurried out of the Williams hut and away from the grounds, ignoring the waiting media.

The 28-year-old, who began the day just three points behind Schumacher, was left to reflect on a pivotal moment on lap two, when he was given a drive-through penalty after a clash with Rubens Barrichello forced the Ferrari man out of the race.

With rain also starting to fall and Montoya struggling to compete on his choice of tyre, it was an early blow from which he would never recover. Montoya was left stranded on 82 points, and so angry he would only issue a statement through his Williams team.

“It’s sad to lose my drivers’ championship chances in this way,” it read, “especially knowing that I just needed to finish fifth today to keep my hopes open. It was a disappointing race, basically decided by the penalty I was given for the accident with Rubens.” (Reuters)

Story continues below this ad

Only Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, 11 years the German’s junior, remained a potential danger as Formula One’s closest championship duel in years suddenly looked like a foregone conclusion.

One point is all Schumacher needs.

“We still have a chance in Japan but it’s more difficult now,” 23-year-old Raikkonen told reporters.

Schumacher has won for the last three years in Suzuka and will again be favourite on October 12. He has 92 points to Raikkonen’s 83.

Ferrari also regained the lead in the constructors’ championship, although that battle is far closer with Williams three points behind and 18 at stake.

Story continues below this ad

Raikkonen’s McLaren team are now out of contention in third place.

The post-race mood in the paddock was flat, apart from Ferrari celebrating their second win in a row after being lambasted at home in August as a team in crisis.

The suggestion that the title battle was all over bar the shouting could not be used for Montoya, for whom it was simply all over.

His Army of supporters, who packed the main grandstand with their Colombian flags and banners of support, stopped their shouting long before Schumacher took the chequered flag as a race winner for the 70th time in his career.

Story continues below this ad

Schumacher refused to take anything for granted, even though history clearly beckoned.

“Obviously, it’s a very good position for us to start the last race,” he said. “We just need one point basically. But you never know.

“It was just outstanding in Monza,” he said, referring to his last win in Ferrari’s home race. “This tops it again. Who knows what will be the next?

“I’m just so delighted and happy about the way things have gone. If you see everything, the amount of pressure that is on is still there, although you handle it. It’s just so beautiful when you get the result in like that.”

Story continues below this ad

The irony of this most unpredictable of seasons is that Ferrari, whose runaway dominance last year led to a major rewriting of the rule book, are close to turning the clock back to where it was.

There have been first-time winners and a knife-edge championship battle has been fought. (Reuters)

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said the designation gives law enforcement “enhanced powers to combat a group that has instilled fear through violence and intimidation”.

Canada designates Lawrence Bishnoi gang a terrorist entity

Cities8 hr ago

The Canadian government has labeled the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist group, granting authorities more authority to combat their violent behavior. The gang, operating in British Columbia, Ontario, and Alberta, has been connected to 50+ violent incidents since 2023.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS