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Alonso wins Chinese GP to seal title for Renault
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-10-17 08:41

SAFETY CAR

Renault had arrived in China with a two-point lead and could breathe easy for most of a race interrupted by two safety car periods.

0Renault's World Champion Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain races to win the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai October 16, 2005.
Renault's World Champion Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain races to win the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai October 16, 2005. [Reuters]
The turning point in a knife-edge battle between the two teams who have dominated the season came when Montoya, following Raikkonen closely in fourth place, ran over a loose drain cover.

He made two stops to try and fix the damage and then drove into the pits and got out of the car on lap 25.

Alonso could ease off the revs but Renault were still made to sweat when Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who finished fourth behind Toyota's Ralf Schumacher, collected a drive-through penalty for obstructive driving with six laps to go.

"The car wasn't quick enough," Raikkonen said.

"It got quicker and quicker and at the end was perfect. Unfortunately it came about 40 laps too late. The Renault was too quick so all the compliments to them and next year we try again," the Finn added.

Austrian Christian Klien was fifth for Red Bull, with Brazilian Felipe Massa sixth for Sauber. Australian Mark Webber was seventh in a Williams and Briton Jenson Button took the final point for BAR.

Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher was first to end the season, colliding on the way to the starting grid and spinning off during the race when following the safety car.

Australian Paul Stoddart, watching his final race as Minardi boss before handing over to new owners Red Bull, blamed the German for the astonishing collision with his Dutch driver Christijan Albers.

"It was Michael's fault," Stoddart told Reuters. "He just didn't look in his mirrors and pulled across. Typical Minardi -- go out with a bang."
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