Motor Racing: BUTTON BLOWN AWAY

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, May 9, 2004 | by BYRON YOUNG in Barcelona

JENSON BUTTON'S dream of victory in the Spanish Grand Prix was blown away by a gust of wind in qualifying yesterday.

The 24-year-old racer who was on pole at the last race went from hero to zero when he was caught out by the notorious gusts at Campsa Bend.

By the time he had controlled a 125mph slide on to the grass 1.7 seconds had been frittered away and he could manage no better than 14th on the grid, his dreams of a maiden win in tatters.

Such was his team's dominance in testing that even Michael Schumacher was tipping Button for victory and there was even talk of this becoming BARcelona with teammates Button and Takumo Sato across the front row.

Instead it was the world champion on the very front spot for the fourth time in five races and Button's teammate Sato showing what might have been as he put the other BAR-Honda third behind Juan Pablo Montoya.

"I was pushing very hard, had a snap of oversteer and was caught out by the wind," said Button "This is not about pressure. Everyone makes mistakes.

"Victory is a very longshot now, a really tough one, and I can only look to getting some points," said a disappointed Button.

His stunning fiancee Louise Griffiths revealed Friday she gives him a "love massage" the night before every race to boost his performances, but it will have to have been a special one last night to make any difference today.

But fans' disappointment will be weighed against the prospect of a duel between Schumacher and angry rival Montoya, bumped off by the German on the first lap in Imola.

-Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone revealed he held talks over buying Chelsea before Roman Abramovich.

Ecclestone, one of the world's richest men with a pounds 2.4billion fortune, revealed in Barcelona: "I looked at buying Chelsea, but decided it was too expensive."

SPANISH GRAND PRIX

ITV 12.05pm

THEGRID

1 M Schumacher (Ger) Ferrari 1min 15.022secs

2 J Montoya (Col) Williams 1:15.639

3 T Sato (Jpn) BAR 1:15.809

4 J Trulli (Ita) Renault 1:16.144

5 R Barrichello (Bra) Ferrari 1:16.272

6 R Schumacher (Ger) Williams 1:16.293

7 Olivier Panis (Fra) Toyota 1:16.313

8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 1:16.422

9 Mark Webber (Aus) Jaguar 1:16.514

10 David Coulthard (Gbr) McLaren 1:16.636,

11 Cristiano Da Matta (Bra) Toyota 1:17.038, 12 Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Sauber 1:17.444, 13 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) McLaren 1:17.455, 14 Jenson Button (Gbr) BAR 1:17.575, 15 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Jordan 1:17.802, 16 Christian Klien (Aut) Jaguar 1:17.812, 17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Sauber 1:17.866, 18 Gianmaria Bruni (Ita) Minardi 1:19.817, 19 Giorgio Pantano (Ita) Jordan 1:20.607, 20 Zsolt Baumgartner (Hun) Minardi 1:21.470

DRIVERSCHAMPIONSHIP

1 M Schumacher Ferrari 40

2 R Barrichello Ferrari 24

3 J Button BAR 23

4 JP Montoya Williams 18

5 F Alonso Renault 16

6 J Trulli Renault 15

7 R Schumacher Williams 9

8 T Sato BAR 4

D Coulthard McLaren 4

10 F Massa Sauber 1

M Webber Jaguar 1