This post is from the newest addition to F1A&G’s “Top Sixes” series — The 6 Best Comeback Drives of Alltime in F1.
Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya both stranded far back on the grid (17th and 18th) a win seemed to be a difficult thing even to imagine. At the start, it was chaos. Alonso, in his Renault, went flying through the field from 16th. Alonso was already up to 8th at the end of the first lap while Räikkönen was involved in a shunt with Jacques Villeneuve’s Sauber and Montoya. Cue the Safety Car for six laps.
After the typical series of confusing pit stops and refueling, it was actually Giancarlo Fisichella who looked like the favorite to win the Grand Prix, as he was 20 seconds ahead. But Fisichella pitted, rejoining behind Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Räikkönen. After Button and Webber pitted together, Räikkönen had only two laps to press his advantage over the pair and did so expertly, pulling out of the pits with nine laps to go in 2nd to Fisichella, having somehow cut the Italian’s lead to just 9s. Fisichella was told to “push, push and push” by his team on the radio, but to no avail. As they began the final lap, Räikkönen tucked up behind the Renault down the main straight, darted to the left — missing the rear of the leader by mere inches — and swept stunningly by around the outside of the first corner to take an amazing win. Peter Windsor described Räikkönen’s move on Fisichella as “a sharp Finnish knife cutting through a tender piece of Italian Salami.” Kimi prevailed by just under 2s, despite having led for only six laps in total, scoring his final victory for McLaren. Classifications.