Located in Indiana , mid-western USA, the self-styled "Motor Racing Capital of the World" was home to the most exciting Grand Prix of 2003 since Silverstone in July. Using a 13 turn clockwise 2.6 mile circuit - which included the 9 degree banked Turn 1 driven in reverse - Montoya and both Schumacher's were on full throttle for almost 20 seconds of their 130 mph average laps with the Williams duo 8 km/h faster than any other drivers through the speed trap!

The 4th US GP at Indianapolis could potentially decide the 2003 championship crown. Michael Schumacher, fresh from his 50th GP win at Monza, youngest ever Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya and the apparent outsider Finland's Kimi Raikkonen were the subject of significant media attention, which even included a photo shoot with Bernie Ecclestone. Speculation was rife that this may well have been Jacques Villeneuve's last race for BAR with engine builder and major sponsor Honda keen to see test driver, Japan's Takuma Sato behind the wheel at Suzuka and in 2004; and in a Grand Prix career which promised much, but sadly delivered little, this was almost certainly the last time we will see the likeable Heinz-Harald Frentzen in a F1 car stateside.

Saturday's final qualifying was undoubtedly a lottery - heavy overnight rain and poor drainage in certain turns meant that the later your qualifying lap, the better your chance of setting a hot lap - just ask Jarno Trulli. Fastest of all in the three previous sessions, Trulli started Sunday's race 10th after a shunt which damaged his Renault in free practice and required an army of technicians to fix it.

Surprise of qualifying was Toyota's Olivier Panis who was third fastest ahead of Montoya, Schumacher R, Alonso and Schumacher M, Michael apparently unperturbed with a slot on the inside of row 4 and his two title protagonists ahead of him. Consistently quick all weekend, Rubens Barrichello shared the front row with pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen who demonstrated superb car control and that McLaren must replace David Coulthard sooner rather than later if it is to challenge for a further Constructors World Championship.

Sunday dawned cool and damp with "Fall" temperatures in the mid fifties - and a modern day US GP record of 164,000 spectators - aided by the modest $50 ticket price and the expectancy of a superb race. Florida's Colombian population had decamped to Indiana in support of their man Montoya and both New York and Chicago had dispatched several thousand spectators of Italian extraction to cheer on Michael and Rubens.

With a race distance of 73 laps all teams had planned on making two pit stops……so much for plans! Weather in the mid-west had become increasingly unsettled and by race start drizzle was already starting to fall.

As the lights went to green Michael Schumacher made a lightning start and entered Turn 1 fourth; Montoya made a disastrous start and was overtaken by Alonso and Ralf Schumacher but by lap 2 he had redeemed himself and was right behind Barrichello going into Turn 2. Attempting to take an inside line Montoya went for a gap that was never wide enough - he and Rubens collided and it spelt the end of Montoya's championship hopes and Barrichello's race.

Rubens was very gracious to his fellow South American. Montoya had driven with desperation and it proved that whilst spectacular he isn't yet ready to win motor sport's biggest crown. Montoya was adjudged to have passed Barrichello under double waved yellows and received a drive- through penalty, which was compounded by his fuel rig failing on his first pit-stop and the wrong tyre choice at the wrong time!

It rained heavily between laps 4 and 12 during which the race was led by Raikkonen and tyre choice was critical. Michael stopped on lap 18 for dry tyres and was soon back again for wets - the rain falling even heavier. The race lost Ralf Schumacher on lap 21 as he spun into the armco at turn 8 whereupon Mark Webber assumed the lead in the Jaguar, but got got so excited at his good fortune that he spun into the tyre wall with terminal results three turns later.

With a further trip to the pits for full wets Montoya was lapped by race leader Jenson Button on lap 24. Button was revelling in the conditions and was 3 secs clear of Frentzen's Sauber, Justin Wilson's Jaguar and Kimi Raikkonen. Olivier Panis had driven well in the early stages but on lap 27 he found the armco too inviting and his race ended. Michael Schumacher lapped the luckless Montoya on lap 28 and continued his relentless pace towards the leading quartet - the Bridgestone full wet tyre worth almost 2 secs a lap in the heavy rain. In a race that had now stabilized, Button was still in the lead until sadly the Honda engine let go on lap 41, Alonso's did the same on lap 46 and so too Jacques Villeneuve's whose 100th Grand Prix ended on lap 63. On a weekend that Coulthard would probably rather forget he stayed out on slicks despite the rain and when required to pit incurred a "drive thru" penalty for speeding, as did Christiano di Matta. Coulthard's race ended on lap 45 with a 'box full of neutrals having lost hydraulic pressure.

As the track dried Michael Schumacher, now back on dry tyres reeled in and passed Kimi Raikkonen for the lead on lap 61 - a lead he was never to lose and the 51st win of his career. Raikkonen was second,19 seconds behind and a further 20 secs ahead of third place Heinz Harald Frentzen. In an uneventful race Jarno Trulli drove well to achieve fourth, as did Nick Heidfeld with fifth in the Sauber and helping the Hinwil based team to a record constructors points haul.

After an eventful afternoon Montoya made it to the flag in sixth place ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella's Jordan. Sadly for Montoya it was not enough - fifth or better was needed to keep his championship alive. Justin Wilson brought the Jaguar home in eighth - a desperately needed result for him and the team in Ford's homeland. Christiano di Matta in the sole surviving Toyota finished ninth after an unbelievable six pit stops, and the Minardis of Verstappen and Kiesa completed the classified runners.

Congratulations to Michael Schumacher on the drive of the day at the Brickyard - but its not over yet! With Kimi Raikkonen finishing second, the championship will be determined at Suzuka Japan in less than ten days time. Recognising the significance of his potential achievement and the uncertainty over who will lift the Constructors title Michael , Rubens, Luca Badoer and Felipe Massa were all at Mugello less than two days later to continue tyre and chassis development - soon we will know the answer!

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