Fuel rig dramas cripple Minardi

Although Verstappen went out with an electrical problem, which caused a small fire in the cockpit, he would not have been able to complete the race anyway due to a fuel rig failure that had already knocked out rookie team-mate Justin Wilson.

Team principal Paul Stoddart explained: "A failure of the refuelling rig denied Justin a chance to finish, and would have done likewise for Jos, had an electrical problem not intervened and prevented him from completing the race before his next scheduled stop. I had hoped we would get both cars home today, but despite a sterling effort from the drivers, it was not to be."

Wilson said: "When I came in for tyres and fuel, the stop seemed to last longer than normal. I didn't realise there was a problem until they called me back to the pits on the next lap and told me that the fuel hadn't been delivered. Up until that point, the car had been running fine. It's fair to say that it's been a disappointing day."