Stoddart: Minardi could have won

Justin Wilson made another storming start, and charged his way up to 12th position before aquaplaning off the track at turn three. Team-mate Jos Verstappen started from the pit-lane, allowing him to refuel his car, but on lap 31 he joined Wilson, and four other drivers, in the barriers.

"Today saw possibly the first time ever that Minardi was potentially in a genuine, race-winning position," said Stoddart. "Many people may laugh, but only those of use within the team will ever know the truth. We had the strategy, but not the luck."

Wilson blamed a river of water running across the track for his accident. "I'm gutted," he said. "I was just caught out by the rivers running down the grass and across the track in turn three. They never seemed to be in the same place on two consecutive laps. On the lap I spun, I had got through the first river, but then aquaplaned off on the second one. It's a huge disappointment, because we were definitely on for a strong finish today."