Pre-race: This is the 206th – FIA Formula 3000 race (there would have been 207, but the Nürburgring event was snowed off in 1985). Mike Thackwell (Ralt-Cosworth) won the opening race at Silverstone on March 24, 1985 and there have been 20 series champions: Christian Danner (BSA March, 1985), Ivan Capelli (Genoa March, 1986), Stefano Modena (Onyx March, 1987), Roberto Moreno (Bromley Reynard, 1989), Jean Alesi (EJR Reynard, 1989), Erik Comas (DAMS Lola, 1990), Christian Fittipaldi (Pacific Reynard, 1991), Luca Badoer (Crypton Reynard, 1992), Olivier Panis (DAMS Reynard, 1993), Jean-Christophe Boullion (DAMS Reynard, 1994), Vincenzo Sospiri (Super Nova Lola, 1995), Jörg Müller (RSM Marko Lola, 1996 – the first season of one-make regulations that have been in force ever since), Ricardo Zonta (Super Nova Lola, 1997), Juan Pablo Montoya (Super Nova Lola, 1998), Nick Heidfeld (West McLaren Junior Team Lola, 1999), Bruno Junqueira (Petrobras Jnr Lola, 2000), Justin Wilson (Nordic Lola, 2001), Sébastien Bourdais (Super Nova Lola, 2002), Björn Wirdheim (Arden Lola, 2003) and Vitantonio Liuzzi (Arden Lola, 2004).
Lap 1: Starting from pole position for the ninth team this season, Vitantonio Liuzzi (Arden) makes a clean break from the rest. José Maria Lopez (CMS) passes second-fastest qualifier Raffaele Giammaria (Astromega) during the first-lap scramble. Tomas Enge (Ma-Con) survives a brush with Robert Doornbos (Arden) to lie fourth. Tony Schmidt (Ma-Con) grabs fifth from Doornbos, who briefly went through the gravel after his clash with Enge. Esteban Guerrieri (BCN) and Jeff van Hooydonk (Super Nova) are next up. Rookie Michele Rugolo (Durango) and Enrico Toccacelo (BCN) retire after a clash at the second chicane. Matteo Grassotto (AEZ) spins during the same incident.
Lap 2: Grassotto pits to retire.
Lap 3: Lopez loses his front wing on the approach to Ascari and slams into the tyre wall. He is able to climb from his car unaided.
Lap 4: Fernando Monfardini (AEZ) passes van Hooydonk for what is now seventh place.
Lap 5: Liuzzi leads by 5.2s, but the gaps from Giammaria to sixth-placed Guerrieri are much tighter.
Lap 7: Battling for eight place, van Hooydonk, Patrick Friesacher (Coloni) and Ernesto Viso (Durango) get into a knot at the first chicane. Viso goes bouncing over the kerbs and emerges at the head of the group. The stewards launch an investigation.
Lap 8: Doornbos makes the race’s first scheduled tyre stop.
Lap 9: Guerrieri passes Schmidt for fourth. Midfielders Friesacher, van Hooydonk and Mathias Lauda (CMS) come in, along with backmarker Olivier Tielemans (Astromega). Viso is handed a drive-through penalty.
Lap 10: Liuzzi extends his lead to 7.2s.
Lap 12: Viso serves his penalty. He drops from seventh to eighth, but still has to stop for tyres.
Lap 13: Monfardini pits from sixth. His nose bears scars of the first-lap scuffle at the second chicane. Viso peels in too, this time for fresh Avons.
Lap 14: Liuzzi and Giammaria pit, as does Schmidt. Enge and Guerrieri sweep into first and second.
Lap 15: Enge and Guerrieri are the final two drivers to make scheduled stops. Guerrieri loses time as his crew fumbles with his left-rear wheel. Liuzzi resumes the lead, from Enge and Doornbos, whose early stop has paid off handsomely. Schmidt moves up to fourth from Giammaria, who lost time during his stop, Monfardini, Friesacher and Guerrieri.
Lap 17: Liuzzi laps in 1m 40.039s – the race’s fastest so far. He leads by 11.3s.
Lap 19: Friesacher and Monfardini spin off in unison at the first Lesmo. Game over, players one and two. Lauda and van Hooydonk move up to seventh and eighth.
Lap 20: Giammaria tries to draft alongside Schmidt approaching the first Lesmo, but he spots the waved yellow flags and eases off.
Lap 21: Liuzzi laps in 1m 40.026s.
Lap 22: …and then 1m 39.898s.
Lap 23: Giammaria passes Schmidt at the second chicane. Liuzzi sets another fastest lap – 1m 39.775s.
Lap 24: Guerrieri catches up with the Giammaria/Schmidt battle.
Lap 25: Schmidt runs wide at the Ascari chicane and Guerrieri takes fourth.
Lap 26: Liuzzi scores his seventh win of the season. Enge takes second from Doornbos, Giammaria, Guerrieri, Lauda, van Hooydonk and Can Artam (Super Nova). Schmidt fails to score after ploughing into the gravel at Parabolica on the final lap.

Post-race statistics: Juan Pablo Montoya, Nick Heidfeld and – as of today – Vitantonio Liuzzi have scored more wins than any other FIA F3000 driver, with seven apiece. Montoya and Liuzzi have the most pole positions (10) and Super Nova has been the most successful team, with 27 wins and four titles. Tomas Enge has started the greatest number of races (55) and scored the most points (149). Avon tyre technician Roger Leworthy is the only man to have attended all 206 events.