Raikkonen wins again as Fisichella stars
Kimi Raikkonen used Ferrari's KERS technology to full effect as
he scored a breathless victory for the Scuderia in the Belgian
Grand Prix just ahead of Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella, who
scored the team's first ever points.
In a thoroughly absorbing, and sometimes chaotic race at Spa,
Raikkonen and Fisichella fought a race long-battle for the
victory.
Although Fisichella led away from pole position, an accident-filled
first lap that eliminated world champion Lewis Hamilton and world
championship leader Jenson Button prompted an early safety car
period.
Button's championship lead has now been reduced to 13 points after
that chaotic start.
Fisichella had got a clean getaway, but behind him, Jarno Trulli
was swallowed up by the fast starting, and wide-turning, Raikkonen.
The two BMWs of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica also passed the
Toyota, the Pole sneaking past both on the inside.
Trulli somehow clipped the back of Heidfeld's car at this point,
which ultimately led to the Italian's later retirement and
disappointment after qualifying.
By the time the field reached Les Combes all hell broke loose as
Romain Grosjean hit Button and Jaime Alguersuari hit Lewis
Hamilton. All four cars ended in a heap in the barrier.
When the pace car pulled in at the end of lap four, Raikkonen sized
up Fisichella through Eau Rouge, pushed his KERS button and blasted
past the Force India on the run-up to Les Combes.
Fisichella ducked in to his tow immediately, but could not re-pass,
and that became the story of his race.
The extraordinary pace of the Force India meant that at times
during the race, Fisichella's was the quicker of the two cars. But
crucially, Raikkonen's KERS system meant the Ferrari was
impenetrable at the circuit's two key passing spots at Les Combes
and the Bus Stop chicane.
Regardless, Fisichella's performance was extraordinary, and Ferrari
admitted that Raikkonen was forced to drive flat out to beat a team
that began the year at the back of the field.
Sebastian Vettel finished third after a wise drive that saw him
race through the early chaos and take advantage of several pit
mistakes and problems for others to cruise up from eighth on the
grid.
In the end he used the inherent pace of the Red Bull to finish just
3.8s off the lead.
Kubica enjoyed a strong race to finish fourth, one place ahead of
his BMW team-mate Nick Heidfeld.
The Pole ran a strong third early on and was in the hunt for a
podium until being jumped by Vettel at the second stops, the Red
Bull driver having done the same thing to Heidfeld in the first
ones.
Two other drivers that should have been in the fight were Fernando
Alonso and Timo Glock.
The Renault driver ran a long first stint, which allowed him to
cruise up behind the battling leaders, but when he finally pitted
it became clear he had picked up damage to his left-front at the
first corner. The team took a while to change it, then called in
the Spaniard a lap later for good.
A pit crisis with a fuel rig also ruined Glock's race, the German
having run fourth early on, but eventually finished 10th.
Heikki Kovalainen was sixth after a battling drive that owed much
to consistency and the misfortune of others - and a one-stop
strategy.
Rubens Barrichello pitted under the safety car having made a
terrible start, having dropped so far down he had nothing to lose.
The change of strategy saw him charge back into contention.
By the end of the race he was breathing down Kovalainen's neck for
sixth, but two laps from the end of the race he suffered an oil
leak and backed off to secure two points.
Nico Rosberg took the final point after a long first stint, just
holding off Mark Webber in the second Red Bull.
Webber had a nightmare race. Having also looked strong early on,
the Australian was released into the path of Heidfeld in the first
pitstops and was given an almost immediate drive-through. After
that his chances of points were always going to be reduced.
