• Belgian Grand Prix 2007

Raikkonen storms to third Spa victory

David Addison
September 16, 2007
Ferrari celebrate winning the constructors' championship © Sutton Images
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Kimi Raikkonen stormed to his third straight Belgian win at Spa-Francorchamps, the race having returned to the calendar after a year away.

Raikkonen blasted away from the lights to lead team-mate Felipe Massa for the duration of the race, the two Ferraris outpacing the McLarens of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The pair nearly came to grief at the first corner when Alonso was economical in the room he afforded to Hamilton. It was more evidence of the animosity between them and a move that annoyed Hamilton.

"Fernando is always complaining about other people being unfair," said Hamilton, "but he pushed me wide quite deliberately." He tried to fight back on the run to Eau Rouge, the fast and celebrated challenge after a downhill section of the track, but he had to cede the place to Alonso and the two silver McLarens followed home the two Ferraris.

Raikkonen was caught at the end by Massa, but he never posed a serious challenge to the Finn. With Raikkonen now back in touch for the title, Ferrari needed Massa to play a supporting role. This he did but made his point by slashing the gap to his team-mate.

It was also a weekend that confirmed Ferrari as the constructors champions after the FIA World Motor Sport Council ruled that McLaren was ineligible for points in 2007 because of its part in the "Coughlan-gate" espionage scandal.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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