• Turkish Grand Prix 2007

Massa leads Ferrari double in Turkey

David Addison
August 26, 2007
Felipe Massa celebrates on the podium © Sutton Images
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Felipe Massa scored his second consecutive victory at Istanbul Park and as he headed home Kimi Raikkonen, while McLaren's Lewis Hamilton suffered a puncture that cost him points in the fight for the title.

The Ferraris started on medium rubber against the harder-shod McLarens. The plan worked as both of the Italian cars extended an advantage over Hamilton, while Alonso's McLaren fell behind the BWM-Saubers of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica. Raikkonen closed on Massa during the second stint but when they made their second pit stops, Hamilton assumed the lead. As he did so, his right-front tyre exploded. Hamilton limped back to the pit lane, his challenge against the Ferraris gone.

Massa upped his pace to keep Raikkonen at bay while Alonso jumped up to third. Heidfeld, who had fallen behind the Spaniard on the first round of pit stops, ran fourth while Hamilton's McLaren, now on new tyres, had damaged aero to contend with making it hard to drive. As a consequence he finished fifth, his championship lead over Alonso slashed to just five points.

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