Formula One news

Raikkonen takes dominant Turkish victory

Kimi Raikkonen recovered from a slow start to take an easy win in the Turkish Grand Prix while championship leader Fernando Alonso passed Montoya on the penultimate lap to take second place and reduce the damage to his championship lead to just two points.

Raikkonen had a poor start and was passed into the first corner by Giancarlo Fisichella. Alonso had a look at passing but the Finn closed the door. Raikkonen was not about to take it lying down and muscled his way back past Fisichella as the Italian ran wide. As Raikkonen began to pull away and Montoya closed right up on Alonso Renault ordered the championship leader past his Italian team mate.

Further down the grid Felipe Massa touched the rear of Nick Heidfeld's Williams and lost his front wing in the process while Michael Schumacher had cruised up from the back of the grid to eleventh.

With Fisichella out of the way Alonso was able to keep pace with race leader Raikkonen - keeping the gap steady at around one second. Behind them Jenson Button was carving his way up the field passing both Red Bulls to take sixth place by lap ten.

Fernando Alonso made his first pit stop surprisingly early on lap 13 and Giancarlo Fisichella pitted on the next lap but had a very long pit stop with a refuelling rig problem. Drama in the pit lane was mirrored on track as Michael Schumacher's charge through the field was sent into a spin when Mark Webber hit the back of the Ferrari. They both pitted and after some confusion with tyre replacement Ferrari sent Schumacher back out on track. The reigning champion completed just one lap before pulling back into the pit lane to retire.

At the front Raikkonen continued to set fastest laps and Montoya was setting personal bests as they worked to pull out an advantage over the Renaults. The Colombian pitted on lap 21 and pulled off from his pit stop, but the mechanic holding the fuel hose got pulled to the ground. Montoya stopped before being sent out. There were fortunately no injuries and despite the stutter Montoya rejoined the race ahead of Alonso.

McLaren mechanics reset and received Raikkonen on the next lap and after an altogether smoother refuelling the Finn rejoined in the lead. In the meantime Button had also pitted from third and Mark Webber suffered a new rear right tyre problem before deciding to retire.

Ferrari continued to work on Michael Schumacher's car and on lap 34 sent the German back out on track wanting the German to make it to the finish and so obtain a later qualifying slot for the next race in Monza. Meanwhile Fernando Alonso made his second pit stop from third position.

There was very little change at the front in the remaining laps. Raikkonen cruised away in the lead with Montoya a comfortable second. There was a fright for the Colombian just three laps from the flag when Monteiro hit the rear of his McLaren and sent him into a spin. Montoya recovered and was then just 1.5s ahead of Alonso but then in turn eight Montoya ran wide and let Alonso squeeze through into second place.

Raikkonen cruised home to his fifth win of the season ahead of Fernando Alonso. Montoya's mistake means that Raikkonen has closed the championship gap by only two points. Montoya crept home in third ahead of Fisichella who resisted a late charge from Jenson Button in fifth. Jarno Trulli brought his Toyota home in sixth ahead of the two Red Bulls of Coulthard and Klien.

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