Formula One news
Raikkonen win takes title to the wire
07 October 2007 / Results / PhotosKimi Raikkonen won the Chinese Grand Prix from Fernando Alonso on a day that very much favoured the underdog. The result means the championship goes down to the wire in Brazil with Hamilton, Alonso and Raikkonen all in with a chance. Massa ended the day third ahead of a stunning drive from Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel.
Track conditions were damp and greasy for the start with an extra burst of rain coming on the parade lap. Hamilton got a good start leading Raikkonen off the grid while Alonso was all over the back of Felipe Massa. The Spaniard charged around the outside of the Ferrari in turn one to take third, only for Massa to retake the position down the inside of turn four.
Ralf Schumacher's chances of finding a drive for next season took an unwanted hit when he spun out from his sixth place on the grid. At the end of the first lap, Hamilton led Raikkonen, Massa, Alonso, Coulthard, Heidfeld, Liuzzi and Webber as the rain intensified.
Hamilton seemed unconcerned as he built up a five-second lead over Raikkonen by the time the rain shower passed on lap eight. The rookie was the first frontrunner to pit on lap 15, two laps before Massa, three before Alonso and four before Raikkonen. Hamilton retained the lead and rapidly rebuilt a lead of 4.6s by lap 25.
As rain clouds passed, Williams' Alex Wurz was the first to take on dry weather tyres and was immediately the fastest man on track. By lap 26 Massa had both taken on dry tyres as Ralf Schumacher suffered a second embarrassing spin and retires from the race.
But another burst of rain changed conditions completely and Raikkonen was right on the tail of Hamilton and after two laps of trying, the Finn muscled past the McLaren on lap 28 to take the lead. Hamilton was struggling and in two laps lost 14 seconds to Fernando Alonso. With his team mate on his tail and completely worn out tyres, Hamilton pitted, but lost his car on the pit lane entry, sliding off into the gravel where he remained beached - his race, and chance of tying up the drivers' title at Shanghai - gone.
Raikkonen retained the lead from Alonso and Massa as Hamilton trudged back to the McLaren motorhome with his helmet firmly on, disappointed and refusing to speak to the hoards of reporters following him back.
Meanwhile on track his arch-rival Fernando Alonso seemed inspired and began cutting into Kimi Raikkonen's lead by 0.8s a lap. Raikkonen responded and the gap stabilised at around eight seconds.
Raikkonen then cruised to the finish to take his fourteenth career win and closes the gap to Hamilton down to seven points - keeping his championship hopes alive. Fernando Alonso took second place and now lies just four points behind Hamilton with only the Brazilian Grand Prix remaining. Felipe Massa was third.
Sebastian Vettel recovered from his embarrassment - crashing out of the Japanese Grand Prix - to finish fourth in the Toro Rosso, the team's best ever result. Jenson Button was fifth ahead of the second Toro Rosso of Liuzzi while Heidfeld and Coulthard rounded off the top eight.
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