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Raikkonen wins Spanish Grand Prix

Finland's Heikki Kovalainen crashes his McLaren-Mercedes during the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix in Montmelo, Spain, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Defending drivers world champion Kimi Raikkonen extended his lead in this year’s title race yesterday when he drove to a comfortable victory in an incident-filled Spanish Grand Prix.

The Finn, driving a Ferrari, led from start to finish, bar the pit stops, to dominate flawlessly the 66-lap contest and consolidate his and his team’s position as the in-form outfit after four races this season.

On a warm and sunny Spring afternoon, Raikkonen’s win was his 17th in a career often beset by bad luck and endorsed a widespread feeling that he is happier at Ferrari and in the form of his life.

His Ferrari teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa drove a solid race to finish second, after starting third on the grid, ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes. Hamilton, who qualified fifth, drove excellently to claim a podium finish.

But Hamilton’s teammate, Finn Heikki Kovalainen, produced the day’s most spectacular and worrying moment when his car suffered a front-left puncture at 240kph. He lost control and flew off the track into a tire barrier.

It took five minutes to pull his car clear and lift him out on to a stretcher, but he was later declared to be uninjured and stable after being taken to the medical center.

Poland’s Robert Kubica continued his fine form by finishing fourth for BMW Sauber, ahead of Australian Mark Webber in a Red Bull and Briton Jenson Button in a Honda.

Japan’s Kazuki Nakajima finished seventh for Williams and Italian Jarno Trulli ninth for Toyota. The race saw the Safety Car sent out twice following accidents and car failures.

Spanish hero Fernando Alonso was forced to retire in his Renault after blowing the engine. He started an unexpected second on the grid, but failed to match that in front of more than 115,000 spectators.
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