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Massa wins Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa drives at the Valencia street circuit yesterday during the Formula One Grand Prix of Europe. PHOTO: AFP

Felipe Massa won yesterday’s European Grand Prix for Ferrari on the new street circuit around the harbour in Valencia and revived his challenge for this year’s drivers’ championship.

The 27-year-old Brazilian came home ahead of championship leading Briton Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren-Mercedes with Poland’s Robert Kubica third for BMW Sauber.

Massa’s win lifted him up to second in the drivers championship with 64 points, six fewer than Hamilton on 70, with six of this year’s 18 races remaining.

It was Massa’s fourth win this season and helped him wipe away the disappointment of his enforced retirement, while leading, with three laps remaining in the Hungarian Grand Prix three weeks ago.

The win was the ninth of his career and was achieved in exemplary fashion as he drove from pole position to the chequered flag without a worry apart from a problem at his second pit-stop.

Then Ferrari released him a little early and dangerously and this resulted in a stewards investigation that was scheduled to take place after the race.

A mechanic working for Ferrari was hospitalised after being run over by Kimi Raikkonen during refueling.

The Finn was refueling for the second time at the same time as his McLaren-Mercedes rival Heikki Kovalainen.

Under pressure to return to the race ahead of his compatriot, Raikkonen took off while the fuel pump was still in his car.

Raikkonen reversed and apparently ran over the leg of the Ferrari mechanic, who was quickly stretched off.

The Italian team had not yet revealed details of the mechanic’s condition at press time.

Raikkonen had a difficult race as several laps later his engine exploded and he was forced to retire from the race.

Kovalainen came home fourth ahead of Italian veteran Jarno Trulli in a Toyota and Sebastian Vettel who was sixth for Toro Rosso.

Timo Glock of Germany was seventh for Toyota and another German Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of Renault disappointed the home fans withdrawing on the first lap after Kazuki Nakajima’s Williams clipped him on the third bend.

The Spaniard had just managed to place 12th on the grid and therefore had only an outside chance of geting among the points but after braking hard Nakajima went into the back of him to end his race.

“Lady Luck shone on me the two years I was fighting for the title [2005 and 2006], but now I’m having a lot of ill fortune,” he told Spanish broadcaster Telecinco.
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