Kimi Raikkonen held off Force India driver Giancarlo Fisichella to win Formula One’s Belgian Grand Prix yesterday, the Ferrari driver’s fourth triumph at the high-speed track in the past five years.
The former world champion, who started sixth, overtook pole sitter Fisichella immediately after the safety car came in following accidents on the opening lap — including one involving overall F1 leader Jenson Button — and held on for a 0.9-second victory.
Championship contender Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, who had retired with engine failures in the last two races, finished third to gain on Button.
Button failed to finish in the points for the first time this season and Rubens Barrichello moved within 16 points of his Brawn GP teammate after finishing seventh, despite an oil leak with two laps to go. Barrichello’s car caught fire as he rolled into the pit lane.
Button leads the drivers’ standings with 72 points, followed by Barrichello with 56 points and Vettel with 53 points.
Mark Webber of Red Bull, who finished ninth after a drive-through penalty, trails by 20.5 points.
Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, picked up his first win since last year’s Spanish Grand Prix in a season made unpredictable by rule changes. The Finn is the sixth straight different winner of a Formula One race.
Raikkonen joined Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher and Jim Clark as the only drivers to triumph at Spa on at least four occasions. Ferrari have now won five of the last seven races in Belgium.
Kubica and Nick Heidfeld saw BMW Sauber complete the top-five.
Heikki Kovalainen of McLaren was sixth and Nico Rosberg of Williams rounded out the points in eighth.
Yesterday’s results
• Brother Elephants 3,
La New Bears 0
• Uni-President Lions v Sinon Bulls postponed until Oct. 7
Also See: Elephants’ heavenly seventh avenges loss
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