Motor Sport Formula One Championship: Kimi Raikkonen stormed out of left field to take the Formula One drivers championship from under the noses of title favourites Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix yesterday.
The Finn started the weekend seven points adrift of title leader Hamilton and three points behind the Englishman's McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso. The position dictated that the Finn would need to win the race and for the McLaren duo to encounter trouble if he was to lift the crown. Few imagined that set of circumstances could materialise.
But this championship has been all about the unlikely. From the stunning debut season of rookie Hamilton, to the sport-splitting spy scandal that resulted in a $100 million fine for McLaren and the bitter feud between Alonso and Hamilton that threatened to derail their team's chances of winning anything. That Raikkonen should do the unexpected should come as no surprise.
In qualifying, Raikkonen wound up third, behind title leader and pole-winner Felipe Massa, with Alonso fourth. All the advantage lay with the young Briton and on Sunday morning the paddock confidently expected Hamilton to hold his position to claim a safe second and a history-making title. But at the race start, Massa blasted away settling in front of Hamilton as they approached the first corner. That allowed Raikkonen to go around the outside of the title leader and claim second. The Finn slid momentarily, however, and Hamilton was forced to lift, gifting a passing opportunity to Alonso, who seized the chance, slipping past Hamilton on the inside to claim third.
The pattern for Hamilton was set. It would not be a day when luck was with him.
Still at that point, in fourth, he was still in charge. But when, in challenging Alonso, he slid wide at turn four and dropped to eighth, suddenly Raikkonen's chances brightened. Hamilton's dream was in danger of collapse.
Minutes later, he would suffer again, his car dramatically slowing on lap eight, letting a stream of rivals past, the McLaren driver having difficulty selecting a gear. The problem righted itself but by the time he was up to speed again, Hamilton was down in 18th.
For Raikkonen things could only get better, though he still had Massa to contend with. The Brazilian was leading his home race, more than two seconds ahead of his Ferrari team-mate. In the era of Schumacher there would have been no doubt that then team-mate Rubens Barrichello would have sacrificed himself on the altar of the German's ambition. In these days of more equality at Ferrari it almost seemed as if Raikkonen would have to beat Massa fair and square. As Massa emerged again in the lead after the first pit stops, it certainly seemed that way.
But sense prevailed and when Massa made his second stop on lap 53, Raikkonen stayed out for a further three, gaining ground and time. When the Finn did pit on lap 53, he had enough time in hand to retake the track marginally ahead of the Brazilian and on his way to victory. Now it was a case of watching Alonso and Hamilton.
The Spanaird was third, as he had been all race, impotently circling in the wake of the dominant Ferraris. It has not happened often in the defending champion's career but yesterday he simply did not have the pace or the will to eclipse the flying Raikkonen. But still the Finn could have been eclipsed. Hamilton had clawed his way to seventh and if he finished fifth he would be champion still. But he was relying on the unreliability of others. Alas for Hamilton, the order remained unchanged to the flag. No failures, no good fortune for the McLaren driver.
How the title was won
AUSTRALIA: (Melbourne, March 16th): Kimi Raikkonen wins from pole position on his debut for Ferrari, McLaren's double world champion Fernando Alonso is second and Hamilton third on his race debut. The rookie is amazed by the result: "F1 is a dream, but to be third in your first race you just don't expect it."
Points: Raikkonen 10 points, Alonso 8, Hamilton 6
MALAYSIA:(Sepang, April 8th): Alonso chalks up his first win for McLaren, Hamilton secures the one-two and Raikkonen is third. Alonso regains the lead.
Points: Alonso 18, Raikkonen 16, Hamilton 14
BAHRAIN: (Manama, April 15th): Brazilian Felipe Massa wins for Ferrari, Hamilton is second and Raikkonen third. Alonso finishes a desultory fifth. There's a three-way tie at the top.
Points: Alonso 22, Raikkonen 22, Hamilton 22
SPAIN: (Barcelona, May 13th) Massa wins again with Hamilton second. Alonso takes the final podium position. Hamilton leads the title race. Raikkonen does not finish. The cracks start to show within camp Alonso: "I'm very disappointed with the race. If Kimi hadn't retired I wouldn't have been on the podium. That was not the aim."
Points: Hamilton 30, Alonso 28, Raikkonen 22
MONACO: (Monte Carlo, May 27th): The first signs of discord within McLaren. Alonso wins a controversial McLaren one-two, with rookie Hamilton suddenly complaining that he is the second string driver. Raikkonen is eighth. "To see I'm at a similar pace to Fernando is positive but I have the number two on my car and I am the number two driver."
Points: Alonso 38, Hamilton 38, Raikkonen 23
CANADA: (Montreal, June 10th): Hamilton takes the first win of his Formula One career while Alonso finishes way back in seventh. Raikkonen is fifth. Alonso reacts: "I've never felt totally comfortable with a British team-mate in a British team. We know the support is going to him."
Points: Hamilton 48, Alonso 40, Raikkonen 27
UNITED STATES: (Indianapolis, June 17th): Hamilton wins again from pole position, Alonso is second and Raikkonen fourth.
Points: Hamilton 58, Alonso 48, Raikkonen 32
FRANCE: (Magny-Cours, July 1st): Raikkonen returns to winning form in a Ferrari one-two. Hamilton is third and Alonso seventh.
Points: Hamilton 64, Alonso 50, Raikkonen 42
BRITAIN: (Silverstone, July 8th) Raikkonen wins again. Alonso gets his revenge over Hamilton by beating him to second place in front of the rookie's home fans.
Points: Hamilton 70, Alonso 58, Raikkonen 52
EUROPE: (Nurburgring, July 22nd): Alonso wins, Hamilton fails to score in ninth place and ends his run of nine races on the podium. Raikkonen retires.
Points: Hamilton 70, Alonso 68, Raikkonen 52
HUNGARY: (Budapest, August 5th): The simmering discontent between the drivers explodes. Alonso demoted from pole to fifth after impeding Hamilton in qualifying. Hamilton wins, Raikkonen is second and Alonso fourth. "I don't understand why I was held back. You'll have to ask the team." Alonso responds with a curt: "They told Hamilton what to do and he didn't listen."
Points: Hamilton 80, Alonso 73, Raikkonen 60
TURKEY: (Istanbul, August 26th): Massa returns to winning form, Raikkonen is second and Alonso third. Hamilton finishes a difficult fifth.
Points: Hamilton 84, Alonso 79, Raikkonen 68
ITALY: (Monza, September 9th): Alonso claws back two points with a McLaren one-two. Raikkonen is third.
Points: Hamilton 92, Alonso 89, Raikkonen 74
BELGIUM: (Spa, September 16th): As McLaren is handed a $100m fine in the spying scandal in Paris and loses all their constructors' title points, Ferrari bounce back with a Raikkonen win. Hamilton and Alonso spar into turn one. The Spaniard is third and Hamilton fourth. They spar off track too. "For someone who is always complaining about people doing unfair moves . . . he has gone and swiped me and pushed me as far wide as he could."
Points: Hamilton 97, Alonso 95, Raikkonen 84
JAPAN: (Fuji, September 30th): Hamilton chalks up his fourth win of the season in a hammer blow for Alonso, who crashes out. Raikkonen is third. Alonso admits he "needs a miracle".
Points: Hamilton 107, Alonso 95, Raikkonen 90
CHINA: (Shanghai, October 7th): Alonso's wish is granted, with Hamilton skidding out on worn tyres as he pitted for the second time. Raikkonen wins to thunder back into the title race.
Points: Hamilton 107, Alonso 103, Raikkonen 100.
BRAZIL: (Sao Paolo, October 21st): Hamilton's challenge collapsed in disarray less than halfway round the opening lap allowing the outsider Kimi Raikkonen to win.
Points: 110 Raikkonen, 109 Hamilton, 109 Alonso.
Brazilian Grand Prix
Interlagos, Sao Paulo
Leading Final Positions after Race (71 Laps)
1 Kimi Raikkonen(Fin) Ferrari 1hr 28mins 15.720secs
2 Felipe Massa(Bra) Ferrari 1:28:17.213
3 Fernando Alonso(Spa) McLaren 1:29:12.739
4 Nico Rosberg(Ger) Williams 1:29:24.560
5 Robert Kubica(Pol) BMW Sauber 1:29:26.677
6 Nick Heidfeld(Ger) BMW Sauber 1:29:27.037
7 Lewis Hamilton(Brit) McLaren at 1 Lap
8 Jarno Trulli(Ita) Toyota Brazilat 1 Lap
9 David Coulthard(Brit) Red Bull at 1 Lap
10 Kazuki Nakajima(Jpn) Williams at 1 Lap, 11 Ralf Schumacher(Ger) Toyota at 1 Lap, 12 Takuma Sato(Jpn) Super Aguri at 2 Laps, 13 Vitantonio Liuzzi(Ita) Scuderia Toro Rosso at 2 Laps, 14 Anthony Davidson(Brit) Super Aguri at 3.
Laps Not Classified: 15 Adrian Sutil(Ger) Spyker 43 Laps completed, 16 Rubens Barrichello(Bra) Honda 40 Laps completed, 17 Heikki Kovalainen(Fin) Renault 35 Laps completed, 18 Sebastian Vettel(Ger) Scuderia Toro Rosso 34 Laps completed, 19 Jenson Button(Brit) Honda 20 Laps completed, 20 Mark Webber(Aus) Red Bull 14 Laps completed, 21 Sakon Yamamoto(Jpn) Spyker 2 Laps completed, 22 Giancarlo Fisichella(Ita) Renault 2 Laps completed.
Final World Championship Standings
Drivers: 1 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 110pts, 2= Lewis Hamilton (Brit) McLaren 109, Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 109, 4 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 94, 5 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 61, 6 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 39.
Manufacturers: 1 Ferrari 204pts, 2 BMW Sauber 101, 3 Renault 51, 4 Williams 33, 5 Red Bull 24, 6 Toyota 13.
Fastest Lap: Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1min 12.445secs on lap 66.
