Kimi wins in easy Ferrari 1-2 in Magny Cours
Ferrari started their fight-back for the formula one titles with a commanding 1-2 victory at Magny-Cours in France on Sunday.The race also saw the resurgence of Kimi Raikkonen, who won the race after passing McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at the start and...
Ferrari started their fight-back for the formula one titles with a commanding 1-2 victory at Magny-Cours in France on Sunday.
The race also saw the resurgence of Kimi Raikkonen, who won the race after passing McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at the start and getting the better of team-mate Felipe Massa by staying out longer before the second pit stop. The Ferraris were unchallenged throughout the race with Hamilton having fallen back by more than half a minute in third but the result means the McLaren rookie extends his lead in the drivers' championship to 64, 14 over team-mate Fernando Alonso at 50, while Massa creeps up to 47. It also means Hamilton has kept up his record of making it to the podum in all eight F1 races he has taken part in so far.
Reigning champion Alonso started from 10th and had a difficult race, repeatedly duelling the BMW of Nick Heidfeld and the Renault of Gianfranco Fisichella and finishing in seventh.
Honda won their first point with Jenson Button coming in eighth. The race was run in dry but overcast conditions, although it had rained earlier in the day. Adrian Sutil had a problem in his Spyker and did not start the formation lap.
The Ferraris made the best get-away from the line the have made in the season so far. Massa kept his first position while Rakkonen overtook Hamilton, relegating him to third. Keikki Kovalainen suffered a contact with Trulli and a spin, falling back a few places and then going into the pits and rejoining.
Davidson (Super Aguri) and Trulli also went into the pits and were unable to rejoin. Trulli’s Toyota had had a coming together with Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. The Toro Rosso ended up in the gravel and out of the race.
Up in front Massa had built a two second cushion on Raikkonen by lap 4 with Hamilton close behind the Finn.
Alonso, meanwhile, climbed to seventh place and started pressing Heidfeld for sixth. He passed him, missed the corner and had to start the battle all over again. The Spaniard was on soft, fast deteriorating tyres while the German was on the harder compound. Further back, Rubens Barrichello in P10 was being harassed by Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota, a duel which was to continue for many laps and ended when Ralf went into the pits and fell back.
Massa continued to build up his lead on the front while Lewis Hamilton became the first to pit for fuel on lap 16 immediately followed by Alonso – a very clear pointer of the huge progress made by Ferrari, who had been fast with a heavier load of fuel – unless the McLarens had changed strategy.
Hamilton now fell to seventh behind Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica, Fisichella, Heidfeld and Rosberg with Alonso in ninth behind Button.
Massa came in on lap 20 and rejoined behind Raikkonen, the Finn starting to set fastest times in an effort to keep team-mate Massa behind him after his own pit stop. Rosberg went into the pits and emerged behind Alonso, who twice tried and finally managed to overtake former Renault team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, to move to seventh.
Raikkonen went into the pits on lap 23 but emerged two seconds behind Massa. Hamilton, meanwhile, was back in third after the BMWs went into the pits but the Ferraris were having an easy time in front.
Alonso was again having a close look at the back of Heidfeld’s BMW but could not find a way past. On lap 32 he again passed but outbraked himself and saw the BMW sail past again.
Christijan Albers retired with a smoking Spyker on lap 30 after leaving the pit lane with a refuelling pipe still attached to the car, having also knocked over a mechanic!
Alonso somehow at last found a way past Heidfeld at the Adelaide curve on lap 34 moving to fifth place. He now set some fastest times in the third sector and started to gain fast on another BMW in front of him – Robert Kubica. Up in front Raikkonen moved to 1.2s behind Massa as they negotiated the backmarkers.
Hamilton went into the pits for a short second pit stop on lap 37 and rejoined with an exciting wheel to wheel duel with his friend Robert Kubica across two curves to retake P3 after some classy driving.
Alonso, meanwhile was sliding on the hard compounds as he sought to make up for lost time. He went wide in several other corners. Problems perhaps? After his second, longish, pit stop he dropped to P9.
Massa set fastest lap and extended his gap on Raikkonen to 2.8s before diving into the pits on lap 43 for his soft tyres. Raikkonen however stayed out longer and after the second pit stop was still able to remain in front of the Brazilian in what was the turning point of the race.
Heidfeld again found himself in front of Alonso following the second round of pit stops.
At the front, Hamilton was gaining on Massa, but the Briton was on a three stop strategy while the Ferraris had completed their stops for the day. He went in on lap 52 and emerged back in third but 26.6 seconds behind the dominant Ferraris. He then appeared to settle down to conserve his position.
At this stage Raikkonen was leading followed by Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Alonso and Button.
Alonso again found himself attacking Fisichella, coming side by side in two attempts and bouncing his car aggressively over the kerbs but failing to get past the Italian. He then appeared to back off.
Scott Speed retired the second Toro Rosso after parking it in the gravel on lap 58.
The last few laps were without drama, with Raikkonen winning ahead of Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Alonso and Button. Massa set the fastest lap, 1:16.099 on lap 42.
Ferrari have narrowed McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship to 25 and they have the wind in their sails.
The race also saw the resurgence of Kimi Raikkonen, who won the race after passing McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at the start and getting the better of team-mate Felipe Massa by staying out longer before the second pit stop. The Ferraris were unchallenged throughout the race with Hamilton having fallen back by more than half a minute in third but the result means the McLaren rookie extends his lead in the drivers' championship to 64, 14 over team-mate Fernando Alonso at 50, while Massa creeps up to 47. It also means Hamilton has kept up his record of making it to the podum in all eight F1 races he has taken part in so far.
Reigning champion Alonso started from 10th and had a difficult race, repeatedly duelling the BMW of Nick Heidfeld and the Renault of Gianfranco Fisichella and finishing in seventh.
Honda won their first point with Jenson Button coming in eighth. The race was run in dry but overcast conditions, although it had rained earlier in the day. Adrian Sutil had a problem in his Spyker and did not start the formation lap.
The Ferraris made the best get-away from the line the have made in the season so far. Massa kept his first position while Rakkonen overtook Hamilton, relegating him to third. Keikki Kovalainen suffered a contact with Trulli and a spin, falling back a few places and then going into the pits and rejoining.
Davidson (Super Aguri) and Trulli also went into the pits and were unable to rejoin. Trulli’s Toyota had had a coming together with Liuzzi's Toro Rosso. The Toro Rosso ended up in the gravel and out of the race.
Up in front Massa had built a two second cushion on Raikkonen by lap 4 with Hamilton close behind the Finn.
Alonso, meanwhile, climbed to seventh place and started pressing Heidfeld for sixth. He passed him, missed the corner and had to start the battle all over again. The Spaniard was on soft, fast deteriorating tyres while the German was on the harder compound. Further back, Rubens Barrichello in P10 was being harassed by Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota, a duel which was to continue for many laps and ended when Ralf went into the pits and fell back.
Massa continued to build up his lead on the front while Lewis Hamilton became the first to pit for fuel on lap 16 immediately followed by Alonso – a very clear pointer of the huge progress made by Ferrari, who had been fast with a heavier load of fuel – unless the McLarens had changed strategy.
Hamilton now fell to seventh behind Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica, Fisichella, Heidfeld and Rosberg with Alonso in ninth behind Button.
Massa came in on lap 20 and rejoined behind Raikkonen, the Finn starting to set fastest times in an effort to keep team-mate Massa behind him after his own pit stop. Rosberg went into the pits and emerged behind Alonso, who twice tried and finally managed to overtake former Renault team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella, to move to seventh.
Raikkonen went into the pits on lap 23 but emerged two seconds behind Massa. Hamilton, meanwhile, was back in third after the BMWs went into the pits but the Ferraris were having an easy time in front.
Alonso was again having a close look at the back of Heidfeld’s BMW but could not find a way past. On lap 32 he again passed but outbraked himself and saw the BMW sail past again.
Christijan Albers retired with a smoking Spyker on lap 30 after leaving the pit lane with a refuelling pipe still attached to the car, having also knocked over a mechanic!
Alonso somehow at last found a way past Heidfeld at the Adelaide curve on lap 34 moving to fifth place. He now set some fastest times in the third sector and started to gain fast on another BMW in front of him – Robert Kubica. Up in front Raikkonen moved to 1.2s behind Massa as they negotiated the backmarkers.
Hamilton went into the pits for a short second pit stop on lap 37 and rejoined with an exciting wheel to wheel duel with his friend Robert Kubica across two curves to retake P3 after some classy driving.
Alonso, meanwhile was sliding on the hard compounds as he sought to make up for lost time. He went wide in several other corners. Problems perhaps? After his second, longish, pit stop he dropped to P9.
Massa set fastest lap and extended his gap on Raikkonen to 2.8s before diving into the pits on lap 43 for his soft tyres. Raikkonen however stayed out longer and after the second pit stop was still able to remain in front of the Brazilian in what was the turning point of the race.
Heidfeld again found himself in front of Alonso following the second round of pit stops.
At the front, Hamilton was gaining on Massa, but the Briton was on a three stop strategy while the Ferraris had completed their stops for the day. He went in on lap 52 and emerged back in third but 26.6 seconds behind the dominant Ferraris. He then appeared to settle down to conserve his position.
At this stage Raikkonen was leading followed by Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Alonso and Button.
Alonso again found himself attacking Fisichella, coming side by side in two attempts and bouncing his car aggressively over the kerbs but failing to get past the Italian. He then appeared to back off.
Scott Speed retired the second Toro Rosso after parking it in the gravel on lap 58.
The last few laps were without drama, with Raikkonen winning ahead of Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Heidfeld, Fisichella, Alonso and Button. Massa set the fastest lap, 1:16.099 on lap 42.
Ferrari have narrowed McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship to 25 and they have the wind in their sails.