Monday, August 31, 2009

Kimi Raikkonen wins in Belgium to end losing streak

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen has won the Belgian grand prix with Giancarlo Fisichella of Force India, who started on pole, second. Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull was third with Brawn's Rubens Barichello seventh – but neither was able to take full advantage of Jenson Button's withdrawal from the race on lap one.

Button, alongside the reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, was forced off after a collision that required the deployment of the safety car and resulted in four retirements. Button led his team-mate Barrichello by 18 points in the drivers' championship at the start of the race, an advantage that has now been cut to 16.


While Vettel claimed six points, moving him into third place overall, his team-mate Mark Webber failed to make up ground on Button after finishing outside the points in ninth. Webber slips to fourth, 20.5 points behind Button with five races to go.

The man to gain was Raikkonen, who claimed his fourth Belgian grand prix victory in five years to end a run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion. Fisichella's podium finish gave Force India their first points in Formula One after 30 races.

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