McLaren celebrate first one-two finish in Monza; Räikkönen third

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Only a great deal of bad luck for both of the McLaren drivers in the remaining four Formula One races could still turn the current season in the Finnish Ferrari pilot Kimi Räikkönen’s favour.
     
On Ferrari’s home turf, at the Italian Grand Prix held in Monza on Sunday, Räikkönen came home third behind the McLaren duo of Fernando Alonzo and Lewis Hamilton.
      "The weekend did not match our expectations", said Räikkönen, in a statement of the obvious. "We were slower both in the race and in the qualifying sessions. Having said that, based on the week’s tests we knew to expect McLaren to be stronger than before", Räikkönen explained in the post-race press conference.
      "I believe the situation will become more even in Spa (the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend), where we will race on a normal track. Here I had difficulties holding my head up", continued Räikkönen, who hurt his neck when crashing at high speed in a Saturday practice session. Hamilton caught and overtook Räikkönen around ten laps from the end of the race, after the Finn had snatched second spot by following a one-stop race strategy.
     
For McLaren, the one-two finish was particularly tasty, as it was the first of its kind for the English team in Monza.
      "To win here in Monza for the first time is very special. So I want to achieve that, to try to score at least one win at all the circuits. Sometimes everything seems to go in the right direction and you feel in a good way and you need to keep the momentum. I think all weekend has been good for me", smiled Alonzo, who started from the pole and won the race in exhibition style.
      After this victory Alonso, who now has 89 points, trails only 3 points behind his teammate Hamilton in the drivers’ world championship table. Räikkönen (74 points) is now third, followed by his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa (69). Massa failed to finish the race in Monza.
      In the team points McLaren’s (181) lead over Ferrari (143) is becoming more and more convincing.
     
The FIA, the governing body in motor sports, is yet to declare its final ruling on the ongoing spying scandal between McLaren and Ferrari. The FIA’s decision may still change things around with regard to the championship points.
      At Monza, the BMW drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica finished fourth and fifth.
      The German Williams driver Nico Rosberg, son of the Finnish 1982 World Champion Keke Rosberg, finished in sixth, one place ahead of Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen (Renault).
      In the championship table Kovalainen currently holds down seventh position with 21 points. Rosberg is in 10th with 12 points.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Räikkönen rues errors in qualifying after Ferrari 1-2 in Istanbul (27.8.2007)

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