Formula 1 News

Raikkonen wins at Spa, Fisichella finishes second 

First win for Ferrari in the season, first podium ever for Force India

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen took his first win in the season – the first win also for Ferrari – at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa ahead of Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella who, after an excellent performance, grabbed the first ever podium finish for Force India.

Third place for Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel ahead of BMW duo with Robert Kubica taking fourth and Nick Heidfeld fifth, McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello and Williams’ Nico Rosberg.

2009 Belgian Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Formation lap: Giancarlo Fisichella starts from pole for the first time ever for Force India after a surprising qualifing. Next to the Italian there’s his compatriot Jarno Trulli. Behind the two, BMW’s Nick Heidfeld followed by Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello, Robert Kubica, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen – the only car with KERS within the top ten – , Toyota’s Timo Glock and the two Red Bulls with Vettel ahead of Webber. Last slot on the belgian grid for the second consecutive time for Ferrari’s Luca Badoer.

Race start: Good start for Fisichella, then Raikkonen, Kubica. Awful start for Barrichello who loses several positions. Big crash at the Combe chicane: Grosjean hits Button, the Briton spins and hits the tyre barriers while Hamilton and Algersuari collide. Safety car deployed. Button, Alguersuari, Hamilton and Grosjean out. Trulli, Barrichello and Sutil pit for a front wing change.

Lap 43/44: Safety car still on track. Fisichella P1, Raikkonen P2, Kubica P3, Glock P4, Webber P5, Heidfeld P6, Rosberg P7, Vettel P8.

Lap 41/44: All cars are still following the safety car. Safety car in this lap.

Lap 40/44: The race restarts. Raikkonen pressuring Fisichella for P1 at the Eau Rouge. Raikkonen overtakes Fisichella for P1. Fisichella P2, Kubica P3. Vettel passes Rosberg for P7. Barrichello passes Badoer for P13 at the last chicane.

Lap 38/44: Raikkonen 1.4 secs ahead of Fisichella. Barrichello overtakes Nakajima for P12. Fastest lap for Raikkonen.

Lap 36/44: Sutil passes Badoer. Sutil also passes Nakajima.

Lap 35/44: Raikkonen still leading followed by Fisichella, Kubica and Glock.

Lap 33/44: Alonso P9, Kovalainen P10, Buemi P11, Barrichello P12, Sutil P13.

Lap 32/44: Kubica and Glock pit.

Lap 31/44: Replays show the toyota mechanics had problems with the fuel rig during Glock’s pit stop.

Lap 30/44. Raikkonen and Fisichella pit. Heidfeld and Webber too. Near miss between Webber and Heidfeld after their release. Heidfeld passes Webber at Combe. Barrichello overtakes Webber. The Australian is now in P8.

Lap 29/44: Race Control: incident between Webber and Heidfeld during the pit stop under investigation by the stewards. Drive through penalty for Webber for unsafe release.

Lap 28/44: Pit stop for Vettel. The German rejoins in P8. Rosberg – no stop yet – now leading the race.

Lap 27/44: Pit stop for Rosberg. Raikkonen P1, Fisichella P2, Alonso – no stops – P3. Webber takes his drive through penalty.

Lap 25/44: Team radio for Alonso; his engineer suggests him to save fuel.

Lap 24/44: Pit stop for Trulli. Pit stop for Buemi. Yet another problem with the fuel rig at Toyota.

Lap 23/44: Trulli retires. The Toyota mechanics park his car in the garage.

Lap 21/44: Fisichella P2, slowly closing the gap to Raikkonen. Alonso pits. Very long pit stop for Alonso for a problem with his front left tyre.

Lap 19/44: Raikkonen P1, Fisichella P2, Kubica P3. Alonso no in P14. Team radio for Alonso: the engineer says to get back in the pits for a problem with the wheel fairing. Kovalainen pits.

Lap 18/44: Buemi pressuring Koavalainen for P10. Barrichello pits. The Brazilian rejoins in P11. Alonso retires.

Lap 16/44: Fisichella P2, still keeping Raikkonen’s pace.

Lap 15/44: Vettel P4, Heidfeld P5, Rosberg P6. Vettel getting closer to Kubica (P3). Kubica pits, he rejoins in P5.

Lap 14/44: Raikkonen and Fisichella pit. Raikkonen back in P3, Fisichella in P4.

Lap 12/44: Barrichello tailing Kovalainen for P8. Rosberg pits.

Lap 10/44: Fastest lap for Heidfeld. Webber pits.

Lap 9/44: Vettel pits, 6.4 secs, back in P3. Raikkonen P1, Fisichella P2, Vettel P3, Kubica P4.

Lap 7/44: Fastest lap for Vettel.

Lap 6/44: Vettel trying to catch Fisichella for P2.

Lap 3/44: Barrichello having engine problems, it seems an oil leak.

Last lap: Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen wins the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix at the Spa Francorchamps circuit bringing the first win for Ferrari in the season ahead of Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, BMW’s Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, McLaren’s Heikki Koavalainen, Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello and Williams’ Nico Rosberg.

2009 Belgian Grand Prix, race results: