Kimi Raikkonen and
Felipe Massa re-asserted
Ferrari's supremacy in the French Grand Prix, with the Finn making a return to the podium for the first time in almost three months and belatedly getting his world championship challenge back on-track.
Indeed, not only did the 27-year-old reclaim the top spot for the first time since the curtain-raiser in Melbourne back in March, Magny-Cours also signalled the first time all season a race has been won by a driver not starting from the front row. With the revised Ferrari proving to be at least the equal of the
McLaren, and just as importantly far more suited to Raikkonen's driving style, it appears we could just have a world championship on our hands once more.
In possibly
Formula 1's last-ever appearance at the circuit, there was drama even before the start of the race with rain threatening, oil and cement dust down on the track at the Imola chicane – catching out
Jenson Button as the
Honda star made his way around to the grid – a transmission fright for
David Coulthard and a Spyker that refused to fire up leaving
Adrian Sutil to leap out of it shortly before the parade lap to jump into the spare and begin the race from the pit-lane.
At the start pole man Massa held onto his advantage with, crucially, Ferrari team-mate Raikkonen out-dragging
Lewis Hamilton into the first corner for second place. All hell would let loose soon afterwards, though, as
Super Aguri ace
Anthony Davidson locked up into turn one and rear-ended
Scuderia Toro Rosso's Vitantonio Liuzzi, with the pair spinning off the track in opposite directions and into instant retirement.
Just seconds later, there was further confusion into the Adelaide hairpin as cars entered three-abreast.
Jarno Trulli left his braking too late and T-boned the unfortunate
Heikki Kovalainen, who had equalled his highest-ever grid slot in qualifying despite completing Q2 and Q3 without power steering. While the Finn would make it back round to the pits and was able to resume after repairs – albeit substantially at the back – for the Italian it was game over.
