Kimi Raikkonen has stunned
McLaren by snatching the
Formula 1 Drivers' title from under their noses with victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix after
Lewis Hamilton suffered crucial mechanical problems.
Raikkonen merely followed
Felipe Massa in the early stages before overtaking through the second pit stops, but while his chances of victory were slim to say the least, circumstances remarkably played into the Finn's hands.
Hamilton was baulked at the start by an out of shape Raikkonen, allowing
Fernando Alonso through too as well. When Hamilton attempted to re-pass, the Brit ran wide at turn four and dropped to eighth.
However, worse was to come when a mystery glitch slowed him and lost him more than half a minute. Despite a spirited fight back to seventh from 18th, it was not enough to keep him out front in the title race, while Alonso's third place also didn't get the job done.
The final standings will read as follows:
Kimi Raikkonen:
110
Lewis Hamilton:
109
Fernando Alonso:
109
Nico Rosberg was fourth, with
Robert Kubica fifth,
Nick Heidfeld sixth, Hamilton seventh and
Jarno Trulli eighth.
Full report to follow
