Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen headed home Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix with a dominant performance that clinched the Italian outfit of the 2007 constructors’ title.

The McLarens were no match for the red cars and had to settle for third and fourth, with Fernando Alonso finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton and narrowing the rookie’s championship lead to just two points with three races remaining.

Massa had briefly challenged Raikkonen on the outside at the start, before settling into second position. Just behind the pair, the McLarens were also wheel-to-wheel into the La Source hairpin. Alonso edged Hamilton onto the extended run-off area, but Lewis had better traction and accelerated back on track level with his team-mate.

They then ran side-by-side into Eau Rouge, with Alonso holding on around the outside at the first part of the corner before claiming third as the race track turned right.

Raikkonen proceeded to dominate the 44-lap race, easily establishing a four-second lead over Massa and maintaining it to the chequered flag.

The McLarens ran longer stints, but lacked the pace to get on terms with the leaders, and at one point in the Grand Prix was 20 seconds adrift…

Raikkonen’s victory at Spa-Francorchamps means he retains a mathematically chance of taking the title away from the McLaren duo, cutting his deficit to Lewis Hamilton to 13 points with 30 still up for grabs – although Kimi hopes that the Mercedes-powered team’s impressive reliability falters.

With McLaren losing all its championship points by the FIA this week, Ferrari only had to beat the BMW Saubers to seal its 15th constructors’ title – which it duly achieved but McLaren remain the ‘true’ champions in my opinion…

Nick Heidfeld continued his consistent points finishes for BMW Sauber with fifth though he was pushed wide at La Source to avoid hitting Alonso and Hamilton on the lap one. Nico Rosberg was sixth for Williams with Red Bull’s Mark Webber in seventh. Finishing in the last points finish was Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen after holding off the BMW Sauber from a determined Robert Kubica by half a second.

The next stop for the 2007 Formula One World Championship is the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji at the end of the month. It will be the first time modern Formula One racing cars will be racing at the track, as the last time was back in 1977. The newly re-profile circuit (as designed by Hermann Tilke) will feature the longest straight on the Formula One calendar but in terms of challenge for the drivers, the layout of the race track is pale in comparison to Suzuka.

Belgian Grand Prix result, Spa-Francorchamps – 44 laps

1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1h20m39.066s
2. MASSA Ferrari +4.7s
3. ALONSO McLaren +14.3s
4. HAMILTON McLaren +23.6s
5. HEIDFELD BMW +51.9s
6. ROSBERG Williams +1m16.9s
7. WEBBER Red Bull +1m20.6s
8. KOVALAINEN Renault +1m25.1
9. KUBICA BMW +1m25.7s
10. SCHUMACHER Toyota +1m28.6s
11. TRULLI Toyota +1m43.7s
12. LIUZZI Toro Rosso +1 lap
13. BARRICHELLO Honda +1 lap
14. SUTIL Spyker +1 lap
15. SATO Super Aguri +1 lap
16. DAVIDSON Super Aguri +1 lap
17. YAMAMOTO Spyker +1 lap
R. BUTTON Honda +8 laps
R. WURZ Williams +10 laps
R. COULTHARD Red Bull +15 laps
R. VETTEL Toro Rosso +36 laps
R. FISICHELLA Renault +43 laps

Fastest lap: MASSA 1m48.036s (lap 34)

Ferrari secured their first all-front-row start of the season at Spa-Francorchamps with Kimi Raikkonen taking the top spot after beating his team-mate Felipe Massa in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Finn took pole position away from the Brazilian by a small margin of 0.017 seconds. Raikkonen’s lap around the Ardennes race track was one minute, 45.994 seconds. Massa felt the pressure from the ‘Iceman’ as he tried to improve his lap time that resulted him making a mistake into the final chicane.

As for McLaren – who recently received a record fine of $100 million USD in a breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code – Fernando Alonso and championship leader Lewis Hamilton could only managed third and fourth respectively. Alonso blew his chances for a top grid position with a spin at Rivage, but the Spaniard recovered and managed to set a time faster than team-mate Hamilton.

Robert Kubica qualified his BMW Sauber in fifth but was relegated ten positions after changing his engine before the qualifying session. That promoted Nico Rosberg in the Williams ahead of Kubica’s team-mate Nick Heidfeld.

Australian’s Mark Webber lines up in eighth for Red Bull Racing. While the final two top ten spots went to Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen.

Judging by the times set by the red cars, it seems the Ferraris has the speed advantage around the fast and flowing Spa circuit. Raikkonen won the event twice and he could go for win number three on Sunday. But can Massa stop him? What about McLaren? Alonso would love to continue his winning form after last weekend’s Monza triumph but I believe both he and Lewis will have difficulty in keeping up the pace over Ferrari.

Belgian Grand Prix starting grid

1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1:45.994
2. MASSA Ferrari 1:46.011
3. ALONSO McLaren 1:46.091
4. HAMILTON McLaren 1:46.406
5. KUBICA BMW Sauber 1:46.996*
6. ROSBERG Williams 1:47.334
7. HEIDFELD BMW Sauber 1:47.409
8. WEBBER Red Bull 1:47.524
9. TRULLI Toyota 1:47.798
10. KOBALAINEN Renault 1:48.505
11. FISICHELLA Renault 1:46.603
12. R. SCHUMACHER Toyota 1:46.618
13. COULTHARD Red Bull 1:46.800
14. BUTTON Honda 1:46.955
15. LIUZZI Toro Rosso 1:47.115
16. WURZ Williams 1:47.394
17. VETTEL Toro Rosso 1:47.581
18. BARRICHELLO Honda 1:47.954
19. SATO Super Aguri 1:47.980
20. SUTIL Spyker 1:48.044
21. DAVIDSON Super Aguri 1:48.199
22. YAMAMOTO Spyker 1:49.577

* A ten-place grid penalty for changing an engine

Former World Rally Champion Colin McRae has died in a helicopter crash. The popular Scotsman was a true star on the rally stages and his sudden death was the biggest shock to motorsport fans – myself included.

McRae was an inspiration to everyone. His skills as a professional driver were extremely impressive and I will remember him fondly for his wild powerslide moments in the Subaru and Ford Focus rally cars. His computer games were also fantastic to play and his support in the popular gaming series made him a star for video gamers.

It was deeply depressing that we lost Colin two years after another British rally hero Richard Burns passed away. Reading the various news articles, I was sadden to learn that his five-year-old son Johnny also perish in the accident along with another adult and child (Graeme Duncan, 39 and Ben Porcelli, 6).

It is reported that the helicopter developed a mechanical problem during its flight and it crashed shorted after 1600 hours in Jerviswood (Scotland) after the party were returning from a nearby village…

McRae, 39, the son of five-times British Rally Champion Jimmy, wrote his name in the record books in 1995 when he became the first Brit to win the World Rally Championship.

David Richards, boss of Prodrive, insisted it was his fearless and at times gung-ho approach that won him many admirers in the sport and fans outside it.

“That was his style. He had a real have-a-go instinct,” said Richards. “It was a special thing that you would never want to take that away from him. You could throw any car at him in any recognised motorsport and he would do well. I remember when I put him in a Formula One car at Silverstone and how great he was in that straight away. It could have been a sports car, touring car, Paris-Dakar, you name it. It’s unusual to call somebody a legend, but it’s very appropriate for Colin.”

Nicky Grist, McRae’s co-driver since 1997, said the whole of the rally world was in shock and said McRae was “such a great character”.

Speaking about his time with the former world champion, Grist said: “I have to say they were the best times of my life. We used to drive to the max and push everything to the absolute limit. But when it came to socialising we had great fun also.”

Grist added: “Colin was always regarded as being a bit of a risk-taker in cars, but when it came to flying a helicopter he was a totally different man. The one thing he always told me, he said ‘you don’t mess about with a helicopter. They are bigger and better than I am and you have to drive them as such.”‘

Fellow Scotsman and Formula One driver David Coulthard said McRae was both “fearless” and “flamboyant”.

“He and Alison were good friends and I cannot imagine either without the other,” said Coulthard, who was due to partner McRae in Team Scotland for the Race of Champions at Wembley Stadium in December.

“He was fearless, flamboyant, blindingly quick in the car. He was very down-to-earth, matter-of-fact that he was so good. He had all the good Scottish traits. I competed in the Race of Champions with him because of my respect for him. I remember him urging me on, telling to get the finger out for Scotland. We had some great times and his passing is a terrible blow for the McRae family and everyone who came in contact with him.”

Sir Jackie Stewart also spoke of his sadness at McRae’s death. “We want to extend our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to Ali, Jimmy and the rest of the McRae family,” said the three-time Formula One World Champion. “It’s a sad loss for Scotland, of a real hero and an immensely popular friend. He really was a driver that spectators loved because the car was always moving. He just conducted his driving in a way which was so confident, so full of enthusiasm and spirit.”

Max Mosley, the president of FIA, motorsport’s governing body, said: “It’s tragic that he should die like this when he’s retired from the dangerous part of his career. I don’t think anybody disliked him, everyone was his friend in the sport. Some of his achievements in rallying were absolutely extraordinary. Everywhere he went he was an ambassador, an ambassador for the sport and for Scotland, he was terrific.”

Motorbikes legend Valentino Rossi dedicated his win in Sunday’s Portuguese MotoGP to McRae. “He was one of my idols when I was young. He was the Kevin Schwarz (US Grand Prix rider of 1990s) of motor rallies,” said the Italian. “It is a very sad day for motor sports but I’m happy to have been able to win for him today.”

Malcolm Wilson, BP-Ford World Rally Team director, added: “I was privileged to have Colin in our team driving for Ford at a time when he was at the peak of his powers.

“He achieved one of his greatest victories with us when he won the legendary Safari Rally in Kenya in 1999 on only our third event with a brand new Focus WRC. It was a victory he went on to repeat in 2002. Since retiring as a full-time driver in the WRC, Colin has done much for the sport at grass roots level and his tragic death is a huge loss to British sport in general.”

Ex-Formula One driver Martin Brundle, who swapped racing cars with McRae in a publicity stunt in 1996, said: “He was a naturally gifted driver, whatever he was in. I’ve always thought rally drivers are probably the most all-round skilled drivers in the world because of the conditions they have to cope with. Having done a couple of rallies, I know what an extraordinary challenge it is.

“He was fearless, and as David Coulthard said, one of the good guys. Why is it always the good guys it happens to? He had a cult following because he was always exciting to watch. When he drove the F1 car, he just picked it up by the scruff of the neck and gave it a thrashing.”

Colin Hilton, chief executive of the Motor Sports Association, said McRae was an “inspiration to all who knew him and to millions around the world”.

He added: “His energy, commitment and extraordinary talent brought him domestic and international success, while his uncompromising style and determination made him the hero of fans everywhere.

“Throughout a glorious career, that saw him rise from the grassroots of the sport to the pinnacle of the world stage, Colin was always a great ambassador for Scottish and UK motor sport. Since retiring from the WRC, he has continued to dedicate himself to the sport, in particular the development of the next generation of rally drivers and co-drivers.”

McRae leaves a wife, Alison, and daughter, Hollie.

Rest in peace Colin McRae. We will always remember your superb driving skills forever.

After a day-long hearing in Paris, the World Motor Sport Council has issued a verdict on the latest spying saga that has affected the McLaren-Mercedes team in this season’s Formula One World Championship. The WMCS has decided to penalise the Woking-based outfit for breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

What this means is McLaren will lose all their championship points this season, effectively making Ferrari the constructors’ champions by default. In addition, the team received the biggest fine in motor racing history ($100 million / £50 million) for their possession of a 780-page dossier containing technical information on Ferrari.

However, the drivers’ championship will remain intact so the title race between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton continues in the remaining races.

Furthermore, the WMSC said they will analyse the McLaren-Mercedes car entered to the 2008 world championship later this year to decide what sanctions, if any, should be applied on the team in next year’s championship.

Asked if justice had been done, the president of the FIA Max Mosley said “Yes”. Even Ferrari were satisfied with the decision, but both parties believe it wasn’t harsh enough…

My personal opinion is that the FIA has created a bad image on Formula One that has overshadowed a fantastic season of racing. It is not surprising that the general public are more aware of the sport thanks to the achievements by British sensation Lewis Hamilton.

I hope McLaren can move on from this spying row and win the drivers’ title this year. The on-track battle between Alonso and Hamilton has been absolutely fascinating for Formula One fans and despite Ferrari winning the constructors’ title by default; I personally believe McLaren are the ‘true’ champions.

For the full transcript of the Council’s judgement, please click here.

Fernando Alonso stamped his authority on McLaren-Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton with a dominant victory at Monza, cutting Hamilton’s championship lead to three points.

It was an important result for the double world champion and for the team after a stressful few days at the Italian Grand Prix. The on-going spy scandal is still taking proceeding in Formula One and we will discover the outcome of this season’s championship in a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on Thursday, September 13.

It is unclear what the verdict will be especially with new evidence coming into light (apparently McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa exchange some emails to race driver Alonso about top secret information on Ferrari). So for the next few days, the fight for this year’s titles could be decided in the courts than out on the race track…

Nevertheless, McLaren and Alonso should be pleased by Sunday’s race result. It was the Spaniard’s 19th career Grand Prix win and to take the chequered flag in front of the passionate Ferrari fans (tifosi) was a special feeling for the double world champion.

As for Lewis Hamilton, he still holds onto the drivers’ title lead over his team-mate by a small points margin. Finishing second was a good result for the British team but it could have been worst if Kimi Raikkonen finished in front of him. But Hamilton was in a racy mood and forced his way past the Ferrari driver with a spectacular overtaking manoeuvre into the first chicane on lap 43.

Raikkonen was caught by surprise as he just moved into second place thanks to Ferrari’s clever single pit-stop strategy to promote him a track position. Both cars locked their brakes into the first corner and it was lucky that both drivers didn’t make any contact. A great pass by the Formula One rookie but Kimi should have defended more aggressively.

Nick Heidfeld continued his consistent points finishes with a fine fourth for BMW Sauber, finishing ahead of team-mate Robert Kubica. Nico Rosberg was sixth for Williams after fighting off a determined Jenson Button. The Honda seemed to be working much better in the low-downforce configuration at Monza and it was fascinating to see the duel between Rosberg and Button in the 53-lap race. In the end though, Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen finished between the pair.

There were two non-finishes in Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix and one of them was a championship contender, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. The Brazilian had a frantic opening set of laps trying to pass Hamilton’s McLaren. But was forced to retire early with mechanical problems, hitting his title hopes and the team’s. The other driver to retire from the race was David Coulthard. The Red Bull driver suffered a front wing failure (as the result of damage after hitting Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault in the first chicane) and speared hard into the wall at the Curva Grande. The Scot escaped unhurt in the high speed accident.

So a perfect result for McLaren with first and second in Ferrari’s home race. This season’s Formula One World Championship is becoming tensed with four races remaining. But could politics rather than supreme driving talents of Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Massa decide the fate of the championship?

Italian Grand Prix result, Monza, 53 laps

1. ALONSO McLaren 1h18m37.806s
2. HAMILTON McLaren +6.0s
3. RAIKKONEN Ferrari +27.3s
4. HEIDFELD BMW +56.5s
5. KUBICA BMW +1m00.5s
6. ROSBERG Williams +1m05.8s
7. KOVALAINEN Renault +1m06.7s
8. BUTTON Honda +1m12.1s
9. WEBBER Red Bull +1m15.9s
10. BARRICHELLO Honda +1m16.9s
11. TRULLI Toyota +1m17.7s
12. FISICHELLA Renault +1 lap
13. WURZ Williams +1 lap
14. DAVIDSON Super Aguri +1 lap
15. R SCHUMACHER Toyota +1 lap
16. SATO Super Aguri +1 lap
17. LIUZZI Toro Rosso +1 lap
18. VETTEL Toro Rosso +1 lap
19. SUTIL Spyker +1 lap
20. YAMAMOTO Spyker +1 lap
R. MASSA Ferrari +43 laps
R. COULTHARD Red Bull +52 laps

Fastest lap: ALONSO 1:22.871