SAO PAULO, Brazil — Kimi Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix and captured the Formula One title in the tightest race for the championship in 21 years on Sunday.
The Ferrari driver rallied from third place in the points standings for his first F1 crown, taking advantage of Lewis Hamilton’s mistake on the first lap and Fernando Alonso’s disappointing run.
Raikkonen grabbed the lead with 21 laps to go and was followed by teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso, Hamilton’s McLaren teammate, finished third.
Hamilton came into the race leading the points standings and needed a top-two finish to become the first rookie to win the title and F1’s youngest champion. He went off the track on the first lap and later had car problems to finish seventh.
Alonso, second in the standings coming in, would have had to have finished second and Hamilton fifth to keep Raikkonen from winning the championship after his victory. Raikkonen erased a seven-point gap coming into the race to finish with 110 points, one more than Hamilton and Alonso.
Bourdais wins: At Surfers Paradise, Australia, Sebastien Bourdais won the Lexmark Indy 300 to clinch his fourth straight Champ Car drivers’ title.
Alonso was trying to become only the third driver to win three consecutive titles in the history of F1, along with Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher.
“I knew it was going to be a difficult situation for me,” Alonso said. “It was impossible to keep the pace from Ferrari. I was just waiting for something.”
Hamilton started in the front row beside pole-sitter Massa, but was passed by Raikkonen and Alonso in the first turn. He then made a mistake trying to pass Alonso three turns later and dropped to eighth after the first lap.
Bourdais wins: At Surfers Paradise, Australia, Sebastien Bourdais won the Lexmark Indy 300 to clinch his fourth straight Champ Car drivers’ title.
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