McLaren-Mercedes ace Kimi Raikkonen repelled an unexpected challenge from Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and slash Fernando Alonso’s lead in the F1 world driver’s championship standings on Sunday.

McLaren-Mercedes ace Kimi Raikkonen repelled an unexpected challenge from Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and slash Fernando Alonso’s lead in the F1 world driver’s championship standings on Sunday.


Schumacher surprised many in the F1 paddock by claiming Ferrari’s first pole position of the year on Saturday, but the resurgent German had to settle for a distant second place, just ahead of Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota, at the Hungaroring. Alonso’s Renault lost its front wing on the first lap and, although the Spaniard recovered to finish 11th, he failed to score any points.


Schumacher led off the line, but Raikkonen passed team-mate Juan-Pablo Montoya and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli to move from fourth to second at the first corner. Moments later, Christian Klien’s Red Bull Racing and Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR Honda collided the Austrian’s car rolled. Fortunately, Klien’s car landed on its wheels and the driver emerged uninjured.


Alonso’s Renault clipped the rear of Ralf Schumacher's Toyota and the championship leader’s broken front wing detached in the middle sector of the opening lap. The cars behind the struggling Renault swerved out of the way of the flailing front wing, but David Coulthard was caught unsighted and the Scot’s Red Bull Racing collided with the debris and spun out.


Alonso pitted for a new nose section, as did Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello, and the pair rejoined at the back of the field. Alonso tried his utmost to carve his way through the field but found that it really is almost impossible to pass at the Hungaroring. The Spaniard did pull off a daring move on the inside of turn two to pass Minardi's Robert Doornbos, however.


Raikkonen was the first driver to make a pit stop - on lap 11. The Finn had a light fuel load to compensate for having to qualify first on Saturday and was just a second behind Schumacher before the stop. Schumacher – also on a three-stop strategy - stopped a few laps later.


Montoya had adopted a two-stop race strategy, but the Colombian failed to reclaim the lead after his first pit stop on lap 22. Raikkonen recorded personal best times in the first and second sectors of the lap before heading to the pits for a second time. A short fuel stop by McLaren-Mercedes saw Raikkonen rejoin the race in second place, ahead of Schumacher.


McLaren looked set for a one-two finish, but Montoya slowed dramatically on lap 40 and pulled into the pits to retire from the lead with a broken driveshaft.


Meanwhile, Raikkonen stretched his lead. By the time the Finn made his third and final pit stop, he had enough of a lead over Schumacher to pit and rejoin ahead of the Ferrari. From there it was a cruise to the flag, although Ralf Schumacher tried his utmost to pass his brother Michael in the final five laps of the race.


Raikkonen was forty seconds ahead of Schumacher at the finish and reduced Alonso's drivers' championship lead, by ten points, to 26. Ralf scored his first podium finish for Toyota ahead of team-mate Jarno Trulli, BAR Honda’s Jenson Button and the two Williams-BMWs of Nick Heidfeld and Mark Webber. Takuma Sato, in eighth position, claimed the final point.

Original article from Car