Reverend
May 13th, 2007, 18:51 PM
Lewis Hamilton has taken the outright championship lead just four races into his Formula One career by finishing second in the Spanish Grand Prix.
But the McLaren driver could do nothing about Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who dominated at the Circuit de Catalunya to take his second win in succession.
Hamilton kept team-mate Fernando Alonso behind him to go two points clear of the world champion in the title chase.
The Spaniard survived an off-track moment on lap one to take third place.
Alonso's hopes of winning his home race were over almost before it began when he made an ambitous attempt to overtake Massa around the outside of the first corner.
After a good start from second place on the grid, the McLaren was marginally in front as they went into the turn but not far enough to claim the lead and the two cars touched, pitching Alonso sideways into the gravel trap.
"I thought I was very much in front of him in the first corner - and he didn't think so - and we touched each other," Alonso said.
"It was dangerous. We were very lucky because 99% of the time in incidents like that you would finish the race in the first corner."
Massa countered: "I was inside, so I don't understand his point.
"As long as I am inside, I will stay there. I won't move. If anybody was aggressive, it was Fernando, not me.
"If I am wrong, then I am the first to say I have made a mistake.
"But this time don't tell me I've made a mistake. Come on, this is racing, Formula One, the first corner.
"The first corner is important. You don't want to lose like I did in Malaysia. I wanted to stay there.
"There was contact. He tried to push me inside - it was only small contact - but fortunately nothing happened with the car."
Alonso lost only two places as he rejoined the track, slotting into fourth place behind Hamilton and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who was passed by the Englishman on the run down to the third corner.
But the world champion's car had been damaged, although it is unclear how much that affected his pace.
Alonso moved up to third when Raikkonen retired with a rare Ferrari failure on lap 10, but he could not close on Hamilton, who was equally helpless in the face of the charging Massa.
The Brazilian edged steadily ahead in the lead and was nearly 10 seconds clear by the time he made his first pit stop on lap 19, the same time as Alonso.
Hamilton stayed out for another three laps but was no closer to the Ferrari when he rejoined the track after his own stop.
Spanish Grand Prix result:
1. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) (McLaren-Mercedes)
3. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren-Mercedes
4. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber
5. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
6. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota
7. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault
8. Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda)
Championship standings:
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) (McLaren-Mercedes) 30 pts
2. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren-Mercedes 28
3. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 27
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 22
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 15
6. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 8
7. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 8
8. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 5
Constructors' championship:
1. McLaren-Mercedes 58 pts
2. Ferrari 49
3. BMW Sauber 23
4. Renault 11
5. Williams-Toyota 5
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6651483.stm)
But the McLaren driver could do nothing about Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who dominated at the Circuit de Catalunya to take his second win in succession.
Hamilton kept team-mate Fernando Alonso behind him to go two points clear of the world champion in the title chase.
The Spaniard survived an off-track moment on lap one to take third place.
Alonso's hopes of winning his home race were over almost before it began when he made an ambitous attempt to overtake Massa around the outside of the first corner.
After a good start from second place on the grid, the McLaren was marginally in front as they went into the turn but not far enough to claim the lead and the two cars touched, pitching Alonso sideways into the gravel trap.
"I thought I was very much in front of him in the first corner - and he didn't think so - and we touched each other," Alonso said.
"It was dangerous. We were very lucky because 99% of the time in incidents like that you would finish the race in the first corner."
Massa countered: "I was inside, so I don't understand his point.
"As long as I am inside, I will stay there. I won't move. If anybody was aggressive, it was Fernando, not me.
"If I am wrong, then I am the first to say I have made a mistake.
"But this time don't tell me I've made a mistake. Come on, this is racing, Formula One, the first corner.
"The first corner is important. You don't want to lose like I did in Malaysia. I wanted to stay there.
"There was contact. He tried to push me inside - it was only small contact - but fortunately nothing happened with the car."
Alonso lost only two places as he rejoined the track, slotting into fourth place behind Hamilton and Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who was passed by the Englishman on the run down to the third corner.
But the world champion's car had been damaged, although it is unclear how much that affected his pace.
Alonso moved up to third when Raikkonen retired with a rare Ferrari failure on lap 10, but he could not close on Hamilton, who was equally helpless in the face of the charging Massa.
The Brazilian edged steadily ahead in the lead and was nearly 10 seconds clear by the time he made his first pit stop on lap 19, the same time as Alonso.
Hamilton stayed out for another three laps but was no closer to the Ferrari when he rejoined the track after his own stop.
Spanish Grand Prix result:
1. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) (McLaren-Mercedes)
3. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren-Mercedes
4. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber
5. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
6. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota
7. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Renault
8. Takuma Sato (Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda)
Championship standings:
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) (McLaren-Mercedes) 30 pts
2. Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren-Mercedes 28
3. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 27
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 22
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 15
6. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 8
7. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 8
8. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota 5
Constructors' championship:
1. McLaren-Mercedes 58 pts
2. Ferrari 49
3. BMW Sauber 23
4. Renault 11
5. Williams-Toyota 5
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6651483.stm)