Formula One: Raikkonen wins at Spa, Schumacher clinches world title

Belgium's circuit, Spa- Francochamps, has not been used in over two seasons because of a ban on tobacco advertising.

However, after many protests, the track was included in this year's Formula One world championship.

Race fans certainly got what they waited for as well, as the race was one of heavy attrition that saw half of the field eliminated.

In the end, Finland's Kimi Raikkonen held off Michael Schumacher to win his first race of the year for McLaren Mercedes.

For the second place German, it was a consolation prize, as Schumacher still clinched his seventh world driving championship.

Two weeks ago, the team also clinched its sixth consecutive world constructor's title.

The weather on race day was good, with a partly cloudy day, but cool temperatures.

As for the race itself, the top two Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso shot out in front of Schumacher at the start, while the trailing field went around the first hairpin turn at La Source and then up the hill at Eau Rouge where Takuma Sato was squeezed out and spun.

Trying to slow, Giorgio Pantano slammed into the Minardi of GianMaria Bruni, retiring both cars.

Mark Webber tried to avoid the melee, but was caught also and stopped one lap later.

This brought out the safety car for the first of many appearances for the day.

After the race restarted, the top six consisted of two Renaults, Two McLarens, Juan Pablo Montoya in his Williams BMW, and Schumacher.

However, the order began to get mixed when Alonso had an oil leak and spun out after Kemmel.

David Coulthard had his right rear tire flatten in the same area, but managed to return back to the pits, which was tough to do on the 4.3 mile track.

With the first round of pit stops occurring, the front runners changed position, and on lap 17, Montoya struck Trulli at Bus Stop, sending the Italian spinning.

Trulli recovered, but the car never felt good again, and nursed the car home to finish the race in 9th place, which was the final finishing position of the day.

By the half way point, Raikkonen had a 12.5 second lead, which normally would be good enough to cruise home to victory, but this is Spa, and any thing can happen.

Sure enough, on the next lap, something did, as Jenson Button, who has finished in the top points nearly all season long, suddenly shredded his tire, spun out and struck Zsolt Baumgartner coming out of Kemmel straightaway.

This brought out the safety car again for the next few laps.

When the race restarted, another victim of retirement was Antonio Pizzonia, subbing for the injured Ralf Schumacher. He drove a great race, lying in third place, but retired on lap 30 with engine failure.

With 11 laps left, Montoya was another flat tire victim at Kemmel, but unlike Coulthard, he retired from the race after bringing the car back to the pits for a tire change.

Coulthard, who tried to pass Christian Klien, hit the wall, damaging his front wing, but returned to the pits for a change and returned to the race.

After the last Kemmel victim, Riccardo Zonta, who retired with a blown engine, the remaining field only had four laps to go in the race, and Raikkonen was able to hold off Schumacher after the safety car lap, to stay clear, and win by 1.5 seconds in an action packed race.

Rubens Barrichello managed to finish in third after getting struck early in the race, damaging his rear wing.

Sauber had a great day, as Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella finished in fourth and fifth respectively.

Klien got his first points of the year in sixth, Coulthard held on for seventh, and veteran Toyota diver Olivier Panis finished out the points in eighth.

"The car was not in the best of shape," stated Raikkonen. "We had bad down force problems. But from time to time, it seemed to work, and it is what won the race for us."

World champion Schumacher added: "I would have rather won the race to clinch the world title, but Kimi (Raikkonen) had a great day and won the race."