Raikkonen wins Belgian GP, Alonso closes in on title
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-12 08:36

Raikkonen had to finish within four points of Alonso to prevent the Spaniard from winning the title Sunday. The Finn easily did so but now he needs to keep winning and count on some poor showings by Alonso to extend his championship challenge beyond Brazil.

"If they keep finishing behind us, it is not possible to catch him anymore," Raikkonen said.

Alonso and Renault have proved remarkably reliable in racking up the points week after week.

"We don't need the risks at this point of the championships," Alonso said.

Montoya maintained his strong form after last week's victory in Monza. He was on the pole and led much of the way before losing his top place to his teammate during a pit stop. With three laps to go, he collided with Antonio Pizzonia.

Rain is practically a tradition at the Belgian Grand Prix, but Sunday's expected showers never came. It was damp throughout as the drivers raced under low, leaden clouds through the pine-covered hills and lush valleys of the Ardennes.

Raikkonen finished the 44 laps around the 6.976-kilometer (4.334-mile) track in 1 hour, 30 minutes, 1.295 seconds, beating Alonso by 28.394 seconds. Button was 32.077 seconds slower and Webber trailed by more than a minute.

From the start, the McLaren tactics worked perfectly.

Pole sitter Montoya easily took the first hairpin with teammate Raikkonen just behind him, leaving Alonso in fourth place.

With their superior speed and good handling, the McLaren's sped away from the pack and had a 7.3-second lead over the Spaniard after three laps.

Raikkonen safely stayed a second behind his teammates as the black-and-silver McLarens steadily increased their lead. From the pack, Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella was steadily making his way up front. An engine replacement had earned him a 10-place penalty on the grid and from 13th he was eighth after just 10 laps.

He then wrecked his car coming out of the uphill Eau Rouge curb and slammed into the safety tires alongside the track. He walked away uninjured.

The safety car brought the leading challengers together again.

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