Raikkonen hangs on in Belgian GP

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Kimi Raikkonen held off Force India driver Giancarlo Fisichella to win Formula One’s Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, the Ferrari driver’s fourth triumph at the high-speed track in the past five years.

The former world champion, who started sixth, immediately overtook pole sitter Fisichella after the safety car came in following accidents on the opening lap — including one involving overall F1 leader Jenson Button — and held for a 0.9-second victory.

“It’s a proper circuit, an old-style circuit,” said Raikkonen, who clinched Ferrari’s fifth win in seven races at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. “It’s just been good to me.”

Championship contender Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull, who had retired with engine failures in the last two races, finished third to gain on Button.

Button failed to finish in the points for the first time this season, and Rubens Barrichello moved within 16 points of his Brawn GP teammate after finishing seventh despite an oil leak with two laps to go. Barrichello’s car caught fire as he rolled into pit lane.

Button leads the drivers’ standings with 72 points, followed by Barrichello with 56 and Vettel with 53. Mark Webber of Red Bull, who finished ninth after a drive-through penalty, trails by 20.5 points.

“This championship is a little crazy to be honest,” Vettel said. “It’s up and down. [But] we’re still in reach.”

Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, picked up his first win since last year’s Spanish GP in a season made unpredictable by rule changes. The Finn is the sixth straight different winner of an F1 race.

A day after earning the Indian team its first pole, Fisichella managed to secure the former Spyker team’s first points after 30 races.

“I’m a little bit sad for that because I was keeping (Kimi’s) pace and exactly same strategy race,” Fisichella said. “It’s great for second. But actually we could have won the race.”