Raikkonen claims French Grand Prix

Magny Cours, July 1:

Kimi Raikkonen led a Ferrari 1-2 with Felipe Massa at the French Grand Prix on Sunday, ending McLaren’s winning streak at three Formula One races.

Raikkonen, who won the season-opening Australian GP, won his second race this year — and the 11th of his career — after starting third on the grid. The Finn timed 1 hour, 30 minutes, 54.200 seconds on the 4.41-kilometre circuit. Lewis Hamilton was third for McLaren. Robert Kubica took fourth for BMW-Sauber.

It was the first Ferrari victory since Massa won at Spain in May. Last year, Michael Schumacher and Massa led a Ferrari 1-2 in qualifications and the race.

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who won the Monaco GP before Hamilton’s two wins, finished 56.5 seconds behind Raikkonen in seventh place after starting from 10th following gearbox problems with his McLaren in qualifying. Hamilton now has eight straight podium finishes in his rookie F1 season — two wins, four seconds and two thirds — to lead the drivers’ standings with 64 points. Alonso stays second with 50, followed by Massa with 47 and Raikkonen with 42.