July 02, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1428

MAGNY-COURS (France), July 1: Finland's Kimi Raikkonen won the French Grand Prix on Sunday, leading Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa in a Ferrari one-two to end McLaren's winning streak.

McLaren's 22-year-old British rookie Lewis Hamilton was third but extended his lead over team mate and double world champion Fernando Alonso to 14 points with his eighth podium finish in as many races.

Spaniard Alonso salvaged some precious points and showed all his fighting spirit by clawing back to seventh place after starting 10th due to a gearbox failure in Saturday's final qualifying.

The victory, from third on the starting grid, was Raikkonen's second of the season and 11th of his career.

It was also Ferrari's first one-two since Germany last July, and Sunday marked a return to form for a team that had struggled to match McLaren's pace in the last three races.

Raikkonen started with three laps more fuel than Massa and won the race in the pitstops after seizing second place from Hamilton into the first corner.

The impassive Finn had not been on the podium in his last four races and was a hefty 26 points adrift of Hamilton going into what could be the last Grand Prix at the Magny-Cours circuit.

He took the chequered flag 2.414 seconds ahead of Massa, who had started on pole position.

Hamilton now has 64 points to Alonso's 50. Massa, who conceded the lead definitively after his second pitstop on lap 43, is on 47 with Raikkonen fighting back into contention on 42.

Hamilton was seeking his third win in a row. Instead, he crossed the line 32 seconds behind Raikkonen after being overtaken for the first time in his Formula One career.

Poland's Robert Kubica, returning after a big crash in Canada last month forced him to miss the US Grand Prix, finished fourth for BMW Sauber.

The Pole slipped ahead of Hamilton as the McLaren driver came out from his second stop but the Briton forced his way back in front in impressive fashion.

Results: 1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1hr 30min 54.200; 2. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari +00:02.414; 3. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 00:32.153; 4. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 00:41.727; 5. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 00:46.801; 6. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 00:52.210; 7. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 00:56.516; 8. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 00:58.885; 9. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams-Toyota 01:08.505; 10. Ralf Schumacher (Germany). Toyota 1 lap; 11. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1 lap; 12. Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull-Renault 1 lap; 13. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull-Renault 1 lap; 14. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Williams-Toyota 1 lap; 15. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Renault 1 lap; 16. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri-Honda 2 laps; 17. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Spyker-Ferrari 2 laps.

Retired: Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 15 laps; Christijan Albers (Netherlands) Spyker-Ferrari 42 laps; Anthony Davidson (Britain) Super Aguri-Honda 69 laps; Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 69 laps; Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 70 laps.

Fastest lap: Felipe Massa, 1:16.099, lap 42.—Reuters