July 23, 2007	Monday	Rajab 07, 1428

NUERBURGRING (Germany), July 22: McLaren's Fernando Alonso won a thrilling and chaotic European Grand Prix on Sunday while championship leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton's run of nine podiums in a row came to an end.

The double world champion's victory, after a wheel-banging thrust past Ferrari's Felipe Massa just four laps from the finish, left the Spaniard two points adrift of the British rookie in the standings.

Massa finished second with Mark Webber of Australia third for Red Bull.

Hamilton finished ninth, off the podium and out of the points for the first time in the 22-year-old's extraordinary debut season.

He has 70 points, Alonso 68 and Massa 59. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, who started on pole position, failed to finish and has 52 points.

In a race halted in a downpour after four laps and then re-started behind the safety car, with Germany's Markus Winkelhock leading astonishingly on his debut for struggling Spyker, Alonso showed all his fighting spirit.

He took the chequered flag 8.1 seconds ahead of Massa, who left the Spaniard in no doubt about his feelings in a heated exchange before the two stepped on the podium.

To rub further salt in the scowling Brazilian's wounds, the winning team's trophy was presented to McLaren boss Ron Dennis by Ferrari's retired seven times champion Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton, who crashed heavily in qualifying on Saturday, skidded off on the third lap but kept the engine running and was able to continue for the re-start – albeit a lap down on the leaders.

In the circumstances, his final position was still a magnificent result for the rookie, who set a series of fastest laps in fighting back from last place.

“It's a new experience for me, not having to find my way to the podium,” he said.

Austrian Alexander Wurz was fourth for Williams, ahead of Briton David Coulthard for Red Bull and Germany's Nick Heidfeld for BMW Sauber.

Poland's Robert Kubica was seventh for BMW Sauber and Finland's Heikki Kovalainen took the final point for champions Renault.

Results:

1. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 2 hrs 06 minutes 26.358 seconds; 2. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari +00:08.155; 3. Mark Webber

(Australia) RedBull–Renault 01:05.674; 4. Alexander Wurz (Austria) Williams–Toyota 01:05.937; 5. David Coulthard (Britain) RedBull–Renault 01:13.656; 6. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 01:20.298; 7. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 01:22.415; 8. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Renault 1 lap; 9. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1 lap; 10. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 1 lap; 11. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1 lap; 12. Anthony Davidson (Britain) Super Aguri–Honda 1 lap; 13. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1 lap.

Retired: Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 26 laps; Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri–Honda 41 laps; Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Toyota 42 laps; Markus Winkelhock (Germany) Spyker–Ferrari 47 laps; Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 58 laps; Adrian Sutil (Germany) Spyker–Ferrari 58 laps; Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams–Toyota 58 laps; Scott Speed (US) Toro Rosso–Ferrari 58 laps; Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Toro Rosso–Ferrari 58 laps.

Fastest lap: Felipe Massa, 1:32.853, lap 34.—Reuters