Raikkonen hailed as Force India emerges as a force

By Jens Marx Aug 31, 2009, 13:14 GMT

Spa-Francorchamps - As the international media on Monday hailed the rebirth of Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen, the Force India team said they were expecting the Italian team to make a move on Giancarlo Fisichella.

Raikkonen on Sunday won the Belgian Grand Prix in Spa- Francorchamps, gaining his first victory since April last year, when he won the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

In Spa-Francorchamps Fisichella sensationally finished second for the struggling Force India, earning the Indian team their first-ever points and their first-ever podium finish.

Fisichella's finish fueled speculation that Ferrari would make a move to bring the Italian to the team to replace Luca Badoer, who has been driving for Ferrari since Brazilian driver Felipe Massa seriously injured himself during the qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Badoer has disappointed in his two races though, finishing second last in Valencia and last on Sunday in Spa-Francorchamps.

Force India's marketing director Ian Phillips told the BBC on Monday that they were expecting something to happen in the next 24 hours.

He added, however, that they had not had any enquiries for Fisichella's clearance.

Although Raikkonen and Fisichella finished first and second they have no real chance of winning the world championship.

Brawn GP's Jenson Button, who failed to finish a race for the first time this season when he crashed out in the first round, retains the overall lead with 72 points, from his team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who has 56 after finishing seventh.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel made up some ground on the two leading drivers with his third place finish and now has 53 points. He described the championship as crazy.

'Everything remains wide open and we are here to fight to the end,' he said ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix in Monza, where he last year raced to his first-ever Grand Prix win, driving a Toro Roso, which was considered very uncompetitive.

Raikkonen will also travel to Italy on a high after picking up his 18th Grand Prix win.

'Finally the real Raikkonen,' La Repubblica said, while Liberta headlined: 'The end of the Ferrari nightmare.'

Tuttosport speculated that Fisichella would be joining the Scuderia. 'Kimi triumphs in Spa. Fisichella terrific second. Ferrari and Fisico - that is all but certain.'

Just how certain remains to be seen, but Fisichella's team expects some movement to take place before the end of Tuesday.