Motorsport News

Finns write off Raikkonen's chances after Spanish GP

May 15, 2006, 14:36 GMT

Helsinki - Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen is likely out of the World Championship race after finishing fifth in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, Finland's largest daily Helsingin Sanomat said Monday.

Defending champion and championship leader Fernando Alonso took the chequered flag at the Catalunya circuit to stretch his lead in the drivers' standings over Ferrari's Michael Schumacher to 15 points with Raikkonen a distant third, 27 points adrift of the Spaniard.

Raikkonen started the race from ninth on the grid but 'a 10 second show took Finn to a 5th place in the race, which otherwise brought him only pessimism about the rest of this season's races,' the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper said.

Finland's largest tabloid, Ilta Sanomat summarized its Formula One coverage: 'Alonso too far away from Raikkonen'.

'It is all over! We mean in the race for the F1 title,' the tabloid said, adding 'Fernando Alonso is exceptionally good, which has put him so far ahead that the Finn can't reach him anymore.'

Ilta Sanomat noted that the result was 'a crushing disappointment for the Finn'.