Massa romps to French win

Ferrari's Felipe Massa has won the French Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

McLaren Mercedes driver Heikki Kovalainen finished fourth ahead of BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica and Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Renault's Nelson Piquet Jr. finished seventh ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Meanwhile, after starting 13th on the grid, Lewis Hamilton finished in 10th place, the McLaren driver's attempt to come through the field hampered by a drive through penalty.

However, Hamilton was not the only driver whose afternoon at Magny-Cours was compromised: although Massa took the chequered flag some 18 seconds ahead of Raikkonen, the defending World Champion had led comfortably until suffering a fractured exhaust pipe midway through the race.

Nevertheless, he still finished second and claimed eight valuable Championship points - the 18-second gap he in turn had over Trulli demonstrating Ferrari's advantage over their rivals.

That much was evident from the lights, with polesitter Raikkonen leading Massa off the line, Trulli assuming third place and Kubica - for a few corners at least - getting ahead of Alonso.

Having both straightlined the quick Imola chicane to pass Sebasatian Vettel's Toro Rosso and also clipped the back of team-mate Kovalainen, Hamilton was up to 10th at the end of lap one.

He then passed the heavily-fuelled sister McLaren into the Adelaide Hairpin on lap five with lap seven seeing Hamilton duelling with former GP2 adversary Piquet over eighth place.

source : www.skysports.com

Hamilton sets the pace

Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Friday's practice sessions for the Canadian Grand Prix after Ferrari's Felipe Massa had earlier topped the timesheets.

Hamilton, who won his maiden grand prix in Montreal last year, posted a quickest lap of one minute 15.752 seconds during the second 90-minute long session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Fresh from a victory in Monaco two week ago which propelled him into the lead of the World Championship, Hamilton had completed only eight laps during Friday morning's first practice session.

He was then sixth fastest in his McLaren Mercedes as Massa went quickest with a lap timed at 1:17.553s around the 2.71-mile track.

Hamilton started the afternoon session moderately, and was lying fifth fastest before upping his pace.

A time of 1:15.766s knocked World Champion Kimi Raikkonen off the top spot before the McLaren man went quicker still on his 42nd and last lap.

Raikkonen, three points behind Hamilton in the Drivers' Championship heading into Sunday's race, was then supplanted by BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, the Monaco runner-up, who continued his good form with a fastest lap of 1:16.023s.

The Pole had also been second quickest behind Massa in the morning's session on a track that had dried out following overnight rain.

Raikonnen had been last out of the pits and vied with team-mate Massa for much of the afternoon's session, with the Finn clocking a fastest 1:16.093s for what would be the third fastest time.

Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was fourth fastest with a 1:16.331s effort, with Massa next (1:16.413s) despite coming to a stop out on the track with 20 minutes remaining.

Nick Heidfeld rounded off the top six for BMW Sauber with a time of 1:16.589s.

But the second session was a bad one for Renault, with Nelson Piquet Jr. grinding to a halt as he entered the pit lane, while team-mate Fernando Alonso spun off the track at Turn One and proved unable to get going again.

The pair ended the afternoon in 17th and 20th positions respectively.

Timo Glock was another early finisher, brushing one of the walls and damaging the right wheels on his Toyota, forcing him to abandon the car at Turn Six.

Massa was the next to stop, his premature finish affecting the whole field as marshals struggled to steer his Ferrari through a gap in the safety barriers.

When the session resumed, Hamilton proceeded to turn in his quickest laps ahead of Saturday's final practice and qualifying sessions for Sunday's race.

source : http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12433_3659132,00.html

RAIKKONEN IN RETIREMENT HINT

World champion Kimi Raikkonen has admitted he is considering retiring from Formula One when his current contract with Ferrari expires at the end of 2009.

Speculation in the paddock has been mounting as to who will drive for Ferrari in 2010 and the Finn did nothing to quash it when he was asked about his plans ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

"I still have a contract until the end of next year," said Raikkonen at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

"I haven't made any decision as to whether I will keep going or not. That's the last contract I have and we will wait and see during this year and next year what happens.

"I haven't made my mind up and we will see.

Raikkonen, 28, said that for him, the enjoyment he got from the sport had to outweigh the negatives he perceived in Formula One.

"I wouldn't stop if I thought I would miss it," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen after next year.

"I think I'm going to race as long as I enjoy it. I think it's the right thing for me and when the day comes when it's no longer fun. Then, for sure, I stop.

"It can be the end of next year, it can be in four years' time. It's too early to say.

"But it's purely if I like it or not. That's the reason I keep going or not. There are many reasons why you like Formula One or not.

"Many people only like the driving and the rest can be something that you don't enjoy. When there are more things that you don't like, then it's time to stop."

Raikkonen said he was "kind of" in talks with Ferrari about a new contract extension but when asked whether he would consider racing for another F1 team, he replied: "Probably not."

Source : www.sportinglife.com