Massa re-ignites Ferrari’s challenge

FELIPE MASSA re-ignited his and Ferrari’s title challenge as he led team-mate Kimi Raikkonen home with his second consecutive Turkish Grand Prix victory and his third win of 2007.

Massa’s win sees him close in on championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who finished fifth after suffering a puncture.

Massa’s teammate Kimi Raikkonen was second, with McLaren’s defending champion Fernando Alonso in third.

Hamilton finished outside the top three for only the second time in his rookie season to allow teammate Alonso to narrow his lead to five points with five races left.

Massa moved to 69 points — 15 behind Hamilton — and Raikkonen to 68.

“I love the track here,” Massa said after his third win this season. It is the second time now I’ve won here from pole — it’s a special place for me.”

Yesterday’s victory was Ferrari’s first in three races, while Massa ended a run without a victory stretching back to May’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo had set the team the target of scoring 1-2 finishes in the remaining six races to turn the tables on McLaren and it now heads to its home track of Monza in a fortnight’s time with one leg of that target secured.

The Italian manufacturer closed the gap on McLaren in the team championship to 11 points.

Nick Heidfeld claimed fourth for BMW Sauber, and behind Hamilton came Heikki Kovalainen for Renault, Nico Rosberg in his Williams and Robert Kubica in the second BMW Sauber.

Massa got away fastest as Finland’s Raikkonen overtook Hamilton at the start. The McLaren drivers remained in contention until Hamilton’s puncture.

Hamilton was on course to open up an eight-point lead over McLaren rival Fernando Alonso by the close of the 58-lap race at the Istanbul Park.

But 15 laps from the end, a comfortable third place was snatched from Hamilton’s grasp in dramatic fashion as his tyre blew.

The 22-year-old limped around half the circuit to the pits and lost just two places. He said his front wing had broken and the car suffered from under-steer for the remainder of the race.

“I’ve lost three points. It’s a bit of a shame, but I’ll figure a way to gain them back somewhere else,” said Hamilton.

The next race is in Monza in Italy on September 9.