Race Notes - Raikkonen takes Brazilian GP and Championship!

Kimi Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, also taking the Drivers Championship in a dramatic turn of events. His Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa finished second. Fernando Alonso finished third in his McLaren-Mercedes.

Nico Rosberg in the Williams-Toyota was fourth, Robert Kubica was fifth in the BMW Sauber, Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW in sixth, Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren-Mercedes in seventh and Jarno Trulli in the Toyota finishing in the final points position.

For the first time since the title battle between Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell in 1986 the championship goes down to a three-way fight in the final race of the season.

Adrian Sutil in the Spyker-Ferrari will start from the pitlane.

At the start Massa cuts across the block Hamilton, and Raikkonen charges up the outside to take second place, while into the second corner Alonso passes Hamilton on the outside to take third place.

On the charge down the hill into the fourth corner Hamilton makes an attempt on Alonso, and ends up going off the circuit wide, coming back onto the track in eighth place.

On the first lap Liuzzi loses his front wing and pits to replace it.

On lap 2 Fisichella runs wide, comes back onto the track and Yamamoto slams into the back of the Renault, both limping back to the pits. Hamilton passes Trulli to take seventh place.

On lap 7 Hamilton passes Heidfeld on the outside of turn one to take sixth place.

On lap 8 Kubica passes Webber in a strong move into turn 1 to take over fourth place.

Hamilton slows, appearing not to be able to find a gear, and drops back to 18th - the car finally coming back to life.

On lap 10 Barrichello makes a dive-through penalty for junoing the start.

On lap 11 Hamilton passes Barrichello for 17th place.

On lap 15 Hamilton passes Ralf Schumacher for 15th place.

On lap 15 Mark Webber, running in fifth, pulls off the track and retires. Hamilton passes Davidson, Sato and Nakajima to take 11th place.

At lap 15 Massa leads Raikkonen by 1.7 seconds with Alonso 11.4 seconds behind the leader, followed by Kubica, Heidfeld, Trulli, Rosberg, Coulthard, Vettel, and Buton in 10th place. Lewis Hamilton in 12th, 50.4 seconds behind Massa.

On lap 20 Kubica is the first to pit from fourth place, followed the next lap by race leader Massa, coming out in third.

On lap 21 Raikkonen pits from the lead.

On lap 22 Alonso, Trulli, Vettel and Hamilton pit, the British driver switching to soft tyres, while Button retires, Rosberg and Coulthard pitting the next lap.

On lap 25 Sutil and Davidson come together in the first corner and spin, both continuing.

On lap 25 Heidfeld is the last of the leading drivers to pit from third place.

At lap 27 the order was Massa leading Raikkonen by 3.3 seconds, with Alonso a further 17 seconds back in third, followed by Kubica, Trulli, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Coulthard, Nakajima and Ralf Schumacher in 10th - Hamilton in 13th place, 50.6 seconds behind the leader.

On lap 29 Hamilton dives past Barrichello in the first corner to take 12th place.

On lap 32 Nakajima makes his first stop from 9th place, sliding to a stop, knocking down two of his mechanics. The mechanics limp away, but no serious injuries.

On lap 34 Kubica passes Alonso for third place into the first corner, while Hamilton passes Vettel for 10th. Ralf Schumacher makes his first stop, moving Hamilton into 9th.

At lap 35 Massa leads Raikkonen by 2.3 seconds, with Kubica 20.6 seconds further back in third, followed by Alonso, Trulli, Heidfeld, Rosberg, Coulthard, Hamilton (55.1 seconds behind the leader), and Nakajima in 10th place.

On lap 37 Hamilton makes his second stop, back onto the harder compound tyre. Kovalainen spins backwards into the tyre barrier at the outside of turn 3.

On lap 39 Kubica makes his second stop from third place, rejoining in seventh.

On lap 42 Barrichello engine expires, the Brazilian retiring to the pits, the mechanics putting out a fire on the car.

On lap 43 Coulthard pits from 8th place, Trulli pitting from 6th on the next lap, while Raikkonen closes on Massa after the Brazilian has a moment on the track.

On lap 50 Massa pits from the lead, Heidfeld pitting from fifth place the next lap.

On lap 52 Alonso pits from third place, Raikkonen coming in the next lap, taking the lead over from his team mate Massa, at this point leading the championship if the order remains the same.

On lap 54 Rosberg pits from third, rejoining in sixth.

At lap 55, Raikkonen leads Massa by 3.0 seconds, followed by Kubica 36.3 seconds behind the leader, Alonso in fourth (48.2 seconds behind), Heidfeld, Rosberg, Trulli, Hamilton (1m01.9 behind), Coulthard and Nakajima in tenth place.

On lap 57 Hamilton pits for a third time from 8th place, rejoining in ninth.

On lap 59 Hamilton passes Coulthard to retake eighth place, will Kubica makes his third stop from third place, dropping to sixth, while Hamilton puts in the fastest lap of the race.

On lap 61 Rosberg tries to pass Heidfeld for fourth into the first corner - both sliding wide, Kubica charging past both to take fourth. Coulthard touches the rear wheel of Nakajima, the Scot spinning.

On lap 64 Trulli pits from eighth, Hamilton taking over the spot.

At lap 65 Raikkonen leads Massa by 2.4 seconds, followed 44.6 seconds further back by Alonso in third, followed by Kubica, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Hamilton, Trulli, Coulthard and Nakajima in tenth place.

On lap 66 Raikkonen runs the fastest lap so far: 1:12.445.

On lap 70 Rosberg passes Kubica to take fourth place.

Raikkonen takes the chequered flag and wins the Drivers Championship by one point over Lewis Hamilton.