* Engine Change - drops 10 places on the grid

Fernando Alonso had been strong throughout qualifying setting the fastest times in both Q1 and Q2 and it looked as if Q3 was his until at the last moment despite running wide at Woodcote Kimi Raikkonened snatch provision pole with Felipe Massa behind him.  Meanwhile with a quick tyre change Lewis Hamilton just managed to get out in time for one more try, having managed not better than fourth fastest in the previous two qualifying sessions.  An almost flat run through the super fast Copse corner improved his first sector time where he had been struggling losing two tenths of a second, especially to his team mate Fernando Alonso, gave him the pace to snatch pole position in front of his ecstatic fans.  Had Kimi not run wide pole could have been his, but that is motor racing.  The start tomorrow promises to be thrilling.  Robert Kubica was the faster of the two BMW's this afternoon taking the fifth fastest time with Ralf Schumacher alongside him on the grid, with the two Renaults of Heikki Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella on row four and Nick Heidfeld and Jarno Trulli on row five, these drivers taking the top ten places.  Anthony Davidson who had promised so much during practice had an off in Q1 and could not rejoin and Jenson Button's trip onto the weigh bridge probably was responsible for him progressing no further than Q1.

Race

1		Kimi Räikkönen		Ferrari		1:21:43,074		222.623 kms/hr
2		Fernando Alonso		McLaren Mercedes		+2.4 secs
3		Lewis Hamilton		McLaren Mercedes		+ 39.3 secs
4		Robert Kubica		BMW Sauber		+ 53.3 secs
5		Felipe Massa		Ferrari		+ 54.0 secs
6		Nick Heidfeld		BMW Sauber		+ 56.3 secs
7		Heikki Kovalainen		Renault		+ 1 lap
8		Giancarlo Fisichella		Renault		+ 1 lap
9		Rubens Barrichello		Honda		+ 1 lap
10		Jenson Button		Honda		+ 1 lap
11		David Coulthard		Red Bull  Renault		+ 1 lap
12		Nico Rosberg		Williams Toyota		+ 1 lap
13		Alexander Wurz		Williams Toyota		+ 1 lap
14		Takuma Sato		Super Aguri Honda		+ 2 laps
15		Christijan Albers		Spyker Ferrari		+ 2 laps
16		Vitantonio Liuzzi		Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari		+ 6 laps

Lewis Hamilton made a text box start from poll position, moving to the inside, Kimi Raikkonen moving to the left of the McLaren driver only to be countered by Lewis´s defensive move to left as well to get a good line through the first corner Copse, with Fernando Alonso sensibly holding station.  The Finn kept within striking distance of Hamilton throughout the first part, catching him towards the end as the Hamilton´s tyres went off and maybe Ferrari's election to start on the soft rubber paying off.  Kimi leap forged Lewis, who made a mistake on his first pit stop, and to everyone's surprise Fernando leapfrogged the two of them having had a short fuel stop, electing to go out on soft rubber in the hope of pulling away from Kimi Raikkonen.  The gamble looked as if it might have paid off, but Kimi managed to put several very fast laps in, but Fernando when he rejoined had to fight through traffic and so Kimi Raikkonen managed to pull in front of the Spaniard to lead to the chequered flag, Ron Dennis ordering the two cars engines to be turned down, to conserve them for the German Grand Prix in two weeks time and knowing that really the Ferrari had about a half a second advantage in race trim, although equal to his cars in qualifying.  During all this, Felipe Massa who's Ferrari had stalled on the grid and had had to start from the pit lane worked his way from the back of the field and finished fifth having tried with all his might to overtake Robert Kubica, the driver that Lewis Hamilton, sees as his biggest threat in the future. Nick Heidfeld came sixth, with Renault team mates Heikki Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella taking the final points.  Jenson Button's one stop strategy paid off and he had his own private duel with David Coulthard but his team mate still managed to finish ahead of him.  Both Toyotas that had been so promising in qualifying had to retire with handling problems as did Anthony Davidson whose Super Aguri´s plank was touching the ground and giving him handling problems.  Takuma Sato had to start also start from the pit lane as he had changed his chassis between qualifying and the race.  The polls have nominated Kimi Raikkonen "driver of the day" ahead of his team mate Felipe Massa.  Had he managed to overtake Kubica and who knows Hamilton he would definitely won this honour.  Had his car not stalled - who knows he could have won the race!