SUZUKA: After a wheel-to-wheel duel down the main straightaway entering the final lap, Kimi Raikkonen overtook Giancarlo Fisichella with a daring move on Sunday to claim a stunning win at the Japanese Grand Prix.

Raikkonen charged from the back of the starting grid to take his seventh victory of the season and ninth of his career overtaking Fisichella just before the first turn on the Suzuka circuit. The pair almost touched at speeds more than 300 kph.

In the constructors race, Renault reclaimed the lead over McLaren with new world champion Fernando Alonso coming in third. Renault takes a 176-174 lead into the final race of the season at Shanghai next week.

Alonso, Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya — who had won the last eight races between them — were in the final three rows on the grid.

Despite the near-perfect conditions on Sunday, a safety car slowed the field for six laps at the start after Montoya, who had won two of the last three races, crashed out at the end of the first lap, ending McLaren's hopes of possibly clinching the title at Japan.

Fisichella took over the lead on the 13th lap after pole sitter Ralf Schumacher went in for fuel.

Raikkonen, who started in 17th, made his way through the field and was in sixth place by that time and passed Michael Schumacher by the 30th lap to go into fourth.

Ahead of him were Fisichella, Jenson Button and Mark Webber. All three pitted to give Raikkonen the lead briefly at lap 41.

Raikkonen stayed out longer and went in for fuel with eight laps to go at lap 45. When he came out he was only five seconds behind Fisichella with a faster car.

With five laps remaining, Fisichella's lead was 3.0 seconds and shrinking, and with only two remaining, Raikkonen was within a few car lengths.

Entering the final lap, Raikkonen moved alongside Fisichella. He maintained the momentum and made a darting move just before the first turn.

Disappointing

Heavens did not open up and Narain Karthikeyan could not make his best qualifying race count to finish a disappointing 16th.

Karthikeyan had on Saturday clocked his best in qualifying race to finish 11th ahead of other leading drivers of the season. — Agencies

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