Alonso Increases His Edge

Juan Pablo Montoya’s Formula One victory from the pole Sunday at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza took a back seat to the drivers’ season points race.

While Fernando Alonso took second to increase his lead to 27 points with four races, attention riveted on Montoya’s McLaren-Mercedes teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, who climbed from 11th place to fourth at Monza to be in second in the season standings.

Alonso, who seemed to pay more attention to Raikkonen behind him than Montoya in front, finished 2.4 seconds back. Teammate Giancarlo Fisichella took third, and Raikkonen finished 22.7 seconds behind. Because of an engine-change penalty, the Finn had been relegated to the 11th-place start despite recording the fastest qualifying time.

“Alonso could have attacked Montoya at the end, but he could have also lost everything,” Renault director Flavio Briatore said.

Alonso could clinch the title at next week’s Belgian GP if he outperforms Raikkonen by a large enough margin.

Montoya’s race was mostly uneventful, although a problem developed with his rear left tire on the final laps. He won in 1 hour 14 minutes 28.659 seconds.

“I controlled it in the mirror,” Montoya said, referring to his tire. “I was not afraid.”

Michael Schumacher finished 10th, mathematically ending his streak of five world titles.

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Ricky Carmichael clinched his sixth consecutive AMA 250cc motocross championship series title with a victory at Delmont, Pa. It was his 26th consecutive race victory. If Carmichael wins the series finale Sunday at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, he will be the first rider to go undefeated in three seasons.

Carmichael led every lap of both motos on his Suzuki.