Motor Sport: Turkish Grand PrixLewis Hamilton's lead of the Formula One championship was cut yesterday as the Englishman suffered a blown tyre midway through the Turkish Grand Prix. The failure dropped him to fifth behind his closest rival and team-mate, Fernando Alonso, on a day when Ferrari dominated, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen finishing first and second.

Massa and Raikkonen controlled matters from the start. The Finn, who started third behind Hamilton and pole winner Massa, blasted past the Briton as they barrelled into turn one. On softer tyres, the Ferraris were able to build a gap over the lead McLaren as the question became simply one of which Ferrari would take the top of the podium.

Raikkonen often appeared to have more pace than Massa but the Finn stopped one lap earlier at each pit stop, and the additional lap on low fuel made all the difference, as Massa stayed ahead during both interludes.

The nearest Raikkonen came to a move on his Brazilian team-mate was just before the final stop when, under pressure, Massa locked up and ran wide in the technical final complex of the Istanbul Park circuit, but he quickly regained composure and defended his lead.

Thereafter Raikkonen backed off save for a final demonstration of pace on the penultimate tour when, as if to prove a point, he scored the fastest lap of the race.

It was behind the Ferraris that the drama happened. After being passed by Raikkonen at the start Hamilton slotted into third and set about chasing the Ferraris down. The young McLaren driver was able to keep pace with both but never looked likely to challenge either. A safe third - and an extension of his championship lead - looked assured.

Alonso had climbed to fourth after the first round of stops, passing Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica after the BMW pair had raced ahead of the slow-starting Spaniard on lap one, but he was 14 seconds adrift of the leaders and there seemed little danger he would threaten Hamilton.

But just before his second pit stop Hamilton's right front tyre suddenly let go and as the rubber flailed on the rim, all he could do was limp to the pits for a replacement. The mishap dropped him to fifth behind Heidfeld and Alonso, where he remained for the rest of the race.

"It was a bit unfortunate but the team did a fantastic job all weekend," said Hamilton. "We had the pace of the Ferraris all race, but when you're behind them you lose aerodynamics and are just matching them.

"I saw some bits flying off the car and then I went into the gravel. I couldn't stop the car, so I had to try not to go too quick but keep the car out of the barrier and . . . get back to the pits.

"It's just a little bit of a problem, you always have setbacks and we won the last race and we still have five races, so it's not over, don't worry," he said.

For Massa it was the continuation of a burgeoning love affair with Istanbul Park. The Brazilian claimed pole and victory, his first, here last year and repeated both feats again this weekend.

"It is amazing," he said afterwards. "Really fantastic. I love the track, love the place. Here was where my career made a switch, where I started winning races and fighting with the front-runners.

"It is a special place for me. Having the second win is special; it is difficult to find the right words," said Massa, whose family were at the track. "It was an emotional podium; the team likes to take this feeling from the people."

For Alonso, celebrating his 100th race, third place was an unexpected bonus and put the defending champion within five points of Hamilton with five races to go in the championship.

"The start did not go as we planned, and to be overtaken by two cars and find yourself sixth is not great," said Alonso. "And the race is a little bit over from that time. Also I was following Nick (Heidfeld) for 17 laps and these days it is difficult to overtake. You need to wait for a mistake from the car in front. Nick was very consistent and driving very well. I was lucky to overtake him and then my race started.

"I was 30 seconds behind at that point," he added. "I kept my pace consistent and waited for the miracle. That only happened with Hamilton and I only took that place for the podium but third is not the best result for the weekend."

Hamilton's puncture and the good result for Ferrari leave the title race finely balanced, and Alonso admitted it could go any of four ways: "Chances for the title are still there for everybody; there are two McLaren drivers and two Ferrari drivers with possibilities to win the title.

"It depends on the weekends, how lucky you are. With five races to go, the better one, the luckier one, will win again."