Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen took his and the Maranello based squad’s first win of the season this afternoon finishing a fraction of a second ahead of pole sitter Giancarlo Fisichella, who secured Force India’s maiden podium and points. Sebastian Vettel was third ahead of Robert Kubica, Nick Heidfeld, Heikki Kovalainen, Rubens Barrichello and Nico Rosberg.

Giancarlo Fisichella led the field away here at the Spa Francorchamps circuit this afternoon, the first time in Force India’s F1 history that one of their cars started from pole position. Everyone gets away cleanly and the Italian driver brings them back around, quite slowly, to await the start of this 44 lap event. Fisichella gets a good start, but the antistall on Barrichello’s Brawn kicks in and the Brazilian is left standing. Kimi Raikkonen storms to third, however it was due to going wide at turn one. He then takes Robert Kubica for second, however he Ferrari had a bump from the BMW driver.

Hamilton is squeezed at turn one but the worst is to come when Button Grosjean, Alguersuari and Hamilton all go off and into retirement at the top of the Hill, the first non scoring race for Jenson Button this season. The safety car is deployed as marshals clear the debris. Barrichello, Trulli and Sutil all take advantage of the situation and pit.

The safety car comes in at the end of lap three and we are racing again. Fisichella tries to keep the lead but he was no match for the KERS powered Ferrari who gets past with ease. Vettel and Rosberg were arguing on the radio about the fact that the Williams made a move on the Red Bull under yellow. It seems as if the FIA agreed and Vettel goes past the Williams and into seventh.

Raikkonen sets the fastest lap and Barrichello moves past Badoer for thirteenth place. Adrian Sutil also gets past the Ferrari, but Jarno Trulli, who started in P2, is complaining that the KERS unit on the Ferrari is making it tough.  Sutil then gets around Kazuki Nakajima for 13^th.

Lap 12 and Kubica and Glock both pit but Glock has a fuel rig problem. Two laps later and the top three come in as well as Nick Heidfeld and Webber almost hits Heidfeld as they emerge from the pits. Heidfeld soon gets past him ont rack as Sebastian Vettel leads. Rubens Barrichello then passes Webber for tenth as the Red Bull struggles for pace. The stewards call an investigation into the incident between Webber and Heidfeld and Webber is given a drive through penalty as a result.

Vettel pits and puts Nico Rosberg into the lead, the Williams driver staying up front until lap 18 when he finally pits. Mark Webber then comes in to serve his penalty. The incident at the start between Button and Grosjean and Hamilton and Alguersuari will be investigated after the race.

Meanwhile, Raikkonen is back into the lead, but Fisichella isn’t letting the lead go too easily as he hangs on to the Ferrari’s gearbox. Through nineteen laps and a pitstop the Force India has kept pace with the Flying Finn. Alonso is now into third and the Renault driver is being told to save fuel. Trulli pits again and eh too has fuel rig problems, from last place. At half distance, only Alonso and Kovalainen are left to pit.

Kimi Raikkonen is told over the radio to add a tenth a lap as Trulli returns to the pit and retires. Alonso pits and once again has a wheel issue and spends thirty five seconds in the pits as mechanics try to put the spinner back on his left front, the wheel seemingly damaged in first lap contact with Adrian Sutil. Alonso comes back out in second last place. Alonso is told over the radio to drive in and retire the car as their problems with the front left.

Sutil and Kovalainen pit and the McLaren comes out alongside the Red Bull of Mark Webber that puts out a little puff of blue smoke as he keeps ahead of the Finnish driver. Barrichello is in for his final stop and he emerges out in eleventh place.   Lap thirty and Raikkonen and Fisi pit together, who will emerge int eh lead? A smooth stop for Ferrari and for Force India and the Ferrari stays in front.

Ten laps remaining and Fisichella is still fighting with Raikkonen as Vettel leads before his final stop of the day. The German finally comes in and after a 6.4 second stop, emerges in third place ahead of Robert Kubica. Nick Heidfeld, in P5, sets fastest lap after fastest lap before Sebastian Vettel goes faster still to cement his third place. Plumes of smoke appear fromt eh back of Barrichello’s car as he hunts down Kovalainen. He is told over the radio to back off and try and make it to the end. Can he so it? Yes...

The laps tick down and Kimi Raikkonen is on his way to securing Ferrari’s first win of the 09 season. Fisichella comes second to take Force India’s first points and first podium while Sebastien Vettel cruises to third.