MONTREAL, June 25 - Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso produced some Montreal magic to win the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday and deal another blow to Michael Schumacher's fading title hopes.

Renault Formula One Driver Fernando Alonso of Spain kneels after winning the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix in Montreal June 25, 2006. [Reuters]

The 24-year-old Spaniard's fourth successive win, and sixth in nine races, stretched his overall lead over Ferrari's Schumacher to a hefty 25 points at the halfway point in the 18-race Formula One season.

Starting from pole position for the fifth race in a row, Alonso was as dominant as ever and would have had an even bigger championship lead had Schumacher not got past McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen in the closing stages.

The Finn, last year's race winner, finished third.

Alonso's victory was the 14th of his career, making him the second most successful current driver after seven times champion Schumacher, his first in North America and took his run of podium finishes to 15 in a row.

"Its fantastic for me," he told reporters after appearing on the Montreal podium for the first time.

"After the last three years having opportunities to win (in Canada) and always having mistakes this is one race we should have had in opening years and now we have it."

Alonso leads the standings with 84 points from a possible 90 while Schumacher, denied an historic eighth Canadian GP victory, has 59. Raikkonen has 39 and can now do little more than decide which team to race for next year.

RARE ERROR

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has not been kind to Alonso in the past and his uncharacteristic error last year, when he hit the concrete wall at the exit of the final chicane while leading, was his last retirement from a race.

There were no such mistakes this time.

On a blistering hot afternoon, Alonso kept his cool despite some added heat from Raikkonen in the early stages.

Page:

1

2