Fernando Alonso won his fourth Formula One race of the season yesterday, taking first place at the European Grand Prix in Nuerburgring, Germany, after leader Kimi Raikkonen lost a tire with just one lap to go.

　　Nick Heidfeld in a BMW-Williams finished second for the second straight race. He ended up 16.5 seconds behind. Rubens Barrichello was in third in a Ferrari, 18.5 seconds back, for his first podium finish since the opening race of the season.

　　It was Alonso's fifth career victory in his Renault and extended his lead in the drivers standings.

　　"We were very lucky today but we were very strong also," Alonso said. "We were pushing so hard that at some point McLaren and Kimi made a mistake with the tire."

　　Alonso finished fourth at Monaco, the only time he was out of the top three in seven races. He now has a huge lead in the driver's standings with 59 points, ahead of Raikkonen and Toyota's Jarno Trulli with 27 each.

　　"If we keep this consistency, every time we will have more and more points. It seems we can do it," said Alonso, who is bidding to become the youngest driver to win the world title. He turns 24 in July.

　　Raikkonen jumped into the lead after overtaking pole-sitter Heidfeld at the start and appeared headed for his third straight victory in his McLaren.

　　Raikkonen led most of the race, losing it only when he went in for a pit stop twice and giving it up to Alonso or Heidfeld, who trailed throughout.

　　With 10 laps to go, Raikkonen had about a five-second lead over Alonso. But Raikkonen's front right tire started to wear down and he started losing time to the Spaniard. With five laps to go, the lead was 4.4 seconds and shrinking.

　　Raikkonen entered the last lap with a 1.5-second lead and the tire went, sending Raikkonen skidding off the track before the first turn.

　　David Coulthard finished fourth in a Red Bull with Michael Schumacher ending up fifth in a Ferrari, his second best finish of the season.

　　Last year, Schumacher led Ferrari to a 1-2 finish.

　　The seven-time world champion has won the European GP at Nuerburgring four times - three for Ferrari in 2000, '01 and '04, and once for Benetton in 1995. He also took the European GP when it was at Jerez, Spain, in 1994.

　　Giancarlo Fisichella was sixth. His Renault stalled on the starting grid, causing the race to be reduced to 59 laps and him starting in pit lane.

　　Mark Webber, who was third at the Monaco GP last weekend, got tangled up with Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher and caused several cars, including both Ferraris, to run into the gravel to avoid them. Webber was out of the race barely 10 seconds into it.

　　Ralf Schumacher started it when he bumped into Alonso's rear and turned in. He came in for a quick change of his car's nose cone but went out of the race later.

　　Barrichello was lucky to avoid the cars.

　　"The first lap is great for passing, but it can be a mess. I lost a lot in the confusion, maybe 15 seconds or more. Then I pushed hard," the Brazilian said.

　　Webber accepted the blame for the first corner collision with Montoya. The Australian, who had started third on the grid behind teammate Heidfeld and Raikkonen, hit the Colombian's McLaren approaching the first corner, forcing Montoya and several other cars off the track.

　　Montoya managed to stay in the race but Webber's weekend was over.

　　The Williams team has struggled at the start of races this season and Webber said yesterday was no exception.

　　"Getting away hasn't been our strength," said Webber. "Both Nick and I obviously were on the backfoot down to the first corner a little bit, but there's no excuse really to hit Juan Pablo.

　　"I was trying to defend against Jarno because it was very important we stayed ahead of him and I just couldn't quite get it turned in at the apex so that was a shame.

　　"We were on a good strategy today actually, very different to Nick," he added.

　　For the first time this season there was not a Sunday morning qualifying session. That was voted out by the teams and the sport's governing body earlier this week.

　　The starting grid was determined by a one-lap-only qualifying on Saturday.

　　The Formula One season now shifts to North America with the Canadian GP on June 12 followed by the United States GP a week later.

　　(AP/Reuters)