Raikkonen to add to the pressure on McLaren

Formula 1 punters were left breathing a sigh of relief this week when McLaren were spared punishment in the Drivers' Championship for their part in the Ferrari spying row. There were fears that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton would be thrown out of the 2007 campaign as punishment for McLaren owning Ferrari intellectual property rights and, as rumours spread on Thursday, Raikonnen traded as low as 1.6 with Betfair. However, though the FIA did come down heavily on the British team by throwing them out of the Constructors' Championship and fining them a staggering £50m, both drivers are free to continue contesting one of the closest Drivers' Championships in years. It now seems that Alonso will almost certainly leave McLaren at the end of the season as further light has been shed on his rift with Dennis and Hamilton. It has emerged that the Spaniard had been in possession of highly confidential technical information about Ferrari, as evidenced by emails sent by him to test driver Pedro de la Rosa. Dennis reported the matter to FIA President Max Mosely after a row with Alonso, who is alleged to have threatened to reveal the information to the FIA before Dennis called his bluff.All of which makes an intriguing backdrop to the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. Out in the cold, Alonso will nonetheless try to use his siege mentality to his benefit as he looks to close Hamilton's three-point lead gap further. His win at Monza last week saw him restored as the 5/6 title favourite, with the Englishman now 6/5. Felipe Massa, who retired after nine laps in Italy, is now 23 points off the lead and a highly ambitious 40/1 shot for the title, leaving Kimmi Raikkonen, overtaken with 11 laps to go by Hamilton last Sunday, the last contender in a three-horse race. The Finn is 18 points behind Hamilton and will need a big race to bring his odds in from 14/1. But I wouldn't put it past Raikonnen to take advantage of McLaren's turbulent week. Using a one-stop strategy the Ferrari man did well to come third at Monza despite suffering a painful neck after a dramatic crash in qualifying and, though Alonso and Hamilton were quickest in qualifying on Friday, the quick Ferrari can take advantage of the lightning fast first and last three sections of the Spa circuit. Verdict: 1pt Raikkonen to win Belgian Grand Prix @ 13/5 (Sportingbet) (Editor's Note: After the turmoil of this week it is good to return to the race track. Can Ferrari further dent McLaren's confidence and dominate the podium? Check out the latest prices at SportingBet!)