Fisichella declared Brazilian GP winner

Giancarlo Fisichella has been confirmed as the winner of the Brazilian Grand Prix after the FIA, the sport's governing body, overturned the result issued on Sunday that had declared McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen as the victor. The timekeepers of the race admitted they had made an error, and one more lap had been completed than was originally thought

Fisichella took the lead of the race from Raikkonen on lap 54 and crossed the line at the head of the field. The serious accidents of Mark Webber (Jaguar) and Fernando Alonso (Renault) on the start/finish straight then caused the race to be stopped, but not until lap 56 - not 55 as originally thought - as Fisichella had crossed the line once again. That meant the results were backdated by two laps to the end of the 54th tour, with the Italian in the lead.

"I am very happy that the FIA and everybody recognises that I won the Brazilian Grand Prix," said Fisichella, who scored his first win from 110 attempts. "I already thought this was the case, and the team believed it straight away and then, in recent days, when the evidence was examined, we knew it was true and hoped it would become official.

"It was very difficult for me, with the confusion after the race, and I'm still disappointed that I didn't have my moment at the top of the podium, but I am pleased that it is clear now that I have won my first grand prix! I'm looking forward to more podiums and wins in the future."

His team boss Eddie Jordan said: "Sunday's race was absolutely thrilling and I'm very grateful to the FIA for examining the results in such detail and acknowledging the victory is Giancarlo's. It was a hazardous race and he demonstrated great talent and maturity, as did all the drivers.

"Obviously it's a shame that the results weren't accurately reported immediately as it would have been better if Giancarlo had been able to celebrate his first win in the normal fashion on the top step of the podium, but I hope that opportunity will come again soon. It is terrific news for us to record our fourth grand prix victory and it proves that we are still able to challenge the top teams."

The amended result means Fisichella wins from Raikkonen, Alonso and David Coulthard (McLaren), Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Sauber) and Jacques Villeneuve (BAR). Webber loses his seventh place finish, as he had not crossed the line on lap 54, so Ralf Schumacher (Williams) and Jarno Trulli (Renault) complete the point scorers.