Raikkonen: we needed this victory

It was the Finn's second win of the Formula One season, but his first podium finish since Bahrain in April five races ago.

Raikkonen arrived in France seven points behind Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa and with the media highlighting his struggle as replacement to Ferrari's retired seven times world champion Michael Schumacher.

With Massa on pole position for the fourth time in eight races, while Raikkonen started third, it looked as if the Finn might have to play a supporting role again on Sunday.

Instead, he swept past McLaren's rookie championship leader Lewis Hamilton to take second place at the start and then made the most of the pitstop strategy to get past Massa and stay ahead to the chequered flag.

"I think we needed that," he told a post-race news conference.

"The work starts paying off now. It took maybe longer than we expected, but in the end it is good that we got the win and are back in the right place now.

"I think we are back where we expected to be," added the Finn, still 22 points off Hamilton's tally of 64 but just five adrift of Massa and eight behind McLaren's double world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso.

"We had a bit of a hard time but I kind of expected to have difficult times.

"People always think that you've lost it when you don't have good results, but we just work hard and try to get it right and I think we can still improve."

McLaren had won the last three races, after Massa's victories in Bahrain and Spain, but Ferrari showed their improved form in testing at Silverstone last week had translated into race pace.

"Both drivers got great starts, then they drove exceptionally well and fought it out between themselves for the win," said team boss Jean Todt, celebrating the 14th anniversary of his joining Ferrari.

"Only traffic and strategy finally decided which one got the upper hand.

"This one-two is crucial for the rest of both championships," added the Frenchman. "There are still nine races to go and everything is still possible."