FORMULA ONE:FELIPE MASSA reignited his title challenge with victory on the streets of Valencia yesterday but all the Brazilian's work in an untroubled lights to flag win was almost undone after a steward's investigation was launched when the Ferrari star was involved in a pitlane incident with Force India's Adrian Sutil.

The Brazilian had claimed a flashing pole position on Saturday and when the lights went out for the start of the first race at this new harbourside street circuit he lost no time in building up a solid lead over second-placed Lewis Hamilton.

Pitting early for his first stop Massa seemed to leave the door open for Hamilton to make a charge to bridge the distance before his own visit to pitlane but in the end Ferrari had too much in the bank and when Hamilton was released with new tyres and fuel, he slotted in behind Massa again.

The rest should have been academic but Ferrari's afternoon was about to take a turn for the worse. In Massa's second stop, he was released by his pit crew into the path of the onrushing Sutil.

The pair barrelled down the pitlane exit side by side before the Ferrari driver ceded a position he was in no way fighting for.

An immediate inquiry was launched by the stewards with the suspicion being that Ferrari had been guilty of an unsafe release. The steward's deliberations, though, would not take place until after the chequered flag fell. Massa's fate would have to wait.

He duly crossed the line some 5.6 seconds ahead of Hamilton and as he sprayed the victory champagne with engineer Rob Smedley on the podium, Massa betrayed no sign that he felt the result was in doubt.

"It was a little bit of a shame to fight with him (Sutil) in the pit lane because he would have had to have let me pass," Massa said. "We came so close to the wall and I had to back off, which cost me a bit of time. Fortunately the gap was enough (to go on and win the race). When he was passing by we were side by side. I was the leader and he was a lapped car. The wall was narrow, I didn't want to take the risk."

His sentiments were echoed by Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni. "If we look back at the last races we've seen similar pit exits where stewards haven't taken action. Sutil kept his line and didn't lose time so I would be very surprised if we are penalised, but let's wait and see what the stewards decide."

It didn't take them long. A little under an hour after flag fall, Massa had his win, the stewards ruling that while the release had been unsafe, the Brazilian would be merely reprimanded and fined $10,000 (€6,768).

A small price to pay for an afternoon's work that now puts Massa just six points behind championship leader Hamilton, who banked another eight points yesterday with a solid second place.

"I think it is amazing," said Massa before comparing the win to his last outing in Hungary, where a late-race engine failure robbed him of certain victory. "After such a bad result to come here to a new track which was new for everybody . . . well, we did a fantastic job. There is nothing more we can ask for, especially after such a bad result. We have to move forward and there are so many important races in front. I am so happy after such a disaster in Hungary."

Massa's failure in Hungary had propelled team-mate Kimi Raikkonen to third there, but yesterday it was the Finn's turn to suffer an engine failure. Raikkonen stopped for the second time on lap 43, from fifth place and with the hope of beating McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen down the exit to rejoin the track. But with tyres on and fuel going in, the lollipop was lifted too soon and Raikkonen tore away with the fuel rig still attached, knocking over his refueller into the bargain. He stopped again while the rig was removed but the delay was costly.

Three laps later, possibly due to overheating caused by being stationary so long in the searing temperatures, Raikkonen's engine blew in spectacular fashion. Out of the race and quite possibly out of championship contention.

For Hamilton it was another safe and solid race and while the gap behind him may have narrowed, the Briton goes into the closing stage of the European phase of the season with the title still under his control.

Hamilton was followed home by BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica, with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen fourth. Perhaps the happiest man on the day, though, was Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel. The German finished sixth behind Toyota's Jarno Trulli, the youngster's best result of the season.