SINGAPORE - Formula One's first night race snuffed out Kimi Raikkonen's title defence and dimmed the lights on Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa's championship challenge on Sunday.
Ferrari failed to score a point in Singapore, their first blank of the season, and fell behind McLaren in the constructors' standings after a series of blunders and mishaps on the floodlit city streets.
Brazilian Massa started on pole position but dropped seven points behind McLaren's Lewis Hamilton in the championship after a bungled pitstop sent him from first to last.
Raikkonen, world champion last year, failed to score a point for a fourth consecutive race.
"A black day," said Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali.
"We had the potential to finish first and second but we didn't even pick up a point."
Massa had been on course to take the championship lead from Hamilton before a safety car interlude followed by the nightmare first pitstop changed the complexion of Formula One's 800th race.
The Ferrari man was given the green light to go but the fuel hose was still connected to the car as he accelerated away.
The Ferrari dragged the hose down the pitlane, knocking over mechanics in the process, before Massa stopped and waited for assistance. After they struggled to remove the hose, the Brazilian rejoined the race at the back of the field.
Massa eventually finished out of the points in 13th place, while Briton Hamilton claimed eight points with third and Renault's Fernando Alonso savoured an improbable win.
"It's hard to deal with losing in this fashion," said the Brazilian.
"At the pitstop one of the guys made a mistake, but we are only human. We musn't give up and I'm sure we won't."
Team mate Raikkonen posted the fastest lap of the race and was swarming all over the back of Toyota's Timo Glock in fourth place with four laps to go.
But the Finn's impatience once again got the best of him and he slammed his car into the barriers on the exit of a chicane to leave him needing a mathematical miracle to retain his title.
"I was trying to attack Glock in case he might make a mistake, but I went slightly wide at the chicane, jumping over the kerb and when the car landed I lost control and ended up in the barriers," said Raikkonen.
"Clearly morale is not high today, but I am not used to giving up and will do my very best to try and help the team reach its targets."
Raikkonen is 27 points behind Hamilton with only three races remaining.
