Rate this article:
Racer Magazine - Subscribe Now
Get all of the inside information from America's Premiere Motorsports Magazine
Our Price: $29.95
365 Cars You Must Drive
The ultimate gift and ride guide for the automotive enthusiast.
Our Price: $19.95
SPEED Khaki Sandwich Bill Cap
Washed chino twill, constructed mid crown w/ pre-curved sandwich visor.
Our Price: $20.00
Written by:
Cassio Cortes
RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com
RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com
04/06/2008 - 08:42 AM
Manama, Bahrain
Massa: just looking ahead. (LAT photo) » More Photos
Like last year, Felipe Massa arrived in Bahrain needing to win after less-than-successful outing in the first two races of the season in Australia and Malaysia. And like last year, the Brazilian put his campaign back on track with a dominating victory, clinching his second Middle Eastern triumph in as many years and posting his sixth win for Ferrari, the same number attained by the likes of Gilles Villeneuve and Jacky Ickx with the Scuderia.
Massa won a Bahrain Grand Prix that was as action-packed at the beginning as it wasn’t from then on. All eyes were at first-ever pole sitter Robert Kubica and his BMW before the start, and the Pole apparently felt the pressure, making a poor getaway and allowing outside pole starter Massa to jump into P1. Kimi Raikkonen was third in the second Ferrari, ahead of McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld in the second BMW and Williams’ Nico Rosberg.
Championship points leader Lewis Hamilton nearly stalled at the start, dropping all the way down to 10th in his McLaren, right behind nemesis Fernando Alonso. Contact at the start brought Honda’s Jenson Button, Red Bull’s David Coulthard and Spyker’s Adrian Sutil to first-lap pit stops, while Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel retired with mechanical problems also on lap one.
Hamilton’s trouble spiraled upwards on lap two, when he inexplicably ran into the back of Alonso to obliterate his front wing, while the Spaniard’s Renault suffered no apparent damage. In the wake of the rain of carbon-fiber shards, Nelson Piquet in the second Renault spun but soon rejoined the race. Hamilton pitted to change nosecones and returned at the back of the fied.
Entering the third lap, Raikkonen put on a bold move outside Turn 1 to overtake Kubica for the second spot. Unlike what he did in Malaysia two weeks ago, however, the Finn was unable to keep the pace with his leading Brazilian teammate, trailing Massa by four second on lap four. BMW’s consolation prize was seeing Heidfeld move past Kovalainen for P4 on the same lap.
Kubica kicked off the first round of pit stops for the frontrunners on lap 18, and was followed by Raikkonen two laps later. In the meantime, Coulthard and Button made contact battling at the back of the pack, causing the latter to lose his front wing.
Kubica drops to second after a poor start, allowing Massa to jump ahead. (LAT Photo) » More Photos
Massa did not pit from the lead until lap 22, and upon his return kept a comfortable lead over Raikkonen. Behind the two men, the order remained mostly unchanged: the two BMWs of Kubica and Heidfeld and the McLaren of Kovalainen followed, ahead of the Toyota of Trulli and the Red Bull of Mark Webber, who benefited from the Alonso-Hamilton scuffle, then jumped Rosberg’s Williams in the first round of stops.
Amazingly, from then on the top-eight positions would remain the same, as Massa drove into the distance and Hamilton, his McLaren never fully recovered from the Alonso incident, was unable to mount the stirring drive through the field one would expect – consider that the Briton needed several laps to get past Giancarlo Fisichella’s Force India, then had to give up that position to make his second stop on lap 32, and was promptly lapped by both Ferraris on his return to the track.
The good action was happening in the midpack, especially a spirited battle between Alonso and Toyota’s Timo Glock for P9 on lap 37, which would eventually be won by the German in the second round of stops.
Raikkonen again pitted before Massa, on lap 38, with the Brazilian coming in one lap later. Kubica held on later until lap 41, but it was never going to be enough to challenge the superior Ferraris. The race’s third and last retirement came on lap 38, when Piquet stopped with mechanical problems.
Thus, the race to the checkered flag on lap 57 proceeded with little drama as Massa revived his championship hopes with the win ahead of Raikkonen and Kubica. Amazingly, Heidfeld’s fourth place put BMW ahead of McLaren and Ferrari in the constructor’s championship with 30 points, one more than the Scuderia and two ahead of the silver team. Kovalainen, Trulli, Webber and Rosberg took the remaining points-paying spots.
Kimi is stronger than ever in '08, according to his manager. (LAT Photo) » More Photos
The driver’s championship is now headed by Raikkonen with 19, versus 16 for Heidfeld and a three-way tie for third place: Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen all count 14 points. Massa is next with 10.
"For sure, I didn't have it very easy in the last few weeks but that is life, it is not the first time and it won't be the last," said the relieved Brazilian. "You always have some bad days in your life, I had two bad days in the first two races. I know we are quick and when you make a mistake and are behind something is wrong, but when you make a mistake and fight for a win it is bad.
"This race was quite difficult, I didn't want to make any mistakes, I wanted to bring the car home and control the pace, I had all the time in my mind what happened in the last race and I am sure that is normal, and what is in my mind now is the victory."
Raikkonen, for his part, praised his newly-gained championship lead: "The whole weekend has been pretty difficult; we couldn't get the car really right," the Finn revealed. "[But] we look at a bad weekend and we finished second, so never mind, next race will be different. We are leading the championship and that is the main thing."
Now the European season awaits: the next Formula 1 race is the Spanish Grand Prix on April 27.
Commenting is not allowed in this article.
- Press Releases | Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | FOXReality | National Geographic - © Copyright 2008 Speed Channel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
