Massa wins in Bahrain, Lewis second
Alonso, Raikkonen, Lewis joint championship leaders
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa won the Bahrain grand prix on Sunday leading Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Kimi Raikkonen in an exciting race which now leaves McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen equal on points at the top of the championship table.
Alonso came in fifth, having been passed by BMW’s Nick Heidfeld for fourth.
McLaren continue to lead the constructors’ table with 44 points, five more than Ferrari..
Pole sitter Massa led the race from start to finish, except for the pitstops, and becomes the third driver to win a grand prix in as many races so far this season. He made a clean getaway at the start with Hamilton in hot pursuit. Alonso quickly passed Raikkonen for third and managed to keep that position until the first pitstop, when the Finn emerged in front.
Red Bull’s Coulthard moved from 21st to 15th at the start and soon after passed Sato to gain another position while Kovalainen jumped from twelfth to ninth.
The safety car was deployed after a crash at the start which knocked out Honda’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s Scott Speed. Spyker’s Sutil went into the pits for repairs and later emerged two laps down. Red Bull’s Liuzzi suffered a drive-through penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions.
Massa managed to hold off Hamilton’s advances when the race resumed and Raikkonen quickly started to pressure Alonso with most of the drivers making small mistakes owing to a huge amount of sand dumped on the track by a strong wind making grip very difficult. Hamilton and Massa traded fastest laps as they stretched their lead over Alonso and Raikkonen, the Finn looming large in the Spaniard’s mirrors. Hamilton was the first of the leading pack to pit, emerging seventh, and Rosberg and Kovalainen battled further down, the Williams emerging ahead as both went off into the sand but rejoined.
Raikkonen managed to stay out a lap longer than Alonso before the first pit stops and a quick pitstop then enabled him to emerge in front of the champion so that after the first pitstop the grid positions were restored with Massa first, followed by Hamilton, Raikkonen and Alonso.
The McLarens appeared to suffer a drop in pace after the first change of tyres. Massa started to build a cushion while Raikkonen gained half a second a lap on second placed Hamilton while Alonso saw BMW’s Heidfeld in his mirrors.
David Coulthard continued to have a great race, passing Fisichella for seventh on lap 31 after having left from the back of the grid but the Scot suffered a failure and was retired after the second pitstop. Heidfeld passed the struggling Alonso on lap 32 while excitement continued in mid-field with a battle between Trulli, Rosberg, Wurz and Fisichella for P10
Massa went in for his second pit stop on lap 41 with a 10 second margin on Hamilton, now in the lead with Alonso behind him as Heidfeld also pitted. Alonso however was unable to retake his position from Heidfeld after pitting and remained stuck in fifth. Raikkonen put in some fast laps as Hamilton the second time but was unable to pass him, although he came close.
Positions after the second pitstop were Massa, Hamilton 7.6 second behind, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Alonso, Kubica, Trulli, and Fisichella.
Near the end of the race Hamilton gained on Massa, reducing the gap to under three seconds with three laps to go while Alonso started to pressure Heidfeld for fourth, but there was no change by the chequered flag.
The top eight positions were Felipe Massa(Ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Nick Heidfeld (BMW), Fernando Alonso (McLaren), Robert Kubica (BMW) Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)
Pole sitter Massa led the race from start to finish, except for the pitstops, and becomes the third driver to win a grand prix in as many races so far this season. He made a clean getaway at the start with Hamilton in hot pursuit. Alonso quickly passed Raikkonen for third and managed to keep that position until the first pitstop, when the Finn emerged in front.
Red Bull’s Coulthard moved from 21st to 15th at the start and soon after passed Sato to gain another position while Kovalainen jumped from twelfth to ninth.
The safety car was deployed after a crash at the start which knocked out Honda’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s Scott Speed. Spyker’s Sutil went into the pits for repairs and later emerged two laps down. Red Bull’s Liuzzi suffered a drive-through penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions.
Massa managed to hold off Hamilton’s advances when the race resumed and Raikkonen quickly started to pressure Alonso with most of the drivers making small mistakes owing to a huge amount of sand dumped on the track by a strong wind making grip very difficult. Hamilton and Massa traded fastest laps as they stretched their lead over Alonso and Raikkonen, the Finn looming large in the Spaniard’s mirrors. Hamilton was the first of the leading pack to pit, emerging seventh, and Rosberg and Kovalainen battled further down, the Williams emerging ahead as both went off into the sand but rejoined.
Raikkonen managed to stay out a lap longer than Alonso before the first pit stops and a quick pitstop then enabled him to emerge in front of the champion so that after the first pitstop the grid positions were restored with Massa first, followed by Hamilton, Raikkonen and Alonso.
The McLarens appeared to suffer a drop in pace after the first change of tyres. Massa started to build a cushion while Raikkonen gained half a second a lap on second placed Hamilton while Alonso saw BMW’s Heidfeld in his mirrors.
David Coulthard continued to have a great race, passing Fisichella for seventh on lap 31 after having left from the back of the grid but the Scot suffered a failure and was retired after the second pitstop. Heidfeld passed the struggling Alonso on lap 32 while excitement continued in mid-field with a battle between Trulli, Rosberg, Wurz and Fisichella for P10
Massa went in for his second pit stop on lap 41 with a 10 second margin on Hamilton, now in the lead with Alonso behind him as Heidfeld also pitted. Alonso however was unable to retake his position from Heidfeld after pitting and remained stuck in fifth. Raikkonen put in some fast laps as Hamilton the second time but was unable to pass him, although he came close.
Positions after the second pitstop were Massa, Hamilton 7.6 second behind, Raikkonen, Heidfeld, Alonso, Kubica, Trulli, and Fisichella.
Near the end of the race Hamilton gained on Massa, reducing the gap to under three seconds with three laps to go while Alonso started to pressure Heidfeld for fourth, but there was no change by the chequered flag.
The top eight positions were Felipe Massa(Ferrari), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari), Nick Heidfeld (BMW), Fernando Alonso (McLaren), Robert Kubica (BMW) Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault)