Ferrari’s Felipe Massa drove a perfect race to win the Barcelona grand prix from pole position on Sunday, well ahead of the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso who came second and third respectively.
Incredibly, rookie Hamilton, who still has to win a race, now climbs to the top of the drivers’ championship table, ahead of reigning champion Alonso. Massa moves to third ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who suffered a retirement today. McLaren remain at the top of the constructors’ table.
Hamilton was not the only rookie who was celebrating, with Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen also driving into the points ahead of his more experienced team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
The most experienced driver on the grid, David Coulthard, celebrated giving Red Bull their first points of the season although his new seamless gearbox gave him problems near the end of the race.
The race started with two formation laps after Trulli’s Toyota stalled on the grid because of a fuel pressure problem and the yellow flags came out. The Italian then started from the pits. Pole sitter Felipe Massa had a brilliant start and held the line as Fernando Alonso tried to overtake from the outside, but ended up in the gravel and was lucky to rejoin in fourth place.
Lewis Hamilton had a characteristically good start too, overtaking Kimi Raikkonen and benefiting from Alonso’s off to move to second place. Alonso then harassed Raikkonen while further back Alexander Wurz retired with a broken suspension after a contact with and Ralph Schumacher (Toyota) who pitted for a new nose cone. Massa quickly built a cushion over Hamilton, who appeared to be heavier on fuel. The Brazilian set a number of fastest laps and already had a lead of 4.5s by the seventh lap.
Mark Webber retired on lap eight, his Red Bull still suffering from the reliability problems seen in previous races. Team-mate David Coulthard, meanwhile, was a strong seventh.
Jarno Trulli retired on lap nine then Raikkonen slowed and rolled into the pitlane a lap later, his race over because of an electronics problem.
The rear left tyre on Scott Speed’s Toro Rosso then gave way, bringing out the yellow flags. The BMWs were now in fourth and fifth with Kubica and the heavier Heidfeld respectively and Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) in his best race so far was chasing Coulthard, who was now sixth. Team mate Giancarlo Fisichella was battling Jenson Button (Honda) for tenth, the Button being unkind on his tyres under braking.
Massa was having a comfortable and consistent race in the front while Alonso slowly edged closer to Hamilton with several top sector times.
Barrichello and front-runner Massa pitted first on lap 19. The Brazilian left with bright flames spouting from around his fuel cap and engine cover, but they quickly died down and he kept going. Alonso pitted on lap 21 gradually followed by the others. Liuzzi rolled into the pit lane and retired. Button and team-mate Barrichello touched just outside the pitlane, the former losing part of the front wing and having to pit again.
Hamilton, now in the lead pitted on lap 22 and emerged still behind Massa but it was Nick Heidfeld who was in the lead now for BMW. Massa was back in the lead when Heidfeld pitted. The German lost heavily when a rear wheel nut came off as he left the pitlane. He then made a slow lap and returned to the pits where the wheel was replaced. Positions on lap 27 were Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Coulthard, Kovalainen, Rosberg (Williams) and, surprisingly Davidson in his Super Aguri, although he still had to pit for the first time. He did so a lap later and Barrichello took the position with Fisichella still in hot pursuit.
The McLarens clearly could not match Massa’s speed at the front, the Brazilian gaining as much as a second a lap. Hamilton, in second, was not troubled by Alonso, who was running on the harder tyre compound while all the other front runners were on the softer compound.
Kovalainen, who had been harassing Coulthard, made an early, and quick, second pit stop on lap 31. He emerged to set some fast laps, quickly catching up Rosberg, who had taken his sixth place. Engineers were heard urging Rosberg to push in order to keep the charging Renault behind. He succeeded.
Christijan Albers (Spyker) suffered a drive through penalty for ignoring a blue flag when Massa tried to pass on lap 32.
Fisichella also pitted early, on lap 41, possibly to later get the jump on Barrichello once he could not pass him on the track. Barrichello was in the pits a lap later but Fisichella lost his position when he had to make another, unscheduled, stop for unspecified reasons. He later also made a fourth stop for more fuel. Massa also pitted on lap 42 and put on the harder tyres. He emerged behind Hamilton but in front of Alonso.
Ralph Schumacher in the second Toyota retired on lap 46. Hamilton came in for his second pit stop on lap 47 and Massa returned to his lead. Heidfeld drove into the pits and retired on lap 48. Alonso went into the pits for fuel and soft tyres on lap 49 and rejoined in third, followed by Kubica (BMW), Coulthard, Rosberg and the Renault duo of Kovalainen and Fisichella.
The race finished with Massa first followed by Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Coulthard, Rosberg, Kovalainen and, Takuma Sato, with Super Aguri thus also winning their first point. Fisichella just missed the points. The race was run in very warm conditions, which were very different from the rain-swept testing days last week. The air temperature today was 28 degrees while the track temperature of 48 degrees Celsius.
Michael Schumacher was the special guest in the Ferrari garage and joined in the celebrations with his former team-mate at the end. Massa also set the fastest lap.
Incredibly, rookie Hamilton, who still has to win a race, now climbs to the top of the drivers’ championship table, ahead of reigning champion Alonso. Massa moves to third ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who suffered a retirement today. McLaren remain at the top of the constructors’ table.
Hamilton was not the only rookie who was celebrating, with Renault’s Heikki Kovalainen also driving into the points ahead of his more experienced team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.
The most experienced driver on the grid, David Coulthard, celebrated giving Red Bull their first points of the season although his new seamless gearbox gave him problems near the end of the race.
The race started with two formation laps after Trulli’s Toyota stalled on the grid because of a fuel pressure problem and the yellow flags came out. The Italian then started from the pits. Pole sitter Felipe Massa had a brilliant start and held the line as Fernando Alonso tried to overtake from the outside, but ended up in the gravel and was lucky to rejoin in fourth place.
Lewis Hamilton had a characteristically good start too, overtaking Kimi Raikkonen and benefiting from Alonso’s off to move to second place. Alonso then harassed Raikkonen while further back Alexander Wurz retired with a broken suspension after a contact with and Ralph Schumacher (Toyota) who pitted for a new nose cone. Massa quickly built a cushion over Hamilton, who appeared to be heavier on fuel. The Brazilian set a number of fastest laps and already had a lead of 4.5s by the seventh lap.
Mark Webber retired on lap eight, his Red Bull still suffering from the reliability problems seen in previous races. Team-mate David Coulthard, meanwhile, was a strong seventh.
Jarno Trulli retired on lap nine then Raikkonen slowed and rolled into the pitlane a lap later, his race over because of an electronics problem.
The rear left tyre on Scott Speed’s Toro Rosso then gave way, bringing out the yellow flags. The BMWs were now in fourth and fifth with Kubica and the heavier Heidfeld respectively and Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) in his best race so far was chasing Coulthard, who was now sixth. Team mate Giancarlo Fisichella was battling Jenson Button (Honda) for tenth, the Button being unkind on his tyres under braking.
Massa was having a comfortable and consistent race in the front while Alonso slowly edged closer to Hamilton with several top sector times.
Barrichello and front-runner Massa pitted first on lap 19. The Brazilian left with bright flames spouting from around his fuel cap and engine cover, but they quickly died down and he kept going. Alonso pitted on lap 21 gradually followed by the others. Liuzzi rolled into the pit lane and retired. Button and team-mate Barrichello touched just outside the pitlane, the former losing part of the front wing and having to pit again.
Hamilton, now in the lead pitted on lap 22 and emerged still behind Massa but it was Nick Heidfeld who was in the lead now for BMW. Massa was back in the lead when Heidfeld pitted. The German lost heavily when a rear wheel nut came off as he left the pitlane. He then made a slow lap and returned to the pits where the wheel was replaced. Positions on lap 27 were Massa, Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Coulthard, Kovalainen, Rosberg (Williams) and, surprisingly Davidson in his Super Aguri, although he still had to pit for the first time. He did so a lap later and Barrichello took the position with Fisichella still in hot pursuit.
The McLarens clearly could not match Massa’s speed at the front, the Brazilian gaining as much as a second a lap. Hamilton, in second, was not troubled by Alonso, who was running on the harder tyre compound while all the other front runners were on the softer compound.
Kovalainen, who had been harassing Coulthard, made an early, and quick, second pit stop on lap 31. He emerged to set some fast laps, quickly catching up Rosberg, who had taken his sixth place. Engineers were heard urging Rosberg to push in order to keep the charging Renault behind. He succeeded.
Christijan Albers (Spyker) suffered a drive through penalty for ignoring a blue flag when Massa tried to pass on lap 32.
Fisichella also pitted early, on lap 41, possibly to later get the jump on Barrichello once he could not pass him on the track. Barrichello was in the pits a lap later but Fisichella lost his position when he had to make another, unscheduled, stop for unspecified reasons. He later also made a fourth stop for more fuel. Massa also pitted on lap 42 and put on the harder tyres. He emerged behind Hamilton but in front of Alonso.
Ralph Schumacher in the second Toyota retired on lap 46. Hamilton came in for his second pit stop on lap 47 and Massa returned to his lead. Heidfeld drove into the pits and retired on lap 48. Alonso went into the pits for fuel and soft tyres on lap 49 and rejoined in third, followed by Kubica (BMW), Coulthard, Rosberg and the Renault duo of Kovalainen and Fisichella.
The race finished with Massa first followed by Hamilton, Alonso, Kubica, Coulthard, Rosberg, Kovalainen and, Takuma Sato, with Super Aguri thus also winning their first point. Fisichella just missed the points. The race was run in very warm conditions, which were very different from the rain-swept testing days last week. The air temperature today was 28 degrees while the track temperature of 48 degrees Celsius.
Michael Schumacher was the special guest in the Ferrari garage and joined in the celebrations with his former team-mate at the end. Massa also set the fastest lap.