Gear Heads - F1 Discussion Thread 
Val says: Massa answers critics in winning style MANAMA, April 6, 2008 (AFP) - Brazilian Felipe Massa stormed to victory here on Sunday for his second successive victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix and answer his mounting bank of critics as his Ferrari team celebrated a comfortable one-two with Kimi Raikkonen finishing second. The 26-year-old Latin American, who had failed to score a point after an error-strewn performance in both opening races, came home as a comfortable winner ahead of his team-mate defending drivers world champion Finn Kimi Rakkkonen. In a race overshadowed by the sex scandal surrounding embattled 67-year-old Briton Max Mosley, who is fighting to keep his job as president of the sportīs ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA), Ferrari were the dominant and supreme force.
They came home first and second ahead of third-placed Pole Robert Kubica of BMW, who had started from the first pole position of his career, and his team-mate German Nick Heidfeld.
This was enough for the BMW-Sauber team to lead the constructorsī championship for the first time. "For sure I had a not very easy couple of weeks, but thatīs life," said Massa. "Itīs not the first time and wonīt be the last. I had two bad days in the first two races, but I know that we are quick.
"The race was difficult because I didnīt want to make mistakes. I was just controlling the pace and wanted to bring the car home. What was in my mind was the last race.
"I love this circuit. It is my second victory in a row. Always I have gone very strong here." Raikkonen said: "All weekend has been really difficult. It has been just one of those things and I couldnīt get the car where we wanted. It was a bad weekend, but I still finished second and I am leading the championship.
"In the second stop, we had an easy time. The first stop I had some difficulties and some problems with the light system, but it didnīt change the things in the race. "The car has not been perfect all weekend, but thatīs life. I have never been too happy in this circuit, but out of the three races it is important to get as many points as possible. I am happy to be leading going back to Europe."
Kubica said: "We had some problems on the formation lap with a lot of wheel spin and with the race start I had a lot of wheel spin. Then unfortunately on the second lap I didnīt know about the oil and I took some debris in corner one and thought I had punctured the tyre.
"I didnīt know if I was going to pit and I lost second place to Kimi. But anyway a good result - third and fourth for the team and to be leading the Constructorsī championship. Massa clearly loves the 5.412 kms desert track in Sakhir as he repeated last yearīs triumph, dominating the 57-lap race after blasting off the grid to take the lead from BMWīs Robert Kubica, the first Polish driver to start a grand prix from pole. It was Massaīs sixth career win.
Massa, whose future at Ferrari is already the subject of speculation, led for all but six laps following his second pit-stop and always kept Raikkonen, winner of the last race in Malaysia, at bay.
Kubica finished third ahead of his team-mate German Nick Heidfeld, confirming BMWīs emergence as a championship force. The German car giant leads the Constructorsī championship for the first time by one point from Ferrari.
Finlandīs Heikki Kovalainen was fifth for McLaren with Italian Jarno Trulli sixth in the Toyota. Red Bullīs Australian Mark Webber and Williams racer German Nico Rosberg were the other points scorers in seventh and eighth.
Raikkonen now leads the driversī standings on 19 points, three ahead of Heidfeld with Hamilton, Kovalainen and Kubica all on 14. Pre-race championship leader Hamilton was always struggling having dropped from third to 11th at the start after getting stuck on the grid when the red lights went out. The British driver then lost his front wing after ramming into the back of former team-mate Fernando Alonsoīs Renault on lap two. He survived a massive trip across the gravel to pit for a new nose but returned back in 18th spot. Ferrari dominated from the start. On a hot, windy and sand-strewn circuit, the 23-year-old Kubica was left behind as the leading Ferrari F2008 driven by the Brazilian took control.
Massa had a minor drama before the formation lap when he was called back to the Ferrari garage to have his radio system checked over and have new ear plugs fitted. But that did not hold him up on the track and while he pulled away at the start, the luckless Hamilton was left struggling to leave the grid.
From third on the grid, the 23-year-old Briton fell back to 10th and soon after was involved in a dramatic collision with his great rival and former team-mate double world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso.
As they exited a slow corner, it appeared that the Renault driver slowed slightly and Hamilton, accelerating hard, hit the rear of his car with the front of his McLaren, and flew into the air.
Hamiltonīs car was damaged and he had to pit for a new nose and front wing.
This left him 18th when he rejoined as his chances of hanging on to the leadership of the early-season driversī championship were wrecked.
At the front, as Massa pulled away, Raikkonen worked his way past Kubica for second and the two Ferrari were then able to pull away in a race of their own.
Hamilton was battling with a wounded car and others suffered, too, from collisions including the two Britons Jenson Button and David Coulthard. The Honda driver attempted to pass the Red Bull man but ended up hitting him as the Scot īclosed the doorī in the braking zone.
"Thatīs not the first time he has done that," stormed Button, talking about one of his best friends and Monte Carlo neighbours. "He left it too late and there was nowhere for me to go." Original post: F1 Discussion Thread |
