Raikkonen won Spanish Grand Prix - Heikki Kovalainen crashed

World Champion Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen cruised to victory in a Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, 27th April 2008 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The race was hit by an horrendous accident involving Heikki Kovalainen.

The McLaren driver miraculously suffered nothing more than concussion after ploughing into a tyre wall nose first at 150mp. He was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital with his neck in a brace to undergo a series of precautionary checks.

Raikkonen, meanwhile, led from pole to flag, the eighth successive occasion that has occurred at this track to strengthen his lead at the top of the drivers' standings.

Alonso had started second on the grid, but off the line was unable to defend his position as Massa passed him.

Although he was also predictably running light on fuel, he was on course for a decent points finish as he was running in fifth when he pulled off the track, as did Nico Rosberg in his Williams that also sustained a blown engine.

Raikkonen now has a nine-point lead over Hamilton, with BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica a further point back in third after he came home fourth.

Red Bull's Mark Webber was fifth, with Jenson Button picking up Honda's first points of the season in sixth, while Kazuki Nakajima broke his duck for Williams in finishing seventh, followed by the Toyota of Jarno Trulli.

2008 Spanish Grand Prix - Kimi Raikkonen takes Pole Position

Kimi Raikkonen takes pole position for Ferrari right at the end of a dramatic qualifying session for the Sunday's 2008 Spanish Grand Prix. The Spanish crowd went mad when Alonso planted his Renault on pole with 1m 20.904s, but then Raikkonen rained on their parade with 1m 20.813s.

Fastest man Felipe Massa third on 1m 22.058s, from Kubica (1m 22.065s) and Hamilton (1m 22.096s), with Kovalainen joining his McLaren team mate on the third row with 1m 22.231s.

Webber was seventh on for Red Bull, ahead of Trulli for Toyota . Heidfeld was ninth for BMW Sauber on and Piquet 10th in the second Renault.

Force India F1 drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Adrian Sutil are on 19th and 20th place respectively.

So wait and watch for Sunday, 27th April, 2008 for the results, the last seven pole sitters have gone on to win the Spanish Grand Prix.

Felipe Massa wins Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2008

Brazilian Felipe Massa wins 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix in style for Ferrari in the 57-lap race at the Sakhir circuit. Poland's Robert Kubica starting on pole for the first time in his Formula One career, the BMW Sauber driver was unable to prevent a Ferrari one-two as team mate and World champion Kimi Raikkonen captured second place.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton struggled through out the race and finished 13th place and lost his world championship points lead. Kubica held onto third for the remainder of the race from team-mate Nick Heidfeld, and with the 11 points from the duo it means BMW Sauber lead the constructors' championship for the first time in their history.

Jarno Trulli in his Toyota was sixth, followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber for a second successive seventh place, with Williams' Nico Rosberg taking a point for eighth place.

Alonso survived his brush with Hamilton to take 10th place, unable to stay with ninth-placed Timo Glock in the second Toyota, and by the finish he had a hungry Rubens Barrichello breathing down his neck in the Honda. The Brazilian had earlier fought with and beaten fast-starting Giancarlo Fisichella, who took 12th ahead of Hamilton for Force India.

Race Summary:

Top 3 Drivers at 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix

Felipe Massa - Ferrari

Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

Robert Kubica - BMW


Standing after 3rd Race in 2008


Driver's Championship

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) - 19 points

Nick Heidfeld (BMW) - 16 points

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) - 14 points


Constructor's Championship

BMW - 30 points

Ferrari - 29 points

McLaren-Mercedese - 28 points

Williams - 10 points

2008 Bahrain Grand Prix - BMW's Robert Kubica grabs Pole

BMW Sauber star Robert Kubica takes maiden pole of his career in 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix in Sakhir for the race day on Sunday, 6th April, 2008. Ferrari's Felipe Massa is alongside him on the front row, with current championship leader Lewis Hamilton third in McLaren followed by reigning world champion Kimi Raikkonen and another Finn Heikki Kovalainen in fourth and fifth place respectively.

It is also the first time since the Chinese Grand Prix in October 2006 that neither Ferrari nor McLaren are on the front .

BMW's Nick Heidfeld in 6th position followed by Jarno Trulli in Toyota, Nico Rosberg in Williams, Jenson Button in Honda and Renault's Fernando Alonso at 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th place respectively.

Forece India F1 again in poor form as Fisichella rued front brake locking problems which he was sure cost him his chance to get through into Q2. Giancarlo Fisichella is at 18th and Adrian Sutil starts fron 21st position.

Kubica narrowly missed out on pole in the season-opening race in Australia before finishing a career-high second a fortnight ago in Malaysia.