Formula One news

Raikkonen grabs pole

Kimi Raikkonen put his Ferrari on pole position for the first Grand Prix of the season in Melbourne with a 1m26.072s. Double world champion Fernando Alonso will line up alongside him in his McLaren on the front row. His teammate Lewis Hamilton put in a formidable performance on his qualifying debut to take fourth spot and was only three tenths slower than the Spaniard.

Sandwiched between the two McLarens is BMW's Nick Heidfeld whilst his teammate Robert Kubica and Giancarlo Fisichella in his Renault make up the top six. The most surprising result of the afternoon, however, was the performance of the Super Aguris as Takuma Sato qualified tenth whilst the young Brit Anthony Davidson claimed eleventh spot in his first full season in Formula One.

Felipe Massa was nowhere to be seen in the top ten as his car suffered a technical problem on track and ended up sixteenth. Also disappointed will be Honda whose drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello qualified fourteenth and seventeenth respectively. David Coulthard was a lowly nineteenth in his Red Bull whilst Spyker realises it has a lot of work to do with both its drivers on the last row of the grid.  

more news

• 09 Jan.
  • Kubica named Polish sports personality of the year
  • Richards out of Honda running
  • Donington gains planning permission
• 08 Jan.
  • FOTA agrees cost-cutting plans
  • De la Rosa still aiming for race seat in F1
  • A dozen parties interested in Honda
  • Mosley not done yet with cost cuttings
• 07 Jan.
  • Ecclestone reveals September deadline for Donington
  • Ferrari willing to supply 'Honda' with engines
  • Brawn says Honda won't test before season
• 06 Jan.
  • Ferrari to use electronic pitstop system in 2009
  • Kubica to start karting team
  • Webber's recovery going well
  • Ferrari to reveal new car next week
  • Stewart hits out at Ecclestone and Mosley
• 05 Jan.
  • Red Bull's RB5 to debut in February
  • Suspended sentence and fine for Verstappen
  • Berger confirms Buemi for STR
• 04 Jan.
  • Kubica expecting more accidents
• 03 Jan.
  • Encouraging news for Donington
• 02 Jan.
  • Di Resta still hopeful of F1 drive
  • "Title loss would have damaged Hamilton's reputation"
• 01 Jan.
  • Hakkinen supports medals system
• 31 Dec. '08
  • Kubica: Next year is a big challenge
  • Hakkinen: Vettel will soon be a Formula 1 champion
  • Hamilton receives MBE award
  • Heidfeld expects more accidents in 2009
• 30 Dec. '08
  • Hamilton to join Madame Tussauds
  • Ecclestone: Button should take a sabbatical
  • Manager: Alonso would love to join Ferrari one day
  • Changes at Toro Rosso
• 29 Dec. '08
  • Hamilton to miss victory parade in Woking
  • Alonso to join Ferrari in 2011?
  • Mexican billionaire denies Honda bid
• 28 Dec. '08
  • Mexican buyer for Honda?
• 27 Dec. '08
  • F1 drivers positive on Algarve circuit
• 26 Dec. '08
  • Montezemolo says KERS introduction is a mistake
• 25 Dec. '08
  • Season's greetings from GPUpdate.net
• 24 Dec. '08
  • Massa against proposed pay cut
  • Ferrari undecided over Schumacher future

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