Formula One news
Massa leads wounded Raikkonen to Ferrari one-two
22 June 2008 / Results / PhotosFelipe Massa took victory and the championship lead at the French Grand Prix while team mate Kimi Raikkonen nursed his damaged Ferrari home to second place. Jarno Trulli fought hard all race to take third for Toyota.
 |
|
The French Grand Prix got underway in overcast conditions at Magny Cours as Kimi Raikkonen made a good start to lead Massa into turn one as Fernando Alonso fell behind Trulli and Kubica, before climbing back up to fourth on the exit of the hairpin on the next lap.
Lewis Hamilton was determined to improve and ended up cutting part of the chicane at turn seven as he fought to pass Vettel. Concerned faces on the McLaren pit wall wondered whether he would get away with it. Moments later he came very close to steaming into the back of Kovalainen, but got away with the slightest of brushes as he was up to tenth.
Lap 3 and Raikkonen led Massa, Trulli Alonso, Kubica, Glock, Webber and Piquet, with the two McLarens rounding off the top ten. On lap five, Kovalainen let Hamilton through to ninth at the hairpin while Jenson Button went off at Lycée, destroying his Honda's nose.
 |
|
Hamilton was soon all over the rear wing of Piquet, trying a move into the hairpin on lap eight but failing, just at the moment stewards decided to investigate the moment he cut the chicane on lap one.
Four laps later, Hamilton's French Grand Prix went from bad to worse as he was given a drive-through penalty, served it and rejoined in thirteenth, now some 45 seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen.
On lap 14 Raikkonen led Massa by four seconds, Trulli and Alonso a further 11seconds adrift, with Kubica just holding onto their tails. But Alonso was the first to pit on lap 15, taking on a lot of fuel and rejoining in twelfth, just ahead of old rival Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton soon made his first stop, and rejoined at the back of the field.
 |
|
Kubica and Trulli pitted on lap 20 from third and fourth while Raikkonen came in on lap 21 after a stunning in-lap and Massa on lap 22.
By lap 30 the first pit stops were complete. Raikkonen led Massa by 6.8s and Trulli was still third, 30 seconds down the road, and a few seconds clear of Kubica. Alonso was in fifth, eight seconds adrift of the BMW with Webber and Kovalainen on his tail.
Just when Ferrari looked set to walk a one-two, Kimi Raikkonen began to struggle as his exhaust looked to be broken - his pace dropped off by two seconds a lap and by lap 38, Massa had passed him for the lead.
 |
|
Alonso was the first of the frontrunners to make his second stop on lap 43 as Massa had pulled out a six-second lead over the wounded Raikkonen. Kubica made his final stop from fourth on lap 46. Trulli followed on lap 50 with Piquet, who was up to fifth.
Kimi Raikkonen pitted on lap 52, and resumes without drama, but the rear-right-hand-side of the Ferrari's engine cover is blackened and being burned away.
After the second round of stops, Massa led Raikkonen, Trulli, Kovalainen, Kubica, Webber, Alonso and Piquet with 15 laps remaining. Three laps later, rain began to fall very lightly at Magny Cours, threatening one final twist in the tale of the French Grand Prix.
In the end both Ferrari drivers showed accomplished drives - Massa cruising home to his third victory of the year ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, nursing his broken car home to second place. The Brazilian takes the lead of the championship.
Jarno Trulli battled to a well-deserved third place on an emotional weekend for the Toyota team, fending off a final challenge from Heikki Kovalainen who salvaged fourth for McLaren. Kubica ended up fifth for BMW ahead of Mark Webber, Nelson Piquet taking his first F1 points and Alonso in eighth. Lewis Hamilton ended up tenth, behind David Coulthard.
more news
Homepage
Barcelona