2008 European Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Europe
Grand Prix = European


Caption = The Valencia Street Circuit
Date = August 24
Year = 2008
Official name = LII Telefónica Grand Prix of Europe
Race_No = 12
Season_No = 18
Location = Valencia, Spain
Course = Street circuit
Course_mi = 3.367
Course_km = 5.419
Distance_laps = 57
Distance_mi = 191.931
Distance_km = 308.883
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver = Felipe Massa
Pole_Team = Ferrari
Pole_Time = 1:38.989
Pole_Country = Brazil
Fast_Driver = Felipe Massa
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:38.708
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Brazil
First_Driver = Felipe Massa
First_Team = Ferrari
First_Country = Brazil
Second_Driver = Lewis Hamilton
Second_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Second_Country= United Kingdom
Third_Driver = Robert Kubica
Third_Team = BMW Sauber
Third_Country = PolandThe 2008 European Grand Prix (formally the LII Telefónica Grand Prix of Europe) was a Formula One motor race held on August 24, 2008, at the Valencia Street Circuit in Valencia, Spain. It was the 12th race of the 2008 Formula One season. The race, contested over 57 laps, was won by Felipe Massa for the Ferrari team in his 100th Grand Prix entry. Lewis Hamilton, of McLaren-Mercedes, came second, with BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica in third, more than thirty seconds behind Hamilton. [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/9/8322.html
title= Race Classification
publisher= FIA
date= 2008-08-24
accessdate= 2008-10-04]

Massa started from pole position alongside premier title rival Hamilton. Kubica began in third spot, next to Massa's Ferrari team-mate Kimi Räikkönen. Massa led the race from start to finish (excluding times where he pitted), closely followed by Hamilton.

Although it was the first race at Valencia, the European Grand Prix had been held 17 times in Formula One. The Grand Prix had been held in Spain twice before, both times at Jerez de la Frontera. The 1994 race was won by Michael Schumacher, whilst the 1997 race was made infamous by Schumacher's attempt to run Championship rival Jacques Villeneuve off the track, handing Villeneuve the title. [cite news |title=Schumacher loses championship runner-up crown |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/29895.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=1997-11-11 |accessdate=2006-10-28] Mika Häkkinen eventually won the race. Fernando Alonso won the 2007 European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Germany for McLaren. Alonso and Rubens Barrichello were the only former European Grand Prix winners in the field.

Report

Practice

The very first session on the newly opened Valencia Street Circuit was held on a dusty and slippery track, [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8251.html
title= Practice One - Vettel pips Massa in maiden Valencia session
publisher= Formula1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] but despite the drivers' relative unfamiliarity with the circuit there were no major incidents (though David Coulthard did hit the barriers late in the session). [cite web
url= http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=43670
title= Practice 1: Vettel upstages big guns
publisher= ITV-F1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] Sébastien Bourdais went fastest early on, but it was his Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastian Vettel who posted the quickest time of the session. Massa and Hamilton scored the next two highest times, with Bourdais just behind them. [cite web
url= http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69934
title= Surprising Vettel tops Valencia practice
author= Matt Beer
publisher= autosport.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] Following the session, the drivers and personnel observed a minute's silence for those killed in the plane crash in Madrid two days previously. [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8251.html
title= Practice One - Vettel pips Massa in maiden Valencia session
publisher= Formula1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05]

Kimi Räikkönen topped the timesheets in second practice, having traded fastest times with team-mate Massa for the majority of the session. [cite web
url= http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=43675
title= Practice 2: Kimi's late show pips Alonso
publisher= ITV-F1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] Fernando Alonso had the set the quickest time late, but was surpassed by Räikkönen in his final flying lap. [cite web
url= http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69947
title= Raikkonen steals Alonso's thunder in FP2
author= Matt Beer
publisher= autosport.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] A notable incident in the session involved Nico Rosberg spinning under brakes in the final corners, and narrowly missing Mark Webber on the inside, before rejoining the track with no damage done. [cite web
url= http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=43675
title= Practice 2: Kimi's late show pips Alonso
publisher= ITV-F1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05] Big surprises in the session were Jenson Button running his Honda third, and Giancarlo Fisichella getting his Force India to tenth. [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8253.html
title= Practice Two - Raikkonen heads three-team tussle
publisher= Formula1.com
date= 2008-08-22
accessdate= 2008-10-05]

Rain overnight meant that the Valencia track began with almost no rubber on the surface, [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8261.html
title= Practice Three - Kubica takes his turn at the top
publisher= Formula1.com
date= 2008-08-23
accessdate= 2008-10-05] but Robert Kubica was still able to carry enough speed to become the first man of the weekend to break into the 1:38s, with Rosberg and Bourdais close behind. [cite web
url= http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69979
title= Kubica tops final Valencia practice
author= Simon Strang
publisher= autosport.com
date= 2008-08-23
accessdate= 2008-10-05] There were minimal mishaps, with only Hamilton and Timo Glock spinning. [cite web
url= http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=43689&PO=43689
title= Sat practice: Kubica fastest for BMW
publisher= ITV-F1.com
date= 2008-08-23
accessdate= 2008-10-05] Jarno Trulli spent the majority of the session in the pits with gearbox problems, completing only two laps. [cite web
url= http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8264.html
title= Qualifying - selected driver quotes
publisher= Formula1.com
date= 2008-08-23
accessdate= 2008-10-05] [cite web
url= http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69979
title= Kubica tops final Valencia practice
author= Simon Strang
publisher= autosport.com
date= 2008-08-23
accessdate= 2008-10-05]

Race

Felipe Massa's Ferrari was released from its pit stop into the path of Adrian Sutil's oncoming Force India car. There was no collision as Massa backed off as soon as he realised what had happened. This incident was deemed "unsafe" and was being investigated by the stewards. Shortly afterwards it was announced the incident would be investigated fully after the race. Massa was subsequently reprimanded by the stewards and fined €10,000, but the Brazilian kept his victory [cite web|url=http://www.manipef1.com/news/2008/index.php?id=1902|title=Europe: Massa fined, keeps win |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=Manipe F1 |date=2008-08-24] .

Kimi Räikkönen left a pit stop with his car's fuel hose still attached. The incident left a Ferrari mechanic with a minor fracture, as well as losing Räikkönen a place. [cite web|url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/8/8270.html|title=Pit-lane dramas plague Ferrari as Raikkonen retires |date=2008-08-24] The same problem was to plague his team-mate in Singapore a month later.

Classification

Qualifying

;Constructors' Championship standings

Notes

* Both Rubens Barrichello and Adrian Sutil started from the pit lane.
* Lap Leaders: Felipe Massa 50 (1–14, 20–36, 39–57), Lewis Hamilton 4 (15–16, 37–38), Robert Kubica 1 (17), Heikki Kovalainen, 2 (18–19).
* The car of race leader Felipe Massa's Ferrari was released from its second pit stop into the path of Adrian Sutil's oncoming Force India. Massa had to back off to avoid a collision. The stewards lauched an investigation into this and fined Massa €10,000.
* Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen left a pit stop with his car's fuel hose still attached. The right rear tyre of Räikkönen's car hit Ferrari mechanic Pietro Timpini, who suffered a minor fracture to his right leg. Räikkönen did not last much longer in the race, retiring with an engine failure two laps later.
* Fernando Alonso's retirement meant that he retired from both of his home Grands Prix held in 2008.
* This race was Bridgestone's 200th Formula One Grand Prix since its full time entry in 1997. [cite web |url=http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2008/08/23/bridgestone-boss-looks-back-on-200/ |title=Bridgestone boss looks back on 200 |publisher=GPUpdate.net |date=2008-08-23 |accessdate=2008-08-30] The company's tyres were also used in the 1976 and 1977 Japanese Grand Prix therefore strictly speaking it was Bridgestone's 202nd Grand Prix.

References

External links

* [http://www.manipef1.com/results/2008/europe.php Detailed European Grand Prix results]
* [http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/europe/Pages/race_classification.aspx Official FIA results]

F1_race_report
Name_of_race = European Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2008
Previous_race_in_season = 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2008 Belgian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 2007 European Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2009 European Grand Prix