{{good article}} {{coord|26|1|57|N|50|30|38|E|type:landmark|display=title}} {{Infobox Grand Prix race report |Type = F1 |Previous_round = 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix |Next_round = 2008 Spanish Grand Prix |Country = Bahrain |Grand Prix = Bahrain |Image = Bahrain International Circuit--Grand Prix Layout.svg |Caption = |Date=6 April |Year=2008 |Official name = 2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix<ref name="f1.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/bahrain_789/circuit_diagram.html |title=2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix |work=Formula1.com |publisher=Formula One Management |date=6 April 2008 |access-date=28 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126152322/http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/bahrain_789/circuit_diagram.html |archive-date=26 January 2013}}</ref> |Race_No = 3 |Season_No = 18 |Location=[[Bahrain International Circuit]]<br />[[Sakhir]], [[Bahrain]] |Course = Permanent racing facility |Course_mi = 3.363<ref name="fiafacts">{{cite web |url= http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/circuit.aspx |title= Grand Prix of Bahrain |publisher= Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date= 2008-04-06 |access-date= 2009-02-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090220110827/http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/circuit.aspx |archive-date= 2009-02-20 |url-status= dead }}</ref> |Course_km = 5.412 |Distance_laps = 57<ref name="fiafacts"/> |Distance_mi = 191.539<ref name="fiafacts"/> |Distance_km = 308.238 |Weather = Dry |Attendance = 100,000 (Weekend)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/trends-in-bahrain/|title = Trends in Bahrain|date = 22 April 2013}}</ref> |Pole_Driver = [[Robert Kubica]] | Pole_Team = [[BMW Sauber]] | Pole_Time = 1:33.096 | Pole_Country = Poland |Fast_Driver = [[Heikki Kovalainen]] |Fast_Team = [[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]-[[Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines|Mercedes]] |Fast_Time = 1:33.193 |Fast_Lap = 49 |Fast_Country = Finland |First_Driver = [[Felipe Massa]] |First_Team = [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |First_Country = Brazil |Second_Driver = [[Kimi Räikkönen]] |Second_Team = [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |Second_Country= Finland |Third_Driver = [[Robert Kubica]] |Third_Team = [[BMW Sauber]] |Third_Country = Poland |Lapchart = {{F1Laps2008|BHR}} }} The '''2008 Bahrain Grand Prix''' (formally the '''2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix''') was a [[Formula One]] motor race held on 6 April 2008 at the [[Bahrain International Circuit]], in [[Sakhir]], [[Bahrain]]. It was the third race of the [[2008 Formula One World Championship]]. [[Felipe Massa]] for the [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] team won the 57-lap race. [[Kimi Räikkönen]] was second in the other Ferrari, and [[BMW in Formula One|BMW Sauber]] driver [[Robert Kubica]] was third.
The race began with Kubica in [[pole position]] alongside Massa; this was the only time in his career that the Pole would be on pole. [[Lewis Hamilton]], the eventual [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|World Drivers' Champion]], started from third, alongside Räikkönen. Kubica was passed by Massa into the first corner, and then by Räikkönen on the third lap. The Ferraris dominated at the front of the race, leading to their first out of three 1–2 finishes of the season. Hamilton had a slow start after almost [[Stall (engine)|stalling]] on the grid, and dropped back to ninth. The McLaren driver ran into the back of [[Fernando Alonso]]'s [[Renault in Formula One|Renault]] a lap later, breaking off the McLaren's [[Formula One car#Aerodynamics|front wing]] and dropping Hamilton to the back of the field.
Kubica's strong finish promoted BMW Sauber to the lead in the [[List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions|World Constructors' Championship]], after Heidfeld finished fourth. Ferrari and McLaren trailed, one and two [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|points]] behind, respectively. Räikkönen took the lead in the Drivers' Championship, with 19 points, three points ahead of Heidfeld and five ahead of Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen, with 15 races remaining in the season.
==Background==
The Grand Prix was contested by 22 drivers, in 11 teams of two.<ref name="classification">{{cite web|url=http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/race_classification.aspx |title=Race Classification |publisher=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date=2008-10-19 |access-date=2009-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329233551/http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/race_classification.aspx |archive-date=March 29, 2009 }}</ref> The teams, also known as "[[Formula One#Constructors|constructors]]", were [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]], [[McLaren]]-[[Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains|Mercedes]], [[Renault in Formula One|Renault]], [[Honda in Formula One|Honda]], [[Force India]], [[BMW in Formula One|BMW Sauber]], [[Toyota in Formula One|Toyota]], [[Red Bull Racing]], [[Williams Racing|Williams]], [[Scuderia Toro Rosso|Toro Rosso]] and [[Super Aguri F1|Super Aguri]].<ref name="classification"/> [[Formula One tyres|Tyre]] supplier [[Bridgestone]] brought two different tyre compounds to the race; the softer of the two marked by a single white stripe down one of the grooves.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66442 |title=Tyre strategies – Bahrain GP |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-11}}</ref>
Prior to the race, McLaren driver [[Lewis Hamilton]] led the [[List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions|Drivers' Championship]] with 14 [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|points]], and Ferrari driver [[Kimi Räikkönen]] was second with 11 points. Behind Hamilton and Räikkönen in the Drivers' Championship, [[Nick Heidfeld]] was third, also with 11 points, in a BMW Sauber, and Hamilton's McLaren teammate [[Heikki Kovalainen]] was fourth with 10 points. Heidfeld's teammate [[Robert Kubica]] was fifth with eight points.<ref name="pointsFIA">{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Bruce|title=The Official ITV Sport Guide: Grand Prix 2009|chapter=Final Results 2008|url=https://archive.org/details/grandprix2009off0000jone/|year=2009|publisher=[[Welbeck Publishing Group|Carlton Books]]|location=London, England|pages=116–117|isbn=978-1-84732-262-3|via=Internet Archive|url-access=registration}}</ref> In the [[List of Formula One World Constructors' Champions|Constructors' Championship]], McLaren–Mercedes were leading with 24 points, five points ahead of BMW Sauber. Ferrari were third with 11 points.<ref name="pointsFIA"/>
Ferrari dominated the [[2008 Malaysian Grand Prix|previous round in Malaysia]], where [[Felipe Massa]] had claimed [[pole position]], and led his teammate Räikkönen in second place through the opening stages of the race, before spinning off and retiring midway through.<ref name="malgpreport"> {{cite web |url= http://www.grandprix.com/race/r787racereport.html |title= Malaysian GP – Sunday – Race Report: Kimi dominates in Malaysia |work= GrandPrix.com |publisher= Inside F1, Inc. |date= 2008-03-24 |access-date= 2009-02-08 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090130100412/http://grandprix.com/race/r787racereport.html |archive-date= 30 January 2009 |url-status= dead |df= dmy-all }} </ref> Räikkönen went on to win the race, and expressed his optimism about Bahrain: "I have finished third in three successive Grands Prix in Bahrain. Time and again something has gone wrong. Sakhir is one of those circuits where I really want to win. Finally."<ref name="KRhope">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66274 |title=Raikkonen out to break Bahrain duck |author=Pablo Elizalde |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-01 |access-date=2009-02-08}}</ref>
In the opening two races, Massa came under fire from the press for two errors that left him without points: a collision with Red Bull driver [[David Coulthard]] [[2008 Australian Grand Prix|in Australia]] and his spin at Malaysia.<ref name="malgpreport"/><ref name="tshtshmassa">{{cite web |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3605391.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821155411/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3605391.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 21, 2008 |title=Felipe Massa's reputation on the slide |author=Richard Rae |work=Times Online |publisher=News International |date=2008-03-23 |access-date=2009-02-08 | location=London}}</ref> Massa promised that the first two races would not be indicative of the rest of the season: "It was not the start to the season that I wanted, but there are still 16 races to go and 160 points up for grabs. In the next few races I plan to get back all the points I have lost in the opening two rounds."<ref name="mesomassa">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66104 |title=Massa not giving up title hopes |author=Steven English |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-03-26 |access-date=2009-02-08}}</ref>
Hamilton won the opening race in Australia, but managed to finish only fifth after a qualifying penalty and a botched [[pit stop]] in Malaysia.<ref name="malgpreport"/> The season began well for Kubica, as he qualified second in Australia and finished second in Malaysia. Kubica predicted his team could maintain their momentum into the third race: "I'm confident that we can be very competitive here as well."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66132 |title=Bahrain preview quotes: BMW |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-03-28 |access-date=2009-02-08}}</ref>
A week before the start of the Grand Prix weekend, the ''[[News of the World]]'' alleged that [[Max Mosley]], the president of Formula One's [[Sport governing body|governing body]], the [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] (FIA), had engaged in sexual acts with five [[prostitute]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3649197.ece |title=Max Mosley faces calls to quit as Formula One chief after 'Nazi' orgy |author=Ashling O'Connor and Ed Gorman |work=Times Online |publisher=News International |date=2008-03-31 |access-date=2009-04-09 | location=London| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090509083439/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article3649197.ece| archive-date= 9 May 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> While Mosley denied the allegations, he cancelled his scheduled appearance at the Bahrain Grand Prix.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66290 |title=Bahrain Prince asked Mosley not to attend |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-03 |access-date=2009-02-08}}</ref> Several teams condemned Mosley's alleged actions and asked for his resignation, and while for a time the controversy threatened to overshadow the race, Mosley eventually retained his position and successfully sued the ''News of the World'' for the report.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66307 |title=Mosley calls extraordinary FIA meeting |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-03 |access-date=2009-02-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7523034.stm |title=Mosley wins court case over orgy |work=BBC News Online |publisher=BBC |date=2008-07-24 |access-date=2009-02-08| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090226200404/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7523034.stm| archive-date= 26 February 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> {{Clear}}
==Practice== [[File:Felipe Massa 2008 Algarve.jpg|thumb|right|[[Felipe Massa]]]]
Three practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—two on Friday, and a third on Saturday. The Friday morning and afternoon sessions each lasted 90 minutes. The third session was held on Saturday morning and lasted an hour.<ref name="sporting">{{cite web |url=http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/475632E46002BEDAC125744F004312F4/$FILE/F1.SPORTING.REGULATIONS.19-05-2008.pdf |title=2008 Formula One Sporting Regulations |publisher=Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile |date=2008-05-19 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> The Ferraris outpaced the other teams in the first session on a dusty track surrounded by the [[sand dune]] desert of [[Sakhir]]. Massa's time of 1:32.233 was quicker than Räikkönen's, who was slowed down by an early excursion across the sand, requiring a [[pit stop]].<ref name="prac1">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66318 |title=Massa quickest in practice 1 – Bahrain |author=Matt Beer |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-04 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> [[Nico Rosberg]] of Williams, Hamilton, McLaren driver [[Heikki Kovalainen]], Williams driver [[Kazuki Nakajima]] and Kubica rounded out the top seven.<ref name="prac1"/> In the second session, Hamilton lost control of his car and slid sideways into a wall.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://www.grandprix.com/race/r788p2report.html |title=Bahrain GP – Friday – Practice Session 2 Report: All quiet until ... |work=GrandPrix.com |publisher=Inside F1, Inc. |date=2008-04-04 |access-date=2009-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129124824/http://grandprix.com/race/r788p2report.html |archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} </ref> Hamilton emerged unharmed from the collision, but his McLaren suffered significant damage.<ref name="prac2">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66325 |title=Massa fastest as Hamilton crashes out |author=Matt Beer |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-04 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> Except for the crash, the second session ended like the first: once again, Massa led Räikkönen to Ferrari 1–2, ahead of Kovalainen, Hamilton and Kubica.<ref name="prac2"/> The third session was again held on a dusty track, where Rosberg was quickest with a time of 1:32.521.<ref name="prac3">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66372 |title=Rosberg fastest in final practice – Bahrain |author=Matt Beer |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-05 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> Massa took second, ahead of Red Bull driver [[Mark Webber (racing driver)|Mark Webber]], Toyota driver [[Jarno Trulli]], [[David Coulthard]] of Red Bull, Nakajima and Kubica. Räikkönen was ninth quickest, and Hamilton 18th.<ref name="prac3"/>
==Qualifying==
The qualifying session on Saturday afternoon was split into three parts. The first part ran for 20 minutes, and cars that finished the session 17th position or lower were eliminated from qualifying. The second part of the qualifying session lasted 15 minutes and eliminated cars that finished in positions 11 to 16. The final part of the qualifying session determined the positions from first to tenth, and decided pole position. Cars which failed to make the final session could refuel before the race, so ran lighter in those sessions. Cars which competed in the final session of qualifying were not allowed to refuel before the race, and as such carried more fuel than in the previous sessions.<ref name="sporting"/>
{{quote box|quote=I am very happy. I missed the chance to take pole position in Australia, but this time it worked out well ... We knew before the season that the car was good due to the results of the computer simulation and the wind tunnel work. Finally it has paid off that we never gave up working hard. I want to thank the entire team who have worked so hard over the last months. We will now study the data and prepare for tomorrow. A long race lies ahead of us.|source=[[Robert Kubica]], following the third qualifying session.<ref name="qualquotes">{{cite web |url=http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/4/7601.html |title=Qualifying – selected driver quotes |work= Formula1.com |publisher=Formula One Management |date=5 April 2008 |access-date=28 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014092204/http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/4/7601.html |archive-date=14 October 2012}}</ref>|width=28%|align=left}}
Kubica clinched the first pole position of his career with a time of 1:33.096.<ref name="qualresults"> {{cite web |url=http://www.grandprix.com/race/r788q1results.html |title=Bahrain GP – Saturday – Qualifying Session Results |work=GrandPrix.com |publisher=Inside F1, Inc. |date=2008-04-05 |access-date=2009-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129124514/http://grandprix.com/race/r788q1results.html |archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} </ref> Massa qualified less than 0.03 seconds behind the BMW and joined Kubica on the front row of the [[List of motorsport terminology#G|grid]].<ref name="qualresults"/> Hamilton took third place, using his team's spare [[chassis]]; Räikkönen was next quickest, and despite being critical of his car's [[racing setup|set-up]] was confident in its racing ability.<ref name="qualquotes"/><ref name="bbcqual">{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7332021.stm |title=Bahrain Grand Prix: Qualifying |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2008-04-05 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> Kovalainen would line up fifth on the grid alongside Heidfeld, who had trouble maximising performance from his tyres.<ref name="qualquotes"/> Trulli took seventh place, ahead of Rosberg and Honda driver [[Jenson Button]].<ref name="qualresults"/> Renault driver [[Fernando Alonso]] was the last driver to make the third session; Webber missed out on the top ten by 0.009 seconds and would start the race in 11th position.<ref name="autosportqual">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66373 |title=Maiden F1 pole for Kubica, BMW in Bahrain |author=Matt Beer |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-05 |access-date=2009-02-10}}</ref> Button's teammate [[Rubens Barrichello]] took 12th place after a [[Formula One car#Transmission|gearbox]] problem interrupted his second session laps, ahead of [[Timo Glock]] of Toyota, [[Nelson Piquet Jr.|Nelson Piquet]] of Renault and Toro Rosso driver [[Sébastien Bourdais]].<ref name="qualquotes"/> Nakajima was the slowest of the second session drivers, and took 16th.<ref name="qualresults"/> Coulthard qualified 17th, ahead of [[Giancarlo Fisichella]] of Force India.<ref name="autosportqual"/> Toro Rosso driver [[Sebastian Vettel]] took 19th, and blamed his set-up: "I felt it was more a case of the car driving me than me driving the car."<ref name="qualresults"/> Fisichella's teammate [[Adrian Sutil]] qualified 20th, ahead of [[Anthony Davidson]] of Super Aguri. Davidson's teammate [[Takuma Sato]] spun out and crashed into the barriers. Sato's accident damaged his [[Formula One car#Aerodynamics|rear wing]] and [[Suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] and left him unable to continue in the session.<ref name="autosportqual"/> {{Clear}}
===Qualifying classification=== {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:85%" !Pos !No !Driver !Constructor !Part 1 !Part 2 !Part 3 !Grid |- !1 |4 |{{flagicon|Poland}} [[Robert Kubica]] |[[BMW Sauber]] |1:32.893 |1:31.745 |'''1:33.096''' |1 |- !2 |2 |{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Felipe Massa]] |[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |'''1:31.937''' |'''1:31.188''' |1:33.123 |2 |- !3 |22 |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Lewis Hamilton]] |[[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]-[[Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines|Mercedes]] |1:32.750 |1:31.922 |1:33.292 |3 |- !4 |1 |{{flagicon|Finland}} [[Kimi Räikkönen]] |[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |1:32.652 |1:31.933 |1:33.418 |4 |- !5 |23 |{{flagicon|Finland}} [[Heikki Kovalainen]] |[[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]-[[Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines|Mercedes]] |1:33.057 |1:31.718 |1:33.488 |5 |- !6 |3 |{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Nick Heidfeld]] |[[BMW Sauber]] |1:33.137 |1:31.909 |1:33.737 |6 |- !7 |11 |{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Jarno Trulli]] |[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] |1:32.493 |1:32.159 |1:33.994 |7 |- !8 |7 |{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Nico Rosberg]] |[[WilliamsF1|Williams]]-[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] |1:32.903 |1:32.185 |1:34.015 |8 |- !9 |16 |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Jenson Button]] |[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] |1:32.793 |1:32.362 |1:35.057 |9 |- !10 |5 |{{flagicon|Spain}} [[Fernando Alonso]] |[[Renault F1|Renault]] |1:32.947 |1:32.345 |1:35.115 |10 |- !11 |10 |{{flagicon|Australia}} [[Mark Webber (racing driver)|Mark Webber]] |[[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull]]-[[Renault F1|Renault]] |1:33.194 |1:32.371 | |11 |- !12 |17 |{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Rubens Barrichello]] |[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] |1:32.944 |1:32.508 | |12 |- !13 |12 |{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Timo Glock]] |[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] |1:32.800 |1:32.528 | |13 |- !14 |6 |{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Nelson Piquet Jr.]] |[[Renault F1|Renault]] |1:32.975 |1:32.790 | |14 |- !15 |14 |{{flagicon|France}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]] |[[Scuderia Toro Rosso|Toro Rosso]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |1:33.415 |1:32.915 | |15 |- !16 |8 |{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuki Nakajima]] |[[WilliamsF1|Williams]]-[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] |1:33.386 |1:32.943 | |16 |- !17 |9 |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[David Coulthard]] |[[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull]]-[[Renault F1|Renault]] |1:33.433 | | |17 |- !18 |21 |{{flagicon|Italy}} [[Giancarlo Fisichella]] |[[Force India]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |1:33.501 | | |18 |- !19 |15 |{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Sebastian Vettel]] |[[Scuderia Toro Rosso|Toro Rosso]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |1:33.562 | | |19 |- !20 |20 |{{flagicon|Germany}} [[Adrian Sutil]] |[[Force India]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] |1:33.845 | | |20 |- !21 |19 |{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Anthony Davidson]] |[[Super Aguri F1|Super Aguri]]-[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] |1:34.140 | | |21 |- !22 |18 |{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Takuma Sato]] |[[Super Aguri F1|Super Aguri]]-[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] |1:35.725 | | |22 |- !colspan="8"|{{center|Source:<ref name="autosportqual"/>}} |}
==Race== [[File:First lap 2008 Bahrain.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Jenson Button]] crosses the sand during the first lap of the race]]
The weather and conditions on the grid were before dry for the race. The [[air temperature]] was {{convert|29|°C|°F}} with signs of a breeze which could blow sand onto the track and impede the cars' grip.<ref name="commbbc">{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7327851.stm |title=Bahrain Grand Prix: As it happened |author=Sarah Holt |work=BBC Sport |publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090114182220/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7327851.stm| archive-date= 14 January 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Massa got the best start of the frontrunners off the line, as he passed Kubica into the first corner to take the lead.<ref name="fiaracefacts">{{cite web| url= http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressinformation/f1pressinfo/bahrain/Pages/race_facts.aspx| title= Race Facts| publisher= Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile| date= 2008-04-06| access-date= 2009-02-13| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090329233533/http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressinformation/f1pressinfo/bahrain/Pages/race_facts.aspx| archive-date= 2009-03-29| url-status= dead}}</ref> Hamilton's poor start caused his anti-[[Stall (engine)|stall]] system to kick in, and he was passed by six drivers to fall back to ninth.<ref name="gpreport">{{cite web |url = http://www.grandprix.com/race/r788racereport.html |title = Bahrain GP – Sunday – Race Report: Massa on his own |work = GrandPrix.com |publisher = Inside F1, Inc. |date = 2008-04-06 |access-date = 2009-02-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090226055702/http://grandprix.com/race/r788racereport.html |archive-date = 2009-02-26 |url-status = dead }}</ref> Räikkönen benefited from Hamilton's start by moving up to third, ahead of Kovalainen, Trulli and Heidfeld.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/> As Massa extended his lead at the front of the race, Hamilton, who trailed Alonso, collided with the back of the Renault, knocking the McLaren's [[Formula One car#Aerodynamics|front wing]] off the car.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/><ref name="hamiltonwing">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66487 |title=Hamilton wing was broken on first lap |author=Jonathan Noble |work=autosport.com |publisher=Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-08 |access-date=2009-02-17}}</ref> Suffering handling difficulties, Hamilton returned to the pit-lane for a new nose section, and rejoined in 18th place.<ref name="fialapchart">{{cite web| url= http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/lap_chart.aspx| title= Lap Chart| publisher= Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile| date= 2008-04-06| access-date= 2009-02-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090329232324/http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/championships/f1/2008/bahrain/Pages/lap_chart.aspx| archive-date= 2009-03-29| url-status= dead}}</ref> Räikkönen took second place when he passed Kubica on lap three; Heidfeld took fourth when he passed Trulli and Kovalainen in separate manoeuvres.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/> Further down the field, Vettel retired from the race on the first lap after twice colliding with other cars; Button, Sutil and Coulthard pitted to repair early damage.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/><ref name="gpreport"/>
By lap 10, Massa had opened his lead over Räikkönen to 4.4 seconds, ahead of Kubica, Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Trulli.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/><ref name="fialapchart"/> Kubica was the first of the frontrunners to pit, on lap 17.<ref name="pitsummary">{{cite web |url= http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/789/6496/pit_stop_summary.html |title= Bahrain Pit Stop Summary |work= Formula1.com |publisher=Formula One Management |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090304132741/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2008/789/6496/pit_stop_summary.html| archive-date= 4 March 2009}}</ref> Räikkönen and Trulli followed on lap 20; Massa pitted from the lead one lap later.<ref name="pitsummary"/> Following the first round of pit stops, the gap between the Ferraris was 5.4 seconds, however by lap 31 Räikkönen had closed to within four seconds of his teammate.<ref name="fiaracefacts"/> Massa held a 3.6 second lead over Räikkönen when the two Ferraris pitted for the final time on laps 39 and 38, respectively, and Massa retained his lead into the final [[List of motorsport terminology#S|stint]].<ref name="fiaracefacts"/><ref name="pitsummary"/> Kubica pitted on lap 41, Heidfeld on lap 45, and Kovalainen on lap 47.<ref name="pitsummary"/>
Coulthard and Button collided on lap 18 when Button attempted to pass the Red Bull on the inside at turn eight; the Honda lost its front wing and retired a lap later after two pit stops.<ref name="commbbc"/> Hamilton continued his climb back through the field; he moved from 18th, passing Piquet, Davidson, Sutil and Bourdais in separate manoeuvres, to sit in 14th by the time he pitted on lap 31.<ref name="fialapchart"/><ref name="pitsummary"/> Piquet retired on lap 42 with [[Formula One car#Transmission|transmission]] failure, requiring a gearbox change before the next race.<ref name="commbbc"/>
Massa took his first win of the season when he crossed the line at the end of the 57th lap, 3.3 seconds ahead of the second-placed Räikkönen.<ref name="classification"/> Kubica took third, ahead of his teammate Heidfeld, and Kovalainen, who set the fastest lap of the race on lap 49, with a time of 1:33.193, despite being slower than the frontrunners for much of the race.<ref name="classification"/><ref name="f1byteam">{{cite web |url= http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/4/7612.html |title= Bahrain race analysis – Ferrari's win, BMW Sauber's gain |work= Formula1.com |publisher=Formula One Management |date=6 April 2008 |access-date=28 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024010753/http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/4/7612.html |archive-date=24 October 2013}}</ref> Trulli, Webber, Glock and Alonso rounded out the top ten, after Glock's Toyota held off a quick Alonso late in the race.<ref name="classification"/><ref name="f1byteam"/> Barrichello and Fisichella finished strongly, ahead of Hamilton, who managed only 13th.<ref name="classification"/> Nakajima, Bourdais, Davidson and Sato took the next four places; Coulthard and Sutil finished last on track after their respective crashes demoted them to the back of the field.<ref name="classification"/> Vettel, Button and Piquet were the three retirements from the race.<ref name="classification"/>
===Post-race=== {{quote box | quote = It didn't change anything starting second because we had a good a start. I think Robert [Kubica] didn't have a good start and I passed him. Then the race was pretty difficult in the beginning because there was a lot of oil on the track. We almost went off, me and Robert, and it was pretty difficult. During the race the car was just very good. I didn't push completely to the limit because I saw the gap increasing and then Kimi [Räikkönen] was behind but I could manage to keep the gap to him and the strategy was perfect as well. | source = [[Felipe Massa]], speaking after the race.<ref name="pressconference"> {{cite web |url=http://www.grandprix.com/race/r788sunpc.html |title=Bahrain GP – Sunday – Press Conference |work=GrandPrix.com |publisher=Inside F1, Inc |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129124534/http://grandprix.com/race/r788sunpc.html |archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} </ref> | width = 35% | align = right }}
The top three finishers appeared on the [[Podium#Usage in motorsport|podium]] and in the subsequent [[press conference]], where Massa appeared relieved: "For sure the race was pretty difficult because I didn't want to make any mistakes. I didn't push as much either, just tried to bring the car home and just controlling the pace as well."<ref name="pressconference"/> Massa said that he struggled with grip early, owing to oil in the middle sector of the course.<ref name="pressconference"/> Räikkönen's second place promoted him to the lead in the Drivers' Championship, and he expressed his optimism about future races:
{{blockquote|The whole weekend has been pretty difficult, one of those things when we cannot really get the car right ... We are leading the Championship which is the main thing and we know that we have the speed once we get everything right. The race was quite difficult but anyhow I am happy with second.<ref name="pressconference"/>}}
Kubica said that his poor start was due to [[wheelspin]] off the line, and the presence of oil on the track impeded the performance of his car, leading to Räikkönen's pass: "But anyway I think it was a good result: third and fourth for the team and leading the Constructors' Championship, so it was good weekend."<ref name="pressconference"/>
[[File:Kimi Raikkonen 2008 (square).jpg|thumb|left|[[Kimi Räikkönen]]]]
Hamilton accepted responsibility for his near stall on the grid: "I hadn't hit the switch early enough and therefore we were not in the launch map and went straight into anti-stall, and when everyone else was in their launch mode, I wasn't."<ref name="gpreport"/> Renault dismissed suggestions that Alonso had [[brake test]]ed Hamilton in the incident that led to the McLaren's wing breaking off.<ref name="renaultdefence">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66448 |title=Renault rubbish 'brake test' suggestions |author=Jonathan Noble |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-26}}</ref> [[Pat Symonds]], Renault's head of engineering, said his team's [[telemetry]] indicated Alonso was on full throttle down the straight, and had not touched the brakes: "I think all I can say from our side is that there is no blame attributable to Fernando, which is what some of the speculation might be."<ref name="renaultdefence"/> McLaren F1 [[Chief executive officer|CEO]] [[Martin Whitmarsh]] said that Hamilton's front wing had broken seconds before the impact, and that the resulting [[downforce]] reduction had sucked Hamilton into Alonso's [[Drafting (aerodynamics)|slipstream]] faster than expected.<ref name="hamiltonwing"/> However, photos indicate that the front wing on the McLaren could have broken even earlier when Hamilton nudged a car (believed to be Alonso) on the opening lap.<ref name="hamiltonwing"/> The later incident left Alonso with damage to the back of the car, impairing his attempts to pass Glock late in the race.<ref name="renaultsunday">{{cite web |url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/66438 |title=Bahrain Sunday quotes: Renault |work= autosport.com |publisher= Haymarket Publishing |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2009-02-26}}</ref>
Räikkönen's second-placed finish gave him a three-point lead over Heidfeld in the Drivers' Championship, with 19 points, ahead of Heidfeld with 16, followed by Hamilton, Kubica and Kovalainen, each with 14 points.<ref name="pointsFIA"/> BMW Sauber's strong performance gave them the lead in the Constructors' Championship, with 30 points, ahead of Ferrari with 29 points and McLaren with 28 points.<ref name="pointsFIA"/> {{Clear}}
===Race classification=== {|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%" |- ! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Laps !! Time/Retired !! Grid !! Points |- ! 1 | 2 || {{flagicon|Brazil}} '''[[Felipe Massa]]''' || '''[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]''' | 57 | 1:31:06.970 | 2 | '''10''' |- ! 2 | 1 || {{flagicon|Finland}} '''[[Kimi Räikkönen]]''' || '''[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]''' | 57 | + 3.339 | 4 | '''8''' |- ! 3 | 4 || {{flagicon|Poland}} '''[[Robert Kubica]]''' || '''[[BMW Sauber]]''' | 57 | + 4.998 | 1 | '''6''' |- ! 4 | 3 || {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Nick Heidfeld]]''' || '''[[BMW Sauber]]''' | 57 | + 8.409 | 6 | '''5''' |- ! 5 | 23 || {{flagicon|Finland}} '''[[Heikki Kovalainen]]''' || '''[[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]-[[Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines|Mercedes]]''' | 57 | + 26.789 | 5 | '''4''' |- ! 6 | 11 || {{flagicon|Italy}} '''[[Jarno Trulli]]''' || '''[[Toyota F1|Toyota]]''' | 57 | + 41.314 | 7 | '''3''' |- ! 7 | 10 || {{flagicon|Australia}} '''[[Mark Webber (racing driver)|Mark Webber]]''' || '''[[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull]]-[[Renault F1|Renault]]''' | 57 | + 45.473 | 11 | '''2''' |- ! 8 | 7 || {{flagicon|Germany}} '''[[Nico Rosberg]]''' || '''[[WilliamsF1|Williams]]-[[Toyota F1|Toyota]]''' | 57 | + 55.889 | 8 | '''1''' |- ! 9 | 12 || {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Timo Glock]] || [[Toyota F1|Toyota]] | 57 | + 1:09.500 | 13 | |- ! 10 | 5 || {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Fernando Alonso]] || [[Renault F1|Renault]] | 57 | + 1:17.181 | 10 | |- ! 11 | 17 || {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Rubens Barrichello]] || [[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] | 57 | + 1:17.862 | 12 | |- ! 12 | 21 || {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Giancarlo Fisichella]] || [[Force India]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 18 | |- ! 13 | 22 || {{flagicon|UK}} [[Lewis Hamilton]] || [[McLaren (racing)|McLaren]]-[[Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines|Mercedes]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 3 | |- ! 14 | 8 || {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuki Nakajima]] || [[WilliamsF1|Williams]]-[[Toyota F1|Toyota]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 16 | |- ! 15 | 14 || {{flagicon|France}} [[Sébastien Bourdais]] || [[Scuderia Toro Rosso|Toro Rosso]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 15 | |- ! 16 | 19 || {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Anthony Davidson]] || [[Super Aguri F1|Super Aguri]]-[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 21 | |- ! 17 | 18 || {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Takuma Sato]] || [[Super Aguri F1|Super Aguri]]-[[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 22 | |- ! 18 | 9 || {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[David Coulthard]] || [[Red Bull Racing|Red Bull]]-[[Renault F1|Renault]] | 56 | + 1 lap | 17 | |- ! 19 | 20 || {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Adrian Sutil]] || [[Force India]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] | 55 | + 2 laps | 20 | |- ! {{abbr|Ret|Retired}} | 6 || {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Nelson Piquet Jr.]] || [[Renault F1|Renault]] | 40 | Gearbox | 14 | |- ! {{abbr|Ret|Retired}} | 16 || {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Jenson Button]] || [[Honda Racing F1|Honda]] | 19 | Collision | 9 | |- ! {{abbr|Ret|Retired}} | 15 || {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Sebastian Vettel]] || [[Scuderia Toro Rosso|Toro Rosso]]-[[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] | 0 | Collision | 19 | |- !colspan="8"|{{center|Source:<ref name="classification"/>}} |}
==Championship standings after the race== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}} ;Drivers' Championship standings {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |- ! ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}} ! Driver ! Points |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 1 | {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Kimi Räikkönen]] | 19 |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 2 | {{flagicon|GER}} [[Nick Heidfeld]] | 16 |- | [[File:1downarrow red.svg|10px]] 2 |align="center"| 3 | {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Lewis Hamilton]] | 14 |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 4 | {{flagicon|POL}} [[Robert Kubica]] | 14 |- | [[File:1downarrow red.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 5 | {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Heikki Kovalainen]] | 14 |- !colspan=4|Source:<ref name="pointsFIA"/><ref name="champ">{{Cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/bahrein/championnat.aspx|title=Bahrain 2008 - Championship • STATS F1|website=www.statsf1.com|access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref> |} {{col-2}} ;Constructors' Championship standings {|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 85%;" |- ! ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}} ! Constructor ! Points |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 1 | {{flagicon|GER}} [[BMW in Formula One|BMW Sauber]] | 30 |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 2 | {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] | 29 |- | [[File:1downarrow red.svg|10px]] 2 |align="center"| 3 | {{flagicon|GBR}} [[McLaren]]-[[Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains|Mercedes]] | 28 |- | [[File:1rightarrow blue.svg|10px]] |align="center"| 4 | {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering|Williams]]-[[Toyota Racing (Formula One team)|Toyota]] | 10 |- | [[File:1uparrow green.svg|10px]] 1 |align="center"| 5 | {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Toyota Racing (Formula One team)|Toyota]] | 8 |- !colspan=4|Source:<ref name="pointsFIA"/><ref name="champ"/> |} {{col-end}} *<small>'''Note''': Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.</small>
== See also == * [[2008 Bahrain GP2 Asia Series round]] * [[2008 Bahrain Speedcar Series round]]
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{Wikinews|Felipe Massa wins 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix}} {{commons category}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080409220829/http://www.fia.com/sport/Championships/F1/F1_Classifications/2008/Bahrain/class.html Official FIA results]
{{F1_race_report |Name_of_race=[[Bahrain Grand Prix]] |Year_of_race=2008 |Previous_race_in_season=[[2008 Malaysian Grand Prix]] |Next_race_in_season=[[2008 Spanish Grand Prix]] |Previous_year's_race=[[2007 Bahrain Grand Prix]] |Next_year's_race=[[2009 Bahrain Grand Prix]] }}
{{F1GP 00-09}}
[[Category:2008 Formula One races|Bahrain Grand Prix]] [[Category:Bahrain Grand Prix]] [[Category:2008 in Bahraini motorsport|Grand Prix]] [[Category:April 2008 sports events in Asia|Bahrain Grand Prix]]