2008 Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix

[Jack_Bauer]

Robert Kubica upset the form books with a sensational debut pole position in the Bahrain desert. Everything pointed towards a Ferrari pole position and most likely an all Ferrari front row judging by the pace in yesterday's practice sessions. However, it wasn't to be as the young Polish driver beat Massa into second place, with Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen in third and fourth respectively.

The first session included a red flag as Takuma Sato lost the back end of the Super Aguri on the exit to the final corner, spinning out into the wall. His car was too badly damaged to continue, though should make tomorrow's race without any problems. The big loser in Q1 was definitely David Coulthard, who finished the session down in 17th. It has been a rather disappointing performance from the Red Bull team so far this weekend, after showing so much promise in Malaysia. Sebastien Bourdais was probably the star of the session, making it through to the second session for the first time in his debut season.

The big story of Q2 was Jenson Button squeezing through in 10th place by the thinnest of margins, just edging out Mark Webber and his teammate Rubens Barrichello. Button would eventually end up an excellent ninth place for Honda. Aside from that everything went to form in this session.

Going into the final session Felipe Massa was in such confident form that it looked like he would breeze through to secure pole, but it wasn't to be. Lewis Hamilton was the first of the big boys to show his hand, showing that the crash he suffered in practice yersterday hasn't set him back too much. Kubica and Massa both went faster though by the end of the first hot laps. In the final runs it was Hamilton again who was the first across the line, and again he went quickest. However, behind him Kubica was flying and setting fastest sector times and went through two tenths quicker than his good friend Hamilton. Raikkonen was next through but was a slightly disappointing fourth. Massa was the last of the main contenders on a hot lap, but the timing screens showed that he had lost nearly three tenths in the middle sector due to a slight error. He couldn't manage to overhaul Kubica, missing out by a few hundredths of a second.

So a wonderful first pole position for Kubica, and for his young team BMW. Judging by how fast he was in comparison to teammate Heidfeld who finished down in sixth you would have to assume that he's very light on fuel, but a remarkable performance nonetheless. What does this mean for Felipe Massa though? He has had a dreadful start to the season and there have been rumours surrounding his future with the Scuderia. So far this weekend he had silenced the doubters, looking incredibly fast. But when it really mattered, he yet again failed to produce the goods by making a mistake on his final run. Still, he has the race tomorrow to redeem himself, and will still have to be the pre-race favourite to take the win.

Qualifying Results

01 R. Kubica BMW 1:33.096
02 F. Massa Ferrari 1:33.123
03 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:33.292
04 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:33.418
05 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:33.488
06 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:33.737
07 J. Trulli Toyota 1:33.994
08 N. Rosberg Williams 1:34.015
09 J. Button Honda 1:35.057
10 F. Alonso Renault 1:35.115
11 M. Webber Red Bull 1:32.371
12 R. Barrichello Honda 1:32.508
13 T. Glock Toyota 1:32.528
14 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:32.790
15 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:32.915
16 K. Nakajima Williams 1:32.943
17 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:33.433
18 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:33.501
19 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:33.501
20 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:33.845
21 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:34.140
22 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:35.725

[Zytek_Fan]

Go ROBERT!!!!!!

[v.6]

Originally Posted by Jack_Bauer

This weekend sees the Formula One circus move to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the fifth running of the Bahrain Grand Prix. As has all too often been the case over the past season or so, the sport has a cloud of controversy following it wherever it may go. However, I don't think the sport has ever seen one quite like the one that shook the world's motorsport fans last Sunday, the fallout from which looks nowhere near settling. With Max Mosley absent from this Grand Prix for obvious reasons, let's hope that all the talk this weekend is about what goes on on the black stuff rather than one what certain people choose to do (or have done to them!) in seedy London basement apartments. Somehow, I doubt it will be though...

Believe me there are far more important subjects on F1 drivers and fans minds than an office boy like MM tripping over his flies, and how can you say "lets hope the talk this weekend is about" other stuff when you open and lead in your own comments on this? Lets all just get back to racing

[Rockefella]

Good job on RK there, it's nice to see a Pole on pole, as pawel said. Seems like it's turning into a 3-way run for the championships.

[NicFromLA]

I'm really hoping this season is going to be a three-way battle for the championship between Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Mercedes McLaren. A battle which, since I'm rooting for Ferrari in GT racing, I hope BMW wins.

[ringle]

Ok, there are 14 turns on this track and they run 57 laps. Thus the "Massa spin pool" will have quite a few options to choose from. Pick the lap and the corner you feel he will come unglued from the tarmac without contact from another car. Or alternatively choose which lap he will severely damage his suspension on by colliding with another car. My guess is he will bang wheels with Lewis in the first or second turn of lap one after having gotten a very poor start.

[faksta]

WTF are they doing down there? They're playing FlatOut...

BTW, should the race be stopped in case there will be too small number of cars on track?

[Dino Scuderia]

Hamilton=Fail

[faksta]

Who lost the front wing during a start?
Haha... Button sets the best lap - if my ears served me well, it was 2 second faster than the others... oops..now Massa's lap is best

[Jack_Bauer]

Hmmm, apparently the McLaren engineers in the pits are questioning what made Alonso suddenly so slow on the straight there. Suggestions that perhaps Alonso brake tested him. If he DID brake test him, then he ought to have his super-license revoked and kicked out of the sport.

It certainly looked like a very strange incident...

[Dino Scuderia]

Originally Posted by Jack_Bauer

Hmmm, apparently the McLaren engineers in the pits are questioning what made Alonso suddenly so slow on the straight there. Suggestions that perhaps Alonso brake tested him. If he DID brake test him, then he ought to have his super-license revoked and kicked out of the sport.

It certainly looked like a very strange incident...

How can you brake test under acceleration? It's wasn't a braking incident.

[Matra et Alpine]

Didn't need a brake test,

he was unable to accelerate as without traction control he lost grip and came off the throttle. So the car didnt' accelerate as fast causing Lewis to run into him.

At least's what the lawyers will be saying

and you CAN "brake test" under accleration with the left foot But "brake test" is a term for any move where a leading driver will try to trick the following into panicking by being slower in unexpected places.

[Jack_Bauer]

Originally Posted by Dino Scuderia

How can you brake test under acceleration? It's wasn't a braking incident.

Well, "brake test" effectively means deliberately slowing down in an unusual place. Lifting off under acceleration has a similar effect.

[Dino Scuderia]

It's an absurd assertion.

Knowing that Alonso knows he was heavier as well as slower than the McLaren from jump.

[faksta]

Dam.. being away for a couple minutes, when Icame back I've confused Fisichella's FI with Kovalainen's McLaren. They're so similar even going side by side.