2008 Turkish Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Felipe Massa completed a hat-trick of Turkish Grand Prix victories after overcoming a strong strategic challenge from Lewis Hamilton. McLaren’s three-stop approach brought Lewis Hamilton into the fight, but Felipe Massa’s pace and two-stop plan ultimately prevailed ahead of Kimi Räikkönen.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Felipe Massa	Ferrari
Pole time	1:27.617
Fastest lap	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:26.506 on lap 20
First	Felipe Massa	Ferrari
Second	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren
Third	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
9 May 2008	Practice 1	10:00
9 May 2008	Practice 2	14:00
10 May 2008	Practice 3	11:00
10 May 2008	Qualifying	14:00
11 May 2008	Race	15:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Kimi Räikkönen arrived at round 5 leading the 2008 F1 World Championship on 29 points, with Lewis Hamilton on 20. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 47 points.

Race entries

Super Aguri withdrew before the Turkish Grand Prix, reducing the field from 22 cars to 20. Qualifying consequently eliminated five drivers in each of its opening two segments. Heikki Kovalainen was cleared to return after his Spanish Grand Prix accident, while Honda marked Rubens Barrichello’s long career with celebrations over his record number of appearances.

Free Practice

Late track cleaning left damp patches that delayed meaningful FP1 running in the cool conditions. Felipe Massa eventually went fastest, while Kimi Räikkönen completed only three laps before gearbox trouble stopped him. Giancarlo Fisichella also incurred a three-place grid penalty for leaving the pit lane against a red light, turning practice into an early setback for his race weekend.

Kimi Räikkönen recovered to lead FP2, but Mark Webber crashed heavily at Turn 6 and brought out a red flag. The Australian escaped injury, although his car needed substantial repairs. David Coulthard’s competitive time offered Red Bull Racing encouragement despite the damage on the other side of the garage.

Mark Webber bounced back to top final practice after Friday’s accident. Damp patches remained after earlier rain, while several leading contenders concentrated on heavier-fuel preparations. The repaired Red Bull Racing car therefore completed a particularly useful session, with Fernando Alonso and David Coulthard also showing competitive single-lap pace.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2008 Turkish Grand Prix FP1, 9 May 2008

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:27.323	16
2	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+0.133s	17
3	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+0.429s	15
4	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.961s	16
5	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+1.596s	12
6	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+1.679s	19
7	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.701s	21
8	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+1.745s	11
9	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	+1.759s	23
10	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	+1.780s	19
11	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+2.006s	24
12	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+2.007s	7
13	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+2.044s	20
14	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	+2.433s	23
15	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+2.488s	23
16	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	+2.765s	21
17	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+3.017s	13
18	14	Sebastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	+3.065s	19
19	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	+3.103s	21
20	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+3.409s	3

Free Practice 2 Classification

2008 Turkish Grand Prix FP2, 9 May 2008

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:27.543	30
2	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+0.036s	31
3	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+0.139s	29
4	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+0.220s	24
5	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+0.411s	27
6	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+0.888s	29
7	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+1.076s	29
8	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+1.121s	27
9	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.138s	26
10	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.274s	31
11	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+1.283s	28
12	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	+1.306s	26
13	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+1.364s	29
14	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+1.465s	35
15	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+1.481s	22
16	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	+1.669s	26
17	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	+1.919s	30
18	14	Sebastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	+2.087s	32
19	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	+2.090s	4
20	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	+3.289s	9

Free Practice 3 Classification

2008 Turkish Grand Prix FP3, 10 May 2008

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	1:27.030	16
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.142s	13
3	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+0.163s	15
4	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+0.335s	16
5	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+0.500s	13
6	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+0.584s	15
7	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+0.628s	18
8	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	+0.703s	22
9	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+0.736s	16
10	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	+0.751s	14
11	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+0.807s	14
12	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+0.819s	13
13	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	+0.869s	18
14	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+0.916s	14
15	14	Sebastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	+0.918s	17
16	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+0.941s	16
17	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+1.271s	14
18	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+1.543s	18
19	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.625s	19
20	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	+2.101s	19

Qualifying

Felipe Massa secured his third consecutive Istanbul Park pole, ahead of Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Räikkönen qualified fourth as Ferrari and McLaren took the first two rows, with Robert Kubica and Mark Webber following.

Lewis Hamilton chose the harder compound for his final attempt, having been unhappy with the softer tyres over a complete lap. Further back, Giancarlo Fisichella’s practice penalty relegated him behind teammate Adrian Sutil at the rear, while the revised elimination numbers reflected the smaller field following Super Aguri’s withdrawal.

Qualifying Classification

2008 Turkish Grand Prix Qualifying, 10 May 2008

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1:25.994	1:26.192	1:27.617	16
2	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	1:26.736	1:26.290	1:27.808	16
3	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	1:26.192	1:26.477	1:27.923	15
4	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:26.457	1:26.050	1:27.936	17
5	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	1:26.761	1:26.129	1:28.390	17
6	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	1:26.773	1:26.466	1:28.417	17
7	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:26.836	1:26.522	1:28.422	18
8	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:26.695	1:26.822	1:28.836	20
9	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:27.107	1:26.607	1:28.882	20
10	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	1:26.939	1:26.520	1:29.959	16
11	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	1:27.367	1:27.012	—	13
12	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	1:27.355	1:27.219	—	13
13	16	Jenson Button	Honda	1:27.428	1:27.298	—	14
14	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	1:27.442	1:27.412	—	15
15	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	1:26.614	1:27.806	—	15
16	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	1:27.547	—	—	9
17	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	1:27.568	—	—	7
18	14	Sébastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	1:27.621	—	—	8
19	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	1:27.807	—	—	10
20	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	1:28.325	—	—	9

Giancarlo Fisichella got a three place grid penalty for exiting the pitlane whilst the red lights were still on during Friday’s first practice session.

What happened in the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix?

Felipe Massa led away as Lewis Hamilton passed Heikki Kovalainen, whose contact with Kimi Räikkönen caused a puncture. Giancarlo Fisichella’s collision with Kazuki Nakajima brought out an early safety car. After the restart, Lewis Hamilton stayed close to Felipe Massa while Kimi Räikkönen recovered from a poor opening lap.

McLaren used three stops for Lewis Hamilton amid tyre concerns, allowing him to run lighter and attack. He passed Felipe Massa at Turn 12 and built a lead, but still needed an extra visit to the pits. Ferrari’s two-stop strategy remained on course, and Lewis Hamilton emerged from his final stop between Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen.

Felipe Massa held on for his third straight victory at the circuit, with Lewis Hamilton second and Kimi Räikkönen third. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld completed a solid afternoon for BMW Sauber. Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Nico Rosberg took the remaining points, while Heikki Kovalainen’s recovery from the early puncture ended outside the top eight.

After the race, Kimi Räikkönen headed the drivers’ standings with 35 points, followed by Felipe Massa on 28. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 63, with BMW Sauber on 44.

2008 Turkish Grand Prix race results

The 2008 Turkish Grand Prix was held on 11 May 2008, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	58	1:26:49.451	10
2	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	58	+3.779	8
3	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	58	+4.271	6
4	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	58	+21.945	5
5	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	58	+38.741	4
6	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	58	+53.724	3
7	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	58	+1:04.229	2
8	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	58	+1:11.406	1
9	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	58	+1:15.270	0
10	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	58	+1:16.344	0
11	16	Jenson Button	Honda	57	+1 Lap	0
12	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	57	+1 Lap	0
13	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	57	+1 Lap	0
14	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	57	+1 Lap	0
15	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	57	+1 Lap	0
16	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	57	+1 Lap	0
17	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	57	+1 Lap	0
Ret	14	Sébastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	24	Suspension	0
Ret	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	1	Collision damage	0
Ret	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	0	Collision	0

2008 Turkish Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	20	1:26.506	222.144
2	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	31	1:26.529	222.085
3	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	16	1:26.666	221.734
4	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	17	1:26.780	221.442
5	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	20	1:27.219	220.328
6	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	57	1:27.280	220.174
7	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	14	1:27.630	219.294
8	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	55	1:27.640	219.269
9	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams	55	1:27.795	218.882
10	6	Nelson Piquet	Renault	40	1:27.867	218.703
11	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	52	1:27.926	218.556
12	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	41	1:27.966	218.457
13	16	Jenson Button	Honda	57	1:27.998	218.377
14	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	56	1:28.017	218.330
15	15	Sebastian Vettel	Toro Rosso	38	1:28.180	217.926
16	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	28	1:28.303	217.623
17	14	Sebastien Bourdais	Toro Rosso	19	1:28.745	216.539
18	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	35	1:28.780	216.454

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

2008 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2008 Turkish Grand Prix.

2008 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Ferrari	35
2	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Ferrari	28
3	Lewis Hamilton	British	McLaren	28
4	Robert Kubica	Polish	BMW Sauber	24
5	Nick Heidfeld	German	BMW Sauber	20
6	Heikki Kovalainen	Finnish	McLaren	14
7	Mark Webber	Australian	Red Bull Racing	10
8	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	9
9	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	9
10	Nico Rosberg	German	Williams	8
11	Kazuki Nakajima	Japanese	Williams	5
12	Jenson Button	British	Honda	3
13	Sébastien Bourdais	French	Toro Rosso	2
14	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull Racing	0
15	Timo Glock	German	Toyota	0
16	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Force India	0
17	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Honda	0
18	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Renault	0
19	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Super Aguri	0
20	Anthony Davidson	British	Super Aguri	0
21	Adrian Sutil	German	Force India	0
22	Sebastian Vettel	German	Toro Rosso	0

2008 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	63
2	BMW Sauber	44
3	McLaren	42
4	Williams	13
5	Red Bull Racing	10
6	Toyota	9
7	Renault	9
8	Honda	3
9	Toro Rosso	2
10	Force India	0
11	Super Aguri	0

2008 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2008 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	16 March
2	2008 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	23 March
3	2008 Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	6 April
4	2008 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	27 April
5	2008 Turkish Grand Prix	Istanbul Park, Istanbul	11 May
6	2008 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	25 May
7	2008 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	8 June
8	2008 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	22 June
9	2008 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	6 July
10	2008 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	20 July
11	2008 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	3 August
12	2008 European Grand Prix	Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia	24 August
13	2008 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	7 September
14	2008 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	14 September
15	2008 Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore	28 September
16	2008 Japanese Grand Prix	Fuji Speedway, Oyama	12 October
17	2008 Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	19 October
18	2008 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	2 November