Race highlights after the jump.
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The start: In qualifying, Lewis and Heikki were third and sixth fastest respectively. However, the penalty Lewis received in Montreal two weeks ago meant that he was relegated 10 positions on the grid to 13th. Heikki was promoted to fifth due to Lewis’s grid penalty, but later received a five-place grid penalty because of an alleged obstruction of Mark Webber, relegating him to 10th. Heikki was ninth after the opening lap followed by Lewis in 10th place.

The race, lap 5: Lewis overtook Heikki and was ninth.
Lap 13: Lewis received a drive-through penalty for an alleged missing of the apex at turn seven on the first lap. He drove through the pits one lap later and was 13th. Heikki was ninth.
Lap 16: Heikki moved up to eighth following Fernando Alonso’s (Renault) first pit stop.
Lap 19: Lewis overtook Fernando Alonso and took 12th position, then he came in for his first pit stop (8.9sec) and resumed in 19th place.
Lap 25: Heikki pitted from fourth place (9.4sec) and rejoined the race in 10th place.
Lap 28: Heikki was ninth and Lewis 16th.
Lap 30: Heikki improved to seventh place.
Lap 36: Lewis was now in 13th place.
Lap 42: Heikki overtook Mark Webber (Red Bull Renault) at the Adelaide hairpin and moved up to sixth place. He improved to fifth following Alonso’s second pit stop one lap later.
Lap 47: Heikki was fourth after Robert Kubica’s (BMW Sauber) second pit stop whilst Lewis outbraked Alonso - also at the hairpin - and was now 12th.
Lap 50: Jarno Trulli (Toyota) pitted and Heikki was third; Lewis moved up to eighth and was in a points position for the first time today.
Lap 52: Second pit stop of Heikki (6.5sec), he resumed in fourth place. Lewis came in immediately afterwards (7.0sec) and dropped to 12th place.
Lap 57: Rain began to fall. Lewis overtook Timo Glock (Toyota) and was now 10th.
Lap 59: Heikki reduced the gap behind Trulli to 0.7sec. Lewis was 0.8sec behind David Coulthard (Red Bull Renault).
Finish (lap 70): Heikki came home fourth and missed the podium by 0.6sec. Lewis ended up 10th.

Comments

Heikki Kovalainen
“Given yesterday’s grid penalty, this was a very good result. It also shows that we had a great strategy to be able to come from 10th on the grid to fourth at the finish. During the first stint I lost a lot of time trying to get past slower cars; but, after that, fortunately, I was able to overtake, build a cushion and close the gap to the guys in front. The car felt fantastic throughout the whole race and the Bridgestone Potenza tyres worked really well. During the closing laps, I found myself behind Jarno and tried everything I could to overtake him, but I just couldn’t quite make it. He defended third place very well, so well done to him for that.”

Lewis Hamilton
“My drive-through penalty was an extremely close call: I felt I’d got past Vettel fairly and was ahead going into the corner. But I was on the outside and couldn’t turn-in in case we both crashed, then I lost the back-end and drove over the kerb. But, after that, I got my head down and pushed hard until the end of the race. I’ve been out of the points for three races now – but there are still 10 to go. Kimi came from behind to win last year’s championship, so there’s no reason to be disheartened. I’m 10 points behind, but I’m determined to bounce back at Silverstone in front of my home crowd.”

Ron Dennis
“A challenging weekend for us. Having said that, Heikki had a brilliant afternoon, driving superbly and fighting all the way to the chequered flag, and only narrowly missed the podium. Lewis’s race was severely hampered by his drive-through penalty. Now, though, we must draw a line under this weekend and look ahead. We’ve got a competitive car and two excellent drivers, and as such we’re in great shape. So now we need to focus on the Santander British Grand Prix, and on getting the best results we possibly can at Silverstone, where we feel confident we’ll once again be able to challenge at the front.”

Norbert Haug
“Our pace wasn’t too bad. Without his drive-through penalty, third place would definitely have been possible for Lewis despite starting 13th. Heikki did a great job and moved from 10th to fourth. It’s a shame that he didn’t manage to pass Trulli at the end. However, for the spectators, he at least produced the fight of the race. We all now concentrate on the first of two consecutive ‘home grands prix’ in Silverstone. Lewis’s gap to the top is 10 points and that is still not too big a gap.”

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The start: In his 24th Grand Prix, Lewis started from pole position for the eighth time in his F1 career; Heikki had qualified seventh. Lewis accelerated into an immediate lead and finished the opening lap in first position whilst Heikki was seventh.

The race, lap 10: Lewis put in a couple of fastest laps in the opening stage and was five seconds ahead of Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) and nine seconds ahead of Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari).
Lap 13: Heikki held off charging Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber).
Lap 17: The Safety Car was deployed after Adrian Sutil (Force India Ferrari) had retired at a bad spot.
Lap 19: Lewis and Heikki made their respective first pit stop during the Safety Car period; Lewis was stationary for 9.9sec and Heikki for 10sec. When Lewis wanted to exit the pit lane, he hit the Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen who had stopped at the red light.
Lap 21: Re-start. Heikki was 13th.
Lap 42: Heikki was sixth after all drivers had pitted at least once.
Lap 52: Heikki outbraked Rubens Barrichello (Honda) at the hairpin and hit the dirty part of the track, therefore Felipe Massa (Ferrari) was able to overtake; Heikki was now fifth.
Lap 53: Heikki came in for his second pit stop (6.4sec) and resumed in 10th place.
Lap 60: Heikki overtook Nico Rosberg (Williams Toyota) on the front straight and took ninth place.
Finish (lap 70): Heikki came home ninth. For the pit lane incident, Lewis was penalised by the stewards: In the next Grand Prix in Magny-Cours in two weeks, he will be relegated on the grid by 10 positions.

Comments

Heikki Kovalainen
“Today wasn’t a great day for me. At the start of the race I felt we had the potential to record a very good result – but then I started to experience quite a lot of graining on my first set of tyres. Changing tyres didn’t seem to help matters, and I was never therefore able to push hard to the finish. It’s always difficult when you come home empty-handed, but this weekend has shown that we have a package that can compete for a win – and I’ll keep pushing for exactly that in Magny-Cours.”

Lewis Hamilton
“Before my pit stop, everything looked on course for the perfect result: we were so quick, we were breezing it in fact. But it wasn’t a great pit stop – and, as I exited the box, I saw two cars jostling for position ahead of me in the pit lane. Obviously, I didn’t want to get involved in their tussle, and was trying not to do so, and then all of a sudden they stopped. And by the time they’d come to a halt, it was too late for me to avoid them. It’s just unfortunate when stuff like this happens, but I have no argument with the stewards. We’d looked so strong for the whole weekend though, so at least we can leave Montreal confident that we have a package that will enable us to fight for the World Championship from here on in.”

Ron Dennis
“Obviously, for a team that exists to win, today was a very disappointing day. But the fact is that we had the pace and therefore the capability to win, which is of course encouraging. The collision that eliminated Lewis was just one of those things. No racing driver would deliberately put himself out of a Grand Prix, and the plain fact is that Lewis didn’t realise that the cars in front of him were coming to a halt until too late. It’s difficult for a driver to decide whether to focus on the lights or on the cars ahead in situations like that. Having said that, we accept the stewards’ decision. Heikki had a difficult weekend, too. But, together as a team, we’ll build on the disappointment of Canada 2008.”

Norbert Haug
“A race to quickly forget. Lewis held a comfortable lead and controlled the field until the 20th lap and had the best chance of winning, when his accident at the pit lane exit destroyed them. We now concentrate on the next race, Lewis is just four points behind the leader in the World Championship. Congratulations to BMW on their 1-2 victory – well done!”

After the sixth of 18 Grands Prix, Lewis took the lead in the drivers’ ranking with 38 points ahead of Kimi Räikkönen (35 points) who was ninth today. Heikki is sixth overall with 15 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes moved up to second with 53 points; Ferrari leads with 69 points.

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The start: Short before the race a light rain began to fall. Lewis and Heikki had qualified third and fourth respectively; both were on intermediate tires. Lewis overtook Kimi Räikkönen at the start and was second after the opening lap, behind Felipe Massa. Heikki started from the pit lane, because he was not able to engage a gear at the beginning of the formation lap. The Finn was 19th after the first lap.
The race, lap 3: More rain began to fall.
Lap 6: At the Tabac corner, Lewis touched the barrier with his right rear wheel and damaged the tyre. He pitted (8.3sec) and resumed in fifth place whilst Heikki was 17th.
Lap 8: Following an accident of David Coulthard (Red Bull Renault) and Sébastien Bourdais (Toro Rosso Ferrari), the Safety Car was deployed. Lewis was now fourth and Heikki 15th.
Lap 10: Re-start.
Lap 14: Lewis was third and Heikki 13th.
Lap 23: Heikki improved to 10th place.
Lap 26: After Robert Kubica’s pit stop, Lewis was now second.
Lap 30: Lewis reduced the gap behind leader Felipe Massa whilst Heikki got stuck in a group of four behind Jarno Trulli (Toyota).
Lap 33: Lewis took the lead when Felipe Massa pitted.
Lap 34: Heikki came in for his first pit stop (10sec) and dropped to 17th place.
Lap 49: Heikki came in for his second stop (7.4sec) and changed to dry tyres; he resumed in 13th place.
Lap 54: Lewis led with 37.6sec ahead of Felipe Massa when he came in for his refueling stop. He changed to dry tyres, rejoined the race after 7sec and maintained the lead. Heikki was 11th.
Lap 62: The Safety Car was deployed again after an accident of Nico Rosberg (Williams Toyota) and Lewis lost his 40sec gap.
Lap 67: Re-start. Lewis maintained his lead.
Finish (lap 76): Lewis won 3.0sec ahead of Robert Kubica and 4.8sec ahead of Felipe Massa. Heikki came home eighth. The race was cut short by two laps after the two-hour mark was reached.

Comments

Lewis Hamilton
“I am absolutely over the moon. To win here in Monaco is the highlight of my career and an occasion I will always remember. I want to thank everybody in the team for their fantastic job, and also my family for their continuous support. It was a very eventful race. I started well and immediately overtook Kimi, and also saw a chance to attack Felipe, but then the rain got heavier and visibility worsened. At the Tabac corner, there was a lot of water on the track, and suddenly I had oversteer and hit the barrier. It was just a slight touch, but the tyre was damaged and I had to pit. Fortunately, the first Safety Car period helped me to close the gap to the front. We changed our strategy, and I had to make only one more stop. When I was about 40 seconds ahead the team told me over the radio to take it easy. The second Safety Car period brought more excitement, but I was able to control the race also after the second re-start. What a day and what a result !”

Heikki Kovalainen
“An extremely difficult race with any chance of finishing in a top position already gone when I could not engage a gear at the start of the formation lap. Consequently I had to change the steering wheel in the pit lane from where I had to start my race. I tried to push as hard as I could, but could only go at my real pace when there was a gap. It is a pity, because my car was good and the speed was there. At least I scored one point at the end and now look forward to the next Grands Prix where I will go maximum attack to finish with good results.”

Ron Dennis
“Today was a great day – and a fantastic team performance. Our guys instigated a brilliant strategy change, under pressure, after Lewis touched the Tabac barrier and damaged his right rear tyre early in the race. Had Heikki not had a problem on the grid, we would have had the pace for a 1-2 finish. That was a disappointment for him and us, but he drove a fantastic race thereafter and his time will surely come. Lewis’s sensational win has taken him back to the lead of the Drivers’ World Championship - and we now go to Montreal, scene of his first grand prix win 12 months ago, in a strong position to continue our challenge for the Championships. A great victory for the team and all of our Partners.”

Norbert Haug
“Lewis was sensational and his performance was just terrific. We had the best strategy, the best speed and certainly a little luck as well. For me, this sixth victory in Monaco for McLaren and Mercedes and 54th in total together with McLaren is our greatest so far. Sorry for Heikki, without his problem in selecting first gear at the start of the formation lap he would have been a very strong contender for a podium finish – at least he scored one point. A big thank you to the whole team who worked so hard and to all our partners, particularly Vodafone for all their support. The fight for the championship is wide open, and we certainly want to go for it. “

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The start: Heikki and Lewis had qualified second and third respectively. Lewis improved to second behind Massa whilst Heikki dropped to fourth behind Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber). Following a collision at the first corner the Safety Car was deployed.

The race, lap 2: Re-start. Heikki pitted due to a damaged left rear tyre which was the consequence of a coming-together with Kimi Räikkönen at the first corner. The Finn resumed in 18th and last place.
Lap 10: Lewis was second and posted a couple of fastest race laps; his gap behind Massa was about one and a half seconds.
Lap 12: Heikki was 17th.
Lap 15: Lewis was less than a second behind Massa when he came in for his first stop (6.4sec); he resumed in sixth place. Heikki improved to 16th position one lap later.
Lap 24: Lewis outbraked Massa at the end of the back straight and took the lead. Heikki was now 13th.
Lap 25: Lewis opened a gap of 1.8sec.
Lap 26: Heikki pitted from 11th place (9.9sec) and dropped to 15th whilst Lewis’s advantage at the front was 3.8sec.
Lap 32: Leading with 8.3sec, Lewis came in for his second stop (6.2sec) and rejoined the race in third place. Heikki was 14th.
Lap 36: Heikki improved to 12th place.
Lap 43: Following the pit stops of Massa (lap 40) and Räikkönen (lap 43), Lewis was back in the lead.
Lap 45: Lewis came in for his third and final pit stop (5.9sec) and was second, 5.2sec behind Massa and 1.4sec ahead of Räikkönen.
Lap 50: Heikki pitted for the second time (6.2sec) and resumed in 13th place.
Lap 58 (finish): Lewis came home second, 3.7sec behind Massa. Heikki ended up 12th.

Team Comments

Lewis Hamilton“I am so thrilled with today’s result, and I think this is the best race ever for me. It’s not about winning, it’s about feeling that you extract 100% from yourself and the car and I did that today. Before the race our prediction was that all being well I would finish fifth, so second is such a bonus. I was not happy with my performance yesterday and perhaps if I had managed to get the car on pole I could have won. However, we knew that we would have to use a three stop strategy as a precaution as we had some issues with our tyres. The team did a fantastic job, the pitstops were great, and the balance of the car was superb, and we all kept our spirit up. There were no problems with the tyres in the race. I managed to overtake Felipe at one point, and I really think we have closed the gap to Ferrari. I am so excited about the next race in Monaco and just can’t wait.”

Heikki Kovalainen“Not a lucky race for me as I made a bad start from the dirty line on the grid. After the start Kimi and I touched slightly which caused a slow puncture to my left-rear tyre. Initially I was not sure whether the tyre was damaged or not, but during the Safety Car period I realised that I had to come into the pits for a new tyre. That was almost it for me, because with my heavy fuel load and the traffic it is extremely difficult to gain any places during the race. However, I did my best but no points. These things happen, and I have had a good weekend and really enjoyed being back in the car. It’s a shame that we were not able to get points today as I have been fast throughout, but I am really optimistic for Monaco.”

Ron Dennis
“Today we saw a truly phenomenal drive from Lewis, in which he optimised a three-stop strategy that we were forced to adopt as a consequence of concerns we had with his tyres. As a result of the eight points that his second-placed finish netted him, he closed the gap on Kimi in the World Drivers’ Championship to just seven points. Heikki’s race was spoiled by a punctured left-rear tyre, the result of contact with Kimi at the first corner. As soon as the pit lane had reopened, we called him in for tyres and fuel. Thereafter he drove forcefully and well all afternoon. But for that puncture, he would have scored heavily today. I believe we have closed the gap to our main competition which gives the team a great boost before heading for Monte Carlo.”

Norbert Haug“A really exciting Grand Prix and, as I think, quite entertaining for the spectators. We had an aggressive strategy for Lewis which almost paid off as our aims were first places in both qualifying and race. Lewis drove a great race with a good speed. His overtaking maneuver when he passed Massa was surely enjoyed by lots of television spectators as it does not happen too often in Formula 1 that the leading car is passed. Kimi touched Heikki at the first corner, and Heikki had to make an extra pit stop due to a damaged tyre. This ruined his race and prevented him from taking a possible podium finish. We all will continue to work very hard and are looking forward to the season’s highlight in Monte Carlo in two weeks’ time.”

The team has established that Heikki’s speed was approximately 240km/h when the tyre deflated and about 130km/h when he hit the tyre barrier. He experienced a 27g deceleration.

CT scans at the hospital confirmed that Heikki had no head injuries and no broken bones but the Finn was kept in overnight for observation.

This morning Heikki underwent further tests and scans which all went positively and showed no problems. Consequently Heikki will be released from hospital later today. He will then stay in Spain for a few days relaxing before returning home to start a light training programme.

Read the Interview with Keikki
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How do you feel at the moment?
“I have a slight headache and a stiff neck, but apart from that I am feeling well and in good spirits. My focus is on getting better as soon as possible so I can pass the FIA medical inspection required to allow me to race in Turkey.”

Do you remember anything from the accident?
“I don’t remember anything from the accident or what happened afterwards but would obviously like to thank all the circuit emergency staff, the FIA medical team at the track and the doctors at the hospital for all their efforts in looking after me. Also thank you for all the messages I have received – they all mean a lot.”

What do you think might have caused the accident?
“The team told me that the left front wheel rim might have broken which could have lead to the sudden deflation of the tyre. However we have to wait for further inspections to be able to confirm the exact cause. What is especially important is the fact that the monocoque withstood the heavy impact, so credit should also be given to everyone at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for that.”

If you’ve been following Motorsport news in the last couple of days, you will have learned about the scandal that FIA president Max Mosley has found himself in. Just to recap for everyone that missed this story. FIA president Max Mosley has been caught on video taking part in what seems like a Nazi fetish orgy, a British tabloid revealed earlier this week. The orgy, which involved five hookers dressed in prison uniform, allegedly took place near his home in London. A video of the full session was leaked to The News of the World. You can read all the details on the News of the World website.

F1 teams were quick to distance themselves from the FIA president. BMW and Mercedes issued a joint statement today condemning the actions.

The content of the publications is disgraceful. As a company, we strongly distance ourselves from it. This incident concerns Max Mosley both personally and as President of the FIA, the global umbrella organizationfor motoring clubs. Its consequences therefore extend far beyond the motor sport industry. We await a response from the relevant FIA bodies.

You can watch a short video of the Mosley tape after the break.

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The start: Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton had qualified third and fourth fastest respectively. However, due to an alleged hindrance of other drivers, they were relegated by five positions each and started the race eighth and ninth of the grid. On the opening lap, Lewis overtook four cars and was fifth, followed by Heikki in seventh place.
The race: Lewis got stuck with less than a second behind Mark Webber (Red Bull Renault) whilst Heikki was behind Jarno Trulli (Toyota).
Lap 16: Webber came in for his first stop and Lewis was fourth.
Lap 17: Heikki moved up to fifth place when Trulli pitted.
Lap 19: Lewis came into the pits for his first stop. Due to a problem with the wheel nut locking mechanism at the right front wheel the stop took 19.9sec and Lewis dropped to 11th place.
Lap 20: Heikki made his first pit stop (10.2sec) and resumed in seventh place.
Lap 24: After the first round of pitstops, Heikki was fourth with 32.9sec behind leader Räikkönen whilst Lewis drove in seventh position.
Lap 29: Lewis followed Webber with less than a second whilst he was followed closely by Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber).
Lap 31: Felipe Massa (Ferrari) retired from second place; Heikki was now third and Lewis sixth.
Lap 39: Following Webber’s second stop Lewis moved up to fifth place.
Lap 40: Trulli pitted and Lewis was fourth behind Heikki.
Lap 44: Lewis came in for his second stop (8.9sec) and resumed ahead of Heidfeld.
Lap 45: Heikki completed his final stop in 7.2sec. He was now third, followed by Lewis in fifth place.
Lap 56: Heikki finished third. Lewis who reduced the gap behind Trulli significantly came home fifth.

Comments

Heikki Kovalainen
“I am pretty happy with my third place today, considering yesterday’s penalty, and it was probably the best possible result for us in these circumstances. Our strategy worked really well and it meant that I was able to be in clean air for most of the race. The team really did a fantastic job and I am happy to reward them with my first podium for the team. I did have a small issue with graining during my first stint; however, I was able to stay out until lap 20, which helped me to overtake Jarno Trulli during my first pit stop. After my second stop I was able to play it safe and secure my third place, as it was not possible at this stage to go one better.”

Lewis Hamilton
“I got a really good start and was pretty happy as we jumped five positions from ninth to fifth. I was pushing Mark for a very long time, but being behind someone, no matter how quick you are, it is really difficult to get past. We were in a good position for a shot at third place at least, but then I had the problem in my first pit stop which lost me a lot of time. So I did the best job I could. However we take away the fact that the car ran very reliably in these extreme conditions, and I was able to push Jarno right until the last second. I have to say that both Mark and Jarno drove really well today, and it was great to fight them out on track today.”

Ron Dennis
“Two very strong performances from both Heikki and Lewis following an eventful weekend, which despite the problems yielded sufficient points to keep us ahead in both Championships. Heikki had a great race dealing well with the traffic and achieving a well deserved first podium position with the team. Lewis’s race was hampered when a wheel nut locking mechanism failed during his first stop, costing him valuable time at a critical part in his race. The true pace of our cars was masked today by the inherent understeer that comes when driving in traffic. We now look forward to the Bahrain Grand Prix in two weeks’ time.”

Norbert Haug
“Heikki and Lewis did a good job following yesterday’s relegation to eighth and ninth on the grid and after the wheel nut problem during Lewis’s first pitstop. With third and fifth place we scored 10 valuable points. Heikki made the best out of his strategy and achieved his first podium for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – well done for him and the team. Today, Lewis obviously had two handicaps starting ninth and losing more than 10 seconds in the pits. But still we finished in the points with both cars in both races of the season so far. We all will now continue to work hard to further improve our performance.”

Our man Hamilton finished first in Melbourne, beating Heidfeld and Rosberg by 5.4 sec and 8.1 sec respectively. His next challenge will be in a week at the Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Results after the break

2008 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time	Grid	Pts
1	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	58	1:34:50.616	1	10
2	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW	58	+5.4 secs	5	8
3	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	58	+8.1 secs	7	6
4	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	58	+17.1 secs	11	5
5	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	58	+18.0 secs	3	4
6	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	57	+1 Lap	13	3
7	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari	55	+3 Laps	17	2
8	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	53	Engine	15	1
Ret	4	Robert Kubica	BMW	47	Accident	2
Ret	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	43	Accident	18
Ret	18	Takuma Sato	Super Aguri-Honda	32	Transmission	19
Ret	6	Nelsinho Piquet	Renault	30	Accident damage	20
Ret	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	29	Engine	4
Ret	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	25	Accident	8
Ret	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	19	Electrical	6
Ret	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	8	Hydraulics	22
Ret	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	0	Accident	14
Ret	16	Jenson Button	Honda	0	Accident	12
Ret	19	Anthony Davidson	Super Aguri-Honda	0	Accident	21
Ret	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari	0	Accident	9
Ret	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	0	Accident	16
DSQ	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	58	+52.4 secs	10

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, the first race of the 2008 Formula 1 World Championship. After turbulent 58 laps (307.574 kms) with three Safety Car periods, Lewis won with 5.4sec ahead of Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) and Nico Rosberg (Williams Toyota). Lewis’ new team mate Heikki Kovalainen, who led for eight laps and ran second for 21 laps came home fifth. It was the fifth victory for Lewis, just one year after his first ever Grand Prix. The McLaren Mercedes Partnership took their 53rd victory in their 222nd Formula 1 race. After the first of 18 Grands Prix, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes leads the Constructors’ Championship with 14 points ahead of BMW Sauber and Williams Toyota with 8 points each. Lewis took the lead in the drivers’ ranking with 10 points ahead of Heidfeld (8) and Rosberg (6).

The start: In his 18th Formula 1 career race, Lewis started from pole position for the seventh time. It was the 55th pole position for the McLaren Mercedes partnership. Heikki had qualified third on the grid, his best starting position in Formula 1 so far. Lewis accelerated into an immediate lead followed by Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber) and Heikki. The Safety Cat was deployed due to an incident at the first corner.

The race: Lap 3: Re-start. Lewis maintained his lead ahead of Kubica and Heikki. With a number of fast laps, Lewis opened a gap ahead of the field.
Lap 10: Lewis led 7.6sec ahead of Kubica; Heikki was third 9.1sec behind the leader.
Lap 16: Kubica came in for his first pit stop; Heikki moved up to second place.
Lap 18: Lewis pitted for the first time (9.2sec) and resumed in fourth position; Heikki took the lead.
Lap 21: Rosberg and Heidfeld pitted; Lewis was now second.
Lap 22: Heikki made his first pit stop (9.0sec) from the lead and rejoined the race in second place behind Lewis.
Lap 26: Following a collision between Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and David Coulthard (Red Bull Renault) the Safety Car was deployed again.
Lap 30: Re-start. Lewis maintained the lead whilst Heikki held off charging Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) at the first corner. At the next corner, Räikkönen attacked again and went off.
Lap 43: Lewis came in for his second stop (8.6sec) and dropped to fourth position. Heikki took the lead and posted the fastest lap of the race (1:27.418).
Lap 44: An accident of Timo Glock (Toyota) caused the third Safety Car period of the race.Following Heidfeld’s second pit stop Lewis moved up to second place.
Lap 47: Heikki pitted for the second time (8.0sec) and, due to the close field behind the Safety Car, dropped to ninth.
Lap 49: Re-start. Lewis maintained the lead again; Heikki improved to seventh. Then the Finn overtook Räikkönen and took sixth place.
Lap 57: Heikki passed Fernando Alonso (Renault) and was fourth. When he accidentally touched the speed limiter, the Spaniard fought back and Heikki was fifth again.
Lap 58: Lewis achieved his fifth Grand Prix victory and won ahead of Heidfeld and Rosberg. Heikki came home fifth.

Comments

Lewis Hamilton
“I feel fantastic – what a dream start to the season and my championship challenge. I am sorry not to have Heikki with me on the podium as a one-two would have been a great reward to the team. It’s nice to have Nico here though as we have not shared a podium since our Karting days with Team MBM (Mercedes-Benz McLaren). It was a super race which I controlled from the beginning. I was able to drive at a steady pace without feeling any pressure which is always the ideal situation when you are leading. The three Safety Car periods meant that there was never time to relax and the whole situation was a bit like Canada last year when I claimed my first victory. We constantly had to change our strategy and the strategists were on the ball throughout which was super. The car is fantastic to drive and the team has done a superb job. I have prepared much better this year than last and it’s important that myself and the team continue to push hard in the months to come.”

Heikki Kovalainen
“Obviously my competitiveness was better than the result shows. Unfortunately the last Safety Car phase prevented me from finishing second. Nevertheless I enjoyed the whole weekend working with the team on such a professional high level. My start was OK but during the first stint I had a bit of graining on the tyres but it didn’t affect me too much. In my second stint and especially in the last part of the race my car was really good and I was flying. I had a great battle first with Kimi and then Fernando which I really enjoyed. I managed to get past Fernando but then as I tore off a visor strip on the main straight I accidentally hit the pit lane speed limiter button and Fernando managed to get past me again. I am pleased but also a bit disappointed as we were looking strong for a one-two finish today.”

Ron Dennis
“An almost perfect race weekend for us. Lewis drove a faultless race with a strong strategy where his stops were timed in anticipation of possible Safety Car periods. We were keen for Heikki to go an extra lap before his second stop in case he had any problems in the pits so that he could still be ahead of Nick. Unfortunately the last Safety Car period cost him second place. He showed what a great racing driver he is with his overtakings of Kimi and Fernando but unfortunately as he reached to clean his visor he hit the pitlane speed limiter and lost a position. As a team we have enjoyed a competitive weekend but there is a long way to go and we never underestimate our competition.”

Norbert Haug
“A dream start to the season and all our hard work could not have been better rewarded. We started McLaren-Mercedes’ 222nd race from our 55th pole position and this was our 53rd victory – for sure one of our nicest. We had Lewis pit earlier to avoid running into the danger of a Safety Car phase. Unfortunately the Safety Car came out when we wanted to call in Heikki. That is a pity for him as he drove a great race in his debut for the team. However it’s only a matter of time before he will get a better reward on the track than today.”

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