26°1′57″N 50°30′38″E / 26.03250°N 50.51056°E
2008 Bahrain Grand Prix | |||||
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Race 3 of 18 in the 2008 Formula One World Championship
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Race details | |||||
Date | 6 April 2008 | ||||
Official name | 2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix[1] | ||||
Location |
Bahrain International Circuit Sakhir, Bahrain | ||||
Course | Permanent racing facility | ||||
Course length | 5.412 km (3.363[2] miles) | ||||
Distance | 57[2] laps, 308.238 km (191.539[2] miles) | ||||
Weather | Dry | ||||
Attendance | 100,000 (Weekend)[3] | ||||
Pole position | |||||
Driver | BMW Sauber | ||||
Time | 1:33.096 | ||||
Fastest lap | |||||
Driver |
![]() | McLaren-Mercedes | |||
Time | 1:33.193 on lap 49 | ||||
Podium | |||||
First | Ferrari | ||||
Second | Ferrari | ||||
Third | BMW Sauber | ||||
Lap leaders |
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 Ferrari team won the 57-lap race. Kimi Räikkönen was second in the other Ferrari, and 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 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 1–2 finish. Hamilton had a slow start after almost stalling on the grid, and dropped back to ninth. The McLaren driver ran into the back of Fernando Alonso's Renault a lap later, breaking off the McLaren's front wing and dropping Hamilton to the back of the field.
Kubica's strong finish promoted BMW Sauber to the lead in the Constructors' Championship, after BMW driver Nick Heidfeld finished fourth. Ferrari and McLaren trailed, one and two 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.