McLaren did not do well in Bahrain. Hamilton fails to start properly which drop him from 3rd position to 7th. Then crashed his machine and completely destroy his front wing which cost him a lot of time.

2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Results:
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari
2. Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
3. Robert Kubica BMW
4. Nick Heidfeld BMW
5. Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes
6. Jarno Trulli Toyota
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
8. Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota
9. Timo Glock Toyota
10. Fernando Alonso Renault
11. Rubens Barrichello Honda
12. Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Ferrari
13. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
14. Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota
15. Sebastien Bourdais STR-Ferrari
16. Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda
17. Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda
18. David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault
19. Adrian Sutil Force India-Ferrari
20. Nelsinho Piquet Renault
21. Jenson Button Honda
22. Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari

The podium (L to R): Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari 2nd; Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1st; Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber F1, 3rd.

Felipe congratulated by teammate Kimi.

Lewis Hamilton – McLaren Mercedes and his MP4/23 machine with the front wing damage.

Pitstop for Robert Kubica – BMW Sauber on his F1.08 machine.

Team Toyota

Drivers Standings:
1. Kimi Raikkonen – Ferrari – 19
2. Nick Heidfeld – BMW – 16
3. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes – 14
4. Robert Kubica – BMW – 14
5. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes – 14
6. Felipe Massa – Ferrari – 10
7. Jarno Trulli – Toyota – 8
8. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota – 7
9. Fernando Alonso – Renault – 6
10. Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault – 4
11. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota – 3
12. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari – 2
13. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault – 0
14. Timo Glock – Toyota – 0
15. Jenson Button – Honda – 0
16. Rubens Barrichello – Honda – 0
17. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault – 0
18. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari – 0
19. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda – 0
20. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda – 0
21. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari – 0
22. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari – 0

Constructor Standings:
1. BMW – 30
2. Ferrari – 29
3. McLaren-Mercedes – 28
4. Williams-Toyota – 10
5. Toyota – 8
6. Renault – 6
7. Red Bull-Renault – 4
8. STR-Ferrari – 2
9. Honda – 0
10. Force India-Ferrari – 0
11. Super Aguri-Honda – 0

Willi Rampf (SUI) BMW Sauber Technical Director with first time pole sitter Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber F1 and Dr Mario Theissen (GER) BMW Sauber F1 Team Principal.

Kubica with his F1.08 machine.

Robert Kubica smokes his wheel to pole position.

Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber F1 celebrates his first pole position.

Tomorrow’s race leader… Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren at P3 position, Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber F1 at pole P1 position; and Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari, at P2 position.

1. Robert Kubica – BMW
2. Felipe Massa – Ferrari
3. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
4. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
5. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes
6. Nick Heidfeld – BMW
7. Jarno Trulli – Toyota
8. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota
9. Jenson Button – Honda
10. Fernando Alonso – Renault
11. Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault
12. Rubens Barrichello – Honda
13. Timo Glock – Toyota
14. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault
15. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari
16. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota
17. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault
18. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari
19. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari
20. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari
21. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda
22. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Ferrari.

McLaren wheel changing gun.

In Friday practice, it was windy at Sakhir. You must be wondering how a desert with strong wind can held a Formula 1. Imagine the amount of sand and dust blanketing the circuit every time the wind blow. And disaster will be to the machines when the sand enters the engine… else they have to have special air filter just for this race.

But looks like sand storm, whether small or big never comes to the circuit. Why? Well, they actually spray ‘glue’ to the sand around the circuit. The rest of the facts like cost, you have to figure it out… I will get more details, and probably will post about it.

Norbert Haug (GER) Mercedes Sporting Director.

Ron Dennis (GBR) McLaren Team Principal.

Anyway, both Ferrari Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, looks promising by leading the Friday’s practice session.

Felipe Massa on his machine.

Unfortunate to McLaren, Englishman Lewis Hamilton lost control to his MP4-23 machine at Turn Seven, the fast chicane.

Lewis Hamilton’s Car.

Friday’s Practice Result:
1. Felipe Massa – Ferrari
2. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
3. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes
4. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
5. Robert Kubica – BMW
6. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota
7. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault
8. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota
9. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari
10. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault
11. Jenson Button – Honda
12. Fernando Alonso – Renault
13. Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault
14. Jarno Trulli – Toyota
15. Timo Glock – Toyota
16. Rubens Barrichello – Honda
17. Nick Heidfeld  – BMW
18. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari
19. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari
20. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari
21. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda
22. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda

Lewis after the crash.

If they were not penalized with 5 grid, where both of them dropped to P8 and P9 from P3 and P4 respectively, I’m sure the 2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX will not be that boring.

I almost fell asleep a few times while watching it on TV.

But not to worry so much… McLaren is still leading in both categories… the Drivers Category and Constructors Category.

Toyota and BMW are also doing well

Drivers Standing:
1. Lewis Hamilton/British – McLaren-Mercedes – 14
2. Kimi Räikkönen/Finnish – Ferrari – 11
3. Nick Heidfeld/German – BMW – 11
4. Heikki Kovalainen/Finnish – McLaren-Mercedes – 10
5. Robert Kubica/Polish – BMW – 8
6. Nico Rosberg/German – Williams-Toyota – 6
7. Fernando Alonso/Spanish – Renault – 6
8. Jarno Trulli/Italian – Toyota – 5
9. Kazuki Nakajima/Japanese – Williams-Toyota – 3
10. Mark Webber/Australian – Red Bull-Renault – 2
11. Sebastien Bourdais/French – STR-Ferrari – 2

Constructors Standing:
1. McLaren-Mercedes – 24
2. BMW – 19
3. Ferrari – 11
4. Williams-Toyota – 9
5. Renault – 6
6. Toyota – 5
7. Red Bull-Renault – 2
8. STR-Ferrari – 2
9. Honda – 0
10. Super Aguri-Honda – 0
11. Force India-Ferrari – 0

2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX:
1. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
2. Robert Kubica – BMW
3. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes
4. Jarno Trulli – Toyota
5. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
6. Nick Heidfeld – BMW
7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
8. Fernando Alonso – Renault
9. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault
10. Jenson Button – Honda
11. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault
12. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari
13. Rubens Barrichello – Honda
14. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota
15. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda
16. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda
17. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota
Ret. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari
Ret. Felipe Massa – Ferrari
Ret. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari
Ret. Timo Glock – Toyota
Ret. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari

Holy COW! The two bloody Ferrari are in front!!!

But it’s OK… both McLaren are right behind them… BUT… both of them are penalized 5 placing by the steward… damm!!! damm!!! damm!!!

Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton will each drop five places on the grid for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix after stewards decided they had blocked rival drivers in the closing stages in qualifying. They will now start the race eighth and ninth respectively…

Hope the Toyota will save the day if anything goes wrong.

The lineup:
1. Felipe Massa – Ferrari
2. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
3. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes (drop to 8 placing)
4. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes (drop to 9 placing)
5. Jarno Trulli – Toyota
6. Robert Kubica – BMW
7. Nick Heidfeld – BMW
8. Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault
9. Fernando Alonso – Renault
10. Timo Glock – Toyota
11. Jenson Button – Honda
12. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault
13. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault
14. Rubens Barrichello – Honda
15. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari
16. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota
17. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari
18. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota
19. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari
20. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda
21. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari
22. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda

McLaren is the fastest in the Friday practice round for the Sunday Malaysian Grand Prix 2008 at Sepang.

I hope McLaren will succeed in getting the pole and 2nd position during the time trial today which will start in a few hours.

As usual, Ferrari will be McLaren stiffest challenger. In fact Ferrari is the 2nd and 3rd fastest in the Friday practice round. McLaren second driver, Heikki Kovalainen, only manage to get the 7th fastest.

The race is full of disaster… only 7 of 22 cars completed the race.

Ferrari, my number one enemy team was in very unlucky state. Its second driver, Felipe Massa, involved in accident in the first lap and then again till it gets knocked out.

Three laps before the race end, Ferrari-Kimi Raikkonen runs out of fuel! Someone did a wrong math!!! Ha ha ha ha…

Although I was hoping McLaren to take the 1st and 2nd placing, I’m still happy becoz BMW took the 2nd place and although it was not the full Toyota team in the 3rd placing, it’s still ok since Williams-Toyota got it.

William-Toyota is the team using a Toyota engine… same with McLaren which is using Mercedes engine.

The 2008 driver’s results:
1. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes (10 points)
2. Nick Heidfeld – BMW (8 points)
3. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota (6 points)
4. Fernando Alonso – Renault (5 points)
5. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes (4 points)
6. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota (3 points)
7. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari (2 points)
8. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari (1 points)

The 2008 Formula 1 Team results:
1. McLaren-Mercedes – 14
2. Williams-Toyota – 9
3. BMW – 8
4. Renault – 5
5. STR-Ferrari – 2
6. Ferrari – 1
7. Toyota – 0
8. Super Aguri-Honda – 0
9. Red Bull-Renault – 0
10. Force India-Ferrari – 0
11. Honda – 0

Next circuit is Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang… 2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

Race Date: 23 Mar 2008
Number of Laps: 56
Circuit Length: 5.543 km
Race Distance: 310.408 km
Lap Record: 1:34.223 – JP Montoya (2004)

2007 Winners:
1. Fernando Alonso – McLaren-Mercedes
2. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
3. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari

I’m not a fan or supporter of driver… I support TEAM, no matter who is the driver. But if the driver sabotages the team, I will hate the driver forever… just like how much I hate Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen.

My favorite team is McLaren-Mercedes
And my second favorite team is Toyota
I also like team BMW… but that is because I like their cars.

Here is some details of the Australian Grand Prix:
Race Date: 16 Mar 2008
Number of Laps: 58
Circuit Length: 5.303 km
Race Distance: 307.574 km
Lap Record: 1:24.125 – M Schumacher (2004)

2007 Winners:
1. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
2. Fernando Alonso – McLaren-Mercedes
3. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes

On the grid tomorrow are… yeeehaaa… McLaren took the POLE position! And McLaren has new driver too from Finland… same country with Kimi. I hope McLarren takes 1 & 2 tomorrow

1. Lewis Hamilton – McLaren-Mercedes
2. Robert Kubica – BMW
3. Heikki Kovalainen – McLaren-Mercedes
4. Felipe Massa – Ferrari
5. Nick Heidfeld – BMW
6. Jarno Trulli – Toyota
7. Nico Rosberg – Williams-Toyota
8. David Coulthard – Red Bull-Renault
9. Timo Glock – Toyota
10. Sebastian Vettel – STR-Ferrari
11. Rubens Barrichello – Honda
12. Fernando Alonso – Renault
13. Jenson Button – Honda
14. Kazuki Nakajima – Williams-Toyota
15. Mark Webber – Red Bull-Renault
16. Kimi Räikkönen – Ferrari
17. Giancarlo Fisichella – Force India-Ferrari
18. Sebastien Bourdais – STR-Ferrari
19. Adrian Sutil – Force India-Ferrari
20. Takuma Sato – Super Aguri-Honda
21. Nelsinho Piquet – Renault
22. Anthony Davidson – Super Aguri-Honda