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Australian Grand Prix Preview

Mar 12, 2008 - 12:55 AM

March 16, 2008
Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit Albert Park
South Melbourne, Australia
Race 1 of 18 in Grand Prix Series

Laps: 58
Track length: 3.27 miles
Race length: 191.12 miles

Lap Record: Michael Schumacher, 1:24.125 mph (2004)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Fernando Alonso (Spain)
Team: Renault 
2007 Points: 109 (3rd)

Two-time champion had a tumultuous season with McLaren, but 
still managed to finish third overall; had the same amount of 
points as teammate Lewis Hamilton, but lost the tiebreaker for 
second place; won four times last season, but relationship with 
team and Hamilton deteriorated after Ferrari spy scandal affair 
and returned to Renault for 2008 season; won consecutive titles 
in 2005-06 with Renault; won six races in 2006 and seven in 2005;
registered a second-place finish last year in his McLaren debut 
at Australia, finishing 7.2 seconds behind Kimi Raikkonen.


Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Team: McLaren 
2007 Points: 109 (2nd)

Had a stunning rookie season, scoring podiums in his first nine 
races; won four times and captured six poles to outperform more
heralded teammate Fernando Alonso;  was the favorite to win the 
championship last year until errors in final two rounds dropped 
him to second place behind Kimi Raikkonen; needed to only finish 
immediately behind Alonso to claim the championship; retired from 
the race at China to give his teammate and Raikkonen the chance 
to steal the crown in the final race; won at Japan two races ago 
to open a 12-point lead over Alonso with two races left; made 
history at Canada where he became the first black driver to win 
a Formula One race; followed that victory in Canada by winning 
the United States Grand Prix; placed second in four consecutive 
races prior to his back-to-back wins; was the first rookie in 
since 1964 to capture podium finishes in his first three races;
also is the first black driver in series history; finished third
here last year.


Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
Team: BMW Sauber 
2007 Points: 61 (5th)

Was the best of the rest behind the Ferrari and McLaren drivers 
after an impressively consistent season for BMW, finishing fifth
overall; did not win last season as best race of the season was 
at Canada where he finished second; had consecutive fourth-place 
finishes at Italy and Turkey; and was third in Hungary; opened 
the year with three consecutive fourth place finishes at
Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain; forced to retire at Spain and
the United States Grand Prix; has nine top-five finishes in 17
starts last year.


Felipe Massa (Brazil)
Team: Ferrari 
2007 Points: 94 (4th)

Posted three wins and six poles last season, but reliability 
issues and a disqualification in Canada put him out of title 
contention and he wound up fourth; contract with Ferrari runs 
until 2010; retired from the Italian Grand Prix with suspension
problems, dropping to fourth place in the standings; bounced
back from a 13th-place finish at Hungary by winning in Turkey;
posted a runner-up finish at the Grand Prix of Europe after
slipping to fourth place following a fifth place finish at 
the British Grand Prix; was runner-up to Raikkonen at 
Magny-Cours and season finale at Brazil; ran third at 
Indianapolis and Monaco after capturing two straight checkered 
flags at Bahrain and Spain; had 11 top five finishes in 17 
starts last season; kicked off 2007 season with a sixth place at 
Australia.


Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Team: Ferrari 
2007 Points: 110 (1st)

Won his first appearance for Ferrari in Australia last season 
then went on to win five more times; biggest win came at the 
season-ending event at Brazil, which gave him his first drivers' 
title by a single point over Hamilton; trailed Hamilton by seven 
points entering final race; retired from the Grand Prix of Europe 
after consecutive checkered flag wins at the British Grand Prix 
and Magny-Cours; had six wins and 14 top-five finishes in 17 
starts last season; struggled to eighth place at Monaco and
retired due to electrical problems at Spain, dropping him from
first to fourth in the standings; joined Ferrari after spending 
five years with McLaren where he went winless in 2006.


2007 Top 10
-----------
 1. Kimi Raikkonen, Finland, Ferrari 
 2. Fernando Alonso, Spain, McLaren-Mercedes
 3. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, McLaren-Mercedes
 4. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, Sauber-BMW
 5. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Renault
 6. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari
 7. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Toyota
 8. Ralf Schumacher, Germany, Toyota
 9. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Toyota
10. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, Renault

Past Champions
--------------
2007  Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
2006  Fernando Alonso, Renault
2005  Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault
2004  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2003  David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes
2002  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2001  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2000  Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1999  Eddie Irvine, Ferrari
1998  Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes
1997  David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes
1996  Damon Hill, Williams
1995  Damon Hill, Williams
1994  Nigel Mansell, Williams
1993  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1992  Gerhard Berger, McLaren
1991  Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1990  Nelson Piquet, Benetton
1989  Thierry Boutsen, Williams
1988  Alain Prost, McLaren
1987  Gerhard Berger, Ferrari
1986  Alain Prost, McLaren