F1 Grand Prix Of Spain
Final
for this game
Grand Prix of Spain Preview
Apr 27, 2008 - 10:26 AMApril 27, 2008
Circuit de Catalunya
Barcelona, Spain
Race 4 of 17 in Grand Prix Series
Laps: 65
Track length: 2.936 miles
Race length: 190.838 miles
Lap Record: Felipe Massa - 1:22.680 mph (2007)
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Fernando Alonso (Spain)
Team: Renault
2008 Points: 6 (9th)
Began his season with a fourth at Australia and eighth at
Malaysia, then slipped to 10th in Bahrain; two-time champion had
a tumultuous 2007 season with McLaren, but still managed to
finish third overall; had the same 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; finished third
here last year.
Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Team: McLaren
2008 Points: 14 (3rd)
Opened the season with a dominant win at Australia then ran
fifth at Malaysia and 13th in Bahrain; had a stunning rookie
season, scoring podiums in his first nine races; won four times
and captured six poles to outperform more heralded former
teammate 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 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 since 1964
to capture podium finishes in his first three races; also is
the first black driver in series history; finished second to
Felipe Massa here last year.
Nick Heidfeld (Germany)
Team: BMW Sauber
2008 Points: 16 (2nd)
Finished 5.4 seconds behind Hamilton to claim second at
Australia; followed up with a sixth at Malaysia and fourth in
Bahrain; was the best of the rest behind the Ferrari and McLaren
drivers last year 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
2008 Points: 10 (6th)
Rebounded from an awful start to the season by winning at
Bahrain; completed only 29 laps before retiring at Australia
with engine issues; also retired at Malaysia by spinning out
early; 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; won here last year.
Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Team: Ferrari
2008 Points: 19 (1st)
Opened defense of his title by running eighth at Australia,
completing just 53 laps before having engine problems; bounced
back to win at Malaysia then ran second at Bahrain; won 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
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1. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari
2. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, McLaren-Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso, Spain, McLaren-Mercedes
4. Robert Kubica, Poland, BMW
5. David Coulthard, Britain, Red Bull-Renault
6. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Williams-Toyota
7. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, Renault
8. Takuma Sato, Japan, Super Aguri-Honda
9. Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Renault
10. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Honda
Past Champions
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2007 Felipe Massa, Ferrari
2006 Fernando Alonso, Renault
2005 Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren-Mercedes
2004 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2003 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2002 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
2000 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes
1999 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes
1998 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes
1997 Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Renault
1996 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari
1995 Michael Schumacher, Benetton
1994 Damon Hill, Williams
1993 Alain Prost, Williams
1992 Nigel Mansell, Williams
1991 Nigel Mansell, Williams
(at Jerez)
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1990 Alain Prost, Ferrari
1989 Ayrton Senna, McLaren
1988 Alain Prost, McLaren
1987 Nigel Mansell, Williams
1986 Ayrton Senna, Lotus
