Felipe Massa wins at Bahrain GP

Brazilian Felipe Massa stormed to victory here on Sunday for his second successive victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix and answer his mounting bank of critics as his Ferrari team celebrated a comfortable one-two with Kimi Raikkonen finishing second. The 26-year-old Latin American, who had failed to score a point after an error-strewn performance in both opening races, came home as a comfortable winner ahead of his team-mate defending drivers world champion Finn Kimi Rakkkonen. They came home first and second ahead of third-placed Pole Robert Kubica of BMW, who had started from the first pole position of his career, and his team-mate German Nick Heidfeld. This was enough for the BMW-Sauber team to lead the constructors’ championship for the first time. Giancarlo Fisichella outpaced Lewis Hamilton and cut through a cluttered midfield to finish an impressive 12th as Force India notched up its first double finish of the season in the Bahrain Grand Prix here on Sunday. Starting 18th on the grid, three-time race winner Fisichella proved why he is considered such a high-quality driver as the Italian came up with a sublime show to finish 12th in the race, ahead of, Williams’ Kazuki Nakazima, Toro Rosso’s Sibastien Bourdais and Red Bull’s David Coulthard besides Hamilton. Team-mate Sutil, however, was involved in an opening lap mess and had to pit his car early with a broken nose. The German would still be happy with his 19th place, especially after failing to finish the races in Melbourne and Sepang.

Bahrain GP Results

1. Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:31:06.970

2. Kimi Raikkonen(Fin) Ferrari +3.3 secs

3. Robert Kubica(Pol) BMW +4.9 secs

4. Nick Heidfeld(Ger) BMW +8.4 secs

5. Heikki Kovalainen(Fin) McLaren-Mercedes +26.7 secs
6. Jarno Trulli(Ita) Toyota +41.3 secs
7. Mark Webber(Aus) Red Bull-Renault +45.4 secs
8. Nico Rosberg(Ger) Williams-Toyota +55.8 secs
9. Timo Glock(Ger) Toyota +69.5 secs
10. Fernando Alonso(Esp) Renault +77.1 secs
11. Rubens Barrichello(Bra) Honda +77.8 secs
12. Giancarlo Fisichella(Ita) Force India-Ferrari +1 Lap
13. Lewis Hamilton(Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes +1 Lap
14. Kazuki Nakajima(Jpn) Williams-Toyota +1 Lap
15. Sebastien Bourdais(Fra) STR-Ferrari +1 Lap
16. Anthony Davidson(Gbr) Super Aguri-Honda +1 Lap
17. Takuma Sato(Jpn) Super Aguri-Honda +1 Lap
18. David Coulthard(Gbr) Red Bull-Renault +1 Lap
19. Adrian Sutil(Ger) Force India-Ferrari +2 Laps

Retired

Nelsinho Piquet(Bra) Renault 40 Gearbox
Jenson Button(Gbr) Honda 19 Accident damage
Sebastian Vettel(Ger) STR-Ferrari 0 Accident damage

Driver's Standing

1. Kimi Räikkönen(Fin) Ferrari 19
2. Nick Heidfeld(Ger) BMW 16
3. Lewis Hamilton(Gbr) McLaren-Mercedes 14
4. Robert Kubica(Pol) BMW 14
5. Heikki Kovalainen(Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 14
6. Felipe Massa(Bra) Ferrari 10
7. Jarno Trulli(Ita) Toyota 8
8. Nico Rosberg(Ger) Williams-Toyota 7
9. Fernando Alonso(Esp) Renault 6
10. Mark Webber(Aus) Red Bull-Renault 4
11. Kazuki Nakajima(Jpn) Williams-Toyota 3
12. Sebastien Bourdais(Fra) STR-Ferrari 2

Constructors Standing

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