Massa takes lead in driver's standing as he won French GP

Magny Cours: Ferrari’s Felipe Massa won Formula One’s French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours today to head the drivers’ championship standings for the first time this season. The Brazilian finished the 70-lap race 18 seconds clear of teammate Kimi Raikkonen, the world champion, who lost the race lead after his exhaust broke. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was third after holding off the challenge of McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen. BMW’s Robert Kubica, who started as the leader in the standings, was fifth. Red Bull's Mark Webber, in sixth, and Renault duo Nelson Piquet and Fernando Alonso were today’s other points scorers. Massa, after his third win this season, tops the standings on 48 points, 2 ahead of Kubica. Raikkonen is third on 43, and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who failed to score a point, drops to fourth on 38 after a second straight disappointing race. “That was fantastic, I didn’t expect that,” Massa told the post-race news conference. “Today I had a lot of luck with Kimi having his exhaust problem, but fortunately for the team he could finish, so this was a good present for me.” Hamilton was penalized 10 places on the grid after his pit-lane crash in Montreal two weeks ago and started in 13th. There was another setback for the Briton today when he incurred a drive-through penalty for cutting a corner in overtaking the Toro Rosso of Sebastian Vettel at a chicane early in the race. The punishment hit his chances of finishing in the points and he came 10th. Raikkonen and Massa filled the first two places on the grid after dominating in qualifying, and proceeded to take charge in the race. Raikkonen led in the early stages as the pair pulled clear of the field, and Massa took over in mid-race when Raikkonen — winner of the event last year — had the exhaust problem. Even so, he managed to get the car to the finish line.

Kubica of BMW claimed his maiden victory at canadian GP

Montreal: Robert Kubica claimed his maiden victory and took control of the world drivers’ championship as Lewis Hamilton’s Canadian Grand Prix ended in disaster here on Sunday. Pole Kubica survived a horrendous crash at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 12 months ago and the BMW Sauber driver took full advantage of a pit-lane accident that took out McLaren’s world championship leader Hamilton and world champion Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari. Hamilton crashed into the back of Raikkonen as t h e y emerged from a pit stop on lap 18 with the Englishman failing to spot at the red light at the end of the lane as the Ferrari was waiting on the line. It was a BMW Sauber one-two as Nick Heidfeld claimed the runners-up spot for the second year in a row. The drama also cleared the way for Scotland’s David Coulthard to score his first points of the season with an invaluable third-place finish to ease the pressure on his seat at Red Bull Racing. Hamilton, the defending race winner, started on the pole for the second straight year at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and led until the safety car came out and the leaders pitted on lap 19 of the 70-lap race. That followed Adrian Sutil parking his Force India entry on the grass alongside the track. Raikkonen, who came into the race trailing Hamilton by three points in the world championship, was third before the stops, but came out ahead of the McLaren driver and Robert Kubica’s BMW Sauber on pit road. The Ferrari driver stopped at a red light at the end of pit road and Hamilton, picking up speed, rammed into the Raikkonen’s car, knocking off the rear wing. Nico Rosberg then hit the rear of Hamilton’s car. Both leaders got out of their damaged cars and Raikkonen tapped Hamilton on the helmet as he walked past, pointing toward the light. Hamilton, obviously angry at himself, pushed past several cameras in the McLaren garage.

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