2008 French Grand Prix

The 2008 French Grand Prix, otherwise known as the XCIV Grand Prix de France, was the eighth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in Magny-Cours, France, on 22 June 2008.'8. France 2008', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)'France 2008: Ferrari give Hamilton the ol' 1-2.', crash.net, (Crash Media Group, 22/06/2008), https://www.crash.net/f1/race-report/62586/1/france-2008-ferrari-give-hamilton-the-ol-1-2, (Accessed 25/02/2020) The race would see Felipe Massa claim victory, as race leading teammate Kimi Räikkönen picked up an exhaust issue that caused his pace to collapse mid-race.
It was the Finn who had emerged ahead during qualifying, edging out teammate Massa to secure pole position by 0.041s. Lewis Hamilton qualified in third but started from thirteenth after being penalised for hitting Räikkönen in Canada, while Championship leader Robert Kubica would start from fifth.
The start of the race was heralded by news that rain was drifting towards Magny-Cours, and had already washed away some rubber in the morning, although the circuit itself was bone dry for the start. Regardless, Räikkönen would ace his start to claim an early lead from Massa , while Fernando Alonso was passed instantly by Jarno Trulli and Kubica.
Alonso got his revenge on Kubica later during the opening lap, while Hamilton managed to battle his way into tenth. Out front, meanwhile, Räikkönen would set about establishing a lead over Massa, with the two scarlet Ferraris quickly able to drop Trulli's .
The order at the head of the field soon stabilised, with Räikkönen and Massa running close together, while Alonso could find no way past Trulli, with Kubica chasing him. Hamilton, meanwhile, would move into the points with a dive past teammate Heikki Kovalainen, only to be slapped with a drive-through penalty for cutting turn seven on the opening lap.
Hamilton served the penalty instantly on lap fourteen, and hence dropped back to his starting position of thirteenth. Out front, meanwhile, the two Ferraris suddenly improved their pace and began lapping a second quicker than Trulli, as Alonso became the first of the leaders to make their first stop on lap sixteen.
Trulli and Kubica stopped four laps later, followed on successive laps by Räikkönen and Massa, with the Finn emerging with a healthy lead over Massa. Their strong pace continued after the stop, with Trulli still holding third while Kubica had jumped Alonso.
However, the picture at the head of the field would soon change, for an exhaust failure for Räikkönen on lap thirty saw the Finn's pace waver. Massa began to eat away at his teammate's lead, and would pass the Finn unopposed on lap 39, before establishing a ten second lead before the second round of stops.
Massa held the lead through the stops, and was able to ease his pace in the final stint, just as rain began to fall on the circuit. Räikkönen, meanwhile, saw his right-hand exhaust completely fall apart, although fears of being challenged by Trulli were eliminated when the Italian came under attack from Kovalainen in the closing stages.
Trulli would, however, hold onto third, scoring his first podium finish since the 2005 Spanish Grand Prix, as Massa cruised across the line to secure victory. Räikkönen trailed in a distant second to secure the Scuderia's third one-two of the campaign, as both drivers moved up in the Championship standings. Elsewhere, Kubica would finish in fifth ahead of Mark Webber, Nelson Piquet, Jr. registered his points finish in seventh, while Alonso claimed the final point in eighth.
==Background==
Victory for Robert Kubica ensured that the Polish driver topped the Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career, leaving Canada with 42 points and a four point lead. Lewis Hamilton had made way for the Pole, with Felipe Massa having moved level with the Brit on 38 points, but behind on countback. Kimi Räikkönen, meanwhile, had slipped to fourth ahead of Nick Heidfeld, with seventeen drivers on the score sheet.
In the Constructors Championship it was who continued to lead the charge, although they had seen their advantage all but eliminated. Indeed, 's first one-two meant that the German-Swiss alliance had moved onto 70 points for the season, and shot seventeen clear of in third. Elsewhere, were in fourth ahead of , while had moved back ahead of .
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Kimi Räikkönen 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2008 	 	056 2008 2.4 V8 	
2 	Felipe Massa 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2008 	 	056 2008 2.4 V8 	
3 	Nick Heidfeld 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.08 	 	P86/8 2.4 V8 	
4 	Robert Kubica 	BMW Sauber F1 Team 	 	F1.08 	 	P86/8 2.4 V8 	
5 	Fernando Alonso 	ING Renault F1 Team 	 	R28 	 	RS27 2.4 V8 	
6 	Nelson Piquet, Jr. 	ING Renault F1 Team 	 	R28 	 	RS27 2.4 V8 	
7 	Nico Rosberg 	AT&T Williams 	 	FW30 	 	RVX-08 2.4 V8 	
8 	Kazuki Nakajima 	AT&T Williams 	 	FW30 	 	RVX-08 2.4 V8 	
9 	David Coulthard 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB4 	 	RS27 2.4 V8 	
10 	Mark Webber 	Red Bull Racing 	 	RB4 	 	RS27 2.4 V8 	
11 	Jarno Trulli 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF108 	 	RVX-08 2.4 V8 	
12 	Timo Glock 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF108 	 	RVX-08 2.4 V8 	
14 	Sébastien Bourdais 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR3 	 	056 2007 2.4 V8 	
15 	Sebastian Vettel 	Scuderia Toro Rosso 	 	STR3 	 	056 2007 2.4 V8 	
16 	Jenson Button 	Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA108 	 	RA808E 2.4 V8 	
17 	Rubens Barrichello 	Honda Racing F1 Team 	 	RA108 	 	RA808E 2.4 V8 	
20 	Adrian Sutil 	Force India F1 Team 	 	VJM01 	 	056 2007 2.4 V8 	
21 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	Force India F1 Team 	 	VJM01 	 	056 2007 2.4 V8 	
22 	Lewis Hamilton 	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-23 	 	FO 108V 2.4 V8 	
23 	Heikki Kovalainen 	Vodafone McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-23 	 	FO 108V 2.4 V8 	
Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Q1===
===Q2===
===Q3===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Q1 	Q1 	 	Q2 	Q2 	 	Q3 	Q3 	Grid
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Team 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	 	Pos. 	Time 	Grid
1 	1 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	 	2 	1:15.133 	 	2 	1:15.161 	 	1 	1:16.449 	1
2 	2 	Felipe Massa 	 	 	1 	1:15.024 	 	1 	1:15.041 	 	2 	1:16.490 	2
3* 	22 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	 	4 	1:15.634 	 	3 	1:15.293 	 	3 	1:16.693 	13
4 	5 	Fernando Alonso 	 	 	7 	1:15.754 	 	5 	1:15.483 	 	4 	1:16.840 	3
5 	11 	Jarno Trulli 	 	 	3 	1:15.521 	 	4 	1:15.362 	 	5 	1:16.920 	4
6† 	23 	Heikki Kovalainen 	 	 	11 	1:15.965 	 	8 	1:15.639 	 	6 	1:16.944 	10
7 	4 	Robert Kubica 	 	 	5 	1:15.687 	 	10 	1:15.723 	 	7 	1:17.037 	5
8 	10 	Mark Webber 	 	 	13 	1:16.020 	 	6 	1:15.488 	 	8 	1:17.233 	6
9 	9 	David Coulthard 	 	 	8 	1:15.802 	 	9 	1:15.654 	 	9 	1:17.426 	7
10 	12 	Timo Glock 	 	 	6 	1:15.727 	 	7 	1:15.558 	 	10 	1:17.596 	8
11 	6 	Nelson Piquet, Jr. 	 	 	9 	1:15.848 	 	11 	1:15.770 	 	 	 	9
12 	3 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	 	12 	1:16.006 	 	12 	1:15.786 	 	 	 	11
13 	15 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	 	10 	1:15.918 	 	13 	1:15.816 	 	 	 	12
14 	14 	Sébastien Bourdais 	 	 	14 	1:16.072 	 	14 	1:16.045 	 	 	 	14
15* 	7 	Nico Rosberg 	 	 	15 	1:16.085 	 	15 	1:16.235 	 	 	 	19
16 	8 	Kazuki Nakajima 	 	 	16 	1:16.243 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15
17 	16 	Jenson Button 	 	 	17 	1:16.306 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16
18‡ 	17 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	 	18 	1:16.330 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20
19 	21 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	 	19 	1:16.971 	 	 	 	 	 	 	17
20 	20 	Adrian Sutil 	 	 	20 	1:17.053 	 	 	 	 	 	 	18
Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 - QUALIFYING', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Limited, 2006), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2008/races/832/france/qualifying.html, (Accessed 25/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates the fastest driver's time in each session.
** Hamilton and Rosberg were both awarded ten place grid penalties for causing a collision with Räikkönen at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix.
*† Kovalainen handed a five place grid penalty for impeding Webber during Q3.
*‡ Barrichello awarded a five place grid penalty for changing his gearbox.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	2 	Felipe Massa 	 	70 	1:31:50.245 	2 	10
2 	1 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	70 	+17.984s 	1 	8
3 	11 	Jarno Trulli 	 	70 	+28.250s 	4 	6
4 	23 	Heikki Kovalainen 	 	70 	+28.929s 	10 	5
5 	4 	Robert Kubica 	 	70 	+30.512s 	5 	4
6 	10 	Mark Webber 	 	70 	+40.304s 	6 	3
7 	6 	Nelson Piquet, Jr. 	 	70 	+41.033s 	9 	2
8 	5 	Fernando Alonso 	 	70 	+43.372s 	3 	1
9 	9 	David Coulthard 	 	70 	+51.021s 	7 	
10 	22 	Lewis Hamilton 	 	70 	+54.538s 	13 	
11 	12 	Timo Glock 	 	70 	+57.700s 	8 	
12 	15 	Sebastian Vettel 	 	70 	+58.065s 	12 	
13 	3 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	70 	+1:02.079 	11 	
14 	17 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	20 	
15 	8 	Kazuki Nakajima 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	15 	
16 	7 	Nico Rosberg 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	19 	
17 	14 	Sébastien Bourdais 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	14 	
18 	21 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	17 	
19 	20 	Adrian Sutil 	 	69 	+1 Lap 	18 	
Ret 	16 	Jenson Button 	 	16 	Damage 	16 	
Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)	Source:'France 2008: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2008/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 25/02/2020)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
==Milestones==
* Kimi Räikkönen secured the 200th pole position for as a constructor and engine supplier.
* Eighth career victory for Felipe Massa.
* Ferrari claimed their 206th win as a constructor and engine supplier.
* 30th podium finish for Räikkönen.
* Jarno Trulli claimed the tenth podium finish for a engine.
==Standings==
Victory for Felipe Massa carried the Brazilian racer to the top of the Championship hunt again, leaving Magny-Cours with a two point advantage. Robert Kubica had made way for the Brazilian but remained a title contender with 46 points, while Kimi Räikkönen had moved up to third with 43. Lewis Hamilton was next up in fourth, ten points behind Massa, while Nick Heidfeld was a further ten behind in fifth.
In the Constructors Championship had picked up their third one-two to enhance their Championship lead, moving onto 91 points for the campaign. had slipped seventeen points behind in second, while they held a sixteen point margin over in third. A 34 point gap then split McLaren from in fourth, with just a point off the Austrian entry in fifth.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Felipe Massa 	48 	2
2 	Robert Kubica 	46 	1
3 	Kimi Räikkönen 	43 	1
4 	Lewis Hamilton 	38 	2
5 	Nick Heidfeld 	28 	
6 	Heikki Kovalainen 	20 	
7 	Jarno Trulli 	18 	1
8 	Mark Webber 	18 	1
9 	Fernando Alonso 	10 	
10 	Nico Rosberg 	8 	
11 	Kazuki Nakajima 	7 	
12 	David Coulthard 	6 	
13 	Timo Glock 	5 	
14 	Sebastian Vettel 	5 	
15 	Rubens Barrichello 	5 	
16 	Jenson Button 	3 	
17 	Nelson Piquet, Jr. 	2 	2
18 	Sébastien Bourdais 	2 	1
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	91 	
2 	 	74 	
3 	 	58 	
4 	 	24 	
5 	 	23 	
6 	 	15 	
7 	 	12 	
8 	 	8 	
9 	 	7 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
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References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:2008 Grands Prix
Category:French Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in France