Brazilian toasts massive success

SAKHIR – Brazil’s Felipe Massa driving a Ferrari won the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix here yesterday to record his third career victory.

Englishman Lewis Hamilton was second in a McClaren – becoming the first driver to finish on the podium in his first three Grand Prix – and Kimi Raikkonen of Finland in another Ferrari was third. World champion Fernando Alonso could finish only fifth.For Massa, the victory will go someway to banishing the disappointment of last weekend’s race in Malaysia when he finished fifth after starting on pole.The Brazilian won by 2.5 seconds from Hamilton on the desert track at Sakhir with Raikkonen eight seconds further adrift.Germany’s Nick Heidfeld finished fourth for BMW-Sauber frustrating Alonso, who struggled to match the pace of his younger more inexperienced team-mate all weekend.The result leaves Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen locked together on 22 points at the top of the drivers standings with Massa fourth, five points adrift, following the third victory of his career.Poland’s Robert Kubica was sixth for BMW with Italy’s Jarno Trulli seventh for Toyota and his countryman Giancarlo Fisichella eighth for Renault.McLaren maintain their lead in the Constructors championship with 44 points, but Ferrari first and third finish mean they are now just five points behind.The much talked about start was perfectly handled by Massa as he beat Hamilton to the first corner leaving Alonso and Raikkonen to jostle for third spot with the double world champion winning out.But within four corners the safety car was being sent out after Honda’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s American driver Scott Speed crashed.Spyker’s Adrian Sutil was caught up in the collision and he was forced to pit for a new front wing.Massa and Hamilton were then nip and tuck for the opening 19 laps until the young British driver pitted.The Brazilian then pitted two laps later and began pulling away with his Ferrari clearly having the edge on pace.It was a bad day for Alonso who was struggling on the desert track.He held up the Ferrari of Raikkonen who eventually got past in the first round of pit-stops and set about closing the gap to Hamilton.The Spaniard, who won the race last year, then fell victim to Heidfeld as the German who powered his way past on the outside on lap 32 to take fourth spot.Britain’s David Coulthard had a storming race as he carved his way from 21st to seventh before the Renault engine on his Red Bull Racing car gave way on lap 37.He was followed back to the pits by Australian teammate Mark Webber who completed a disappointing afternoon for the Red Bull team when he stopped a few laps later.Massa came into the pits before Hamilton for his final stop on lap 40 with a seven second advantage.Raikkonen then dashed in the pits on the next lap followed by Heidfeld with Hamilton making his final stop with 13 of the 57-laps left.Hamilton returned to the track just ahead of Raikkonen, but unlike in Malaysia last Sunday when he had to fend off the Finn, this time the rookie pulled away and chased down Massa before running out of laps.Nampa-AFPWorld champion Fernando Alonso could finish only fifth.For Massa, the victory will go someway to banishing the disappointment of last weekend’s race in Malaysia when he finished fifth after starting on pole.The Brazilian won by 2.5 seconds from Hamilton on the desert track at Sakhir with Raikkonen eight seconds further adrift.Germany’s Nick Heidfeld finished fourth for BMW-Sauber frustrating Alonso, who struggled to match the pace of his younger more inexperienced team-mate all weekend.The result leaves Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen locked together on 22 points at the top of the drivers standings with Massa fourth, five points adrift, following the third victory of his career.Poland’s Robert Kubica was sixth for BMW with Italy’s Jarno Trulli seventh for Toyota and his countryman Giancarlo Fisichella eighth for Renault.McLaren maintain their lead in the Constructors championship with 44 points, but Ferrari first and third finish mean they are now just five points behind.The much talked about start was perfectly handled by Massa as he beat Hamilton to the first corner leaving Alonso and Raikkonen to jostle for third spot with the double world champion winning out.But within four corners the safety car was being sent out after Honda’s Jenson Button and Toro Rosso’s American driver Scott Speed crashed.Spyker’s Adrian Sutil was caught up in the collision and he was forced to pit for a new front wing.Massa and Hamilton were then nip and tuck for the opening 19 laps until the young British driver pitted.The Brazilian then pitted two laps later and began pulling away with his Ferrari clearly having the edge on pace.It was a bad day for Alonso who was struggling on the desert track.He held up the Ferrari of Raikkonen who eventually got past in the first round of pit-stops and set about closing the gap to Hamilton.The Spaniard, who won the race last year, then fell victim to Heidfeld as the German who powered his way past on the outside on lap 32 to take fourth spot.Britain’s David Coulthard had a storming race as he carved his way from 21st to seventh before the Renault engine on his Red Bull Racing car gave way on lap 37.He was followed back to the pits by Australian teammate Mark Webber who completed a disappointing afternoon for the Red Bull team when he stopped a few laps later.Massa came into the pits before Hamilton for his final stop on lap 40 with a seven second advantage.Raikkonen then dashed in the pits on the next lap followed by Heidfeld with Hamilton making his final stop with 13 of the 57-laps left.Hamilton returned to the track just ahead of Raikkonen, but unlike in Malaysia last Sunday when he had to fend off the Finn, this time the rookie pulled away and chased down Massa before running out of laps.Nampa-AFP