Reverend
June 9th, 2008, 11:53 AM
Robert Kubica took his and the BMW Sauber team's first Formula One victory in a dramatic Canadian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton crashed out in the pits.
Kubica survived an intervention by the safety car and a crumbling track that provoked errors from several drivers.
Hamilton's chances were dashed when he crashed into the back of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen as the Finn waited on a red light at the end of the pit lane.
Nick Heidfeld completed a BMW one-two with Red Bull's David Coulthard third.
It was the 37-year-old Scot's best result since he finished third in the Monaco Grand Prix two years ago.
The Toyota of Timo Glock was fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
"I never struggled so much, I was pushing so much to do it and I managed to do it so it was a great race," said Kubica.
"The last laps were very, very difficult. The team was telling me to stay calm and not push too much but I wasn't pushing for 10 or 15 laps, it was just amazing.
"It's very fantastic to win my first race for BMW Sauber, which I joined from the beginning. We grew up together."
Hamilton looked to have the race in the bag until the intervention by the safety car.
The Englishman had built up a 6.8-second lead over Kubica when the safety car was deployed on lap 17 so that marshals could remove the stranded Force India of Adrian Sutil.
All the leading drivers came in for fuel and tyre stops as soon as the pit lane was open on lap 19. But as they finished their stops, the pit-lane exit was still closed.
Raikkonen, who had entered the pits in third place, and Kubica stopped side by side at the red light, but Hamilton failed to notice in time that they had stopped, and he ploughed into the back of the Ferrari.
The incident broke the right-front suspension of Hamilton's car, putting him out of the race, and damaged the rear of Raikkonen's Ferrari sufficiently for him to be forced into retirement, too.
"I don't know really what happened," Hamilton said. "I was comfortably in the lead. It was looking like it was going to be an easy win. We came in. It wasn't a great stop.
"I saw the guys in front of me, and all of sudden they'd stopped. I saw the red light but, by the time I saw it, it was too late to stop.
"I apologise to Kimi if I took him out, but that sort of thing happens sometimes."
Hamilton said he had been told by the team that the red light was on at the end of the pit lane, but that the warning came "a little bit late".
Canadian Grand Prix Result:
1. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber
2. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber
3. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota
5. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari
6. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota
7. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda
8. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Championship standings:
1. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 42 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 38
3. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 38
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 35
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 28
6. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 15
7. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 15
8. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 12
Constructors' championship:
1. Ferrari 73 pts
2. BMW Sauber 70
3. McLaren-Mercedes 53
4. Red Bull-Renault 21
5. Toyota 18
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7442897.stm)
Kubica survived an intervention by the safety car and a crumbling track that provoked errors from several drivers.
Hamilton's chances were dashed when he crashed into the back of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen as the Finn waited on a red light at the end of the pit lane.
Nick Heidfeld completed a BMW one-two with Red Bull's David Coulthard third.
It was the 37-year-old Scot's best result since he finished third in the Monaco Grand Prix two years ago.
The Toyota of Timo Glock was fourth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
"I never struggled so much, I was pushing so much to do it and I managed to do it so it was a great race," said Kubica.
"The last laps were very, very difficult. The team was telling me to stay calm and not push too much but I wasn't pushing for 10 or 15 laps, it was just amazing.
"It's very fantastic to win my first race for BMW Sauber, which I joined from the beginning. We grew up together."
Hamilton looked to have the race in the bag until the intervention by the safety car.
The Englishman had built up a 6.8-second lead over Kubica when the safety car was deployed on lap 17 so that marshals could remove the stranded Force India of Adrian Sutil.
All the leading drivers came in for fuel and tyre stops as soon as the pit lane was open on lap 19. But as they finished their stops, the pit-lane exit was still closed.
Raikkonen, who had entered the pits in third place, and Kubica stopped side by side at the red light, but Hamilton failed to notice in time that they had stopped, and he ploughed into the back of the Ferrari.
The incident broke the right-front suspension of Hamilton's car, putting him out of the race, and damaged the rear of Raikkonen's Ferrari sufficiently for him to be forced into retirement, too.
"I don't know really what happened," Hamilton said. "I was comfortably in the lead. It was looking like it was going to be an easy win. We came in. It wasn't a great stop.
"I saw the guys in front of me, and all of sudden they'd stopped. I saw the red light but, by the time I saw it, it was too late to stop.
"I apologise to Kimi if I took him out, but that sort of thing happens sometimes."
Hamilton said he had been told by the team that the red light was on at the end of the pit lane, but that the warning came "a little bit late".
Canadian Grand Prix Result:
1. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber
2. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber
3. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota
5. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari
6. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota
7. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda
8. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Championship standings:
1. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 42 pts
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 38
3. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 38
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 35
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 28
6. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 15
7. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 15
8. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 12
Constructors' championship:
1. Ferrari 73 pts
2. BMW Sauber 70
3. McLaren-Mercedes 53
4. Red Bull-Renault 21
5. Toyota 18
BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7442897.stm)