Wikipedia

2008 Formula One World Championship

(Redirected from 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship)

The 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 62nd season of Formula One motor racing, recognised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) – the governing body of motorsport – as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. The championship was contested over eighteen races commencing in Australia on 16 March and ending in Brazil on 2 November. The 2008 season saw the debut of the Singapore Grand Prix, which was held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, in Marina Bay, Singapore and was the first Formula One race held at night. The European Grand Prix moved to a new venue at the Valencia Street Circuit, in Valencia, Spain.

Lewis Hamilton won the first of his seven World Championship titles in 2008, in his second year of F1 participation. He remains the last McLaren driver to win a championship.
Felipe Massa finished runner up by a single point behind Hamilton
Kimi Räikkönen lifting his arm in the air while wearing a hat and sunglasses
Kimi Räikkönen, the defending World Drivers' Champion, finished the season ranked 3rd.
a red open wheeled racing car travels at speed down a tarmac course
Ferrari took the Constructors' Championship for the second year in a row.

Lewis Hamilton won the Drivers' title by a point – by overtaking Toyota's Timo Glock on the final corner of the final lap of the final Grand Prix of the season to claim the required 5th-place finish to win the championship – from Brazilian Felipe Massa, who had finished the race in first place; his team and family already celebrating the championship when the final overtake occurred. Massa's teammate, the reigning World Champion Kimi Räikkönen, was ranked third, with two wins. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro won the Constructors' title.[1] In winning the Drivers' title, Hamilton became the youngest driver ever to win the title (a record since surpassed by Sebastian Vettel winning the 2010 Drivers' title) and the first black driver to do so. He was also the first British champion since Damon Hill in 1996.[2]

Eleven teams competed in the championship, although Super Aguri withdrew on 6 May from the 2008 Formula One season due to financial troubles, completing four races. New technical rules for 2008 included the banning of traction control after it was re-introduced in 2001, at the Spanish Grand Prix. Fernando Alonso won the first race held in Singapore; however, only after teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. deliberately crashed to cause a Safety Car period which helped Alonso's strategy. When Piquet admitted this to the press in 2009 Renault team-principal Briatore resigned. Some journalists dubbed this "Crashgate".

This was the last season for the Honda team before they pulled out of F1 later in December due to the financial difficulties. Honda returned as an engine supplier between 2015 and 2021. Ross Brawn then bought the team, and renamed it to Brawn GP in February 2009 using the Mercedes-Benz engines. This was also the last Formula One season to race with grooved tyres, used since 1998, before slick tyres returned to Formula One in 2009. 2008 was the last season to feature 2001 runner up David Coulthard who retired after 14 years and 246 race starts.

It was the first time in the history of Formula One that all teams used the same two drivers throughout the season. As of 2024, this season marks the last World Drivers' Championship for McLaren (at that time powered by Mercedes-Benz engines), although Hamilton later won six more drivers' championships with Team Mercedes. The 2008 season also marks Scuderia Ferrari's last World Constructors' Championship win as of the 2023 championship.

Teams and drivers

edit

There was a total of seven teams signed up to compete in the championship through an agreement with Formula One Management, with the other four major manufacturers in the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA) having signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix. All teams in both groups have two spots each on the 2008 grid. The following teams and drivers competed in the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship.[3] Teams competed with tyres supplied by Bridgestone.

Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine† No. Race drivers Rounds
  Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari F2008[4] Ferrari 056 1   Kimi Räikkönen[5] All
2   Felipe Massa[6] All
  BMW Sauber F1 Team BMW Sauber F1.08[7] BMW P86/8 3   Nick Heidfeld[8] All
4   Robert Kubica[8] All
  ING Renault F1 Team Renault R28[9] Renault RS27 5   Fernando Alonso[10] All
6   Nelson Piquet Jr.[10] All
  AT&T Williams Williams-Toyota FW30[11] Toyota RVX-08[12] 7   Nico Rosberg[13] All
8   Kazuki Nakajima[13] All
  Red Bull Racing Red Bull-Renault RB4[14] Renault RS27 9   David Coulthard[15] All
10   Mark Webber[16] All
  Panasonic Toyota Racing Toyota TF108[17] Toyota RVX-08 11   Jarno Trulli[18] All
12   Timo Glock[19] All
  Scuderia Toro Rosso Toro Rosso-Ferrari STR2B[20]
STR3[21] 		Ferrari 056 14   Sébastien Bourdais[22] All
15   Sebastian Vettel[23] All
  Honda Racing F1 Team Honda RA108[24] Honda RA808E 16   Jenson Button[25] All
17   Rubens Barrichello[26] All
  Super Aguri F1 Team Super Aguri-Honda SA08[27] Honda RA808E 18   Takuma Sato[3] 1–4[N 1]
19   Anthony Davidson[3] 1–4[N 1]
  Force India F1 Team Force India-Ferrari VJM01[30] Ferrari 056[31] 20   Adrian Sutil[32] All
21   Giancarlo Fisichella[32] All
  Vodafone McLaren Mercedes McLaren-Mercedes MP4-23[33] Mercedes FO108V 22   Lewis Hamilton[34] All
23   Heikki Kovalainen[35] All
  • † All engines were 2.4-litre V8 configuration.

New entries

edit

On 14 February 2006 the FIA president Max Mosley announced that all teams interested in competing in the 2008 World Championship would have a seven-day window during which they would have to submit an application to compete.[36] All eleven current teams applied, as well as several others. On 28 April 2006 the FIA announced that all of the current teams' applications for the 2008 season were granted, along with a new team Prodrive, fronted by the ex-BAR and -Benetton principal David Richards. There were 21 applications in total, several new teams applying included European Minardi F1 Team Ltd, Jordan Grand Prix, Direxiv and Carlin Motorsport.[citation needed] However, despite the Prodrive application being accepted, Richards later announced that the team would not race in 2008 due to a dispute over the legality of customer cars.[37]

Team changes

edit
  • Rumours about the possible sale of the Spyker team had been abundant in the paddock throughout the last few months of the 2007 season. Only a year after Spyker bought the team from Midland, Indian businessman Vijay Mallya bought the team for €88 million, several million more than Spyker paid.[38] On 24 October 2007, Mallya was granted permission to change the team's name to Force India. Force India had a driver announcement ceremony in January 2008 where it was revealed that Sutil would be second driver partnered by first driver Giancarlo Fisichella and test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi.[32]
  • On 28 April 2006, rallying and motorsports technology firm Prodrive were officially granted entry to Formula One when the FIA announced the list of entrants to the 2008 Formula One World Championship. While a total of 21 teams applied for entry, the FIA had always maintained that only 12 teams would be granted entry, meaning only one new team would line up on the grid in 2008. FIA president Max Mosley revealed that Prodrive had found the finances to support their bid. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, had experience as a Formula One team principal.[39] However, on 23 November 2007, after lengthy negotiations between FIA president Max Mosley regarding customer cars, Richards announced that Prodrive F1 would not compete in the 2008 Formula One World Championship, as the legal situation left no time for the team to be set up.[40]
  • During the 2008 season on 6 May, the Super Aguri team folded and withdrew from Formula One. The team was in dire financial straits at the end of 2007 as the team did not receive a payment on a sponsorship deal.[41] Super Aguri rejected a buyout offer in January 2008 from an Indian consortium led by the CEO of the Spice Group, on the condition Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan drove in the line-up, because it meant demoting or cutting one of the team's 2007 drivers.[42] Despite this Super Aguri were unable to sign any contracts until agreements had been reached with their sponsors.[43] Sato and Davidson were confirmed on 10 March.[44] Super Aguri announced that a major deal had been made with Magma Group to solve the team's financial problems, however this fell through, and on 6 May 2008, Super Aguri withdrew from the Formula One World Championship.[45] It affirmed a prediction at the start of the season by Max Mosley saying the team would not make it to the final race in Brazil.[46]

Driver changes

edit
 
Force India joined the sport after Vijay Mallya purchased the Spyker team.
 
 
After competing in the sport for ten years, Ralf Schumacher (left) did not take part in the 2008 season. He was replaced at Toyota by 2007 GP2 Champion, Timo Glock (right).

2005 and 2006 World Champion Fernando Alonso left McLaren after a single season to rejoin Renault. He was replaced at McLaren by Heikki Kovalainen, who had replaced Alonso at Renault the previous season. Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault's other driver from 2007, moved to the newly renamed Force India team, in place of erstwhile Spyker driver Sakon Yamamoto, who became Renault's test development driver. Fisichella's place at Renault was taken by the team's test driver Nelson Piquet Jr. (son of the three-time World Drivers' Champion Nelson Piquet).

After an unsuccessful test for Force India in December 2007, Ralf Schumacher left Toyota to drive for Mücke Motorsport in the DTM series. 2007 GP2 champion Timo Glock, who had also been the test driver for BMW Sauber, returned to a Formula One race seat in place of Schumacher. Christian Klien, previously the test driver for Honda, and the Estonian driver Marko Asmer took up test driver roles at BMW Sauber.

Sébastien Bourdais, who won his fourth consecutive Champ Car title in 2007, joined Toro Rosso in 2008, replacing Vitantonio Liuzzi, who moved to Force India as their test driver.

Calendar

edit

The FIA World Council approved the 2008 schedule on 24 October 2007. Singapore was Formula One's first ever night race.[47]

Round Grand Prix Circuit Date
1 Australian Grand Prix   Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne 16 March
2 Malaysian Grand Prix   Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur 23 March
3 Bahrain Grand Prix   Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir 6 April
4 Spanish Grand Prix   Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló 27 April
5 Turkish Grand Prix   Istanbul Park, Istanbul 11 May
6 Monaco Grand Prix   Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 25 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix   Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 8 June
8 French Grand Prix   Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours 22 June
9 British Grand Prix   Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 6 July
10 German Grand Prix   Hockenheimring, Hockenheim 20 July
11 Hungarian Grand Prix   Hungaroring, Mogyoród 3 August
12 European Grand Prix   Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia 24 August
13 Belgian Grand Prix   Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 7 September
14 Italian Grand Prix   Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 14 September
15 Singapore Grand Prix   Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore 28 September
16 Japanese Grand Prix   Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka 12 October
17 Chinese Grand Prix   Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai 19 October
18 Brazilian Grand Prix   Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo 2 November
Sources:[48][49]

Calendar changes

edit
 
The new Marina Bay Street Circuit which hosted the Singapore Grand Prix at night

Regulation changes

edit
  • A standard Electronic Control Unit was supplied by Microsoft MES, a joint venture between Microsoft and McLaren Electronic Systems.[55]
  • Traction control was banned along with engine braking reduction.[56]
  • An engine freeze to last five years was started in 2008,[57] with the first unscheduled engine change of the season not leading to the usual 10 place grid penalty.[58]
  • Fuel of the cars must have been made up of at least 5.75% biological materials.[59]
  • Gearboxes were required to last four races, with a 5 place grid penalty for a gear box change. If a driver did not finish a race, he was allowed to change the gearbox for the next race without receiving a penalty.[60]
  • Cockpit protection was improved.[61]
  • The use of a spare car was restricted. Each competing team would not be allowed to have more than two cars available for use at any time. In this context, a car was considered as such if it was a partially assembled survival cell, fitted with an engine, any front suspension, bodywork, radiators, oil tanks or heat exchangers.[60]
  • Bridgestone would be the official tyre supplier for the 2008–2010 seasons.[62] They would also be marking their extreme wet weather tyres with a white line in the central groove to differentiate it from the softer wet weather tyre compound.[63]
  • No competing team was allowed to carry out more than 30,000 km (18,641 mi) of testing during the 2008 calendar year.[60]

Qualifying

edit
  • The first part of qualifying was lengthened to 20 minutes, and the final part of qualifying shortened to 10 minutes. Teams taking part in Q3 would no longer be allowed to add fuel back to the car after qualifying: a change which was made in order to eliminate the 'fuel-burn' phase.
  • A minimum lap time for each qualifying session was implemented from Round 3 in Bahrain in order to stop cars coasting back to the pits at dangerously low speeds, such as that seen in Round 2 in Malaysia. Both Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were demoted five grid places after the stewards decided that they had impeded Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso. The minimum lap time was different for each race. For example, it was 1:39 in Bahrain.
  • From 8 May 2008, the FIA announced that, following Super Aguri's departure from Formula One, the qualifying procedures changed. Rather than six drivers being eliminated at the end of Q1, only the five lowest-qualified drivers would be eliminated. This increased the likelihood that one of the midfield contenders would drop out, as only the top 15 drivers would go through to Q2. At the end of Q2 five rather than six cars would be eliminated as well.[64]

Pre-season testing

edit
 
Former double World Champion Fernando Alonso tests the Renault R28 at Valencia.

The first multi-team test session started in Jerez on 14 January 2008. Ferrari, McLaren and Toyota all tested their 2008 cars. Williams tested a modified version of the FW29 whilst Renault and Red Bull tested their 2007 entries. Honda, Toro Rosso, Super Aguri and Force India also attended. BMW Sauber was not in attendance as they were launching the F1.08.[65] Testing then moved to Valencia on 22 January. Renault and Williams were the only teams on the track for the first day of testing. They were both testing their 2008 challengers.[66] They were joined by every other team except Super Aguri for the next three days. 1 February saw testing move to Barcelona. Again, all teams but Super Aguri were in action. The first day of testing saw Kazuki Nakajima crash his FW30.[67] It also saw racist abuse directed at Lewis Hamilton.[68] Williams withdrew from testing on day three to try to fix the problem that caused Nakajima's crash. Meanwhile, on 4 February, Ferrari and Toyota moved to Bahrain to continue testing the F2008 and TF108.[69]

On 12 February testing returned to Jerez. Red Bull and Williams were the only teams in action on the first day.[70] The second day of testing saw all teams but Ferrari and Toyota (who were still in Bahrain) attending. After postponing their SA08 launch and cancelling testing at Valencia, Super Aguri turned up to test their SA07B interim car for the first time.[71]

Testing moved to Barcelona on 19 February. The first day of tests got underway in rain with Williams, Red Bull, Renault and Toyota present. Nico Rosberg topped the time sheets for Williams. BMW were instead testing on their own in Jerez.[72] Super Aguri did not turn up despite promising a Q&A with the media. They blamed circumstances beyond their control. On the second day Ferrari turned up and topped the time sheets with Felipe Massa on another wet track. McLaren joined on the final day and Williams finished on top with Nakajima. The final multi-team test began on 25 February with every team but Super Aguri attending. Lewis Hamilton topped the time sheets faster than both Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher. McLaren continued to outpace Ferrari on day two with both drivers on top and Toyota were fastest with Jarno Trulli on the final day.

Report

edit

Hamilton took pole and his fifth career victory at the first race in Australia. BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld finished second while Williams's Nico Rosberg sealed his first podium finish. The race saw only seven drivers finish the race, reduced to six after Honda's Rubens Barrichello was disqualified for exiting the pits under a red light. Despite an engine problem, Toro Rosso debutant Sébastien Bourdais completed over 90% of the race distance, earning him points in seventh.

A grid penalty for impeding drivers and a pit stop mishap left Hamilton in fifth place at Malaysia, while Räikkönen took his 16th career victory after he qualified in second position. BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica finished second for the first time with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen third.

Hamilton qualified third at Bahrain despite a crash, with Kubica taking his first pole position. Massa won the race with teammate Räikkönen in second. Kubica made it onto the podium, while Hamilton had a bad race, finishing 13th. He was back in the points at Barcelona, while Räikkönen took Ferrari's third consecutive victory, Massa making it another 1–2.

Massa took pole and won for the third successive Istanbul race, Hamilton splitting the Ferraris on the podium. At Monaco, Ferrari locked out the front row with Massa on pole, but on a bad day for Ferrari, with Räikkönen ruining what could have been Sutil's chance to score, Hamilton won the race despite a mid-race barrier scrape causing him a puncture. Kubica finished second and Massa was third.

 
Robert Kubica won his first ever Grand Prix at Montreal.

Hamilton was on pole position at Montreal for the first time since the beginning of the season, a drought of five races, however a pit lane mishap involving himself and Räikkönen eliminated both drivers from the race. Kubica (who also got caught up in the mess but made it through safely) won for the first time with teammate Heidfeld second. Räikkönen started the French Grand Prix on pole, but exhaust problems allowed teammate Massa to get the better of him, and he took his third season victory. Hamilton won back-to-back at Silverstone and Hockenheim. Kovalainen took advantage of Massa's engine failure to take his first career victory at Hungary.

The new Valencia Street Circuit was the new host of the European Grand Prix, Massa taking pole and winning with Hamilton second. At Belgium, Hamilton qualified on pole and finished in first, though he received a 25-second penalty for gaining an advantage during a scrap with Räikkönen. Massa was the classified winner.

Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Vettel became the youngest ever pole man and victor after a stunning weekend at Monza. The race saw a downfall for the big teams, Kovalainen doing a good job for second.

Singapore hosted its first ever F1 race and F1's first ever night race, taking place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Massa qualified on pole, however, the race was to be a major blow to his championship. On lap 12, while Massa was leading, Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. purposely crashed (see 'Race-fixing controversy' below), although Piquet never released this until dropped from the team after the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, assisting teammate Fernando Alonso, who went on to win. He was victorious from a fuel feed problem in Q2 leaving him 15th on the grid, though he still out-qualified Piquet Jr. Rosberg finished on the podium for the second and last time in 2008. Massa was leading ahead of Hamilton, however, when he pitted under the safety car his fuel hose remained attached meaning that the pit crew had to run down the pit lane to detach it. This ruined Massa's race putting him in last position while Hamilton gained 6 points for 3rd place.

 
Lewis Hamilton celebrates after winning the championship in Brazil.

Alonso won again in Japan with Kubica second. Hamilton started the race on pole, however he was given a drive through penalty for running wide at the start and shortly afterwards was knocked into a spin by Felipe Massa. He was back to winning ways for the first time since Hockenheim, though, victorious at Shanghai.

At this point, Hamilton had a seven-point lead over Massa, meaning if Massa was to be the victor at his home race in Brazil, Hamilton would need to finish fifth, and he was holding this position though being stalked by Vettel, who eventually passed him on lap 69, as Massa won to momentarily take the title. Hamilton eventually regained fifth place, however, by passing Glock, who was struggling on dry tyres, and finished fifth to take the title by one point from Massa.

Race-fixing controversy

edit
Main article: Renault Formula One crash controversy

In a scandal that became known as "Crashgate" in the media, during the 2009 season around the time of the Belgium Grand Prix, allegations by former Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. about his crash in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix led to charges of race-fixing against Renault and the departure of team boss Flavio Briatore and engineering director Pat Symonds.

edit

In March 2023, in an interview with German website F1-Insider, former Formula One Group chief executive Bernie Ecclestone was quoted saying that both he and then-FIA president Max Mosley were made aware of Renault's deliberate manipulation of the Singapore Grand Prix "during the 2008 season". He added: "We had enough information in time to investigate the matter. According to the statutes, we should have cancelled the race in Singapore under these conditions. That means it would never have happened for the championship standings. And then Felipe Massa would have become world champion and not Lewis Hamilton." Despite this, Ecclestone said they decided not to act before the championship results were finalised at the end-of-year FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in order to "protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal". Following Ecclestone's comments, Massa reportedly started investigating whether he could take legal action to challenge the outcome of the 2008 championship.[73] In August, Massa and his legal team sent a Letter Before Claim to the FIA and FOM.[74] Later that year, former FIA president Jean Todt agreed in an interview that the Singapore results should have been annulled, saying: "There is no doubt that the Singapore Grand Prix was rigged and should have been canceled."[75]

In March 2024, Massa filed a lawsuit against Formula One, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone in the London High Court. He is seeking in excess of $80 million in damages and a declaration from the FIA that he would have won the championship had the governing body not breached its regulations.[76]

Results and standings

edit

Grands Prix

edit
Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning constructor Report
1   Australian Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Heikki Kovalainen   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes Report
2   Malaysian Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Nick Heidfeld   Kimi Räikkönen   Ferrari Report
3   Bahrain Grand Prix   Robert Kubica   Heikki Kovalainen   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
4   Spanish Grand Prix   Kimi Räikkönen   Kimi Räikkönen   Kimi Räikkönen   Ferrari Report
5   Turkish Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Kimi Räikkönen   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
6   Monaco Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Kimi Räikkönen   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes Report
7   Canadian Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Kimi Räikkönen   Robert Kubica   BMW Sauber Report
8   French Grand Prix   Kimi Räikkönen   Kimi Räikkönen   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
9   British Grand Prix   Heikki Kovalainen   Kimi Räikkönen   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes Report
10   German Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Nick Heidfeld   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes Report
11   Hungarian Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Kimi Räikkönen   Heikki Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes Report
12   European Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Felipe Massa   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
13   Belgian Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Kimi Räikkönen   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
14   Italian Grand Prix   Sebastian Vettel   Kimi Räikkönen   Sebastian Vettel   Toro Rosso-Ferrari Report
15   Singapore Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Kimi Räikkönen   Fernando Alonso   Renault Report
16   Japanese Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Felipe Massa   Fernando Alonso   Renault Report
17   Chinese Grand Prix   Lewis Hamilton   Lewis Hamilton   Lewis Hamilton   McLaren-Mercedes Report
18   Brazilian Grand Prix   Felipe Massa   Felipe Massa   Felipe Massa   Ferrari Report
Source:[77]

Scoring system

edit
Further information: List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems

Points are awarded to drivers and constructors as follows:[78]

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th 
Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

World Drivers' Championship standings

edit
Pos. Driver AUS
  		MAL
  		BHR
  		ESP
  		TUR
  		MON
  		CAN
  		FRA
  		GBR
  		GER
  		HUN
  		EUR
  		BEL
  		ITA
  		SIN
  		JPN
  		CHN
  		BRA
  		Points
1   Lewis Hamilton 1P 5 13 3 2 1 RetP 10 1 1P 5P 2 3P 7 3 12P 1PF 5 98
2   Felipe Massa Ret RetP 1 2 1P 3P 5 1 13 3 17† 1PF 1 6 13P 7F 2 1PF 97
3   Kimi Räikkönen 8† 1 2 1PF 3F 9F RetF 2PF 4F 6 3F Ret 18F† 9F 15F† 3 3 3 75
4   Robert Kubica Ret 2 3P 4 4 2 1 5 Ret 7 8 3 6 3 11 2 6 11 75
5   Fernando Alonso 4 8 10 Ret 6 10 Ret 8 6 11 4 Ret 4 4 1 1 4 2 61
6   Nick Heidfeld 2 6F 4 9 5 14 2 13 2 4F 10 9 2 5 6 9 5 10 60
7   Heikki Kovalainen 5F 3 5F Ret 12 8 9 4 5P 5 1 4 10† 2 10 Ret Ret 7 53
8   Sebastian Vettel Ret Ret Ret Ret 17 5 8 12 Ret 8 Ret 6 5 1P 5 6 9 4 35
9   Jarno Trulli Ret 4 6 8 10 13 6 3 7 9 7 5 16 13 Ret 5 Ret 8 31
10   Timo Glock Ret Ret 9 11 13 12 4 11 12 Ret 2 7 9 11 4 Ret 7 6 25
11   Mark Webber Ret 7 7 5 7 4 12 6 10 Ret 9 12 8 8 Ret 8 14 9 21
12   Nelson Piquet Jr. Ret 11 Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 7 Ret 2 6 11 Ret 10 Ret 4 8 Ret 19
13   Nico Rosberg 3 14 8 Ret 8 Ret 10 16 9 10 14 8 12 14 2 11 15 12 17
14   Rubens Barrichello DSQ 13 11 Ret 14 6 7 14 3 Ret 16 16 Ret 17 Ret 13 11 15 11
15   Kazuki Nakajima 6 17 14 7 Ret 7 Ret 15 8 14 13 15 14 12 8 15 12 17 9
16   David Coulthard Ret 9 18 12 9 Ret 3 9 Ret 13 11 17 11 16 7 Ret 10 Ret 8
17   Sébastien Bourdais 7† Ret 15 Ret Ret Ret 13 17 11 12 18 10 7 18 12 10 13 14 4
18   Jenson Button Ret 10 Ret 6 11 11 11 Ret Ret 17 12 13 15 15 9 14 16 13 3
19   Giancarlo Fisichella Ret 12 12 10 Ret Ret Ret 18 Ret 16 15 14 17 Ret 14 Ret 17 18 0
20   Adrian Sutil Ret Ret 19 Ret 16 Ret Ret 19 Ret 15 Ret Ret 13 19 Ret Ret Ret 16 0
21   Takuma Sato Ret 16 17 13 0
22   Anthony Davidson Ret 15 16 Ret 0
Pos. Driver AUS
  		MAL
  		BHR
  		ESP
  		TUR
  		MON
  		CAN
  		FRA
  		GBR
  		GER
  		HUN
  		EUR
  		BEL
  		ITA
  		SIN
  		JPN
  		CHN
  		BRA
  		Points
Source:[78]
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Did not enter (empty cell)
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap


Notes:

  • † – Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed more than 90% of the race distance.

World Constructors' Championship standings

edit
Pos. Constructor No. AUS
  		MAL
  		BHR
  		ESP
  		TUR
  		MON
  		CAN
  		FRA
  		GBR
  		GER
  		HUN
  		EUR
  		BEL
  		ITA
  		SIN
  		JPN
  		CHN
  		BRA
  		Points
1   Ferrari 1 8† 1 2 1PF 3F 9F RetF 2PF 4F 6 3F Ret 18F† 9F 15F† 3 3 3 172
2 Ret RetP 1 2 1P 3P 5 1 13 3 17† 1PF 1 6 13P 7F 2 1PF
2   McLaren-Mercedes 22 1P 5 13 3 2 1 RetP 10 1 1P 5P 2 3P 7 3 12P 1PF 5 151
23 5F 3 5F Ret 12 8 9 4 5P 5 1 4 10 2 10 Ret Ret 7
3   BMW Sauber 3 2 6F 4 9 5 14 2 13 2 4F 10 9 2 5 6 9 5 10 135
4 Ret 2 3P 4 4 2 1 5 Ret 7 8 3 6 3 11 2 6 11
4   Renault 5 4 8 10 Ret 6 10 Ret 8 6 11 4 Ret 4 4 1 1 4 2 80
6 Ret 11 Ret Ret 15 Ret Ret 7 Ret 2 6 11 Ret 10 Ret 4 8 Ret
5   Toyota 11 Ret 4 6 8 10 13 6 3 7 9 7 5 16 13 Ret 5 Ret 8 56
12 Ret Ret 9 11 13 12 4 11 12 Ret 2 7 9 11 4 Ret 7 6
6   Toro Rosso-Ferrari 14 7† Ret 15 Ret Ret Ret 13 17 11 12 18 10 7 18 12 10 13 14 39
15 Ret Ret Ret Ret 17 5 8 12 Ret 8 Ret 6 5 1P 5 6 9 4
7   Red Bull-Renault 9 Ret 9 18 12 9 Ret 3 9 Ret 13 11 17 11 16 7 Ret 10 Ret 29
10 Ret 7 7 5 7 4 12 6 10 Ret 9 12 8 8 Ret 8 14 9
8   Williams-Toyota 7 3 14 8 Ret 8 Ret 10 16 9 10 14 8 12 14 2 11 15 12 26
8 6 17 14 7 Ret 7 Ret 15 8 14 13 15 14 12 8 15 12 17
9   Honda 16 Ret 10 Ret 6 11 11 11 Ret Ret 17 12 13 15 15 9 14 16 13 14
17 DSQ 13 11 Ret 14 6 7 14 3 Ret 16 16 Ret 17 Ret 13 11 15
10   Force India-Ferrari 20 Ret Ret 19 Ret 16 Ret Ret 19 Ret 15 Ret Ret 13 19 Ret Ret Ret 16 0
21 Ret 12 12 10 Ret Ret Ret 18 Ret 16 15 14 17 Ret 14 Ret 17 18
11   Super Aguri-Honda[N 1] 18 Ret 16 17 13 0
19 Ret 15 16 Ret
Pos. Constructor No. AUS
  		MAL
  		BHR
  		ESP
  		TUR
  		MON
  		CAN
  		FRA
  		GBR
  		GER
  		HUN
  		EUR
  		BEL
  		ITA
  		SIN
  		JPN
  		CHN
  		BRA
  		Points
Source:[78]
Key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Excluded (EX)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Withdrawn (WD)
Did not enter (empty cell)
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap


Notes:

  • † – Drivers did not finish the Grand Prix, but were classified as they completed more than 90% of the race distance.

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b c Super Aguri withdrew from the Formula One World Championship on 6 May 2008, with immediate effect.[28] The company went into administration a day later.[29]

References

edit
  1. ^ 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship Classifications Retrieved from www.fia.com on 13 November 2008 Archived 2 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Lewis Hamilton becomes youngest world Formula One champion". Heraldsun.co.au. 3 November 2008. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  3. ^ a b c "2008 FIA Formula One Entry List". FIA.com. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
  4. ^ "Ferrari unveil the F2008". formula1.com. 6 January 2008. Archived from the original on 9 January 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Ferrari confirm Räikkönen, Massa for '07". formula1.com. 10 September 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  6. ^ "Ferrari extend Massa's contract to 2010". formula1.com. 16 October 2007. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  7. ^ "F1.08 a 'radical evolution', says Rampf". formula1.com. 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  8. ^ a b "BMW Sauber retain Heidfeld and Kubica for 2008". formula1.com. 21 August 2007. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  9. ^ "R28 designed for optimum tyre performance". formula1.com. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Alonso to partner Piquet at Renault for 2008". formula1.com. 10 December 2007. Archived from the original on 12 December 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  11. ^ "New Williams breaks cover in Spain". formula1.com. 21 January 2008. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  12. ^ "Toyota engines for Williams in 2007". formula1.com. 27 July 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2006.[dead link]
  13. ^ a b "Williams confirm Rosberg, Nakajima for 2008". formula1.com. 7 November 2007. Archived from the original on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  14. ^ "Red Bull debut the RB4 at Jerez". formula1.com. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  15. ^ "Red Bull confirm Coulthard for 2008". formula1.com. 6 July 2007. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  16. ^ "Webber aims to improve on 2007". autosport.com. 16 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
  17. ^ "Longer wheelbase, new aero concept for latest Toyota". formula1.com. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  18. ^ "Trulli commits to Toyota future". formula1.com. 28 July 2006. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  19. ^ "Glock to race for Toyota in 2008". formula1.com. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
  20. ^ "Vettel: Starting '08 with '07 car has advantages". formula1.com. 28 January 2008. Archived from the original on 31 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  21. ^ "New Toro Rosso hits the track in Spain". formula1.com. 16 April 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  22. ^ "Bourdais secures 2008 Toro Rosso seat". formula1.com. 10 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  23. ^ "Vettel to stay at Toro Rosso for 2008". formula1.com. 2 August 2007. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  24. ^ "Honda targeting points at every race". formula1.com. 29 January 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  25. ^ Brundle, Martin (19 July 2007). "Honda keep Button & Barrichello". The Times. London. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  26. ^ "Barrichello staying with Honda for 2008". formula1.com. 19 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 March 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  27. ^ "February launch for new Super Aguri". formula.com. 8 January 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  28. ^ "Super Aguri pulls out of F1". ITV-F1.com. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  29. ^ "Super Aguri put into administration". ITV-F1.com. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  30. ^ "Force India usher in a new era at Mumbai launch". formula1.com. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  31. ^ "Exclusive interview – Spyker's Dr Vijay Mallya". formula1.com. 10 October 2007. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  32. ^ a b c "Fisichella, Sutil, Liuzzi confirmed at Force India". formula1.com. 10 January 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2007.
  33. ^ "McLaren launch the MP4-23 in Stuttgart". formula1.com. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  34. ^ "Hamilton commits to McLaren until 2012". formula1.com. 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  35. ^ "Kovalainen to partner Hamilton at McLaren for 2008". formula1.com. 14 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 14 December 2007.
  36. ^ "Mosley gives GPMA deadline to sign up". Manipe F1. 14 February 2006. Archived from the original on 20 February 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2006.
  37. ^ "Prodrive rule out 2008 Formula One entry". Formula1.com. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  38. ^ "Mallya and Mol are new Spyker owners". formula1.com. 10 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
  39. ^ "And the 12th team for 2008 is..." formula1.com. 28 April 2006. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2007.
  40. ^ "Prodrive rule out 2008 Formula One entry". formula1.com. 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 23 November 2007.
  41. ^ "Super Aguri set to cut 30 jobs". autosport.com. 20 November 2007. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  42. ^ "Indian group considering Aguri investment". autosport.com. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  43. ^ "Sato and Davidson not yet confirmed". autosport.com. 4 January 2008. Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2008.
  44. ^ "Super Aguri F1 team confirms new partner and drivers for 2008 season". Super Aguri F1 team official website. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2008. Retrieved 10 March 2008.
  45. ^ "Super Aguri withdraw from Formula One". autosport.com. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  46. ^ "Mosley concerned about Aguri's survival". GPUpdate.net. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
  47. ^ "2008 FIA Formula One Calendar". formula1.com. 24 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
  48. ^ "Formula One Calendar 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  49. ^ "2008". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  50. ^ "Singapore confirms 2008 night race". formula1.com. 11 May 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  51. ^ "Night-time practice and qualifying for Singapore". Formula1.com. 31 January 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2008.
  52. ^ "Indianapolis won't host US GP in 2008". autosport.com. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  53. ^ "French Grand Prix under threat for 2008". ITV-F1.com. 29 March 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  54. ^ "Ecclestone agrees to keep French GP – F1 – Autosport".
  55. ^ "McLaren, Microsoft confirm ECU supply". autosport.com. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 12 December 2006. Retrieved 11 December 2006.
  56. ^ "Traction control axed from 2008". formula1.com. 30 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 July 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  57. ^ "Engine freeze shortened to five years". autosport.com. 13 January 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  58. ^ "Teams agree engine penalty rule tweak". ITV-F1.com. 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2008. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  59. ^ "F1 Rule Changes for 2008". Formula1.com. 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  60. ^ a b c "Understanding F1 2008: New regulations". f1complete.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
  61. ^ "Cockpit safety to improve in 2008". autosport.com. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  62. ^ "Bridgestone to be sole tyre supplier". formula1.com. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 6 July 2006.[dead link]
  63. ^ "Bridgestone to mark extreme wet tyres in 2008". formula1.com. 7 March 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2008.
  64. ^ "Qualifying adjusted after Aguri exit". ITV-F1.com. 8 May 2008. Archived from the original on 25 September 2009. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  65. ^ "2008 testing gets underway in Spain". Formula1.com. 14 January 2008. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  66. ^ "Valencia day one – Alonso leads Hülkenberg". Formula1.com. 22 January 2008. Archived from the original on 28 January 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
  67. ^ "Barcelona day one – Hamilton sets the standard". Formula1.com. 2 February 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
  68. ^ Abend, Lisa (5 February 2008). "Sports Racism: The Stain in Spain". Time Magazine. time.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  69. ^ "Bahrain day one – Ferrari one-two in testing". Formula1.com. 4 February 2008. Archived from the original on 6 February 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  70. ^ "Jerez day one – Red Bull lead Williams in Spain". Formula1.com. 12 February 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  71. ^ "Jerez day two – McLaren enjoy a flying start". Formula1.com. 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  72. ^ "Barcelona day one – Rosberg sets wet benchmark". Formula1.com. 20 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
  73. ^ "Massa to look into legal options over 2008 F1 title outcome". www.motorsport.com. 8 April 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  74. ^ "Massa steps up legal challenge over lost 2008 F1 world title". www.autosport.com. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  75. ^ "Former FIA President Understands Felipe Massa's Claim To Be Crowned 2008 F1 Champion". Autoweek.
  76. ^ Tobin, Dominic (12 March 2024). "Felipe Massa's claim to be 2008 F1 champion goes to court: the story so far". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  77. ^ "Formula One Results 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  78. ^ a b c Jones, Bruce (2009). "Final Results 2008". The Official ITV Sport Guide: Grand Prix 2009. London, England: Carlton Books. pp. 116–117. ISBN 978-1-84732-262-3 – via Internet Archive.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 in Formula One.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2008_Formula_One_World_Championship&oldid=1251932417"