grand prix grand prix formally gulf air grand prix formula motor race held april race formula season lap race won ferrari team second ferrari driver race began pole position alongside eventual started alongside passed corner lap dominated race leading finish hamilton slow start grid dropped ninth driver ran lap later breaking wing dropping hamilton field strong finish promoted lead championship driver finished fourth ferrari trailed points respectively took lead drivers championship points points ahead ahead hamilton races remaining season report background grand prix contested drivers teams teams known ferrari force india toyota williams tyre supplier brought different tyre compounds race softer marked single white stripe grooves prior race driver led drivers championship points ferrari driver second points hamilton drivers championship points hamilton teammate fourth points teammate fifth points championship mercedes leading points points ahead ferrari points ferrari dominated previous round malaysia claimed pole position led teammate second place opening stages race spinning retiring midway went win race expressed optimism finished successive time gone wrong circuits want win finally opening races came fire press errors left points collision driver australia spin malaysia promised races indicative rest season start season wanted races points grabs races plan points lost opening rounds hamilton won opening race australia managed finish fifth qualifying penalty pit stop malaysia season began qualified second australia finished second malaysia predicted team maintain momentum race confident competitive week start grand prix weekend news world alleged president formula governing body engaged sexual acts prostitutes denied allegations cancelled scheduled appearance teams condemned alleged actions asked resignation time controversy threatened race eventually retained position successfully sued news world report practice qualifying practice sessions held sunday race friday saturday friday morning afternoon sessions lasted minutes session held saturday morning lasted hour teams session dusty track surrounded sand desert time quicker slowed early excursion sand requiring pit stop williams hamilton driver williams driver rounded seven second session hamilton lost control car slid sideways wall hamilton emerged unharmed collision suffered significant damage crash second session ended like led ferrari ahead hamilton session held dusty track quickest time took second ahead driver toyota driver red bull ninth quickest hamilton 18th qualifying session saturday afternoon split parts ran minutes cars finished session 17th position lower eliminated qualifying second qualifying session lasted minutes eliminated cars finished positions final qualifying session determined positions tenth decided pole position cars failed final session refuel race ran lighter sessions cars competed final session qualifying allowed refuel race carried fuel previous sessions clinched pole position career time qualified seconds joined row grid hamilton took place team spare chassis quickest despite critical car set confident racing ability line fifth grid alongside trouble performance tyres took seventh place ahead driver driver driver session missed seconds start race 11th position button teammate took 12th place gearbox problem interrupted second session laps ahead toyota driver slowest second session drivers took 16th qualified 17th ahead force india driver took 19th blamed set felt case car driving driving car teammate qualified 20th ahead teammate spun crashed barriers accident damaged rear wing suspension left unable continue session race weather conditions grid dry race air temperature signs breeze blow sand track cars grip got best start line passed corner lead hamilton poor start caused anti stall system kick passed drivers fall ninth benefited hamilton start moving ahead extended lead race hamilton trailed collided knocking wing car suffering handling difficulties hamilton returned pit lane new nose section rejoined 18th place took second place passed lap took fourth passed separate manoeuvres field retired race lap twice cars button pitted repair early damage lap opened lead seconds ahead pit lap followed lap pitted lead lap later following round pit stops gap seconds lap closed seconds teammate held second lead pitted final time laps respectively retained lead final stint pitted lap lap lap button collided lap button attempted pass inside turn lost wing retired lap later pit stops hamilton continued climb field moved 18th passing separate manoeuvres sit 14th time pitted lap retired lap transmission failure requiring gearbox change race took win season crossed line end 57th lap seconds ahead second placed took ahead teammate set fastest lap race lap time despite slower race rounded toyota held quick late race finished strongly ahead hamilton managed 13th took places finished track respective crashes demoted field button race post race finishers appeared podium subsequent press conference appeared relieved sure race pretty difficult didn want mistakes didn push tried bring car home controlling pace said struggled grip early owing oil middle sector course second place promoted lead drivers championship expressed optimism future races weekend pretty difficult things car right leading championship main thing know speed right race difficult happy second said poor start line presence oil track performance car leading pass think good result fourth team leading championship good weekend hamilton accepted responsibility near stall grid hadn hit switch early launch map went straight anti stall launch mode wasn dismissed suggestions brake tested hamilton incident led wing breaking head engineering said team indicated throttle straight touched brakes think blame speculation ceo said hamilton wing broken seconds impact resulting reduction hamilton faster expected photos indicate wing broken earlier hamilton car believed opening lap later incident left damage car attempts pass late race second placed finish gave point lead drivers championship points ahead hamilton points strong performance gave lead championship points ahead ferrari points points classification qualifying race championship standings race note positions included sets standings
2008 Bahrain Grand Prix