2008 European Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hamilton leads on 62 points. Räikkönen second on 57, Massa third on 54. Kubica fourth on 49, Heidfeld fifth on 41. Ferrari lead the Constructors’ on 111 points, McLaren second on 100, BMW Sauber third on 90.

Previous race

Kovalainen won in Hungary for her first career victory — the 100th driver to win a World Championship race. Glock finished second, his first Formula One podium. Räikkönen third. Hamilton led Massa in a duel for the first half of the race before suffering a puncture; Massa then built a large lead before his Ferrari’s engine failed with three laps remaining.

Background

This is the first Formula One Grand Prix held at the Valencia Street Circuit, and the first of any kind for the city. The drivers saw the circuit for the first time during track walk four days before the race and were broadly positive. Bridgestone celebrates their 200th Formula One race at this event, with a golden tyre on display and celebratory hoarding around the circuit. The FIA safety delegate Charlie Whiting moved the pole position grid slot to the right side of the track after observing car behaviour in practice.

Car upgrades

McLaren and Ferrari have modified their front winglets. Ferrari also revised their sidepod chimneys and winglets to help manage engine cooling in hot conditions.

Practice

The first ever practice session at the Valencia Street Circuit ran on a dusty, low-grip surface; Vettel set the fastest time early on but Bourdais was ahead at one point, with Massa and Hamilton third and fourth. Coulthard hit the barriers late in the session. Following the session, drivers and personnel observed a minute’s silence for those killed in the Spanair plane crash in Madrid two days earlier.

Räikkönen topped FP2 with a late lap that surpassed Alonso’s quickest; the Renault driver was later reprimanded and fined €10,000 for crossing the pit-lane entry line. Button surprised with third. Rosberg spun under braking in the final sector and narrowly missed Webber on the inside before rejoining undamaged. Rain overnight meant the track had almost no rubber at the start of FP3. Kubica was first to break into the 1:38s; Hamilton and Glock both spun. Trulli had gearbox problems and completed only two laps.