Alonso wins in Singapore
Eurosport - Tue, 30 Sep 10:33:00 2008
Fernando Alonso won the Singapore Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton extended his title advantage to seven points after Felipe Massa finished out of the points following a calamitous pit-lane incident.
The Spanish double world champion claimed his 20th career triumph by 2.95 seconds over Germany's Nico Rosberg in a Williams with Britain's world championship leader Hamilton in third.
It was the Renault driver's first victory since the Italian Grand Prix last year and capped a remarkable weekend that saw him top two of the free practice sessions but start 15th on the grid after a mechanical problem in qualifying.
Toyota driver Timo Glock was fourth with Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel following up his win in Italy this month with fifth. BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld took sixth.
The race was a new experience for every driver on a street circuit under powerful spotlights and it turned out to be one of the most exciting of the season.
Ferrari's Massa started from pole but a disastrous mistake cost him the race and valuable points in his push for the world title.
The Brazilian was in the pits on lap 15 when he was given the green light and drove off with the fuel hose still attached to his car, leaving one of the pit crew floored and subsequently carted off in a neck brace.
Massa ended up sitting in his Ferrari at the end of the pit lane as the crew ran after him and managed to pull the hose free, but it ruined his chances. He was given a drive through penalty and rejoined in 18th place.
It was a miserable night for Ferrari with defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen ramming his car into the barriers with just four laps left.
The Massa drama occurred after the cars came in when Nelson Piquet careered into the wall, causing massive damage to his Renault. He climbed out unscathed but the safety car was deployed.
Massa was leading at the time with Hamilton second but at the restart, Rosberg was in front and Alonso fifth.
But Rosberg was subsequently slapped with a 10-second stop penalty for coming into the pits before it had opened after the Piquet crash.
The complicated scenario saw Toyota's Jarno Trulli in the lead on lap 28 but without having pitted with Alonso second, Rosberg third and Hamilton charging in sixth.
With Trulli taking his first pit stop soon after Alonso amazingly found himself in front just after the halfway mark with a 4.9 second lead over Rosberg.
Alonso came in for his second pit stop on lap 41 and came out still ahead, marginally ahead of David Coulthard and Hamilton.
Remarkably, when Coulthard pitted soon after, he too drove off with the fuel pipe attached, knocking over a mechanic who was stretchered off with an injured ankle.
Alonso was cruising with a 23 second lead when Adrian Sutil shunted his Force India into the wall, bringing the safety car out again and wiping out the Spaniard's advantage.
When they restarted with seven laps left it was a sprint to the finish and two-time world champion Alonso made no mistake, writing his name in the record books as the first winner of a Formula One night race.
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Comment 325 - 344 of 404
hello i am spanish, and i read in this post that piquet accident will be investigated by FIA, i think that this it is very good, but i think that when hamilton adelanted to kovalainen in other grand prix must be investigated by FIA too.
i`m sorry by my english
I remember Alonso ranting 4yrs ago that McLaren was doing something suspicious every time Kimi blew his engine during qualifying, starting behind thegrid and being on the podium. I hope he will judge himself the way he judges others. I am happy for him though he drove a great race. His composure today was exceptional. Alonso is good when it is going well for him.
you bore us all jbolan. u rant on like you are making a martyrdom video. wish you would blow yourself up though and do us all a favour. what a tvvat!
I have the feeling that if Kovaleinen had crashed about 3 laps after Hamilton had pitted and Hamilton then went on to win the race the way Alonso did, he would probably have been stripped of the win, McLaren investigated and penalised.
I hope the FIA would leave the drivers alone and allow the best driver win the title at the end of the season.
JUSTICE IS DONE, HAMILTON DESERVED TO BE ON TOP AND ALTHOUGH THE FINALLY TOOK HIS WELL DESERVED POINTS AT THE PREVIOUS RACE, JUSTIS HAS BEEN DONE.
hoodie - Lewis Hamilton wants to set history in a McLaren hense why he has been at McLaren for around 12 - 14years he wants to drive for McLaren end of!
Shame about Massa losing out on a potential podium place due to an error from the lollipop man (assumption)...very much hope the guy that got hit by the fuelhose is ok never mind how many millions LH or FM make or who becomes champion or what conspiracy theory or insults you all throw at each other - I for one hope the guy/girl is ok
marsbarsrnice- When LH wins this year his sight will be set on beating Michaels record to do this he will need to find a unicorn or move to Ferrari.
@Ray C - The same thought went through my mind, Renault cause a crash just after Alonso pitted resulting in Alonso being in a perfect position!
Not likely I guess, but funny all the same.
Not even the FIA could save Massa here! haha! Kinda suppose its racing Karma sorting things out really. What goes around, comes around.
jbolan's never ending rants of @#$% here again. Away and take your medicine you little tvvat
hoodie - Lewis Hamilton is in for the long haul at Mclaren hense the contract expiring 2012
ourboyinchina i am chilled, but what in dont like is scum like you taking advantgage of the ladies. show a bit more respect you clown. the birds on this blog deserve better.
Hmmm perhaps Piquets telemetry just before his accident should be checked.
# 373 jbolan. There is no need to be personal with Denis and LH father. They should not be your hate figure. What has LH done to you. I doubt if you were a millionaire when you were 21. I repeat again come what may LH will be world champion in 2008 and in 2011 it will be LH and Vettel in Ferrari. No love lost its business.
chill-out dude!
Jeff and Tammi - can we all come to the wedding???
ourboyinchina, dont try and sweet talk the girls on this blog mate. if you want to chat up the birds find somewhere else to do it. you dirty b*stard.
RESPONSE to article 370:
Wierd though but could it not be a straegy from Renault, that Piquet'd accident comes after Alonso had fuelled?????????????
unfair game but its all down to a team strage.........
Go Go LH!!!!!!!
Slighty different in this discussion - the night race was a wierd one to watch. It looked like it was indoors, so the lighting conditions must have been a completely different set of challenges to overcome. If any of you have had to do a shift driving at night in a normal car then you'll certainly get my drift. I do like the novelty of it, as well as getting up to watch Suzuka, so well done to Singapore - nice people, nice city, nice track (with a couple of minor glitches).
oh go back to sacrificing humans in peru
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