Mixed day for The Prancing Horse

The Prancing Horse had something of a mixed first day of practice at Monza today setting the pace in the first session and finishing sixth and eighth in the second.

The first session went well, but in the second one I lost a lot of time with a hydraulic problem and I only managed to do one run of laps on new tyres in the final moments," said Raikkonen. "We therefore don't have much of a reference point on where we actually are, on top of the fact that as usual there are the unknown factors linked to the fuel loads and tyres used by the other teams during the practice. The balance of the car is not bad, but we definitely have work to do to improve the performance, especially for qualifying, where our rivals are particularly competitive. But our race pace should be good. Monza is Ferrari's home race and I will be doing my best to give the team and all its fans something to be happy about."

Felipe Massa commented, "We tackled the two free practice sessions in a different way, working mainly on race pace in the afternoon. We still have work to do on the car set-up to find the best balance on the single lap, while over a long run I would say that we are in reasonably good shape. Today, the track was a bit dirty but definitely in better condition than it was at last week's test."

Technical director Luca Baldisserri added, "There were two sides to today. This morning, everything went according to the set plan, but in the afternoon we had a hydraulic problem on Kimi's car which took some time to sort out. Now we have to establish what caused it. Luckily, we also have available to us the data from last week's test at this track. Felipe struggled a bit to find the right balance on the car on the first lap but his long run pace was quite good. To sum up, we are certainly not in for an easy weekend, but we have the potential to do well."

Rosberg shows strong pace for Williams

The Williams team benefited from a constructive free practice at Monza today as the paddock enjoyed less pressurised Friday conditions having already spent time testing here last week. The two sessions proved relatively textbook for the team and saw the drivers carry out fine tuning work on their FW29s in advance of Sunday's race. Despite a nine minute halt in proceedings in session two, the pair covered over 650kms of the Autodromo, with Nico ending the day in P5 and Alex in P10.

"Today we went through two or three things that I really wanted to try here last week which we couldn't do due to the bad weather," said Rosberg. "I'm pleased we did them because we gained some helpful results. Monza has proved to be a very interesting track for the tyres. We haven't made a decision yet on which direction we'll take and will spend time going over that tonight. Generally, I'm quite pleased with how the sessions went.

"Alex Wurz commented, "Practice went ok. We changed a couple of things in the first session and went for a long run at the end which was very interesting. There's more to come from the balance of my car so I'm working on that tonight. Surprisingly, we actually found that today's conditions were relatively the same as those at last week's test, which is good because it means we can use some of the useful data we have collected already.

"Technical director Sam Michael added, "We've had a productive day at Monza. We completed a lot of the normal Friday systems checks such as brakes and cooling at the test last week so today was about set-up changes and tyres. The Bridgestone Potenza tyres both look strong. We didn't have any reliability issues during the day."

Trouble free start for Kubica and Heidfeld

It was a trouble free first practice day in Monza for both BMW Sauber F1 Team drivers, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld. While it is only a week since the team was testing at this track, which is the home of the Italian Grand Prix, conditions seem to have changed so analysing the data will be very important.

Robert Kubica covered many laps to gather a lot of data for his team. He said about today's job: "We were testing here last week, so we know a bit about the car's balance and other things, and that was why we didn't run a lot in first practice. However, it looks like the condition of the track is pretty different, and the braking stability, especially, is worse than it was in testing. In the second free practice we did many long runs, comparing the tyres, and these were looking quite good. I think we have quite a lot of data to look at and analyse."

Nick Heidfeld was optimistic after the first day in the Italian Grand Prix weekend: "I think in general our configuration is good. Both sessions were trouble free. However, my lap times on the long runs are less consistent than I would like. The balance of the car changes, with it being better during the test, so we now have to analyse the data. But I still hope we can come close to Ferrari."

Dear Mr De La Rosa

The FIA has announced that there was a letter sent to McLaren's drivers Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa. In the letter FIA President Max Mosley is requesting them to inform the FIA if they have withheld any information regarding the spy saga.


The letter Max Mosley sent read;

Dear Mr De La Rosa, As you will be aware, the FIA has recently investigated whether, how and to what extent McLaren was in possession of confidential Ferrari technical information. The FIA has subsequently been made aware of an allegation that one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession, or that such drivers have recently been in possession, of written evidence relevant to this investigation. In the interests of the sport and the Championship it is important that the FIA as the regulator establishes unequivocally and rapidly whether or not this allegation has any basis in fact. The FIA therefore formally requests that you produce copies of any relevant documents which may be in your possession or power of procurement and which may be relevant to this case. For these purposes "documents" includes all written materials such as emails, letters, electronic communications, text messages, notes, memoranda, drawings, diagrams, data,. or other material, stored in any physical, "hard copy" or electronic form. In particular (though without limiting the generality of this request), the FIA wishes to receive copies of any electronic communications (howsoever conveyed or stored) which may be relevant to this case and which make reference to Ferrari, Nigel Stepney or any technical or other information coming from or connected with either Ferrari or Mr Stepney. In the event that you are aware of the existence or previous existence of any document falling within the above description but are not in a position to produce it, please describe the content of the document in question, the circumstances under which it came to your knowledge and the reasons why you are unable to produce it. In the event that you are unsure as to whether any document falls within the above description, kindly submit it (or a description of it) and the FIA will assist in making a determination. You will appreciate that there is a duty on all competitors and Super Licence holders to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula One World Championship. It is therefore imperative that if you do have any such information, you make it available to us without delay. I can confirm, given the importance of this issue, that any information you may make available in response to this letter will not result in any proceedings against you under the International Sporting Code or the Formula One regulations. However, in the event that it later comes to light that you have withheld any potentially relevant information, serious consequences could follow.

Monza 2nd Free Practice

While Ferrari dominated the first free practice session it was McLaren that were clearly fastest in Friday's second free practice session at the Autoromo Nazionali Monza. Fernando Alonso was over half a second faster than anyone else on track. Giancarlo Fisichella was well underway as the Italian set the third fastest time.


Lewis HamiltonThe second 90-minute free practice session this afternoon was without any major problems. McLaren driver Fernando Alonso was topping the time sheets for most of the day. Hamilton was second for most of the session. Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen were well underway in the first free practice session, but in the second session they were found outside the top five. Anthony Davidson was the only driver with a problem. The Briton could only complete six laps as he had to stop his car at the side of the track, causing red flags. The red flags were shown so marshals were able to remove Davidson's Super Aguri car.

Result :

1. F. Alonso McLaren 1:22.386
2. L. Hamilton McLaren 1:23.209
3. G. Fisichella Renault 1:23.584
4. R. Kubica BMW 1:23.599
5. N. Rosberg Williams 1:23.679
6. F. Massa Ferrari 1:23.722
7. N. Heidfeld BMW 1:23.821
8. K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:23.833
9. H. Kovalainen Renault 1:23.848
10. A. Wurzi Williams 1:23.881
11. J. Trulli Toyota 1:23.919
12. R. Schumacher Toyota 1:23.922
13. J. Button Honda 1:24.137
14. M. Webber Red Bull 1:24.328
15. R. Barrichello Honda 1:24.462
16. D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:24.605
17. T. Sato Super Aguri 1:25.328
18. S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:25.459
19. A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:25.531
20. V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:25.567
21. S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:25.863
22. A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:26.021

Monza 1st Free Practice

The Ferrari team dominated the first free practice session at the team's home Grand Prix at Monza this morning. Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were the fastest drivers at the end of the session, just ahead of championship leader Lewis Hamilton.


The Italian Grand Prix weekend went underway this morning at 10.00am at Monza. Temperatures went already up to 23 degrees Celsius. After half an hour of free practice it was Italian Jarno Trulli topping the time sheets. It wasn't until the 40th minute when Ferrari and McLaren let their drivers go on track. It was a difficult start of the weekend for Alonso. In his installation lap the Spaniard suffered from an technical problem and slowly drove back to the pitlane. Twenty minutes before the end of the session Fernando Alonso went out again but was unable to complete a clean lap during his first flying lap. He missed the chicane and spun in the Ascari chicane. At the same time Lewis Hamilton spun his McLaren around in the first chicane. At Williams and Super Aguri the drivers complained about a nervous rear of the car. Both Rosberg and Sato missed the chicanes this morning a couple of times and will have to work on the stability of their Williams and Super Aguri car. At Spyker the drivers enjoyed the team's official Grand Prix debut with the new car. Adrian Sutil showed immediately the team made a good improvement as the German was able to cover the laps faster than direct his competitors at Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Result :

1. K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:22.446
2. F. Massa Ferrari 1:22.590
3. L. Hamilton McLaren 1:22.618
4. F. Alonso McLaren 1:22.840
5. N. Rosberg Williams 1:23.472
6. J. Button Honda 1:23.668
7. G. Fisichella Renault 1:23.671
8. R. Kubica BMW 1:23.703
9. N. Heidfeld BMW 1:23.886
10. J. Trulli Toyota 1:23.965
11. H. Kovalainen Renault 1:24.076
12. R. Barrichello Honda 1:24.564
13. T. Sato Super Aguri 1:24.587
14. M. Webber Red Bull 1:24.595
15. R. Schumacher Toyota 1:24.660
16. A. Wurz Williams 1:24.689
17. A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:24.694
18. D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:24.810
19. A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:25.130
20. S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:25.439
21. S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:25.448
22. V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:25.762

Feeling to win in Italy

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has hit out at Ferrari, wondering why the Italian team is behaving the way they are in the spy row. Hamilton will do whatever he can to show his answer on track in the Italian's home Grand Prix.


"Ferrari are being portrayed as the most innocent team. I do not think that is the case," Hamilton told the BBC. "I do not like what Ferrari are putting our team through. I know my team, and we are being been unfairly treated. It would be a great feeling to win in Italy this weekend. Beating Ferrari on their home ground is going to be a huge blow to their team." Hamilton is looking forward to race at Monza this weekend. Last year he clinched the 2006 GP2 championship at the Italian track beating Nelson Piquet jr. in the title fight.

Button wants more competitive

The Honda Racing F1 Team heads to northern Italy this week for the penultimate European race of the 2007 Formula One season, the Italian Grand Prix held at the historic Monza circuit. Set in a leafy royal park just north of Milan, the circuit is the fastest on the Formula One calendar requiring a unique low-downforce set-up, and is a firm favourite for drivers, fans and the teams. Jenson Button has said he expects the team can be more competitive at Monza than it was at the last few races.


"I always look forward to racing at Monza and it is a track that I really enjoy," said Button about the upcoming Italian Grand Prix. "Ascari is probably my favourite part of the track and you can have a lot of fun through there, particularly in a well-balanced car. It's a very fast lap with big braking points so you have concentrate hard the whole way round and make sure that you use the kerbs to your full advantage to take every tenth from the lap. "We tested here last week for four days, which went well despite the unusually poor weather. We ran the car in the unique set-up required for Monza with a lower downforce setting than usual and it performed well. The race will be tough however I expect our performance to be more competitive than some of the recent races which gives cause for optimism."

I like racing at Monza: Nico Rosberg

Williams F1 driver Nico Rosberg is already looking forward to this weekend's Italian Grand Prix. Rosberg is a big fan of the Italian way of life and said he especially enjoys the incredible atmosphere at the Italian Grand Prix.

Speaking about the upcoming race at Monza he said: "I like racing at Monza. I have good memories there, especially from my GP2 race when I had a very good weekend, finishing in second twice and setting the fastest lap. The circuit itself is unique, has a great deal of history and it's fun to drive. The whole lap is a great experience because every corner is different and interesting in its own way. The second chicane is fun because you have to throw the car over the kerbs, hold onto as much speed as you can and brake as late as possible, unlike at the two Lesmos where you need to brake a bit earlier. The Ascari corner and the Parabolica are also interesting for the drivers. "The atmosphere at the Autodromo is brilliant thanks to the Tifosi. Italy has a lot of nice places to visit, it has fantastic food and I really like the Italian attitude to life, which is probably why most of my friends are Italian!"

The support of the tifosi

For Kimi Raikkonen it will be the first time he is racing at his team's home soil. This weekend Formula 1 travels to Autodromo Nazionale Monza, situated in 'Parco di monza'. The Finn realises it will be a special race with the support of the tifosi.


Speaking about the upcoming Italian Grand Prix Kimi Raikkonen said: "I'll race at Monza for the first time with a Ferrari and it will be really special to feel the heat of the tifosi: I can't wait to see all the flags with the Prancing Horse on the grandstands. I always liked the atmosphere at this track. Already during the test many fans came to see us there and it's good to know that you can rely on their support. This is a very special track from the technical point of view; it's different from all the others. You need good aerodynamics, so you remain stable over the curbs, to be quick; but you also need a great engine, as you give it all for most of the lap."

"Traditionally Ferrari has been very competitive here, but also McLaren has been very strong, during the years when I raced for them, but for some reason or another I never managed to win. Let's hope we can make it this time, by being perfect from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon. Winning the homerace of Ferrari would be a great feeling." Five races to go, 16 points to catch up:

"My goal has to be to make up points on all of those who are ahead of me in the standings. The more we can close the gap on Alonso and Hamilton the better it is for me and Felipe. All the upcoming races are crucial: we can't commit any more mistakes. The team gives 110% and we have to beat our competitors and need to gain more points than them every time. After the tests at Monza I went home to Switzerland. I cycled, went to the gym and watched the World Championships in Athletics in Osaka. I was really happy for my fellow-countryman Tero Pitkamaki in javelin throw: it seemed that he had some problems during qualifying, but in the competition he was really good and could win. Let's hope we can do the same in the last races of the year!"

Renault prepare to engine freeze

Renault engine development chief Rob White has called for teams to get together to revise and refine the engine-freeze rules that came into force for the 2007 season, although he does accept they did help cut engine development costs in the short term.


"The principle of homologation was introduced to reduce the cost of engine development," White explained. "While development on the minor parts outside the homologated perimeter of the engine can still yield performance gains, they are not big. And while it would be possible to continue spending on engine development in search of ever-smaller gains, we have not done this at Renault."

"The development activity associated with short-term performance gain has been reduced, and we have made substantial savings," he added. "So in terms of achieving cost savings with no negative impact on the show, I think the rules must be judged a success. But I do not think the 2007 rules are optimum yet, and I hope that future rules will allow us to build on this experience, in order to put on a better show at reasonable cost."

Fisi after a troubled weekend

After a troubled weekend in Turkey, Giancarlo Fisichella is determined to fight back and get in the points at his home Grand Prix this weekend. The Italian is under pressure to perform as his contract comes up for renewal this month and Renault is keeping tight-lipped over its plans.


"I really lost out in the incident at the first corner," Fisichella said about his Turkish weekend. "I could easily have scored points, and that makes it all the more frustrating to finish in 9th position. But you have to put that behind you and look forward. There are still five races to go, and each one will be important for the team and myself. We are totally focused on the Italian Grand Prix this weekend, which will be a very special race for me.""We have been working hard to ensure the car can be competitive," he added. "Our test last week was spent preparing for the race, even though bad weather on Thursday restricted our running. Like the other teams, we have a specific, new aerodynamic package for this race, which is adapted to the specific demands of the circuit. We know that our engine is strong too, but even though we have tested here recently, it will still be important to make good use of practice to fine-tune the car, and find the right compromise for qualifying and the race."

Hopes can finish

After last week's test at the Monza circuit Renault F1 driver Heikki Kovalainen hopes he can finish the race after a strong performance. The Finn is getting more and more comfortable at Renault as the car is improving throughout the season.


Looking ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix Heikki Kovalainen said: "Monza is a high-speed circuit, and it goes without saying that good top speed is essential. But I think it will be even more important to concentrate on the corner exit, so we can put the power down as soon as possible without sliding and losing time… We looked at these areas during the test and collected lots of data, which we will use to build our programme for Friday practice. We want to show once again that we are making progress, just like we did in Istanbul." Kovalainen furthermore said: "I think it is a very exciting race, because of the layout and also the atmosphere. This is a special weekend in the F1 season. The circuit is very fast, you run very light downforce and the drivers need to maintain total concentration throughout. You often see quite dramatic races here as well, and the Ferrari supporters will be out in force this weekend to cheer on their team. Our goal will be to put on a strong performance for the fans who are supporting us out in the stands too."

Fittipaldi has Hamilton re-think

Two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi is now tipping Lewis Hamilton to win the drivers' crown in his first season. Earlier this year, the Brazilian played down the Hamilton hype, sayingthe Briton was unlikely to win a race.

But Hamilton, 22, now leads the standings from Fernando Alonso, who supplanted Fittipaldi as F1's youngest champion in 2005, when he was 24."Lewis is very good, very determined and has the best chance of winning the title of anybody, " said Fittipaldi. "He is very focused and very established even though he is new."Fernando is very nervous. He has to focus on his driving and go forit, not be complaining so much about Lewis."He's very talented and he should be focused more on driving, and then he can get back to being more competitive again. "Fittipaldi, who won the second of his titles with McLaren in 1974, added that he expects compatriot and Ferrari driver Felipe Massa to push the current McLaren pairing all the way. Massa is currently third in the standings, 15 points behind Hamilton and one ahead of team-mate Kimi Raikkonen. "I'd love to see Felipe win," added Fittipaldi, who is head of the Brazilian team in the A1GP series."He won last weekend (in Turkey), and has the opportunity of his life, but he has to win more races."

Indian tycoon set for Spyker deal

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya has emerged as the potential new owner of the struggling Spyker Formula One team. He and Michiel Mol, Spyker's director of F1, have had a £50m bid accepted by Dutch owners Spyker Cars NV. "I have been dreaming about owning a Formula One team. I was looking at the right opportunity to show up at the right time," said Mallya. "2008 will be the starting point for a gradual improvement. No miracles are going to be produced."Mallya is chairman and controlling shareholder of the UB Group, which has beer, spirits and airlines operations in India. With him in charge, it could mean an Indian driver in F1 next season, potentially Narain Karthikeyan, who is currently a test driver for Williams. It is also likely the team will race under a different name in 2008, although Mallya was unable to confirm driver or team name possibilities."It would give me immense pleasure to see an Indian drive an Indian F1 car, but we have to consult with the team principal and chief technical officer," he said."As of today I won't be able to commit whether Spyker Ferrari will continue to maintain the same name or not next season. "What name the new team will race under is subject to approval of other teams and the F1 management."But the deal is good for F1. It's good for India and for F1's management because viewership (in India) is going to shoot up now."

Monza is memorable for Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton heads to the Italian Grand Prix at Monza ready to make up for his blown tyre disappointment in Turkey and has plenty of good memories of the high-speed circuit where he clinched the GP2 championship last year.
"I had my first race there last year in GP2 and it was a very memorable weekend because it was where I won the Championship," Hamilton said. "I also had an awesome battle with Giorgio Pantano for the whole of the Sunday race, which was one of the most enjoyable for me all year. Hopefully this year I will have just as good a race and great memories for the future.""I remember it is not an easy track to get a good set-up at, so the test last week was very useful," he added. "It is really tough on the cars, and you have to use the kerbs a lot to get quick lap times. Because of this we have a softer suspension package to make the car ride over them better so we can use them more and in a bid to avoid any damage. Slowing the cars down with the incredibly low downforce is not easy, and the balance under braking is key. This was another area we worked on in the test."

Toyota wants poin at Monza

Toyota heads to the high-speed Monza circuit this weekend for the Italian Grand Prix, the home race for Jarno Trulli. After a disappointing race in Turkey the team is determined to bounce back. After missing out on points in Turkey, the team is motivated and hopeful of a return to form in Monza.


"Basically we have to make a one-off car for the Italian Grand Prix in order to match the very high efficiency required by the outstanding average speed around the lap," explains Pascal Vasselon, chassis manager at Toyota. "In that sense it is hard to judge how competitive you will be, but I am quite optimistic because we have done a good job and obtained the target figures we had in terms of aero efficiency. Monza is tough on engines because a driver is flat out for more than 70% of the lap. That also makes the engine more of a performance factor at Monza than at other circuits.""Other issues we face at Monza are braking stability and riding the kerbs," he added. "The kerbs are high and you have to ride them otherwise you lose time, but that forces you to compromise as ideally you would run the car lower and stiffer. As well as high speed, the other aspect to Monza is the history, which makes it a very special venue. I love Italy and it's great to race there. We were unlucky with our race in Turkey but I am optimistic we can be back fighting for points again this weekend."

Mood to dominate the race : McLaren Spaniard

Having cut the gap to Lewis Hamilton down to five points at the Turkish Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso travels to Monza in a determined mood to dominate the race and not rely on any tyre failures to haul him up the championship table.

"We spent time testing on the track this week, and we had some good feedback so I feel positive going into the race," said Alonso who topped the time sheets on two days. "It is a challenge, but it is a special circuit and it is a great feeling to race here.""Last year did not give me any good memories, but it is a track that I would really like to win at so hopefully we can make that happen in 2007," he added. "

Bridgestone apologise for Hamilton failure

F1's sole tyre supplier on Wednesday apologised to Lewis Hamilton after the championship leader suffered a right-front failure during the recent Turkish grand prix. At the Monza test, head of track engineering operations Kees van de Grint reportedly walked into the McLaren garage and accepted Bridgestone' s side of responsibility for the delamination that dropped Hamilton from third to just fifth with15 laps to go in Istanbul. Following detailed examinations back in Tokyo, Bridgestone determined this week that excessive 'chunking' contributed to the failure, aswell as a so-far unexplained extra force impacting the damaged surface of the tyre. "It could have been a stone or the edge of a kerb that he unfortunately hit," Dutchman van de Grint told Auto Motor und Sport.

Alonso on top at Monza

Fernando Alonso signalled his intent as he joined the second day of testing this week at the Monza circuit and finished fastest overall, despite only running in the afternoon. Alonso took over from Lewis Hamilton and went 0.3s faster. BMW's Nick Heidfeld was third fastest.

The weather was generally good at Monza, apart from a brief, light shower mid-afternoon. There were few disruptions to the day's testing, Mark Webber causing one in the morning when his Red Bull ground to a halt on track and at lunch time when Sato's Super Aguri stopped on track. Jarno Trulli finished fourth fastest for Toyota, showing more encouraging pace for the Japanese car manufacturer's chances at the Italian Grand Prix next week. Kimi Raikkonen was only fifth, 0.6s off Alonso's pace.Renault, Toro Rosso, Williams, Honda and Spyker were also in action today and testing continues at the Monza circuit tomorrow.

result:

1. Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:23.155

2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 1:23.454

3. Nick Heidfeld BMW 1:23.725

4. Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:23.759

5. Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:23.773

6. Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:24.093

7. Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso 1:24.266

8. Alexander Wurz Williams 1:24.356

9. Christian Klien Honda 1:24.595

10. Mark Webber Red Bull 1:24.701

11. Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1:24.976

12. Adrian Sutil Spyker 1:25.278

Dennis fears title win could be tainted

McLaren boss Ron Dennis fears that any world title success for his team at the end of the season will be tainted if it is not exonerated by the appeal court hearing into the spying saga next month.The Woking-based squad heads in to the final five races of the campaign with a healthy points lead over Ferrari in both championship races as it looks to end its eight year title drought. But Dennis believes any win could be damaged if the verdict goes against McLaren when the International Court of Appeal meets on September 13 to hear further information from Ferrari. "We are in Formula 1 to win," Dennis was quoted as saying in the British press on Tuesday."But the most important thing is not just winning, it is how we win. "I do not know what twists and turns are going to take place in the court of appeal."If we do not come out of that court of appeal with an unblemished reputation then the results of this season will be tainted. "Confidential Ferrari technical documents were found in McLaren's suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan's home, but the FIA World Motor Sport council ruled that McLaren shouldn't be punished as there wasn't enough evidence to suggest it had benefited from the data. Ferrari, through the Italian motor sport federation, appealed against the decision, with McLaren insisting there was no need for a second hearing. Dennis is now hopeful that the original decision will be upheld."I know the truth and the truth is that McLaren as a company are not involved in this matter," he said."And I just do not want to find through some process that our reputation is damaged."The rumours and spin that I have heard about this matter just leave me amazed."

Hamilton fastest again at midday of day 2

Lewis Hamilton continued to dominate the test at Monza this lunchtime, by clocking the morning's fastest time, a 1m23.454s, almost three tenths faster than his nearest challenger, Nick Heidfeld in the BMW. The Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen lay third at midday, with Heikki Kovalainen in the Renault winding up in fourth.Elsewhere down the field, Spyker gave their B-spec F8-VII its debut test at the hands of Adrian Sutil, with the German completing a fastest lap of 1m25.765s. After missing yesterday's test, Sutil completed 39 laps, as well as beating the Williams of Alex Wurz into last place.

1. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) - 1:23.454, 49 laps

2. Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber-BMW) - 1:23.725, 49 laps

3. Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) - 1:23.773, 23 laps

4. Heikki Kovalainen (Renault) - 1:24.093, 40 laps

5. Jarno Trulli (Toyota) - 1:24.655, 38 laps

6. Mark Webber (Red Bull-Renault) - 1:24.940, 39 laps

7. Takuma Sato (Super Aguri-Honda) - 1:24.976, 40 laps

8. Christian Klien (Honda) - 1:25.346, 41 laps

9. Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) - 1:25.484, 43 laps

10. Adrian Sutil (Spyker-Ferrari) - 1:25.765, 39 laps

11. Alexander Wurz (Williams-Toyota) - 1:25.964, 39 laps

Power struggles at Ferrari

Jean Todt is not usually very helpful to the Formula 1 media, unless he needs their help to make a point he wishes to be made. On Sunday in Istanbul he used his post-race media chat to let the world know tha the is "not prepared to retire". Todt says that he is still very motivated and says that he hopes that he can continue "or a few more years". He went on to make the point that he is 15 years younger than Bernie Ecclestone. The big question is why Todt felt the need for such a revelation. Last autumn Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo said that Todt would be "interim" managing director for the Ferrari F1 team and that a new generation would be moving up but there has been no sign of that this year with Todt at all the races. There remains a question mark over what is to happen with Ross Brawn. He was technical director of the team but stood down this year for a sabbatical. It has long been speculated that he would return to Maranello as the head of the sporting department. That could still happen with Todt in the chief role with the car company and Brawn incharge of the racing but Todt's comments suggest that he wants the racing hat as well. And that would mean that Brawn would not be able to take the role. He says he has no interest in returning in his former position."We are just discussing about his options, our options," said Todt."Maybe we will find some common point, maybe we will not find some common point. He has been doing a tremendous work at Ferrari and Ferrari have given him a lot. So our partnership has been good for him and good for Ferrari."Or to pout it another way, Ferrari owes Brawn nothing.

Dernie moves to Toyota

Aerodynamics specialist Frank Dernie will join the Toyota F1 team with immediate effect the Toyota team announced today. Dernie will become the team's sernior advisor on the aerodynamic and chassis-related matters.

Frank Dernie worked in Formula 1 until January 1st with the Williams Formula 1 team but was without a contract this season.At Toyota Dernie will add his considerable expertise to the continuous improvement of this year's TF107 car, as well as the development of the TF108, under the leadership of Senior General Manager Chassis Pascal Vasselon. Toyota's Executive Vice President Yoshiaki Kinoshita said: "We are delighted to welcome Frank to the team. He has a tremendous amount of experience in Formula 1 and, as we are a relatively young team, this will help us move closer to our goals. We are continually striving to improve and I am sure Frank will make a positive contribution."

Kimi looks on the bright side

Kimi Raikkonen was back on track at Monza for the first of the three days' testing on Tuesdasy. In between the action, the Finn found time to reflect on the Turkish Grand Prix.


"I went to Turkey hoping that I could reduce the gap to the leader and that is what happened," Raikkonen said. "Honestly, I thought reducing the gap by four points would have been possible if everything had gone perfectly well. But that wasn't the case, in one way or the other the gap came down by four points. That was the best thing at the weekend. After every race I get asked how the championships will proceed and my answer is always the same: we have to wait until the last race in Brazil to be able to say for sure, because anything can happen.""The most important thing was that the team gained as many points as possible, so there was no point in taking unnecessary risks," he added. "Anyway, we have reduced the gap: that is what we wanted, but just like in Budapest my race was quite boring. Thinking about what could have been done in a different way doesn't change anything. I made a mistake in my last attempt in Q3 and I paid the consequences. I hope that next time we will have a perfect weekend."

BMW still pushing 2007 car development

Despite it's 41-point lead over fourth-placed Renault in the constructors' championship, the BMW Sauber F1 team is still pushing the development of its 2007 car, according to technical director Willy Rampf.


"Quite obviously, our current car is subjected to ongoing improvement," Rampf revealed. "Despite our good championship position, we will have new developments for the forthcoming races. Monza is a low-downforce track while Spa requires medium downforce. At the same time, we also will have new components for the final rounds of the season." "Last year's race at Monza went surprisingly well for us," he added. "Therefore, we expect to again be rather competitive, there. And Spa is similar to Montreal or Indianapolis, when it comes to the downforce. At these venues, we have been successful in the past. Furthermore, Spa is a very challenging track for the drivers and this certainly will suit us well, too."

Renault makes discoveries at Monza

Renault got its development programme under way again today on the Monza circuit in the north of Italy. While the priority was to prepare for the next two races on European soil, in particular the Italian GP, the team concentrated on the 2008 electronic set-up on its first day of testing.

Nelson Piquet at the wheel of the R27 went out without any driver aids to provide the team with his initial impressions. He did several runs - generally long ones - and concentrated on setting up the car in this configuration. The data recorded will be analysed by the team this evening, and again when it gets back to the factory in the framework of its 2008 project development programme. "The car was not really different; it was just a bit less predictable and slightly trickier to drive as it is less forgiving!" exclaimed Piquet Jr. "It's difficult to be consistent as the laps unfold but I think I got to grips with it fairly quickly. We've revised the braking load to adapt the car to 2008, and we concentrated on setting it up in this configuration. I think we've done a good day's work today with a lot of laps covered." Christian Silk, chief test engineer commented, "It was really heavy today at Monza. Our programme went off with any hitches, and we've recorded interesting data on our first day's testing in 2008 configuration. The car was reliable and the new on-board electronic systems worked without any problems so we managed to cover a lot of laps. In the late afternoon we began our preparation for next week's race as we're afraid that track conditions will disimprove from tomorrow onwards."

Hamilton sets opening pace at Monza

Lewis Hamilton recovered from his Turkish Grand Prix drama to clock the fastest time on the opening day of testing this week at Monza as almost all the teams started work on the low-downforce configurations they will run at the Italian Grand Prix in a fortnight.

Kimi Raikkonen was second fastest, just over 0.1s behind Hamilton and BMW's Nick Heidfeld was less than 0.02s behind the leading Ferrari. Jarno Trulli gave Toyota some hope by going fourth fastest. Williams, Toro Rosso, Renault, Honda, Red Bull and Super Aguri were all in action today on a relatively uneventful session. The weather remained good until late in the afternoon when rain began to fall. Testing continues tomorrow.

Briatore would love to have Alonso back

Flavio Briatore says he would love to have Fernando Alonso back behind the wheel of a Renault car as speculation continues to cast doubt over the reigning champion's desire to see out his current contract at McLaren.


"I can't deny that I think Fernando is great, but he has a contract with McLaren," Briatore told the Spanish Marca newspaper. "He is a very special driver and we had a great relationship at Renault that was always transparent. Although he signed for McLaren we remain friends.""Of course I'd love to have him in the team, I think everyone would want to have him because he is exceptional," Briatore added. Renault has yet to confirm its drivers for 2008 but is expected to make some kind of announcement mid-September when an option on current driver Giancarlo Fisichella has to be taken or released.

Spyker surprised with bankruptcy stories

Spyker Cars N.V. has reacted with surprise to reports of bankruptcy claims being filed against the Dutch car manufacturer. A Dutch newspaper reported this morning that two companies had filed for bankruptcy against Spyker. But speaking to GPUpdate.net a spokesperson said the company itself has not received any information regarding a file for bankruptcy.


A Spyker Cars spokeswoman told GPUpdate.net: "I have no idea where these reports came from this morning. Insurance company Zürich was mentioned as someone we owe money. We have an issue with them that we are talking about as they came with an invoice that was higher than expected but as I said we still talk to them about it and I'm sure we will come with a solution. And regarding this individual person that claims we own him money we have no idea who that person would be." The news about Spyker Cars seems to come out of nowhere. But it does come at a very bad time. The manufacturer's Formula 1 team is struggling at the back of the grid and had to delay it's latest B-Spec car in Turkey. The team is currently testing at Monza with the new car and will enjoy its debut in two weeks at the same Italian track.

Kovalainen hopes to stick with Renault

Heikki Kovalainen is in his first year in Formula 1. The Finn faced a difficult start of his career with an uncompetitive Renault F1 car, but halfway into the season he found the pace and is now scoring points on a regular basis. Kovalainen's contract ends at the end of the season, but he hopes the team will extend his contract with another year.


Kovalainen did well in Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix. He scored three points for the team, which moved him ahead of teammate Giancarlo Fisichella in the championship standings. "We all have our sights set high and experiencing a weekend at the sharp end was brilliant," said Kovalainen about his race weekend. "There is no doubt that Renault are one of the strongest teams in the championship and I am sure we will be back next year. The car will definitely be competitive again and I would love to be part of it," he furthermore said in his BBC column. "The team are due to make a decision about my future around the Monza weekend in September. I've seen the rumours linking Alonso with a move back here, but I have not talked with anyone about that. I just know that this team will be up there again next year and I think we could achieve good things together so I will wait for their decision."

Dutch companies file for Spyker bankruptcy?

At the court in Maastricht, The Netherlands two parties have filed a bankruptcy claim against Spyker Cars N.V. according to a Dutch newspaper. One of the parties that filed bankruptcy for Spyker is insurance company Zürich and the other party is named as an indivudual. They have been trying to claim over 300,000 euros from Spyker.

According to Spyker founder Victor Muller there is nothing to worry about. He told Dutch newspaper AD: "We are having discussions with Zürich about the insurance premium. I am sure we can solve this with them, but we won't let them pressure us with these kinds of actions. Bankruptcies are filed hundreds of times a day." Spyker Cars is currently investigating how it could split its Formula 1 company 'Spyker F1' from its car manufacturer company. It has been said Michiel Mol is one of the possible buyers of the team.

Todt praise for Hamilton

Ferrari team principal Jean Todt has come out again in support of Lewis Hamilton saying he felt the McLaren driver was unlucky to have a tyre problem, but still lucky to finish fifth and salvage four points.

"Lewis did a fantastic race. After what happened he was quite lucky to bring four points home but when you look at what he has done this season he is doing a great job," Todt said. "He was even quite successful when he had a problem today. It can happen to us, and it is part of racing." Looking back at the Turkish Grand Prix weekend, Todt admitted that good qualifying is vital, so does getting pole position carry too much importance? Should the rules be changed? "That is why it is very important and difficult to achieve. It is very difficult to change. We already know that it will be difficult. We know it is better to be in the front. It is such a high level of competition but everything must be perfect if you want to achieve it. I don't see what can be done at the moment to improve the situation."

Dennis warns McLaren will fight back in Italy

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis did not seem too upset after Alonso finished third, behind the two Ferraris and a tyre failure for Hamilton meant the championship leader could do no better than fifth. Dennis suggested that had Hamilton not suffered the tyre failure, he could have at least given Raikkonen a run for his money in the closing stages of the Grand Prix.


"There was a failure at the wrong time," Dennis said. "We had five laps more of fuel than Ferrari and we stood a real chance of catching them in the last stop. Temepratures in the right-front tyre wall were high for everyone, unfortunately we had the failure on the tyre." "Good to get points for fifth and Fernando did a good job to get third," he added. "We knew this was a circuit we might be a bit weaker on, but we'll definitely be a lot stronger in Italy."

Lauda tells Alonso

Triple champion Niki Lauda has told Fernando Alonso to stop complaining about McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton and concentrate on driving if he wants to keep his Formula One title.The Spaniard, seven points behind Hamilton going into Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix, has been unhappy with his treatment at McLaren and feels unrewarded for what he has brought to the championship- leading team.

"Instead of complaining, moaning and bitching, which is what Alonso is doing at the moment, all he needs to do is concentrate on driving quicker," Lauda told /BBC Radio/ Five Live from Istanbul.

"He is using all kinds of excuses. He should have done this after the second or third race of the season after he realised how quick Hamilton is. He didn't do that.

"My worry is if he continues to find the reasons somewhere else, and not in his right foot, he will lose out because Hamilton is doing a perfect job, simply concentrating on his driving and he's quick. It's what Alonso should do.

"Hamilton, 22, has made an astonishing impact this season with three wins from his first 11 races and 10 appearances on the podium.Former McLaren driver Martin Brundle, now a commentator for British /ITV/ television, also criticised Alonso in the /Sunday Times/ newspaper for getting "annoyed like a spoilt child".

"The Spaniard has to stop moaning and get on with it," the Briton wrote.Lauda believes Hamilton could go on to emulate Michael Schumacher, the most successful driver in Formula One history.

"If he keeps on developing his experience and his speed he can certainly be better, might be better, than Schumacher but he is certainly on the right road because nobody has been so impressive coming into Formula One," he said.

Lauda, who was also a champion with McLaren, said that the rivalry between teammates was healthy for the sport."McLaren has the two most competitive drivers fighting each other like crazy to go quicker. All the politics before and after don't really count," he said.

"There is always mistrust between drivers in the same team."I had the same thing with (Alain) Prost in the old days when we were fighting the whole year and I won the championship by half a point," said the Austrian.

"You cannot trust your teammate."

Sepang to remain on calendar until 2015

Malaysia will continue to host a Formula One Grand Prix until 2015, following the signing of a new agreement between the country's Motorsport Comission and Formula One Management (FOM). Although it was announced four months ago that the race would continue, no official deal had actually been signed. But any doubts as to the race's future beyond 2010 have now been laid to rest after FOM, run by Bernie Ecclestone, and the race organisers, reached a formal deal.

"It is very pleasing to note that the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to Formula One, this will not only provide long term benefits to tourism," said Azman Yahya, the Malaysian Motorsports Comission's chairman.

"It will also help us in expanding the already substantial motor sport industry in line with the Government's objective of turning Malaysia into a regional hub for motorsport."

One possibility is that the race will be held at night in a bid to fuel Ecclestone's desire to see events held at times kinder to European TV viewers. That possibility had not existed in the previous agreement. The track chairman though, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, said that a huge lighting system, which had yet to be approved, would have to be installed to make this a reality.

"FIA has not told us about the specifications for the night race," he said. "They have engaged a company, which would be conducting a test in Paul Ricard Circuit in September."

Malaysia has held a Formula One race since 1999. Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in the race's history with three wins

Really good race for me : Heikki

The ING Renault F1 Team enjoyed a strong performance during the 2007 Turkish Grand Prix. After frustrating races at the European and Hungarian Grands Prix, the drivers demonstrated the worth of recent developments to the R27 by putting in consistent, competitive drives over the 58 lap distance. Both cars ran two-stop strategies, and ran longer than their rivals in the opening stint which allowed them to gain positions.By the chequered flag, Heikki Kovalainen had out-performed the BMW of Robert Kubica and was closing down the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton, while Giancarlo Fisichella put in a strong drive and would have scored points were it not for a first-corner incident that cost him time and track position. Nevertheless, the race marked a welcome return to form for the ING Renault F1 Team, and we will be hoping for further improvements in two weeks' time at the Italian Grand Prix.

"This was a really good race for me," Kovalainen said. "The start was quite exciting, as Heidfeld pushed me very wide on the run to the first corner, and I had to back off quite a lot. But I defended my position aggressively and once the tyres started working properly after a few laps, the car balance was stable and the pace was consistent. Both types of tyre worked well on our car today, although it felt a little more comfortable in the final laps on the softer one. The team did a great job with the pit-stops, and the strategy was spot on. Ever since Nürburgring when we introduced some new developments, we have been looking for the chance to prove they were a step forward, and I think this race has done that. Now, we need to get our heads down and try to make another step at Monza."

"My race was compromised by what happened at the first corner," Fisichella commented. "Jarno braked very suddenly in front of me, I had nowhere to go and ended up hitting him, which cost me positions and made him spin. That ruined his race, and I am sorry, but it also cost me the chance of finishing in the points. After that, it was tough: I just had to drive flat out, and hope for retirements. Unfortunately that didn't happen, but the pace of the car was not too bad."

BMW finished with both cars in the points

For the seventh time this season and the fifth time in a row the BMW Sauber F1 Team finished with both cars in the points. Nick Heidfeld was fourth in the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul and Robert Kubica eighth.

"I am very happy about this result, as the team did a fantastic job," said Heidfeld. "The race strategy, the tyre choice and the pit stops - everything worked perfectly. We made the most out of everything. The start especially was great fun. As the lights went out it wasn't so good, because I was on the dirty side, but then I was able to overtake the others on the outside. I was braking very late for turn one and, once again, I came very close to Fernando Alonso. Of course I dreamt I could keep him behind me over the distance, but we knew he would refuel later than me. After the stop he was in front of me and he was also faster. I pushed very hard for the whole race, and only in the very last laps I felt a little less pressure." Robert Kubica commented, "It was a very hard race and I just hadn't got enough speed. Also when I was lighter in the first stint I could not build up a big enough gap. Every time I pitted someone was overtaking me. I did not have enough speed throughout the whole race, and this also meant I was not able to overtake. I suppose my problems were a bit of everything and I just found the car difficult to drive." Team boss Mario Theissen added, "For our team it was a mixed result. For Nick our strategy worked. Without technical problems and without a slower car in front of him he was able to run his race as planned. For Robert we decided before qualifying to try a different strategy. We wanted to give him the chance with a short first stint and soft tyres to attack the front runners, but soon after qualifying we figured out, even with a lower fuel load, the expected times would not be possible. Beside that, in the race he was unlucky both times when he came out after his pit stops - the first time he was right behind Heikki Kovalainen and the second Nico Rosberg. Six points for our team is good."

Rosberg for 2 point

Williams team had a points-scoring finish to the Turkish GP in Istanbul today, with Nico Rosberg proving highly competitive in the tightly contested rivalry between BMW, Renault & Williams by finishing in 7th place and advancing his position in the driver's championship by two places. Strong racing and intelligent strategy saw Rosberg leapfrog the BMW of Kubica in his second pit stop. Alex Wurz climbed three positions from his grid slot with a solid run, but starting in P14 meant that he had little opportunity to promote his cause beyond his eventual finishing position of 11th.


"Before this weekend started, I didn't expect that we would finish the race in 7th, so I am very pleased - it was a great race," said Rosberg. "I am also very happy to have beaten Kubica in the BMW - I didn't expect him to pit before us and we beat him fair and square. Towards the end of the race it became more difficult, but the car handled pretty well and the tyre graining was there for a shorter time than I anticipated, so I could continue to push hard. It was great to win two points for both Championships and now I am looking forward to Monza, hoping that we can add to our points tally."Alex Wurz commented, "My start was good and I felt comfortable on my first set of tyres which allowed me to attack. After the first stop, however, it was really close because a lot of people who were on a one-stop strategy went past me and that obviously cost me a bit of time. Ninth may have been possible and so I was pushing from first to last lap, heat is never an issue for me, even if mentally it was a bit tough today. But my nature is always to push! Congratulations to Nico who really had a fantastic drive."Technical director Sam Michael added, "Nico had a good drive today and did everything right. He also had a good strategy which earned him a place, so we have gained a couple more useful points. Alex did the best job he could from his starting position on the grid and it was also good to have no problems on either car."

Don't worry, said Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton insisted his Turkish Grand Prix puncture was just a minor setback in the championship, that was to be expected. The McLaren driver saw his right-front tyre fail just before his second pit stop on the opposite side of the Istanbul circuit. He crept back to the pits and only lost two positions - eventually finishing fifth.

"It was a bit unfortunate but the team did a fantastic job all weekend," said Hamilton. "We had the pace of the Ferraris all race, but when you're behind them you lose aerodynamics and are just matching them. I saw some bits flying off the car and then I went into the gravel. I couldn't stop the car, so I had to try not to go too quick, but keep the car out of the barrier and on the track to get back to the pits." "It's just a little bit of a problem, you always have setbacks and we won the last race and we still have five races, so it's not over, don't worry," he insisted. Hamilton saw team mate Fernando Alonso pass him to finish on the podium and cut his championship lead down to five points.

Spaniard prayed for a miracle

Fernando Alonso revealed he was left praying for a miracle after he finally managed to clear both the BMWs which beat him off the line into the first corner of the Turkish Grand Prix. By that stage the Spaniard was 14 seconds behind team mate Hamilton and lapping at a similar pace in fourth.


"The start didn't go as we planned, to be overtaken by two cars and find yourself sixth in the first corner is not great and the race is a bit over at that time," Alonso said. "I was following Heidfeld for seventeen laps and it's very difficult to overtake - you need to wait for a mistake from the car in front of you, but Nick was very consistent, driving very well and I had to wait for his pit stop for the race to start." "I just managed my pace then and waited for a miracle which only happened with Hamilton's tyre problem," he added. "Then I just drove for the podium. It's the best result we could have got from the weekend."

From Pole to Win

Felipe Massa took a dominant fifth career win in the Turkish Grand Prix as he led home a Ferrari one-two with Kimi Raikkonen second. Fernando Alonso recovered from a poor start to take third place while a puncture relegated championship leader Lewis Hamilton to fifth.

The heat was definitely on at Istanbul Park as the four title contenders lined up in the first four places on the grid. Ferrari had the better start from the clean start of the grid, Massa keeping the lead as Raikkonen passed Hamilton on the run down to the first corner. McLaren's starting woe was compounded when both BMWs beat Alonso into the first corner. While qualifying promised so much, the first ten laps were anticlimactic as Massa and Raikkonen led and built a three-second lead over Hamilton. Kubica and Heidfeld ran their BMWs steadily fourth and fifth frustrating Fernando Alonso in sixth and costing him a second a lap on the Ferraris.

Alonso's frustration eased slightly on lap 12 when Kubica pitted from fourth but at the front Massa and Raikkonen were exchanging fastest laps as they squeezed the gap to Hamilton up to four seconds. Alonso had to wait until lap 17 for Heidfeld to pit and release him. He was due in on the next lap and put in personal best times in the first two sectors of his in-lap, making enough time to rejoin ahead of the BMW. In the meantime both Ferraris pitted, Raikkonen, then Massa - the Brazilian getting baulked by Kovalainen - the temporary race leader - as he rejoined the race. Of all the front runners Hamilton was the last man to pit, staying out until lap 20.

After the first round of pit stops Massa retained the lead from Raikkonen, Hamilton, Alonso, Heidfeld, Kovalainen and Kubica. And that's the way it stayed until the second round of pit stops when Kimi Raikonen had closed to within half-a-second of Felipe Massa's rear wing. Raikkonen was the first to blink, pitting from second place on lap 41, Massa from the lead on lap 42 and the Ferrari pair resumed the status quo - the Brazilian leading the Finn.

The race that promised so much drama, delivered a shocking moment on lap 43 when Lewis Hamilton's front-right tyre punctured in the mid-sector. The championship leader coaxed his car back to the pit lane but in that time, was passed by Alonso who pitted ahead of him. McLaren frantically replaced the tyres and refuelled Hamilton's car and sent him back on his way, rejoining the race in fifth, behind Alonso and Heidfeld.

Felipe Massa cruised home to take his fifth career victory ahead of team mate Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso third. Nick Heidfeld held onto fourth and Lewis Hamilton found just enough to save fifth place from Heikki Kovalainen by one second. Nico Rosberg drove another strong afternoon to claim two more points for Williams and Robert Kubica salvaging one final point for BMW after his early first pit stop.

Race Result:

1. F. Massa Ferrari 1:26:42.161

2. K. Räikkönen Ferrari + 2.275

3. F. Alonso McLaren + 26.181

4. N. Heidfeld BMW + 39.674

5. L. Hamilton McLaren + 45.085

6. H. Kovalainen Renault + 46.169

7. N. Rosberg Williams + 55.778

8. R. Kubica BMW + 56.707

9. G. Fisichella Renault + 59.491

10. D. Coulthard Red Bull + 1:11.009

11. A. Wurz Williams + 1:19.628

12. R. Schumacher Toyota + 1 laps

13. J. Button Honda + 1 laps

14. A. Davidson Super Aguri + 1 laps

15. V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso + 1 laps

16. J. Trulli Toyota + 1 laps

17. R. Barrichello Honda + 1 laps

18. T. Sato Super Aguri + 1 laps

19. S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso + 1 laps

20. S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 + 2 laps

21. A. Sutil Spyker F1 + 5 laps

Did not finish

22. M. Webber Red Bull + 49 laps

Fastest Laps : Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari : 1:27.295