** This thread discusses the Content article:
Massa leads Ferrari 1-2 in Bahrain **
Felipe Massa put in a dominant performance to lead home Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix.<br />
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Raikkonen now heads the drivers' championship!<br />
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Previous leader Lewis Hamilton could manage only 13th after running into the rear of Fernando Alonso.<br />
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BMW Sauber take charge of the constructors' standings thanks to third and fourth places for Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld... <br />
<p>
Massa instantly shot past front row partner Kubica and into the race
lead at the start, with Kovalainen dodging around Hamilton to move up
to third. The Finn out-muscled countryman Raikkonen through Turns 1 and
2, but was repassed by the world champion further ahead the opening lap.
</p>
<p>
Kimi then rapidly caught and passed Kubica for second, driving
around the outside of the Pole at Turn 1 on lap three, while Kovalainen
lost another place to Heidfeld when he ran wide on the same lap.
</p>
<p>
Hamilton's bad start had dropped him to 10th, and he was attempting
to pass Alonso for ninth when he clipped the back of the Renault as
they accelerated out of Turn 2. The McLaren briefly became airborne and
lost its front wing, leaving Hamilton down in 18th and a minute behind
the leaders after he pitted for repairs.
</p>
<p>
This tangle was one of several early incidents, with Jenson Button
(Honda), Adrian Sutil (Force India) and David Coulthard (Red Bull) all
having to pit with damage after a chaotic opening lap. Toro Rosso's
Sebastian Vettel sustained broken suspension, while Renault driver
Nelson Piquet spun down the order on the second lap. He recovered
several positions before retiring with gearbox failure.
</p>
<p>
At the front, Massa edged away from Raikkonen and established a
five-second early lead. Kubica kept Raikkonen under pressure until
pitting on lap 17, three laps earlier than Raikkonen, who was the first
Ferrari driver to stop.
</p>
<p>
With Kubica then losing time behind Toyota's Glock, who was
running a very long first stint, the Ferraris took control of the
middle part of the race. Raikkonen narrowed Massa's advantage to three
seconds with a series of fastest laps, but the Brazilian always had
enough speed in hand and managed to rebuild his lead again.
</p>
<p>
By the time the final stops were completed, Massa's lead was back up
to seven seconds, while Raikkonen had to focus on the resurgent Kubica,
who stopped later than the Ferraris and got back within three seconds
of second place. The Finn stayed ahead though, and now leads the
championship.
</p>
<p>
Heidfeld also led several laps with an extremely late final stop,
helping him to secure fourth, comfortably ahead of Kovalainen. The
McLaren set the fastest lap of the race in the closing stages, but
still finished nearly 30 seconds behind the victorious Massa.
</p>
<p>
Jarno Trulli had a very strong race to sixth for Toyota, pressuring
Kovalainen in the middle stages. The Italian was able to pull away from
the chasing Mark Webber (Red Bull), who passed Nico Rosberg's Williams
for seventh at the first stops.
</p>
<p>
Glock's strategy allowed him to run as high as third, and he
ultimately beat Alonso to ninth as the damaged Renault struggled to
hold off Rubens Barrichello in the final laps.
</p>
<p>
Hamilton had to settle for 13th behind Giancarlo Fisichella's Force
India, taking the place with a late move on Williams' Kazuki Nakajima.
</p>
<p>
Behind Toro Rosso's Sebastien Bourdais and the two Super Aguris,
Coulthard finished 18th after a collision with Button. The Honda driver
attempted to pass DC as both chased the midfield pack, but rode
up over the side of the Red Bull and had to retire. Coulthard managed
to rejoin and coax his battered car to the flag.
</p>
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Classified:<br />
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Pos Driver Team Time</strong><br />
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1. Massa Ferrari (
1h31:06.970<br />
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2. Raikkonen Ferrari (
+ 3.339<br />
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3. Kubica BMW Sauber (
+ 4.998<br />
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4. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (
+ 8.409<br />
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5. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (
+ 26.789<br />
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6. Trulli Toyota (
+ 41.314<br />
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7. Webber Red Bull-Renault (
+ 45.473<br />
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8. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (
+ 55.889<br />
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9. Glock Toyota (
+ 1:09.500<br />
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10. Alonso Renault (
+ 1:17.181<br />
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11. Barrichello Honda (
+ 1:17.862<br />
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12. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (
+ 1 lap<br />
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13. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (
+ 1 lap<br />
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14. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (
+ 1 lap<br />
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15. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (
+ 1 lap<br />
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16. Davidson Super Aguri-Honda (
+ 1 lap<br />
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17. Sato Super Aguri-Honda (
+ 1 lap<br />
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18. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (
+ 1 lap<br />
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19. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (
+ 2 laps<br />
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<strong>Fastest lap:</strong> Kovalainen, 1:33.193<br />
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</pre>
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