Click above for high-res gallery of the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix
Formula One is fast, and fast is dangerous. That’s the assumption formed on the basis of decades of fatal crashes in the sport when the slow advancement of safety measures couldn’t keep up with the ever-increasing speeds of grand prix racing. But those assumptions and those safety measures were again put to the test this weekend in Spain, where McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen crashed at 220 km/h (137mph) into a wall of tires, resulting in an estimated impact force of 26 Gs. The crash, which occurred on the 22nd lap of the race, was attributed to a wheel/tire malfunction, and Kovalainen is expected to return in two weeks to race in Turkey.
As jarring as it was, Heikki’s crash was only one of the many times the safety car was deployed in a race that was dominated by the color yellow of the caution flag. The next most dominant color at Catalunya, however, was surely red, as Ferrari dominated the race virtually from start to finish, with Kimi Raikkonen sailing to an easy checkered flag with his team mate Felipe Massa close behind. Towards the end of the race, Kovalainen’s teammate Lewis Hamilton was closing in on Massa, but ended up taking the third step on the podium, giving defending champion Raikkonen a commanding nine point lead over Hamilton. The perfect finish for Ferrari likewise gave the team a commanding lead in the constructors’ championship, leading 47 to BMW Sauber’s 35 and McLaren’s 34. BMW, which entered the race with the lead for the constructors’ title, didn’t fair as well as hoped, with Kubica finishing an admirable fourth while his teammate Heidfeld came in outside the points in 9th after suffering a drive-through penalty. However, that wasn’t nearly as bad as second-tier rival Renault did under the Spanish sun, with neither local hero Fernando Alonso nor his teammate Nelsinho Piquet completing the race. All in all, a shocking nine drivers retired before the last lap, including Nico Rosberg (Williams), Rubens Barrichello (Honda), Adrian Sutil (Force India), Anthony Davidson (Super Aguri), both the Toro Rosso drivers (Bourdais and Vettel) in addition to the Renaults and the aforementioned Kovalainen.
Follow the jump for the full results, current standings after four rounds of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship and a video of Kovalainen’s crash.
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BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Rescue workers try to retrieve the crashed car of Heikki Kovalainen of Finland and McLaren Mercedes as he sits imbedded in the safety barriers after crashing during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Heikki Kovalainen of Finland and McLaren Mercedes is taken away in an ambulance after crashing during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Heikki Kovalainen of Finland and McLaren Mercedes is taken away in an ambulance after crashing during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Renault’s Brazilian driver Nelsinho Piquet drives off the track during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / JOSEP LAGO (Photo credit should read JOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images)
McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton drives during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and McLaren Mercedes on his way to finishing third during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari leads at the start of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari comes in for a pitstop during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa lead the race during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen drives ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari celebrates as he crosses the finishing line to win the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen rides during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen drives during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / GUILLAUME BAPTISTE (Photo credit should read GUILLAUME BAPTISTE/AFP/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen drives during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa drives during the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / LLUIS GENE (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari leads from team mate Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari at the start of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen crosses the finish line of the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix, at the Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona, on April 27, 2008. Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen won the race ahead of Ferrari Brazilian’s driver Felipe Massa and McLaren Mercedes’ British driver Lewis Hamilton. AFP PHOTO / BERTRAND GUAY (Photo credit should read BERTRAND GUAY/AFP/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – APRIL 27: (L-R) Second placed Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari, first placed Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Ferrari and third placed Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and McLaren Mercedes celebrate on the podium following the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya on April 27, 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)
[Source: Autosport]
2008 Spanish Grand Prix
1. Raikkonen Ferrari
2. Massa Ferrari
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
4. Kubica BMW Sauber
5. Webber Red Bull-Renault
6. Button Honda
7. Nakajima Williams-Toyota
8. Trulli Toyota
9. Heidfeld BMW Sauber
10. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari
11. Glock Toyota
12. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault
13. Sato Super Aguri-Honda
Fastest lap: Raikkonen, 1:21.670
Not classified/retirements:
Rosberg Williams-Toyota
Alonso Renault
Barrichello Honda
Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes
Davidson Super Aguri-Honda
Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Piquet Renault
Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari
Sutil Force India-Ferrari
World Championship standings
(after four rounds)
Drivers:
1. Raikkonen 29
2. Hamilton 20
3. Kubica 19
4. Massa 18
5. Heidfeld 16
6. Kovalainen 14
7. Trulli 9
8. Webber 8
9. Rosberg 7
10. Alonso 6
11. Nakajima 5
12. Button 3
13. Bourdais 2
Constructors
1. Ferrari 47
2. BMW Sauber 35
3. McLaren-Mercedes 34
4. Williams-Toyota 12
5. Toyota 9
6. Red Bull-Renault 8
7. Renault 6
8. Honda 3
9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 2