The perfect antidote to processional racing – today the lead swapped hands and raw speed was traded against strategy for a gripping race at the Istanbul circuit. You’d venture out to put the kettle on at your peril – but at least no drivers were felled by hitting stray dogs, as happened to Bruno Senna in the GP2 race…
For anyone short of time, patience or attention, here’s our six-word summaries of race, teams and drivers:
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Overall race report
Massa’s fast driving beats fancy strategies
Drivers
- Felipe Massa
- Who could begrudge this splendid win?
- Lewis Hamilton
- Overcame recent troubles, back in hunt
- Kimi Raikkonen
- Visibly uncomfortable with rear-gunner role
- Robert Kubica
- Valiant start, plus good points haul
- Nick Heidfeld
- Scored points with usual metronomic regularity
- Fernando Alonso
- Wished he’d made a bigger impression
- Mark Webber
- Finally starting to fulfil his potential
- Nico Rosberg
- Sound drive brought team valuable point
- David Coulthard
- Avoided trouble for a straightforward drive
- Jarno Trulli
- Proved again he’s one-lap specialist
- Jenson Button
- Huh? Did he drive at Istanbul?
- Heikki Kovalainen
- Deserved better after his stellar qualifying
- Timo Glock
- Kept nose clean, held up Kovalainen
- Rubens Barrichello
- Past meant more than present today
- Nelson A Piquet
- Took part in entertaining midfield battles
- Adrian Sutil
- Probably pleased to not go backwards
- Sebastian Vettel
- Valuable experience of full-length race
- DNF: Sebastien Bourdais
- Felled by reliability of car again
- DNF: Kazuki Nakajima
- Vulnerable from poor qualifying: suffered accordingly
- DNF: Giancarlo Fisichella
- Tried too hard and went airborne
Teams
- Ferrari
- Good points haul, failed to dominate
- BMW
- Outclassed in qualifying, still brokered points
- McLaren
- Controlled 2008 race for first time
- Williams
- Failed to make impression at Istanbul
- Red Bull
- Finally their money follows their mouth
- Toyota
- Slipping back at expense of others
- Renault
- Car improvements appear to have stuck
- Honda
- Need solid progress, not landmark anniversaries
- Toro Rosso
- Insiders have written them off already
- Force India
- Drivers’ mixed fortunes didn’t produce much
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