2008 Hungarian Grand Prix

2008 Hungarian Grand Prix
Race 11 of 18 in the 2008 Formula One World Championship
← Previous raceNext race →
A track map of the Hungaroring circuit. The track has 16 corners, which range in sharpness from hairpins to gentle, sweeping turns. There are three long straights that link the corners together. The pit lane splits off from the track on the inside of Turn 16, and rejoins the track after the start-finish straight.
Hungaroring (GP track)
Race details[1][2]
Date 3 August 2008
Official name Formula 1 ING Magyar Nagydíj 2008[3]
Location Hungaroring, Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.381 km (2.722 miles)
Distance 70 laps, 306.630 km (190.531 miles)
Weather Sunny; Air 30–31 °C (86–88 °F), Track 40–43 °C (104–109 °F)
Attendance 84,000
Pole position
Driver
McLaren-Mercedes
Time 1:20.899
Fastest lap
Driver Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
Time 1:21.195 on lap 61
Podium
First
McLaren-Mercedes
Second
Toyota
Third
Ferrari
Lap leaders

The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 ING Magyar Nagydíj 2008[3]) was a Formula One motor race held on 3 August 2008, at the Hungaroring in Mogyoród, near Budapest. It was the 11th race of the 2008 Formula One World Championship. Contested over 70 laps, the race was won by Heikki Kovalainen for the McLaren team, from a second position start. Timo Glock finished second in a Toyota car, with Kimi Räikkönen third in a Ferrari. It was Kovalainen's first Formula One victory, which made him the sport's 100th driver to win a World Championship race, and it was Glock's first podium finish. It also turned out to be the only F1 race Kovalainen ever won.

The majority of the race consisted of a duel between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa, who drove for McLaren and Ferrari, respectively. Hamilton started from pole position but was beaten at the first corner by Massa, who passed him around the outside. The two championship rivals began a battle for the lead that was resolved when Hamilton sustained a punctured tyre just over halfway through the race, giving Massa a lead of more than 20 seconds over Kovalainen. The Ferrari's engine, however, failed with three laps remaining, allowing the McLaren driver to win. Räikkönen set the race's fastest lap in the other Ferrari, but was hampered by a poor qualifying performance and was stuck behind Fernando Alonso (Renault) and Glock in turn for almost all of the race.

As a consequence of the race, Hamilton extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to five points over Räikkönen, with Massa a further three behind. Robert Kubica, who finished eighth after finding his BMW Sauber car uncompetitive at the Hungaroring, slipped to 13 points behind Hamilton, ahead of teammate Nick Heidfeld and Kovalainen. In the World Constructors' Championship, McLaren passed BMW Sauber for second position, 11 points behind Ferrari.

  1. ^ Henry, Alan (2008). "Grands Prix 2008: Hungarian Grand Prix". Autocourse 2008–2009. Crash Media Group. pp. 200–201. ISBN 978-1-905334-31-5.
  2. ^ Jones, Bruce (2008). "The Races: Hungary – Round 11". The Official Formula 1 Season Review 2008. Haynes/Haymarket. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-1-84425-566-5 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ a b "Downloads: 2008". formula1.com. Formula One Administration. 2011-02-17. Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2016.