| 2008 Australian Grand Prix | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Race 1 of 18 in the 2008 Formula One World Championship
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| Race details | |||||
| Date | 16 March 2008 | ||||
| Official name | 2008 Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix | ||||
| Location | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia | ||||
| Course | Temporary street circuit | ||||
| Course length | 5.303[1] km (3.295 miles) | ||||
| Distance | 58 laps, 307.574[1] km (191.118 miles) | ||||
| Weather | Clear, dry, air temperature of 39 °C (102 °F). | ||||
| Attendance | 108,000[2] | ||||
| Pole position | |||||
| Driver | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Time | 1:26.714 | ||||
| Fastest lap | |||||
| Driver |
 Heikki Kovalainen | McLaren-Mercedes | |||
| Time | 1:27.418 on lap 43 | ||||
| Podium | |||||
| First | McLaren-Mercedes | ||||
| Second | BMW Sauber | ||||
| Third | Williams-Toyota | ||||
|
Lap leaders | |||||
The 2008 Australian Grand Prix (officially known as the 2008 Formula 1 ING Australian Grand Prix)[3] was a Formula One motor race held on 16 March 2008 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia. It was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season. In qualifying for the event, Lewis Hamilton for the McLaren team started from pole position ahead of Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber by 0.15 seconds.
The 58-lap race featured three safety car interruptions due to collisions on lap 1, 26, and 42. A high rate of attrition meant that only 7 cars of the 22 participants finished the race, with six being classified after sixth place Rubens Barrichello was disqualified for exiting the pit lane illegally. Of the six, Hamilton lead most of the race and finished first ahead of Nick Heidfeld in second in a BMW Sauber and Nico Rosberg in third in a Williams. This was Rosberg's first podium finish. In winning the race, Hamilton and McLaren led the Drivers' Championship and Constructors Championship, respectively.
This event also marked the first race in seven years, since the 2001 San Marino Grand Prix, not to feature cars competing using traction control, which was banned by the FIA at the end of 2007.[4]
- ^ a b "Grand Prix of Australia". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 16 March 2008. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ "Motorsport Results". Austadiums. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Australia". Formula1.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
- ^ "Atlas F1: The 2001 Spanish GP Review". atlasf1.autosport.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.