Lewis’s race ruined by tyre failure, Alonso 3rd.

By Sam Cooper
August 27 2007

The Ferrari’s of Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen took a Ferrari 1-2, while Fernando Alonso was gifted third position, when Lewis Hamilton’s tyre spectacularly de inflated, causing the Britain to lose well over half a minute, which destroyed any chances of him finishing on the podium. This unlucky result for Hamilton has shortened his championship lead over his rivals quite heavlily.

Hamilton got a poor start on the hard tyres, but the Ferrari of Kimi Räikkönen (3rd at start) got brilliant start, and quickly took second place off the slower starting Hamilton. Hamilton’s team mate, Fernando Alonso made a disastrous start and lost two places to the BMW drivers of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica going into the first corner.

Meanwhile in the midfield, Toyota driver Jarno Trulli was tagged by fellow countryman Giancarlo Fisichella as a result, Trulli’s car spun in the middle of the circuit, causing many drivers to take evasive action to miss Trulli’s car.

As the Ferrari’s scorched away at the front, Lewis Hamilton could do nothing but try to stay with them, this was to no avail as by the first stop, and Hamilton was over 4.5 seconds behind by the time he stopped on lap 20. Räikkönen had stopped a 2 laps earlier than Hamilton, and was stuck in some traffic, with his team mate Massa suffering the same thing, this traffic cost the two Ferrari’s around 0.7 seconds on track, and Hamilton closed in, only to be drowned out by the Ferrari’s rapid pace. Among those drivers forming a queue were the two Honda’s of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, at this time, Rubens got a call from his pit crew, where he was told that his team mate (Jenson) was 2 seconds a lap faster than him “don’t make me laugh” is Barrichello’s response

Fernando Alonso having looked at the back of the BMW’s gearbox for 18 laps, is relieved when the BMW of Heidfeld pits, Alonso puts the hammer down and records a brilliant in lap to take 4th of the German driver.

On lap 26 the fight is really on between the two McLaren drivers, although Fernando needs a miracle as with 26 laps gone, he finds himself 14.6 seconds behind the slightly faster McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.

Race leader Felipe Massa makes a mistake approaching his second stop; this allows his team mate Kimi Räikkönen to close in on his Brazilian team mate, and the race suddenly becomes alive.

Sadly for audiences, Kimi isn’t able to pass Massa, manly because of this years ‘anti-overtaking’ aerodynamics, race fans will be pleased to know that a solution is currently being worked on by McLaren’s Paddy Lowe, and should hopefully be in place for the 2009 championship.

As the two Ferrari’s make their second stop, Lewis Hamilton leads the race from his team mate before disaster strikes at turn 9 when Hamilton careered off the track due to a right front tyre failure.

Hamilton’s misfortune allows Fernando Alonso to take the lead of the race, and the two Ferrari’s to overtake Hamilton as he limps back into the pits. Hamilton is lucky in a way as his tire didn’t explode during the high speed turn 8.

Hamilton’s car is damaged, part of his front wing is damaged, and his right bargeboard is flapping around. Hamilton’s lap times after the accident are stuck in the 1.30’s same as Heidfeld (in 4th) Kovalinen’s behind him (in 6th).

Hamilton had to hold onto his car for 12 more laps, he had just over 3.5 seconds over Hekki Kovalinen, and Hekki was taking 0.3 out of him a lap.

Hamilton responded, he put in laps that limited the amount of time that Hekki could close in on him by, Hekki was now lapping 0.15-0.2 seconds a lap faster than Hamilton. Lewis looked to have covered 5th place, but only just.

As Felipe Massa took the chequered flag; Kimi Räikkönen followed his team mate across the line 2 seconds later. Alonso made the podium, with Nick Heidfeld in 4th. However the main focus of attention was at the Hamilton Kovalinen scrap. Two cars emerged from the final turn, it would be Hamilton who would take 5th place, with Kovalinen a second behind in 6th.

Nico Rosberg had a strong race for Williams, with Robert Kubica in 8th, a poor race strategy cost the Polish driver dear. Giancarlo Fisichella ended his race outside the points in 9th position, with Red Bull driver David Coulthard in 10th.

Alexander Wurz was the last unlapped driver in 11th. Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher ended his Turkish grand prix in 12th, ahead of a rampaging Jenson Button who moved up eight places in his painfully slow Honda RA107 to 13th. Button was followed by Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson.

Toro Rosso driver Vitantonio Liuzzi finished in 15th ahead of fellow countryman Jarno Trulli who ended his disappointing day in 16th. Rubens Barrichello was overtaken by his team mate in the middle stint of the race, and ended the day 17th ahead of Takuma Sato in 18th. Sebastian Vettel had a uneventful afternoon as did 20th placed Sakon Yamamoto, with Yamamoto’s team mate Adrian Sutil had a unfortunate race in 21st as his car stalled and lost three laps to the leaders, while his team tried to restart it.

Mark Webber was the races only retirement.

Despite a bad race Lewis Hamilton leads the championship by 5 points from Fernando Alonso, race winner Felipe Massa is 15 points behind in third, with Kimi Räikkönen just one world championship point behind Massa.