A new street circuit on the formula one calendar.
Another boring track with no overtaking.
Philippe Massa qualified on pole position with Lewis Hamilton in second.
Kubica took the third grid position.
They finished the race in the same order.
I can't remember a car overtaking the entire race.
It was tedious stuff to watch.
No doubt Valencia and F1 benefit but as a spectacle it sucked big time.
AlonsoAlonso retired after losing his rear wing in a collision with Nakajima on the first lap. The sulky Spaniard who'd failed to make the top ten on the grid, was not very pleased about the incident. Neither were the pro-Alonso Spanish crowd.
RaikkonenRaikkonen was poor racing his Ferrari around in fifth place for most of the race, until a incident in the pits when he set off to soon with the fuel rig still attached to his Ferrari and he took out one of his pit crew.
The Ferrari then blew up in a mass of white smoke a few laps later.
MassaMassa too had a pit lane incident. Ferrari operate a semi-automatic release system. Other teams have a team member with a lollypop who checks that all tyre are on, the fuel hose is out and the pit lane clear before releasing the car into the pit lane.
Ferrari released Massa into the path of Adrian Sutil's Force India. It looked an obvious decision for the stewards. It looked dangerous and it also looked obvious that Ferrari were in the wrong.
McLarenIf it had been Mclaren, they'd have got an instant drive through penalty and a ten place grid penalty at the next race in Belgium.
But this is Ferrari ... they seem to get special treatment from F1 stewards and the FIA.
Justice
Massa deserved to win but rules are rules and he should have got a drive through penalty.
Which means Hamilton won the Grand Prix.
Hamilton should have got the trophy on the podium.
McLaren should have got the constructors trophy.
God Save the queen should have rung out across Valencia. (twice)
Spanish RacistsAll the Spanish racists who whistled Hamilton could have whistled even louder and Spain's reputation as a cosmopolitan tolerant free thinking democracy already in the gutter after the slit eyed photo's from the Olympics would have reached a new all time low.
Latest News Massa gets a 10,000€ fine and a reprimand but keeps the race.
Standings 1. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari one hour 35 minutes 32.339 seconds
2. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes at 5.611secs
3. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber at 37.353
4. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren- Mercedes at 39.703
5. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota at 50.684
6. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso- Ferrari at 52.625
7. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota at 1:07.990
8. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota at 1:11.457
9. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber at 1:22.177
10. Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:29.794
11. Nelson Piquet Jr (Brz) Renault 1:32.717
12. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault one lap behind
13. Jenson Button (GB) Honda one lap
14. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Force India-Ferrari one lap
15. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota one lap
16. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Honda one lap
17. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault one lap
R Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 45 laps completed
R Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India-Ferrari 41 laps completed
R Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault one lap completed
Key: R = retired
Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on becoming Formula One World Champion 2008.
After a rollercoaster season of F1 races, steward's enquiries, appeals and a few crazy moments. The F1 Driver's Championship comes to the final race today at Interlagos in Brazil.
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is keen for the FIA to change the rules regarding team orders in Formula One.
Fernando Alonso won the Japanese Grand Prix. After driving a perfect race to follow up on his win in Singapore.
