Australian Grand Prix 2008 Awards
Hamilton Wins, Ferrari Fail, Rookies Surprise
Every race has its highlights.Some drivers shine while others confound us with what they try to achieve. Here are some of the winners and losers of the 2008 Australian GP
Driver of the day
Lewis Hamilton started from pole and avoided the madness behind him to win the season opener. A better start to the season he could not hope for with Kimi Raikkonen scoring just one point in 8th. Hamilton has always won a championship within two attempts and this win puts him right on track to repeat that feat.
Team of the day
McLaren-Mercedes scored 14 points and top spot in the constructors’ championship to start their 2008 campaign with a bang. If not for an unfortunate pit stop strategy by Heikki Kovalainen they could have ended up with a possible double podium finish. And with Ferrari scoring just one point, McLaren must feel confident for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix too.
Charger of the day
Sebastien Bourdais started from 17th and even ran in 4th spot right up to the end of the race when his engine expired. The STR-Ferrari driver showed that both he and Sebastian Vettel have the fighting spirit to take the team to new heights. He was finally classified in 7th position, but he showed that his four Champ Car Championships did teach him a little about the art of racing.
Honorable mention
Fernando Alonso started in 11th spot for the Renault team, in a car that no one thought would do much. And they were right, except for the fact that the two times World Champion had other ideas. Ideas of beating McLaren and showing them that he still is a force to be reckoned with. He finished the race ahead of Heikki Kovalainen and scored Renaults second best performance in the last 12 races.
Disappointment of the day
Ferrari was the big pre-season favorite to win it all in Australia. Everyone thought they might walk away with a 1-2 win, but when the chequered flag fell at the end of the day both cars had retired with engine failures. To make matters worse the STR-Ferrari engine in the back of Sebastien Bourdais car also expired. Italy and all the Tifosi expect and demand better.
Doofus of the day
Rubens Barrichello had a good race, heck in the Honda you could even say he was having a great race. He started in 10th and “finished” the race in 6th spot. Unfortunately for him, during his last pit stop he not only ran over his pit crew, he also left the pits under the red lights, which in turn got him disqualified from the race. Rubens, keep your eyes open old man!
