It is the 8th June 2008 at the Circuit Giles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. The street circuit is hot with temperatures approaching 31°C, and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes is on pole following an excellent Saturday qualifying session.
At this, the seventh round of 18 for the 2008 season, Hamilton topped the Drivers’ Championship standings, with Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari in second and Felipe Massa, also of Ferrari, in third. Robert Kubica held fourth place in the overall standings.
Despite Hamilton’s pole, the star of the weekend was Kubica. The BMW-Sauber driver qualified in second place. Following the retirements of both Hamilton and Raikkonen after a crash, Kubica came through to take the victory. This was both his first and only win, and it catapulted him to the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings.
BMW-Sauber executed a two-stop strategy for Kubica, with his teammate Nick Heidfeld finishing in second on a one-stop race. The team scored an excellent 1-2 podium finish. David Coulthard of Red Bull-Renault took the third step on the podium, having raced up from the P13 he had achieved in qualifying.
Kubica’s win was first for a German constructor since the 1962 French Grand Prix, continuing the streak of historic firsts at this race. This win marked the peak of Kubica’s career. His redemption was especially sweet considering that he had crashed at the Canadian Grand Prix the previous year.
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Written by Alexandra.
Featured Image Credit: Max F1
The Fastest Sector 