Background
Following the United States Grand Prix , the Formula One teams headed to Silverstone for a three-day test. Nine teams participated, with the exception of Honda and Super Aguri , who opted to test at the Jerez circuit . Neither Ferrari nor McLaren were fastest on the first two days at Silverstone, rather it was Toyota that was fastest on both of the days. However, on the third and final day of testing Felipe Massa put Ferrari on top with a time of 1:20.805. The nearest challenge... Off track Ferrari launched a criminal investigation in Modena against their own employee Nigel Stepney . Stepney's lawyer ruled out sabotage claims, and Stepney said it was part of a "dirty tricks" campaign. There was also controversy at the rear-end of the grid, as Spyker asked the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to look at the new updates that were put on the Super Aguri at Indianapolis to see whether the Aguri team are receiving current Honda parts. On Saturday, Super Aguri's managing director Daniel Audetto said "We have rules – they [Spyker] can just protest. Tell them to protest – if I have something to complain about, I will make a protest." Robert Kubica was back in his BMW after his crash at the Canadian Grand Prix . Early on Saturday, Nick Heidfeld was cleared to continue in his BMW after experiencing back pains during Friday practice.
Practice
Hamilton managed to recover from his morning trouble to post the fourth fastest time in the second Practice Session on Friday afternoon. The Ferraris were still leading, but Massa was fastest, just 0.035 seconds ahead of Räikkönen. However, one of the major surprises came from Scuderia Toro Rosso , as Scott Speed posted the third quickest time, with Vitantonio Liuzzi posting the fifth quickest time. During the session, Liuzzi was involved in a bizarre incident with Anthony Davidson ; Davidson ex...
Race
Three people were killed in a helicopter crash at the circuit on Saturday night. They were Emmanuel Longobardi , a PR operative; the pilot Pierre Bennehard; and Simon McGill, a New Zealand national. A Bridgestone employee and his niece were injured. Longobardi was a popular member of the Formula One Paddock. Adrian Sutil in the Spyker opted to start from the pitlane. Massa got off to the best possible start and retained his lead, but Räikkönen passed Hamilton into Turn One. At the back of the field, Anthony Davidson hit the back of Vitantonio Liuzzi 's Toro Rosso . The Toro Rosso came back onto the track and smashed into the side of the Super Aguri . Liuzzi said afterwards that "all we can do is wait for Silverstone and hope that the definite improvement we have made with the car pays off". A... Robert Kubica was quickly losing ground on the two Ferraris and Hamilton. Alonso passed Rosberg for seventh, and quickly closed in on Heidfeld , but stayed behind him until he pitted on Lap 16. Alonso attempted to get past on Lap five, but ran wide, giving the position back to the German. Hamilton also pitted on Lap 16, with Massa pitting on Lap 19 and Räikkönen on Lap 21. Räikkönen decreased Massa's lead back down from four seconds to two seconds. Alonso passed both Heidfeld and Fisichella in the middle section of the race. In the second round of stops, Räikkönen pitted two laps after Massa. These two laps extra gave Räikkönen the lead after his second stop, with Massa now second. Alonso pitted for the second time on lap 35. Heidfeld and Fisichella pitted several laps later, and both of them got out in front of Alonso. Christijan Albers had an unusual accident, h...
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46°51′51″N 3°09′49″E / 46.86417°N 3.16361°E / 46.86417; 3.16361
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 70 | 1:30:54.200 |
| 2 | 5 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 70 | +2.414 |
| 3 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 70 | +32.153 |
| 4 | 10 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 70 | +41.727 |
| 5 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 70 | +48.801 |
| 6 | 3 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 70 | +51.940 |
| 7 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Mercedes | 70 | +56.516 |
| 8 | 7 | Jenson Button | Honda | 70 | +58.885 |
| 9 | 16 | Nico Rosberg | Williams-Toyota | 70 | +1:08.505 |
| 10 | 11 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 69 | +1 lap |
Qualifying
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:15.303 | 1:14.822 |
| 2 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:14.805 | 1:14.795 |
| 3 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:14.872 | 1:14.828 |
| 4 | 10 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 1:15.778 | 1:15.066 |
| 5 | 3 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 1:16.047 | 1:15.227 |
| 6 | 4 | Heikki Kovalainen | Renault | 1:15.524 | 1:15.272 |
| 7 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 1:15.783 | 1:15.149 |
| 8 | 12 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 1:16.118 | 1:15.379 |
| 9 | 16 | Nico Rosberg | Williams-Toyota | 1:16.092 | 1:15.331 |
| 10 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:15.322 | 1:15.084 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air at Magny-Cours hung thick with the scent of warm asphalt and a palpable tension – a summer afternoon distilled into the roar of seventeen 2. 4-liter V8 engines. Felipe Massa, piloting a Williams-Toyota machine boasting a staggering 800 horsepower, wrestled with the track's undulating surface, a testament to the brutal, almost tactile nature of this generation's racing. Kimi Räikkönen, in his scarlet Ferrari, executed a calculated maneuver, exploiting a subtle differential change during the second pit stop to seize the lead – a masterclass in precision engineering amidst a landscape of intense competition. The Ferrari's 6. 5-liter V10, a symphony of controlled combustion, delivered a measured 950 horsepower, proving decisive in the final reckoning.
Kimi's victory, snatched with a daring maneuver during that second pit stop, felt almost… spectral. Seven of the twenty-two races completed that season had witnessed a Ferrari triumph, a numerical echo of the Prancing Horse's dominance in the 1950s. A curious symmetry, wouldn't you agree?
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air thickened, a greasy, ozone-laced scent clinging to the Magny-Cours asphalt. A scream of Bridgestone, a blur of scarlet – Räikkönen was upon him. Massa, momentarily adrift, wrestled with the wheel, the Ferrari's tires protesting a ferocious, desperate defense. A heartbeat of adrenaline, the subtle shift in grip, the calculated risk. This wasn't simply a race; it was a ballet of aggression, a desperate dance for dominance under the French sun. The old rhythm of the track, the mechanical pulse of these magnificent machines, it still possessed a savage beauty. A testament to a time when victory was earned, not simply dictated.
The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, mirrored the mood in the Ferrari garage. Massa, meticulously adjusting his helmet, seemed a world apart, a stoic king surveying a kingdom threatened by relentless drizzle. A faint scent of oil and burnt rubber hung heavy in the air, a familiar perfume of ambition and calculated risk. He'd possessed the track, possessed the momentum – a testament to raw speed and tactical brilliance. But the capricious nature of this circuit, this weather, always held a lurking shadow. A shadow, it seemed, that Kimi Räikkönen was prepared to exploit with a surgeon's precision. The young Finn, a whirlwind of controlled aggression, was poised to disrupt the carefully constructed order, a counterpoint to Massa's measured dominance.