Formula 1: podium places for ZF Sachs partner in China
Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi R将」ikk将モnen, whose vehicles are fitted with dampers from ZF Sachs Race Engineering, clinched places two and three in the Chinese Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the Formula 1 season, and thus extended the lead in the constructors’ championship. After 56 race laps, they only had to admit defeat to McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. In the championship standings Massa continues ranking as the runner-up and still has chances of winning the title at the finale at S将ェo Paulo.
In China, further ZF Sachs drivers scored points: Nick Heidfeld, in whose BMW-Sauber dampers from ZF Sachs Race Engineering are used, had started from ninth on the grid and improved to fifth place, while his team-mate Robert Kubica had started from position eleven and finished sixth. Timo Glock, who relies on a clutch from ZF Sachs in his Toyota, was able to celebrate two championship points as well. The German had started to the race from grid position twelve and saw the chequered flag in seventh place.
Results, GP China (VRC), 17th round, FIA Formula 1 World Championship – 17 Oct to 19 Oct 2008:
1. L. Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, 1h 31m57.403s
2. F. Massa, Ferrari, + 14.925s, ZF Sachs
3. K. R将」ikk将モnen, Ferrari, + 16.445s, ZF Sachs
4. F. Alonso, Renault, + 18.370s
5. N. Heidfeld, BMW-Sauber, + 28.923s, ZF Sachs
6. R. Kubica, BMW-Sauber, + 33.219s, ZF Sachs
7. T. Glock, Toyota, + 41.722s, ZF Sachs
8. N. Piquet, Renault, + 56.645s
Drivers’ championship:
1. L. Hamilton, 94 points; 2. F. Massa, 87; 3. R. Kubica, 75; 4. K. R将」ikk将モnen, 69; 5. N. Heidfeld, 60; 6. F. Alonso, 53; 7. H. Kovalainen, 51; 8. S. Vettel and J. Trulli, 30; 10. T. Glock, 22.
Constructors’ championship:
1. Ferrari, 156 points; 2. McLaren-Mercedes, 145; 3. BMW-Sauber, 135; 4. Renault, 72; 5. Toyota, 52; 6. STR-Ferrari, 34; 7. Red Bull-Renault, 29; 8. Williams-Toyota, 26; 9. Honda, 14.
ALMS: Porsche wins manufacturers’ title
At the season finale of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey (California) ZF Sachs partner Porsche secured the manufacturers’ title in the LMP2 sports prototype class as well as in the GT2 sportscar class and has thus won all of the possible titles. At the eleventh and final race of the season Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas in their Porsche RS Spyder, which is equipped with dampers and a clutch from ZF Sachs Race Engineering, finished third in their class. The duo had already won the drivers’ title in the LMP2 class at the previous race in Road Atlanta. Overall victory at Laguna Seca went to Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner, whose Audi R10 TDI uses clutch high-tech from Schweinfurt as well.
Results, Laguna Seca (USA), 11th round, ALMS, 16 Oct - 18 Oct 2008:
1. L. Luhr/M. Werner, Audi, 145 laps, ZF Sachs
2. E. Pirro/C. Albers, Audi, + 1941s, ZF Sachs
3. F. Montagny/T. Kanaan, Acura, + 3.536s
4. G. de Ferran/S. Pagenaud, Acura, + 3.590s
5. T. Bernhard/R. Dumas, Porsche, + 9.481s, ZF Sachs
6. R. Briscoe/H. Castroneves, Porsche, + 26.178s, ZF Sachs
7. C. Dyson/G. Smith, Porsche, + 45.278s, ZF Sachs
8. B. Leitzinger/M. Franchitti, Porsche, + 1m 18.045s, ZF Sachs