Ferrari own goal in Singapore puts McLaren in the driving seat for title

Ferrari were left to lick their wounds in Singapore after a bungled pit stop and a mistake from Kimi Raikkonen sent the Scuderia into meltdown – and left rivals McLaren in command of both championships for the first time since April.

Felipe Massa’s race engineer Rob Smedley admits that Ferrari were at fault for the Brazilian’s pit lane disaster in Singapore.

Massa’s hopes of winning the historic Marina bay race were dashed when Ferrari’s controversial pit-release system gave him the green light to leave his pit box before the refuelling hose had been detached.

Fernando Alonso P1
“This is a fantastic result – my first podium of the season; my first victory and I’m very happy, although I think it will take several days for me to realise what we have achieved.

LEWIS HAMILTON
“A positive end to a difficult weekend at this fantastic new venue. I started well, but then my rear tyres faded and, although we had good pace, I wasn’t in a position to challenge Felipe ahead of me.

After venting his frustration in qualifying when a fuel problem dropped him out of the running, Fernando Alonso struggled to conceal his delight on Sunday after storming to victory in the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

Double world champion gives Singapore’s Marina Bay a christening to remember after winning dramatic inaugural night race;

Ferrari incompetence in the pits puts Hamilton in pole position for the title.

He said he needed a miracle. And on lap 15 it came, his team-mate ironically the bearer.

Fernando Alonso struggled to conceal his frustration at dropping out of qualifying in Singapore, and now he reckons he will need a miracle to claw his way into the points.

The Spaniard went quickest of all in the opening practice sessions and looked well placed to challenge for the front two rows of the grid in qualifying.

A relieved Ron Dennis warned that McLaren will be competitive in Sunday’s historic Singapore Grand Prix, despite being outclassed by Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in qualifying.

The McLaren team principal could do little more than watch and wait in the second qualifying session as Lewis Hamilton battled to escape elimination after making a mistake on his first flying lap.

Nick Heidfeld will be demoted three places on the grid for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix after stewards deemed him to have impeded Rubens Barrichello in qualifying.

Heidfeld was peeling off into the pitlane in Q1 when Rubens Barrichello, who was on a flying lap, caught the BMW Sauber driver.

Felipe Massa: P1
“I did a fantastic lap in a fantastic car and it was possibly my best qualifying of the season. Given my margin over the others, with hindsight it’s easy to say maybe I could have run with slightly more fuel, but we firmly believe we have a very competitive strategy. At every corner, at every braking point I tried to get the most out of the car and I think I managed it.