Australian GP – The standings after the first GP 2008…

A wild race, that’s the word to describe this first meeting of the 2008 season. The standings at the end of this Australian Grand Prix are therefore shaken…

Only 7 drivers finished this race, with Hamilton winning it and earning the 10 points promised to the winner. Heidfeld shows his team’s good form by finishing 2nd, leaving the antipodes with 8 points. [Standings]

Rosberg, on the podium for the first time in his career, earns the 6 points for 3rd place, while Alonso and Kovalainen, who fought until the end for 4th place, earn 5 and 4 points respectively.

Besides the McLarens, Nakajima for Williams enables his team to place both of its cars in the top 8. The Japanese driver is currently 6th and earns 3 points. Finally, Barrichello, after difficulties towards the end of the race regarding regulations, finishes 7th virtually but was disqualified. Therefore, he scores no points. With the track marshals granting 3 points, he is currently 6th but could be penalized a second time. If that happens, he could lose one or even two positions.

Our national hero, Sébastien Bourdais, despite his retirement 2 laps before the checkered flag, scores 2 points because the 14 remaining cars all came to a stop in the pits or on the track before him, and he also benefits from Barrichello’s disqualification. Just like Räikkönen who finally scores a point despite retiring 5 laps before the finish!

In the constructors’ standings, McLaren emerges victorious from this first Grand Prix with a total of 14 points. Williams, by placing its two cars in the points, leaves Australia with 8 points, the British team is 2nd tied with BMW-Sauber. Renault follows with 5 points, all scored by its star driver, Alonso.

Honda, with its new team manager Ross Brawn, narrowly misses out on points and allows Toro Rosso to recover two points thanks to Bourdais. Ferrari scores one point but makes a very bad move by already falling 13 points behind McLaren.

The Scuderia has one week to get back on track before the Malaysian Grand Prix in a week.

See the standings after the Australian GP