French Grand Prix 2008 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Felipe Massa bounced back from his Canadian disappointment with a dominant victory at the French Grand Prix, leading home Kimi Räikkönen for Ferrari's fourth one-two finish of the season at the Magny-Cours circuit. The Brazilian's imperious performance, coupled with Lewis Hamilton's grid penalty-compromised result, allowed Massa to extend his championship lead and reassert Ferrari's superiority as the F1 circus reached the midpoint of the European season.

Starting from second on the grid behind Räikkönen's pole position, Massa seized the lead at the start and never looked back, controlling the race with the authority of a championship leader. The Ferrari F2008 was perfectly suited to Magny-Cours's combination of slow corners and fast direction changes, and Massa extracted every ounce of performance from the car. Räikkönen provided the ideal supporting role, securing second place without challenging his teammate, ensuring Ferrari maximized their constructor points in dominant fashion.

Jarno Trulli drove an excellent race to claim third place for Toyota, securing the Japanese manufacturer's first podium of the season and demonstrating the improving competitiveness of the TF108. Hamilton, starting 10th due to his Canadian pit-lane penalty, could only recover to seventh place despite a determined charge through the field. His damage limitation was unsuccessful, and Massa's championship lead extended to significant proportions. The race marked the final French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours for the foreseeable future, with the event dropped from the calendar after 2008. Massa's victory - his fourth of the season - established him as the clear favorite for the championship as F1 headed to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix.