Felipe Massa takes pole for the first night Formula One race at Singapore

September 27, 2008

Ferrari driver Felipe Massa won the second session and the pole position for the Sunday FIA 2008 Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix on the street circuit at Marina Bay, Singapore.

This will be the first nightly Formula One event that utilizes artificial lighting and the 800th Formula One World Championship race overall. The previous GP at Singapore held in 1973 was not part of the Formula One.

First to end the qualifying was Italian Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India), burying his car in the wall.

Nelson Piquet Jr. driving for (Renault) was expected to slip into the second session in the 15th place but was bundled out by David Coulthard or the Red Bull team. Piquet's teammate Fernando Alonso, who topped the second free practice session, performed better in the first session but unexpectedly stopped, showing no time in the second.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes) jumped to 10th place during the last laps of the session; He was lucky to join the battle for pole. Still, Massa was able to beat Hamilton, who will start second tomorrow.

Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) won the first session, but showed third time in the third. Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) will be split by Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren) on the starting grid tomorrow.

Previous pole-postion holder and GP winner Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso) will start 7th tomorrow.