Race Notes - Kubica takes first win in Canadian GP

Robert Kubica took his maiden f1 victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal today, also taking over the lead in the Drivers' World Championship. Driving his BMW Sauber he finished 16.4 seconds ahead of his team mate Nick Heidfeld in second. David Coulthard in the Red Bull-Renault in third place, 23.3 seconds behind.

It is a result with a number of firsts - it is the Polish driver's first victory and the first win for a Pole in Formula 1, as well as the first win for BMW Sauber, and the team's first 1-2 finish. One year ago in Montreal, Kubica suffered a spectacular crash.

Timo Glock finished in the Toyota in fourth place, followed by Felipe Massa in the Ferrari in fifth, Jarno Trulli in the second Toyota in sixth, Rubens Barrichello in the Honda in seventh, and Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari in the final points paying position.

Before the start there were fears about the condition of the tarmac, and whether it would continue to break up during the race. The officials advised the drivers to use the outside of the track at turn 10 during the reconnaissance laps.

Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button were to start from the pitlane.

At the start Lewis Hamilton got away in the lead from pole, with Kubica second, followed by Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and Rubens Barrichello.

On lap 1 Heikki Kovalainen passes Barrichello for 7th.

On lap 5 Heidfeld passes Barrichello for 8th place at the hairpin, and Vettel overtook Sebastien Bourdais for 18th place.

On lap 9 Nelson Piquet overtook Timo Glock for 14th place.

At lap 10, Hamilton pulled out to a 5 second lead over Kubica, followed by Raikkonen (3.6s), Rosberg (4.1s), Alonso (1.2s), Massa (1.2s), Kovalainen (4.0s), Heidfeld (2.2s), Barrichello (11.1s) and Kazuki Nakakjima (0.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 13 Piquet overtakes Trulli for 13th place at the hairpin, the two banging wheels

On lap 15 Adrian Sutil pulls to the side of the track before turn 3 and retires with a mechanic problem. The car, in a difficult spot to move it from, catches on fire, and while a marshal extinguishes the fire, the Safety Car is deployed on lap 18.

On lap 18 Button pits while the pitlane is still closed.

On lap 19 when the pitlane opened, most of the frontrunners pitted, but when the cars arrived at the pit exit the light was still red, so Kubica and Raikkonen stopped to wait for the green light - but when Hamilton arrived at the scene at speed, he jinked to the left and crashed into Raikkonen. Rosberg followed into the back of Hamilton and broke his front wing, but continued around to the pits again for repairs. Both Hamilton and Raikkonen were out on the spot with damage.

On lap 21 the race restarted, with Heidfeld leading Barrichello, Nakajima, Webber, Coulthard, Trulli, Glock, Fisichella, Vettel and Kubica in tenth, while Massa pitted for fuel again, as his fuel rig did not work on his first stop and resumed in 17th.

At lap 25 Heidfeld had built up a 9.3 second lead over Barrichello, followed by Najajima (0.4s), Webber (0.4s), Coulthard (0.8s), Trulli (3.9s), Glock (0.6s), Fisichella (1.6s), Vettel (0.0s), and Kubica (1.1s) in 10th - the first runner having already made a stop.

On lap 28 Piquet spun in turn 3 but resumed without any damage to his car. Heidfeld pitted from the lead, rejoining in front of Kubica - Webber also pitting. Fisichella pitting the next lap. The lead is handed over to Barrichello in the Honda.

On lap 31 Kubica dives down the inside of turn 1 to pass his team mate Heidfeld for 7th place.

On lap 33 Nakajima makes his first pitstop from second place, while on the track Massa drove wide at the hairpin, Webber getting past, but the Brazilian retook the position the next lap.

At lap 35, Barrichello leads Coulthard by 1.9s, followed by Trulli, Glock, Vettel, Kubica, Heidfeld, Alonso, Kovalainen and Button in 10th place.

On lap 35 Fisichella brushes the wall but continues, while Rosberg makes another stop.

On lap 36 Barrichello pits from the lead, followed by Coulthard and Vettel for a long stop on the next lap - leaving the two Toyotas of Trulli and Glock (yet to stop) in the lead.

On lap 39 Trulli pits from the lead, while Nakajima tries to pass Button in the final chicane but bounces over the kerb and losses the position.

On lap 40 Piquet pits and retires.

On lap 42 Glock pits from the lead handing it over to Kubica.

At lap 43, Kubica leads Heidfeld by 13.7 seconds, followed by Alonso (0.2s), Coulthard (5.6s), Barrichello (2.0s), Kovalainen (0.3s), Massa (0.3s), Button (1.2s), Nakajima (0.3s) and Webber (0.5s).

On lap 44 Alonso tries to pass Heidfeld in the hairpin but does not suceed, but on the next lap Alonso spins while chasing Heidfeld at turn 6 and hits the wall, damaging the Renault and taking the Spaniard out of the race.

On lap 47 Nakajima touches Button in the hairpin, breaking his front wing, the Williams driver pitted, but the wing lodged under his front tyre,

On lap 48 Kubica pits, and has a large enough gap to stay in the lead over his team mate Heidfeld.

On lap 51 Kovalainen goes to the inside of Barrichello at the hairpin, but Massa dives past both of them, taking over fourth place.

On lap 53 Fisichella spins out of turn 4, the car hitting the wall and stalling.

On lap 54 Massa, Kovalainenm Button and Webber all pit.

At lap 55 Kubica leads Heidfeld by 8.3 seconds followed by Coulthard (4.4s), Barrichello (16.2s), Glock (0.6s), Trulli (1.9s), Massa (8.5s), Vettel (4.4s), Rosberg (0.7s) and Kovalainen (2.7s) in tenth place.

On lap 60 Barrichello goes straight at the chicane and Glock and Trulli pass to take fourth and fifth positions.

On lap 61 Rosberg battles with Vettel, losses speed out of the chicane and get passed by Kovalainen for 9th. Massa passes Barrichello for sixth place.

On lap; 64 Webber goes wide at the hairpin but continues.

At lap 65 Kubica leads Heidfeld by 14.4 seconds, followed by Coulthard (6.0s), Glock (16.4s), Trulli (2.6s), Massa (1.6s), Barrichello (9.1s), Vettel (0.4s), Kovalainen (0.4s) and Rosberg (4.2s) in tenth place.

On lap 68 Massa passes Trulli for fifth place.