24 August in Ferrari history: Felipe Massa wins in Valencia

On 24 August 2008, Felipe Massa won the European Grand Prix for Ferrari as Formula 1 raced on Valencia’s street circuit for the first time. The Brazilian converted pole position into his fourth victory of the season.

Ferrari wins at a new Formula 1 venue

Massa completed the 57-lap race 5.611 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Robert Kubica finished third, placing three different teams on the podium at the new waterfront venue.

For Ferrari, the result was a successful first visit to a circuit without an established Formula 1 race history. Massa turned qualifying performance into victory and secured ten points for his championship campaign.

A pit-lane investigation leaves the victory intact

The result was initially subject to scrutiny after Massa’s release from a pit stop brought him close to Adrian Sutil’s car. The stewards imposed a financial penalty on Ferrari, but Massa retained the win.

That distinction is important: the incident prompted an investigation, yet the official race classification remained unchanged at the front.

Valencia’s first Grand Prix therefore remains a Ferrari victory. Explore more achievements in our Felipe Massa Formula 1 records, or visit the Ferrari history calendar for further anniversaries.