Fuki, 30th September - Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finished a fighting third and sixth in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, but felt that they had been robbed of a better result after having to make an extra pit stop to change to extreme wet tyres.
The race started behind the safety car due to very wet weather; it controlled the race until lap 19 of the 67 lap race. Both Ferraris had started on wet rather than extreme wet tyres. However, the FIA had notified all teams by e-mail that cars should start on extreme tyres, an e-mail that Ferrari only received after the race had started.
The early extra pit stop relegated the Ferrari team to the back of the field under the safety car, and they made another pit stop after 14 and 15 laps. When the safety car finally came in after 19 laps, Massa had to make another pit stop while Raikkonen was in 16th place.
With McLaren's Lewis Hamilton leading teammate Fernando Alonso out in front, Ferrari's situation looked bad, but the red cars began the climb back up through the field. By half distance, Raikkonen was in tenth place, while Massa was 15th. On lap 43, however, Alonso crashed out of fourth place have made his only pit stop, which brought out the safety car again. At this stage Massa was in sixth place and Raikkonen eleventh but with several pit stops and a further accident under the safety car, Massa was up to third and Raikkonen in fifth place when the safety car went in again with 18 laps to go.
Hamilton led at that stage by under three seconds from Heikki Kovalainen who in turn was being caught by Massa who was just 2.5s behind the Finn. Just a couple of seconds further back was David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing pushed hard by Raikkonen. The Ferrari driver overtook the Scot with just ten laps remaining - even though he had a brief off having done so but didn't lose his hard-won place.
A lap later Massa made a third pit stop for fuel, which dropped him back to ninth place, but elevated Raikkonen to third place - 2.1s behind Kovalainen. With four laps to go, Raikkonen was right on his compatriot's tail but try as he might in the closing stages, there he would stay until the chequered flag, having scored an excellent third place.
Massa picked up three places in the closing laps, one when Rubens Barrichello pitted, another when he overtook Heidfeld's stricken BMW Sauber, and the last one on the last lap when he got past Robert Kubica, eventually claiming sixth place.
Lewis Hamilton, however, picked up ten points in the championship and extended his lead over the rest of the field, now leading teammate Alonso by 12 points who in turn is five ahead of Raikkonen. Massa is a further ten points behind with two races to go, the first being in China next weekend - when rain is again forecast.
The race started behind the safety car due to very wet weather; it controlled the race until lap 19 of the 67 lap race. Both Ferraris had started on wet rather than extreme wet tyres. However, the FIA had notified all teams by e-mail that cars should start on extreme tyres, an e-mail that Ferrari only received after the race had started.
The early extra pit stop relegated the Ferrari team to the back of the field under the safety car, and they made another pit stop after 14 and 15 laps. When the safety car finally came in after 19 laps, Massa had to make another pit stop while Raikkonen was in 16th place.
With McLaren's Lewis Hamilton leading teammate Fernando Alonso out in front, Ferrari's situation looked bad, but the red cars began the climb back up through the field. By half distance, Raikkonen was in tenth place, while Massa was 15th. On lap 43, however, Alonso crashed out of fourth place have made his only pit stop, which brought out the safety car again. At this stage Massa was in sixth place and Raikkonen eleventh but with several pit stops and a further accident under the safety car, Massa was up to third and Raikkonen in fifth place when the safety car went in again with 18 laps to go.
Hamilton led at that stage by under three seconds from Heikki Kovalainen who in turn was being caught by Massa who was just 2.5s behind the Finn. Just a couple of seconds further back was David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing pushed hard by Raikkonen. The Ferrari driver overtook the Scot with just ten laps remaining - even though he had a brief off having done so but didn't lose his hard-won place.
A lap later Massa made a third pit stop for fuel, which dropped him back to ninth place, but elevated Raikkonen to third place - 2.1s behind Kovalainen. With four laps to go, Raikkonen was right on his compatriot's tail but try as he might in the closing stages, there he would stay until the chequered flag, having scored an excellent third place.
Massa picked up three places in the closing laps, one when Rubens Barrichello pitted, another when he overtook Heidfeld's stricken BMW Sauber, and the last one on the last lap when he got past Robert Kubica, eventually claiming sixth place.
Lewis Hamilton, however, picked up ten points in the championship and extended his lead over the rest of the field, now leading teammate Alonso by 12 points who in turn is five ahead of Raikkonen. Massa is a further ten points behind with two races to go, the first being in China next weekend - when rain is again forecast.