Lewis Hamilton took a giant step towards winning the Formula One drivers’ championship on Sunday by winning the Japanese grand prix in very wet conditions which demonstrated his championship qualities.
Fernando Alonso, second in the championship was forced to retire after a crash and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen could only manage third, behind rookie Heikki Kovalainen of Renault who placed second and achieved his first podium after holding off the charging Ferrari driver in the last few laps.
Hamilton is now 12-points ahead of reigning champion Alonso in the standings with only the Chinese and Brazilian Grands Prix remaining, with Raikkonen five points further back and still in the battle by the slimmest of margins.
This was the second race to be held in the wet, after the Nurburbring, and the first with a rolling start behind the safety car.
Hamilton was on pole position followed by team mate Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari duo on Kimi Raikkonen ad Felipe Massa.
The circuit was very wet at the start and visibility low, especially in turn three. But while the McLarens were on extreme wet tyres, the Ferraris made the mistake of starting on the intermediates and they were skidding all over the place in the initial part of the race before changing tyres and falling to the back of the field.
By lap eight the race was still under safety car conditions, with drivers reporting worsening conditions. Ralf Schumacher said the conditions were unbelievable and it would be madness to continue. Indeed Raikkonen, now on wets, had a spin at this stage but caused no damage. So did Trulli (Toyota).
By lap 10 the atmosphere was either tense or boring, depending what you were doing in the race. It was certainly tense for the strategists and the race director.
By lap 14 other cars were coming in to refuel. The Ferraris started coming up the order, but should they have started with full wets behind the safety car under the regulations? A document shown on TV seems to say so but there is no communication from the stewards. Ferrari officials said their interpretation was that tyres did not have to be full wets.
Raikkonen came in again for more fuel on lap 15. So did Massa a lap later. His tyres were also changed.
On lap 17 Massa suffered a drive through penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions.
The safety car finally left the race on lap 19 and the race was finally really under way. Hamilton kept his position but Alonso was very close. Massa and Wurz had a coming together, the latter’s race coming to an end as pieces flew off the car. Massa spun, rejoined and headed for the pits for his drive-through penalty. Vettel (Toro Rosso) was now in third position behind the McLarens followed by Mark Webber (Red Bull). Heidfeld (BMW) went into a spin, clipping Button’s nose cone. Takuma Sato’s Super Aguri was also damaged and he returned to the pits for a new front wing. He left with flames coming out from the rear, but it appeared to be excess fuel which quickly burnt itself out.
At the front Hamilton was three seconds ahead of Alonso and 14 seconds ahead of Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen in 12th was battling Ralf Schumacher. He passed him without much difficulty. The Finn had nothing to lose, and knew he could have an advantage now in having refuelled heavily early on. The McLarens still had to go in. A drying line was forming on the track. Would McLarens take a gamble with intermediates? Alonso came in on lap 28 but stayed on extreme wets. Hamilton came in a lap later and also stayed on extreme wet tyres.. Raikkonen passed Sutil for tenth.
Vettel in the Roro Rosso was now in the lead followed by Webber. Hamilton rejoined in third 19.8 seconds off the lead, followed by Kovalainen (Renault), Kubica (BMW) Fisichella (Renault) Coulthard (Red Bull) and Alonso. Next came Heidfeld who was pressuring Alonso, and then Raikkonen now in tenth.
Kubica now overtook Kovalainen and Vettel came in for his stop and gave up his lead emerging in front of Raikkonen. Heidfeld passed Alonso for seventh. The Spaniard was clearly taking no risks. Hamilton and Kubica touched and spun but could continue, Kubica ahead Hamilton now in fourth. But Hamilton was in difficulty and moved to sixth, passed by Fisichella and Coulthard. Almost immediately afterwards Alonso had a similar accident with Vettel. Alonso fell behind Raikkonen in 10th. Kovalainen was in the lead. Hamilton moved to fourth as drivers in front refuelled.
Raikkonen was driving a steady race and had now climbed to seventh. Alonso behind him was falling off and one of his right sidepods appeared damaged. Kubica was under investigation for the incident involving Hamilton. He suffered a drive-through penalty.
The rain, which had started to ease off, became heavy again at this point. Raikkonen went into the pits on lap 41. Conditions were worsening.
Hamilton was now again in the lead as the drivers in front went into the pits. Webber was second. But disaster struck for Alonso, who lost control over his damaged car and crashed into a wall scattering debris on the track. He was not injured. Could this mean the end of the championship race for him? Despite the wet conditions this was only the second retirement, the other having been Wurz (Williams.
The Mercedes in front was now the safety car as debris was cleared from the very wet track. And it was continuing to rain. Webber and Vettel in second and third had a coming together and retired, a huge disappointment for both after an incredible race. Vettel appeared to be in tears in the garage. Webber, who had been second, was fuming.
Hamilton now led Kovalainen with Massa in third. Raikkonen was seventh.
The race resumed on lap 48 with 20 laps to go with Massa pressuring Kovalainen for second while Raikkonen passed Fisichella for fifth. Rosberg (Williams) retired with an electrical problem. Raikkonen passed David Coulthard’s Red Bull on the outside of turn five and was now chasing team-mate Massa who was third. And then Massa went into the pits for refuelling and tyres and Raikkonen was third and quickly catching up fellow Finn Kovalkainen, just 1.3 second ahead with eight laps to go.
Heidfeld retired with two laps to go as Raikkonen and Kovalainen battled it out for second place with some close and exciting racing in the slippery conditions, with Kovalianen proving to be tough in defence. And that was how it ended.
David Coulthard came fourth for Red Bull followed by Fisichella (Renault) Massa and Kubica with Vitantonio Liuzzi winning a point for Toro Rosso,
The next race is in Shanghai in a week’s time.
Fernando Alonso, second in the championship was forced to retire after a crash and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen could only manage third, behind rookie Heikki Kovalainen of Renault who placed second and achieved his first podium after holding off the charging Ferrari driver in the last few laps.
Hamilton is now 12-points ahead of reigning champion Alonso in the standings with only the Chinese and Brazilian Grands Prix remaining, with Raikkonen five points further back and still in the battle by the slimmest of margins.
This was the second race to be held in the wet, after the Nurburbring, and the first with a rolling start behind the safety car.
Hamilton was on pole position followed by team mate Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari duo on Kimi Raikkonen ad Felipe Massa.
The circuit was very wet at the start and visibility low, especially in turn three. But while the McLarens were on extreme wet tyres, the Ferraris made the mistake of starting on the intermediates and they were skidding all over the place in the initial part of the race before changing tyres and falling to the back of the field.
By lap eight the race was still under safety car conditions, with drivers reporting worsening conditions. Ralf Schumacher said the conditions were unbelievable and it would be madness to continue. Indeed Raikkonen, now on wets, had a spin at this stage but caused no damage. So did Trulli (Toyota).
By lap 10 the atmosphere was either tense or boring, depending what you were doing in the race. It was certainly tense for the strategists and the race director.
By lap 14 other cars were coming in to refuel. The Ferraris started coming up the order, but should they have started with full wets behind the safety car under the regulations? A document shown on TV seems to say so but there is no communication from the stewards. Ferrari officials said their interpretation was that tyres did not have to be full wets.
Raikkonen came in again for more fuel on lap 15. So did Massa a lap later. His tyres were also changed.
On lap 17 Massa suffered a drive through penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions.
The safety car finally left the race on lap 19 and the race was finally really under way. Hamilton kept his position but Alonso was very close. Massa and Wurz had a coming together, the latter’s race coming to an end as pieces flew off the car. Massa spun, rejoined and headed for the pits for his drive-through penalty. Vettel (Toro Rosso) was now in third position behind the McLarens followed by Mark Webber (Red Bull). Heidfeld (BMW) went into a spin, clipping Button’s nose cone. Takuma Sato’s Super Aguri was also damaged and he returned to the pits for a new front wing. He left with flames coming out from the rear, but it appeared to be excess fuel which quickly burnt itself out.
At the front Hamilton was three seconds ahead of Alonso and 14 seconds ahead of Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen in 12th was battling Ralf Schumacher. He passed him without much difficulty. The Finn had nothing to lose, and knew he could have an advantage now in having refuelled heavily early on. The McLarens still had to go in. A drying line was forming on the track. Would McLarens take a gamble with intermediates? Alonso came in on lap 28 but stayed on extreme wets. Hamilton came in a lap later and also stayed on extreme wet tyres.. Raikkonen passed Sutil for tenth.
Vettel in the Roro Rosso was now in the lead followed by Webber. Hamilton rejoined in third 19.8 seconds off the lead, followed by Kovalainen (Renault), Kubica (BMW) Fisichella (Renault) Coulthard (Red Bull) and Alonso. Next came Heidfeld who was pressuring Alonso, and then Raikkonen now in tenth.
Kubica now overtook Kovalainen and Vettel came in for his stop and gave up his lead emerging in front of Raikkonen. Heidfeld passed Alonso for seventh. The Spaniard was clearly taking no risks. Hamilton and Kubica touched and spun but could continue, Kubica ahead Hamilton now in fourth. But Hamilton was in difficulty and moved to sixth, passed by Fisichella and Coulthard. Almost immediately afterwards Alonso had a similar accident with Vettel. Alonso fell behind Raikkonen in 10th. Kovalainen was in the lead. Hamilton moved to fourth as drivers in front refuelled.
Raikkonen was driving a steady race and had now climbed to seventh. Alonso behind him was falling off and one of his right sidepods appeared damaged. Kubica was under investigation for the incident involving Hamilton. He suffered a drive-through penalty.
The rain, which had started to ease off, became heavy again at this point. Raikkonen went into the pits on lap 41. Conditions were worsening.
Hamilton was now again in the lead as the drivers in front went into the pits. Webber was second. But disaster struck for Alonso, who lost control over his damaged car and crashed into a wall scattering debris on the track. He was not injured. Could this mean the end of the championship race for him? Despite the wet conditions this was only the second retirement, the other having been Wurz (Williams.
The Mercedes in front was now the safety car as debris was cleared from the very wet track. And it was continuing to rain. Webber and Vettel in second and third had a coming together and retired, a huge disappointment for both after an incredible race. Vettel appeared to be in tears in the garage. Webber, who had been second, was fuming.
Hamilton now led Kovalainen with Massa in third. Raikkonen was seventh.
The race resumed on lap 48 with 20 laps to go with Massa pressuring Kovalainen for second while Raikkonen passed Fisichella for fifth. Rosberg (Williams) retired with an electrical problem. Raikkonen passed David Coulthard’s Red Bull on the outside of turn five and was now chasing team-mate Massa who was third. And then Massa went into the pits for refuelling and tyres and Raikkonen was third and quickly catching up fellow Finn Kovalkainen, just 1.3 second ahead with eight laps to go.
Heidfeld retired with two laps to go as Raikkonen and Kovalainen battled it out for second place with some close and exciting racing in the slippery conditions, with Kovalianen proving to be tough in defence. And that was how it ended.
David Coulthard came fourth for Red Bull followed by Fisichella (Renault) Massa and Kubica with Vitantonio Liuzzi winning a point for Toro Rosso,
The next race is in Shanghai in a week’s time.