2007 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix ***SPOILERS*** - Page 2

ScionDriver · #16 09-29-2007, 11:43 PM

Well at least there are a lot of lead changes. But yeah its still dull.

**Jack_Bauer** · #17 09-29-2007, 11:47 PM

Alonso out!!! Could be championship over for him!

**Jack_Bauer** · #18 09-30-2007, 12:31 AM

Lewis Hamilton has edged to within touching distance of his first World Championship with a sensational victory in a sensational Japanese Grand Prix. The race just about reached the 2 hour time limit by the time Hamilton completed the 67th and final lap, due to the race starting under safety car conditions in extremely heavy rain and mist. It looked as though there may not have been a race at all at one point as the weather didn't clear under the first 19 laps of safety car procession, and drivers were complaining bitterly about how unsafe the conditions were even at half pace behind Bernd Maylander in the Mercedes safety car. However, once the safety car pulled in it was breathtaking action for the next hour and a quarter as one of the most thrilling and enthralling races of the modern era unfolded.

The race began with race director Charlie Whiting declaring that ALL cars MUST start on extreme wet tyres for the safety car period. Ferrari seemed to think they were above common sense and the sport's rules by starting both cars on intermediate Bridgestones. It was a ludicrous decision and they paid heavily for it. First Massa spun off behind the safety car, then tried overtaking under yellow flag conditions (for which he received a drive-through penalty), then he and teammate Raikkonen had to pit to change their tyres. Any chance of taking the fight to the McLarens was effectively lost. There was then confusion as the Ferraris and a few others fuelled up heavily which seemed to make a few other teams sweat as they worried that if they had to pit for fuel under the safety car they would end up at the back of the grid! Thankfully that bizarre situation didn't materialise and the race finally got underway on lap 20.

It was a huge step into the unknown as the cars hit full speed in torrential conditions and the visibility throughout the pack dropped to virtually zero. Miraculously all but Alex Wurz made it safely through that first dangerous lap, the Austrian spinning his Williams under braking and clipping the rear end of Massa to break his front suspension. Jenson Button was the other big loser on the first lap after breaking his front wing on the back of a BMW. After his stunning performance in qualifying yesterday and his renowned wet weather expertise he could have been on for a very strong finish, possibly even a podium, but it wasn't to be.

Lewis Hamilton was revelling in the spray-free clean air at the front of the pack and began to build a lead. In the opening laps Kimi Raikkonen began his stunning charge through the field from the back, taking ten places in the space of 6 or 7 laps with some incredibly brave overtaking. Things almost went horribly wrong for Hamilton though, as Robert Kubica understeered into him, spinning Lewis off the track. He was able to rejoin but appeared to be a little slow for a couple of laps as he tried to judge whether there was any critical damage done to his car. Fernando Alonso was struggling a little more than his teammate and ended up having a few hairy moments. The fact that he had dropped back a little meant that he emerged from his pit stop in something of a traffic jam. It almost ended abruptly when youngster Sebastien Vettel got a little over-ambitious into turn one and punted Alonso into a spin and left him with a damaged side pod. Alonso was able to soldier on despite the damage but his race wasn't to go on for too much longer. Whilst pushing hard to get back into contention with Hamilton he aquaplaned badly in turn 5 and spun violently into the wall. It was a pretty huge impact and the badly damaged McLaren was left stricken in the middle of the circuit, bringing out the safety car again.

At this point everything was looking rosey for the two Red Bull teams with Webber in second, Vettel incredibly in third and Coulthard also strongly in the points, but things were about to go horribly, horribly wrong. Somehow Vettel managed to slam into the back of Webber and put both cars out of the race. Webber was understandably furious, letting his feelings known in some rather colourful language on live TV! He was not a happy bunny, but it's hard to know who was feeling worse out of the two as the cameras picked up Vettel crying his eyes out in the back of his pit garage. He knew what a horrendous mistake he had made.

This put Kovalainen's Renault in second behind Hamilton and Massa in third somehow, despite his bad strategy, numerous off-track excursions and his drive-through penalty. Kimi Raikkonen had by now made it all the way up to fifth with Coulthard's Red Bull separating him from his teammate. Raikkonen was absolutely on fire and was all over the back of Coulthard, despite going off track a couple of times and eventually made the pass with a stunning move around the outside in turn 5. It seemed to take Coulthard by surprise as he was powerless to resist into the hairpin. A truly brilliant piece of driving from the Finn. Massa then had to pit for fuel which bumped Kimi up to third with just his young compatriot Kovalainen to beat to take second place.

There were just a few laps remaining for Raikkonen to try and take an unlikely second place and it was incredibly risky. Backing off and playing safe doesn't appear to be in the psychological make-up of Kimi Raikkonen though; he is a racer through and through. He put everything he had worked to hard to earn thoughout the afternoon on the line as he swarmed all over the back of Kovalainen's Renault despite the almost total lack of visibility. Kovalainen showed maturity beyond his years though with some brilliant defensive driving, and although Kimi did get past on the final lap he ran wide and Kovalainen was able to retake the place to give him his best ever finish in F1 in what was undoubtedly his greatest performance to date. Behind them Robert Kubica and Felipe Massa were having an incredible duel for what turned out to be fifth place after Heidfeld's last-lap retirement. The position changed hands three or four times in the final three corners in scenes reminiscent of Rene Arnoux and Gilles Villeneuve in 1979. There was contact and numerous occasions and things were kept just the right side of illegal as Massa was off the track a couple of times. Massa eventually managed to keep the place on the exit of the final turn, beating the BMW by under two tenths of a second, and it was good to see both drivers shaking hands in parque ferme after their incredible duel.

None of the mayhem behind was affecting Hamilton though who was able to bring his McLaren home safely after a faultless performance in some truly diabolical conditions. It was a truly brilliant performance from the rookie and has put him firmly in pole position for the title race. Alonso now really needs Hamilton to have some kind of mechanical failure if he is to take a remarkable hat-trick of titles. Raikkonen has closed on Alonso but has slipped further behind Hamilton and his title challenge is all but over now. He will be ruing the balls-up with the tyres from the start as if he had been near the front from the start of the race in the form that he was in, he would surely have been able to challenge if not beat Hamilton. But it wasn't to be, and the Finn will have to wait yet another year for the title he surely deserves.

So heading to Shanghai in a week's time Lewis Hamilton has a stranglehold on the WDC after victory in one of the most thrilling motor races seen for many years. If anyone thinks that modern F1 drivers perhaps have an easy job and are overrated then this race will put that to bed. Just the fact that so many cars made it to the chequered flag is testament to their incredible talent and bravery. That they could also produce some stunning wheel-to-wheel racing in the process and under the circumstances is nothing short of astonishing.

Race Result

1. Hamilton
2. Kovalainen
3. Raikkonen
4. Coulthard
5. Fisichella
6. Massa
7. Kubica
8. Sutil
9. Liuzzi
10. Barrichello
11. Button
12. Yamamoto
13. Trulli
14. Heidfeld
15. Sato
ret Schumacher
ret Davidson
ret Rosberg
ret Vettel
ret Webber
ret Alonso
ret Wurz

henk4 · #19 09-30-2007, 12:33 AM

wow, does this mean a constructors point for Spyker????

Daz27 · #20 09-30-2007, 12:36 AM

Vettel must be the biggest moron on earth right now. What an imbecile. Mateshitz (?spelling) hopefully is on the phone right now to his lawyers to get him out for next year. As Webber said, kids doing a mans job have f*cked it up.

faksta · #21 09-30-2007, 06:38 AM

First of all, congrats to Kovalainen for his first podium!
WHY DID MASSA COME TO PITS SO LATE??? Was it necessary? Or these are just Ferrari's stupid tactics to let Raikkonen finish higher? I'm all for Kimi, but this act was kind of strange, tho let us view the most interesting fight since 1999 Suzuka Hakkinen-Irvine overtaking Zonta - Massa vs Kubica was amazing! Hundreds time amazing... Or, how you say, eleventy billion times

So, I think, the champion is already known.... I bet that Hamilton won't be overtaken neither by Alonso nor by Raikkonen. Veeeery pity, I wait for Kimi's title since his first attempts in Formula-1. You may kill me, but I still think that one Alonso's title was simply 'presented' him by Kimi. Remember Nuerburgring 2005...and those constant engine blow ups...

F1FERRARI · #22 09-30-2007, 10:10 AM

CONGRATS to lewis hamilton 12points in the clear with only 2 races left,its going to be a close race .never will beat shuey's record thou.. if he wins this there is 6more to go and lewis has a few more years left in him yet but the record will stand for quite a while.Havent seen an ENGLISH driver for a while so I am sopporting him all the way as a true BRIT myself. but I am a FERRARI lover throu and throu and we have had our time for a while. BRING BACK SHUEY

dydzi · #23 09-30-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack_Bauer

The race began with race director Charlie Whiting declaring that ALL cars MUST start on extreme wet tyres for the safety car period. Ferrari seemed to think they were above common sense and the sport's rules by starting both cars on intermediate Bridgestones. It was a ludicrous decision and they paid heavily for it.

they were acknowledge with it AFTER the start

...even if it's not true

Daz27 · #24 09-30-2007, 06:20 PM

I wouldnt say Ferrari paid heavily for the decision, they still finished 3rd and 6th respectively. They do have a wonderfully rosey interpretation of the sporting regulations sometimes though dont they. Same goes for the red team here in australia, its one set of rules for them and one set for everyone else. If you want to win in F1 or V8SCS paint your car red...

**Rockefella** · #25 09-30-2007, 07:10 PM

Very odd race, but interesting as hell regardless. That last lap battle between Massa and Kubica for 6th place was fecking incredible though!

**fisetdavid26** · #26 09-30-2007, 07:52 PM