Hamilton Wins Japanese Grand Prix in Fuji
Lewis Hamilton edged closer to the Formula 1 World Championship title today after winning an enthralling Fuji Grand Prix in horrendous wet conditions.
In a race which started under a safety car for the first 27 laps due to the heavy rain and quickly descending fog, spectators could have been forgiven for wondering just why they had paid to enter the Fuji Speedway. However, once the safety car left the track, some incredible scenes made it all worthwhile.
Ferrari Mistakes
The Ferrari team, famed for their expertise and boundary pushing tactics made a huge blunder by sending both of their stable out on intermediate tires. Both Kimi Raikkonen and Filipe Massa had to come straight into the pits for full wets, putting them to the bottom of the pile.
Both Ferrari drivers looked to capitalise on this misfortune, though, as they again pitted while the safety car was out, putting in enough fuel to get them to the end of the race, safe in the knowledge that those at the front of the pack could not pit.
Massa, however, made a pass under the safety car and was handed a drive through penalty. Another error - making this drive through under the safety car - would mean that he had to take this penalty again once the safety car left the course.
Liuzzi the Test Pilot
Meanwhile, Torro Rosso’s Antonio Liuzzi, who started from the pit lane (thus putting him one lap behind the rest of the field), also took on enough fuel to get him to the end of the race, and re-caught the field.
Though one lap down, under Formula 1 rules, Liuzzi could pass under the safety car under waved yellow flags and get this lap back. The race organisors obviously decided that in allowing Liuzzi to do this they could ascertain the fitness of the track.
After Liuzzi made good progress around the Fuji course, the safety car soon retired, and racing proper could begin.
McLaren Lead the Way
With the safety car back in the garage, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso of McLaren led the way, and began steadily to pull away from the chasing pack.
Almost straight away after the race restarted some cars began to slip and slide around. The first victim was Jenson Button who tore off his front wing in a first corner incident. He continued with a noseless car for a number of laps just four seconds off the pace in fourth place, though he effectively held up all those behind him before pitting.
Two Pit Stops, Different Results
Alonso pitted first for McLaren, and, though making a quick stop, emerged in 8th place behind the throng which had been following Button.
Hamilton, pitting the lap after, got out just in front of these drivers, in third place, and looked set to regain the lead when the pair in front - including Australia’s Mark Webber who had been sick in his race helmet after a bout of food poisoning - made their fuel stops.
His race, though, could well have been over soon after, as Robert Kubica clipped his car, spinning both of them off the track.
Hamilton appeared to ease off a little after this, and took the rest of the race in his stride, until the return of the safety car, following his teammate Alonso’s big smash, which left his Mclaren Mercedes stranded in the middle of the track.
Hard Luck Stories
With the safety car back out, it looked good for Mark Webber, in second, and Sebastian Vettel, third, to make the rest of the podium behind Hamilton. However, an inexplicable rush of blood saw the latter take out the former in strange fashion - particularly considering the fact the safety car was in play.
Webber will be disappointed not to have got what looked like solid points for a great drive under extremely difficult conditions - not only was visibility low, but he had also suffered a bout of sickness during the race. He surely felt no better when he got out of his crumpled Red Bull Racing machine.
The Flying Finns
With his car fueled up for the entire race, Kimi Raikkonen had been driving like a man possessed, making several passes as he weaved his way through the field. Kimi eventually finished in third after Massa was forced to pit for more fuel in the last 8 laps, with second place, behind Hamilton, being taken by fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen.
A Great Finish
A final flourish to the race was provided by Filipe Massa who turned his multi million dollar Ferrari into a grass-tracker on the final corner to regain one place after a frustrating race.
Hamilton now leads the Formula One Championship by 12 points from his teammate Alonso.
Yet again I’ve found an article that incorrectly states the number of laps the Safety Car led the race for, at the start.
Dispite what is says at formula1.com, the correct figure is 18.
If you check the footage, the safety car peels off into the pits, LH crosses the line, and the on-screen graphic pops up to indicate we are starting Lap 19.
I was watching the footage when I wrote this and Brundle said it was lap 27, maybe he was wrong, I don’t know.
At the end of the day, it is largely immaterial. It was a good race, which I enjoyed, so I wrote about it.