Alonso won Japan grand prix.

[Babyt]

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20081012/tts-...pn-c1b2fc3.html

 

FUJI SPEEDWAY, Japan (AFP) - - Fernando Alonso took full advantage of others' mistakes and misfortunes to claim his second successive victory on Sunday when he won the Japanese Grand Prix.

 

The Spaniard made the most of incidents and errors that wrecked the day for championship contenders Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa as he steered his Renault to the 21st win of his career, following his victory in Singapore.

 

He came home 5.2 seconds clear of second placed Pole Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber with defending drivers champion Finn Kimi Raikkonen third for Ferrari.

 

Brazil's Nelson Piquet was fourth in the second Renault ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli of Toyota and the two Toro Rossos of Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais and German Sebastian Vettel.

 

Hamilton failed to score a point for McLaren Mercedes after a drama-filled afternoon following a poor start from pole position and some impetuous moves. He eventually finished 12th.

 

But his main title rival Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari also struggled through collisions, errors and penalties on his way to finishing eighth to claim a single point.

 

This reduced Hamilton's lead to six points with two races remaining in China and Brazil.

 

Hamilton's team-mate Finn Heikki Kovalainen retired with a blown engine in the early stages.

 

In the constructors' championship, Ferrari jumped back into the lead with a six points cushion over McLaren.

 

When the lights went out, the start produced chaotic drama as Hamilton made a slow getaway and struggled to keep up with Raikkonen who pulled clear to lead as they surged towards the first corner.

 

Hamilton responded immediately by switching to the inside and attempting to pass the Finn under braking, but he was unable to make the corner and went off across the run-off area.

 

In the packed field behind him, there were bumps and collisions that led to Briton David Coulthard in his Red Bull and Japan's Kazuki Nakajima in a Williams going off, the Scot crashing heavily into the barriers.

 

Hamilton's rush inside Raikkonen had taken the Finn off the track with him and this led to a stewards' investigation that resulted in a drive-through penalty for the championship leader.

 

As the field settled, Kubica was leading ahead of Alonso before further incidents arrived on lap two when Hamilton, in sixth, attacked and passed Massa who ran off the track and then collided with the Englishman's McLaren.

 

Massa's Ferrari spun Hamilton's car to a halt and left him stranded as the field streamed through with the Briton forced to wait and rejoin last with wrecked tyres.

 

Like Hamilton, Massa's actions were investigated and the stewards gave him a drive-through penalty. The incident also caused Hamilton to pit immediately for tyres.

 

As all this took place, the race unfolded with Kubica leading Alonso towards the first pit stops when the Spaniard took control.

 

Alonso delivered a rapid burst to establish his position before he pitted and once the lead had been passed to Trulli and then Bourdais, it was Piquet out in front.

 

On lap 28, Piquet finally made his first stop and Alonso regained the lead with a 7.8 seconds advantage.

 

By lap 30, Alonso was pulling clear and Massa was 12th and Hamilton 14th.

 

After his impetuous start, Hamilton was a long way from scoring any points and his only consolation was that Massa also struggled, although the Brazilian worked his way through the field to earn a valuable point.

[Windwaver]

Let's see what the big boss from ferrari says this time

[Jonbummer]

very interesting race, with another great result for renault and Alnoso.

 

however, more incidents after the race.

 

from f1-live.com:

 

 

Sebastien Bourdais drove a great race to take the chequered flag in sixth position, 34 seconds behind race winner Fernando Alonso.

 

The AFP news agency is reporting however that the French Toro Rosso driver has been handed a 25 second penalty dropping him down to tenth position and out of the points.

 

Bourdais has been penalised by the race stewards for an incident late in the 67-lap Japanese Grand Prix when he defended his position from Ferrari driver Felipe Massa. Exiting the pits, Bourdais kept to the right hand side of the circuit heading to turn one while Felipe Massa moved to the left to try and pass around the outside.

 

Massa turned into the corner and contact was inevitable but it is stunning that the stewards have penalised Bourdais as he was on the inside and defending his position and not Massa.

The decision again raises the issue that the sport more often than not makes decisions that benefit the Ferrari team.

 

Sebastian Vettel is promoted to sixth position ahead of Felipe Massa who

[Imamiah]

the prancing horse clowns will most likely say singapore city lights had affected massa so badly that he cant focus when driving in broad day light...

[Shull]

Politics..politics..

 

fair game? what rubbish..

[Vroomtattat]

Bro,

 

Hamilton got knock off position by Massa at one stage. What exactly happened? I only caught a glimpse of the incident.

 

Thank goodness, Massa only got 1 point.

[Ghostrider]

Whatever the result is....

 

DAMN !!! No V Power again !! Wussy Ferrari....I have a vested interested that you guys win ok !!

[Kranjipioneer]

McLaren got the wrong end of the stick today.

Let's hope they do better in Shanghai.

Kudos to Kubica holding off Raikkonen for 2nd place.

Can't say the same thing for Mark Webber - surrendered tamely to Massa.

Perhaps gear problem again due to static from underground train

[Celicar]

Is that so? He got 1 point for finishing eighth, with this latest development, does it still remain 1 point or he got 1 ADDITIONAL point on top of the 1 he got for finishing eighth?

[Booboon]

his trye botak le, no traction.

[Jonbummer]

it's all to be seen

 

just X Files ruling from the stewards (again) ?

 

in light of such ruling, why bother racing?

 

we want actions!

we want wheel banging!

 

[Jonbummer]

hey

 

very tough to put in my own words, hence Race Report from

grand prix.com

 

At the start Lewis Hamilton gets off to a slow start, Raikkonen takes the lead, but on the run down to the first corner Hamilton dives down the inside and locks up his tyres, pushing Raikkonen to the outside. Heikki Kovalainen follows Hamilton through but the two McLarens go off onto the grass, allowing Kubica and Alonso through into the lead, while Massa gets held up by Raikkonen. At the same time David Coulthard and Kazuki Nakajima go off, Coulthard crashing into the barrier and Nakajima losing his front wing.

 

The Safety car in not deployed, and on the second lap, Hamilton is behind Massa in fifth - Hamilton attempts to pass Massa into the chicane but is on the outside and the two touch, sending Hamilton into a spin. He restarts last and immediately pits and takes on new tyres and more fuel.

 

and PS, Massa has now 2 points from Fuji race. 5 points from Hamilton on

the leader board

[Jonbummer]

with the latest development, Massa is now classified as 7th.

so he will have 2 points from Fuji race.

[Jonbummer]

anyway, i'm quite happy that the Renault is now back at the

fore.

 

as they are really a team of great potential and abilities.

but because without a real leader like Alonso last year

they suffered in the development areas.

lack of directions, i supposed

 

for the last 2 races and next year, it should be very interesting to see

more teams battling it out at the sharp end

[Cybertech]

Let's see what the big boss from ferrari says this time

 

He will blame Singapore being causing the start of their downfall

Edited October 12, 2008 by Cybertech

[Relagsingh]

Massa will crash out and Hamilton finishes 3rd at China and becomes world champion...

 

But Ferrari will blame China for adding melamin in their petrol.

[Relagsingh]

it's all to be seen

 

just X Files ruling from the stewards (again) ?

 

in light of such ruling, why bother racing?

 

we want actions!

we want wheel banging!

 

 

I hereby declare Massa as world champion and Ferrari as constructor's champions. dun waste time.

 

dun waste money also since times are bad

[Jonbummer]

wah bro, u got the maths all done up ?

 

order Hekki crash Massa out lor

 

but in all seriousness, i am really intrigued now to see

who will eventually come out tops

 

as both championship contenders are really nervous, it seems.

 

they are both making silly mistakes, taking unnecessary risks at this

stage of the season.

in a week times, they have to do it all again.

who will put the bad result behind him better, and focus again

on the points haul and battle ahead.

 

which team will have a better support for their lead drivers?

which 2nd driver can assist in this battle?

 

some exciting finish to the season finale again!