Formula 1 News

2008 Japanese Grand Prix: lap by lap highlights 

Lap 1: Lewis Hamilton loses his pole position to Kimi Raikkonen who overtakes him at the first corner. Both run wide – as does Heikki Kovalainen. Robert Kubica grabs the lead as cars scatter in all directions. Fernando Alonso is second, from Kovalainen, Jarno Trulli, Felipe Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Nelson Piquet, Sébastien Bourdais, Timo Glock, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Sutil, Rubens Barrichello, Nick Heidfeld, Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima who pits for a new nose after running wide at Turn Two while trying to avoid David Coulthard. The Scot spins off and strikes the barriers hard. Kubica leads by 0.6 seconds.

Lap 2: Hamilton tries to pass Massa at Turn 11. The Brazilian attempts to regain his position and the cars touch. Hamilton spins and pits at the end of the lap. Bourdais passes Piquet. Webber passes Fisichella.

Lap 3: Vettel and Sutil pass Button. Webber passes Heidfeld.

Lap 4: Webber overtakes Barrichello but is repassed by Heidfeld.

Lap 5: Glock pits.

Lap 6: Glock pits again and retires.

Lap 8: Raikkonen passes Trulli.

Lap 9: Sutil pulls off with a punctured right rear tyre. Webber passes Heidfeld. Barrichello passes Button.

Lap 10: Fisichella and Rosberg overtake Button.

Lap 12: Kubica leads by 1.5s. Kovalainen posts the fastest lap: 1m19.258s. Raikkonen trails him by 1.5s.

Lap 15: Rosberg passes Fisichella.

Lap 16: Raikkonen posts the fastest lap: 1m19.193s.

Lap 17: Kubica and Raikkonen pit. Hamilton and Massa are awarded drive-through penalties, Hamilton for forcing Raikkonen off the track, Massa for causing a collision. Hamilton comes in straight away. Kovalainen pulls off the track to retire with a smoking engine.

Lap 18: New leader Alonso pits and rejoins just ahead of Kubica. Massa pits for fuel.

Lap 19: Trulli leads from Bourdais and Piquet. Massa serves his drive-through.

Lap 21: Trulli pits. Bourdais leads. Fisichella pits to retire.

Lap 22: Vettel pits.

Lap 23: Bourdais pits. Piquet leads. Rosberg passes Barrichello at Turn One but the Brazilian regains his position immediately.

Lap 28: Piquet pits. He rejoins just ahead of Bourdais.

Lap 29: Alonso leads Kubica by 7.2s. Raikkonen is 4.6s behind the Pole. Massa overtakes Button.

Lap 34: Webber pits from fourth. Hamilton passes Button. He lies 13th, 7.5s behind Massa.

Lap 36: Nakajima pits.

Lap 37: Button pits.

Lap 38: Barrichello pits.

Lap 40: Alonso leads Kubica by 12.6s. Raikkonen is another 5.1s back in third. Heidfeld pits, as does Hamilton. Massa passes Webber.

Lap 41: Alonso posts a 1m19.101s, the fastest lap so far.

Lap 42: Rosberg pits. Hamilton passes Barrichello.

Lap 43: Alonso pits. Kubica leads.

Lap 45: Raikkonen laps in 1m19.076s.

Lap 46: Kubica pits. Raikkonen leads.

Lap 48: Raikkonen pits and rejoins just behind Kubica. Massa laps in 1m19.014s.

Lap 49: Trulli leads by 0.7s from Piquet. Massa laps in 1m18.963s.

Lap 50: Trulli and Bourdais pit. Massa posts a 1m18.893s. Bourdais rejoins just behind the Brazilian, the cars touch and Massa spins.

Lap 51: Vettel pits.

Lap 52: Piquet pits. Alonso leads. Raikkonen is right behind Kubica in the fight for second.

Lap 53: Massa pits.

Lap 54: Kubica and Raikkonen go wheel to wheel. The Pole defends successfully.

Lap 55: Massa laps in 1m18.426s.

Lap 56: Alonso leads by 13.2s. Kubica and Raikkonen are next, with Piquet close behind. Trulli, Bourdais, Vettel and Webber complete the top eight. Massa is 10th, Hamilton a lapped 12th.

Lap 60: Massa passes Heidfeld before Turn One.

Lap 65: Massa overtakes Webber at Turn One for eighth place.

Lap 67: Alonso scores his second straight Formula One win, 5.2s ahead of Kubica. Raikkonen is third from Piquet, Trulli, Bourdais, Vettel and Massa.

source: FIA