Formula 1 News

Japanese GP: lap by lap highlights 

Japanese Grand Prix, Fuji Speedway: lap by lap race highlights.

Lap 1 – A lot of rain in Fuji; given the extremely difficult weather conditions, the race start will take place behind the safety car.

Lap 2 – The race continues with drivers following the safety car; positions are unchanged with Hamilton leading followed by Alonso, Raikkonen and Massa. Surprisingly both Ferrari took the start with regular wet tires instead of full wet ones.

Lap 2 – Felipe Massa enters the pits for a tire change. There’s a lot of rain in the track, it’s impossible to drive with regular wet tires.

Lap 3 – Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari enters the pits in order to mount the full wet tires. Both Ferrari are in the last positions.

Lap 4 – Another lap behind the safety car. Positions: Hamilton, Alonso, Heidfeld, Button, Webber, Vettel, Kubica and Fisichella.

Lap 5, 6, 7 – Drivers still following the Safety Car.

Lap 8, 9, 10 – The weather conditions are extremely prohibitive. Safety Car still on track.

Lap 12 – According to rumors, before race start, the FIA decided that all teams should start the race with full wet tires. Remains unknown why Ferrari didn’t followed FIA’s decision. In order to avoid a black flag, both Ferrari had their tires changed.

Lap 15 – Another pit stop for Massa and Raikkonen.

Lap 17 – Luca Colajanni, Ferrari’s spokesman, says that the team hasn’t signed FIA’s document simply because they didn’t receive any communication.

Lap 19 – Finally, the Safety Car leaves the track and the race takes its real start. Just in the first corner, Wurz has an accident with Massa. The Brazilian, manages to continue the race.

Lap 20 – Drive through penalty for Felipe Massa who overtook a car while the Safety Car was on track.

Lap 21 – Hamilton leads the race with 2 seconds gap on Alonso; Vettel 3rd,Webber 4th and Button 5th. Raikkonen 14th and Massa on last place.

Lap 22 – Pit stop for Takuma Sato on his Super Aguri. Sato changes his front wing but right when he leaves the pits, his car is on flames; fortunately, the rain extinguishes the fire.

Lap 24 – The two Silver Arrows are leading the race; young Sebastian Vettel is 3rd with a gap of 14 seconds from Alonso.

Lap 25 – Kimi Raikkonen overtakes Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota and gains the 11th position.

Lap 27 – Pit stop for Alonso’s McLaren.

Lap 28 – Pit stop for Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 29 – Following McLaren’s pit stop, Vettel leads the race with his Toro Rosso in front of Webber, Hamilton, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Kubica, Coulthard and Alonso; the Spaniard, made a mistake and went off track.

Lap 33 – Incident between Kubica’s BMW and Hamilton’s McLaren. Both drivers, managed to continue the race.

Lap 34 – Fernando Alonso’s McLaren slips on the first corner and hits Vettel’s Toro Rosso.

Lap 36 – Kovalainen leads the Grand Prix with Fisichella 2nd, Coulthard 3rd, Hamilton 4th, Webber 5th, Vettel 6th, Raikkonen 7th and Alonso 8th.

Lap 39 – Drive through penalty for Kubica for hitting Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 40 – Pit stop for Raikkonen. Kubica executes his penalty.

Lap 41 - Big accident for Fernando Alonso who’s forced to stop his Grand Prix; the Safety Car, gets back on track.

Lap 43 – Lewis Hamilton leads the Japanese GP. Webber 2nd, Vettel 3rd, Liuzzi 4th, Kovalainen 5th, Massa 6th, Coulthard 7th, Fisichella 8th. Raikkonen 11th.

Lap 44 – Alonso says he had the accident because his car slipped on a “water pool”.

Lap 46 – Incident between Vettel and Webber. Massa 3rd and Raikkonen 7th.

Lap 47 - The Safety Car leaves the track and race continues.

Lap 48 – Hamilton still 1st, Kovalainen 2nd, Massa 3rd, Coulthard 4th, Raikkonen 5th, Fisichella 6th, Heidfeld 7th, Barrichello 8th.

Lap 50 – Hamilton gets a good gap on Kovalainen who is blocking Massa’s Ferrari. Coulthard on 4th, is blocking Raikkonen.

Lap 51 - The 75% of the race has been completed; all available points will be given.

Lap 53 – Hamilton 1st with 6 seconds gap on Kovalainen and 8 on Massa. Raikkonen is really close to Coulthard.

Lap 54 – Davidson’s Super Aguri has mechanical problems and the driver is forced to stop.

Lap 56 – Raikkonen overtakes Coulthard. Kimi is on 4th.

Lap 57 – Pit stop for Massa. Raikkonen now on 3rd.

Lap 60 – Hamilton races for the victory; Kovalainen 2nd, Raikkonen 3rd, Coulthard 4th, Fisichella 5th and Heidfeld 6th.

Lap 63 - Raikkonen tries to overtake Kovalainen’s Renault but with so much rain seems impossible to achieve.

Lap 67 – Lewis Hamilton wins the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway. Kovalainen 2nd, Raikkonen 3rd, Coulthard 4th, Fisichella 5th, Massa 6th, Kubica 7th and Liuzzi 8th.