Japanese GP 2010 - Team News & Quotes

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Japanese GP: Felipe Massa preview

Massa: "ready to have a fight"

Suzuka, 7 October -- It has been a long time since Felipe Massa has been to Suzuka: 2006 in fact, his debut year with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. The two years after that saw the Japanese GP move to the Mount Fuji circuit while last year, he missed the return to this famous track, recovering from injury.

The Brazilian was optimistic about this coming weekend and refused to endorse the view of the pundits that the Japanese GP will be a walkover for the team currently leading the championships. "We will see a quick Red Bull, while McLaren's performance is harder to predict, but at Ferrari we are getting better with every race, which is the most important thing," he explained. "I think if you look at what happened when we have raced at tracks similar to this one this year, maybe here is the one place where Red Bull could have a real advantage, but given the steps forward we have made, it is not impossible for us to be competitive here. It has happened before that, even if they have been very quick in qualifying, that has not been the case in the race and we have managed to get a good result, so we have to be ready to have a fight and prepare as well as possible for the race itself."

Felipe was keen to point out that although his own chances of aiming for the title were over for this season, it did not affect his attitude to the weekend: "even if I am not in with a chance of the championship, I still tackle every race thinking about trying to win it," he said. "That is what a professional driver has to do and I have always demonstrated this attitude and I will be trying to do that in the remaining four races. I am no longer in the championship fight because there were races where I should have brought home a big points haul, but came away with nothing. There have been all sorts of reasons why in some races I did not achieve what I thought I could and should have done."

It is fair to say that Felipe was exasperated with endless questions about his status within Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, in relation to his team-mate, but he dealt with them politely as ever. "I have never thought of racing as a number two, as I always race to win and race to do my best and if I was ever asked to sign a contract where it said I was a number two driver, I would not sign," he explained, before adding with a smile: "you already asked me this question many times in 2007, but not once in 2008, (the year he nearly won the title at the final round) so you work it out!"

-source: ferrari

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Japanese GP: Fernando Alonso preview

Alonso: "be united and stay calm"

Suzuka, 7 October -- Fernando Alonso had his usual Thursday meeting with the media in an unusually hot and sunny Suzuka this afternoon. Coming off the back of two wins from two races, the Spaniard was first asked when he felt he was back in the fight for the Drivers' crown. "After Silverstone, because we made improvements in the car and it felt good," was his surprising response, given it had not been the best weekend for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. "Before then the season had been up and down and even though the car was not too bad, it was not near the level of the Red Bull. The Silverstone track did not really suit our car, but it still felt good there and from then on I was optimistic about the championship."

As for this weekend, Fernando predicted ...the unpredictable! "I think here in Suzuka, the track should again favour the championship leaders, but that does not mean a hundred percent they will win. We need to keep pushing them, because I think that the last three circuits on the calendar will be more unknown and open in terms of who they favour. It will be difficult for us, but hopefully difficult for everyone else too! There are five drivers still in with a chance to win the title and I expect McLaren to come back very strongly again. So it is very open. If you look at the last two races, you could say I was favourite, but we have seen before this season that a driver can do really well for two races and then get some bad results, then get good again: no driver has ever put together six races in a consistent manner. I am sure there will be some more tough moments for us, but we must be prepared to deal with them and not panic, scoring as many points as possible at every race. It might be a podium or maybe a fifth place and in that sort of situation we need to be united and stay calm. With five drivers fighting for the title, it is definitely more complicated than when you are only looking at one other driver, so there are more things to control in terms of strategy: for example, if you are fighting just one driver, you watch what he does, so that if he goes on track in Q1, you try and go out at the same time. But with five of us, it opens the window more and it is harder to control."

-source: ferrari

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Japanese GP - The action gets underway under cloudy Suzuka skies

Suzuka, 8 October – In slightly cloudy conditions, the first free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix has just ended at Suzuka circuit, which hosts the sixteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. Quickest was Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull (1.32.585) followed by his team-mate Mark Webber (1.32.633) and Robert Kubica in the Renault (1.33.129.)

Felipe Massa was quickest of the two Ferraris, in eleventh place with a time of 1.33.929. In the other F10, Fernando Alonso was thirteenth in 1.34.169. The first session was devoted to set-up work and the evaluation of some new elements on the aerodynamic side. Both Ferrari men used one set of hard tyres for the entire session.

The second free practice session gets underway at 14.00 local time at the Japanese track.

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Japanese GP - A good luck wish from Montezemolo via the ether

Maranello, 6 October – It’s the eve of an important date in this year’s F1 calendar and Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo wanted to be in close contact with his drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. He couldn’t do it in person but technology came to his help courtesy of the telephone: Montezemolo spoke yesterday with the Brazilian and this afternoon – or evening in Japan – with the Spaniard, who had just returned to his hotel from the track.

“Fernando sounded very focused and determined, just like the whole team,” the President told ferrari.com. “It’s an important time and I’m sure that everyone will give everything they have in order to achieve our objectives. Felipe is and will always stay a number one driver for Ferrari. I expect the performances of a number one driver from him – both in the next four races and, with different tyres, next year. Those will be crucial to bring us wins next season and to take important points from our opponents in the battle for this world championship.”

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Japanese GP - Alonso fourth and Massa fifth on Friday at Suzuka

Suzuka, 8 October – The second session of free practice has just finished at Suzuka in preparation for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, round 16 of the F1 world championship. Sebastian Vettel set the fastest lap (1.31.465) at the end of a dry day’s work – despite a weather forecast of rain for the afternoon that seems likely to affect qualifying tomorrow.

The German driver’s Red Bull headed the sister car of his team-mate Mark Webber (1.32.200).

Fourth and fifth were the two Ferraris of Fernando Alonso (1.32.362) and Felipe Massa (1.32.519). It was a good session for the two Ferrari drivers, who ran on both compounds and different fuel loads and also did some practice starts.

The last session of free practice is scheduled for 11am local time tomorrow, while the decisive qualifying session will take place at 2pm to decide the starting grid for Sunday’s race.

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Massa surprised by gap to Red Bull

Felipe Massa admits that he was surprised by the margin of Red Bull's superiority over Ferrari after Friday practice ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Massa ended the session fifth overall, just over one second slower than pace-setter Sebastian Vettel.

Team-mate Fernando Alonso was fourth, but still almost nine tenths off the pace at a track where Red Bull was widely expected to be the team to beat.

"Maybe it was a little more than expected," said Massa when asked by AUTOSPORT whether Red Bull's margin at the top of the timesheets was as he anticipated.

"Red Bull was very quick, but many things can happen, especially with the weather forecast for rain on Saturday.

"Then, maybe the race will be dry, so we need to be ready for anything even if Red Bull were quicker than expected. Things can change."

Massa believes that, in dry conditions, it might be more realistic for Ferrari to set beating McLaren pairing Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton as its target for the weekend.

"Maybe," he said of the prospect of racing for best of the rest rather than victory. "Looking at the difference in the laptimes now, it's easier to say that.

"There is a little bit more to come from the car, but not a huge amount."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87269

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Japan Friday quotes: Ferrari

Fernando Alonso - 4th: "It is only Friday, so the times today do not really mean much. What we must always keep in mind is that the pecking order between the cars can change significantly in terms of which track we are at: you only have to look at McLaren who were very strong in Spa and Monza, but definitely less so in Budapest and Singapore. So I would say it is best to wait until the end of tomorrow before giving a definite judgement on the situation here in Suzuka. In theory, Red Bull look unbeatable here, as they always have done, except in Monza and also there were various races where come Sunday, they were beaten, so again that's a reason to wait before drawing any conclusions. Today, we did not put together a perfect lap, so there is some room for improvement. We have to analyse the data to see how to do that, but of course the others will be doing the same. The forecast is for rain tomorrow: if that happens, we must concentrate and avoid making any mistakes, which can cost you a lot in the wet. Then it will be down to luck, as to who finds themselves in the right place at the right time on the right tyre. The aim in qualifying is to be in the top five, then we can see how things go in the race. I wish to welcome Sergio Perez to the Ferrari Driver Academy. I am sure that, like me, he will feel at home in the Ferrari family alongside the other guys in the FDA. I know them all and I can say that the communal Latin culture will help him as it helped me in this my first year in Maranello."

Felipe Massa - 5th: "I thought Red Bull would be very strong and maybe they are even more so than I had expected. Having said that, it's likely we will have a wet qualifying tomorrow, so anything could happen: we must try and be ready to make the most of whatever situation presents itself. The aim is still the same, whether the track is dry or if it rains, which means to qualify as well as possible. The track is pretty hard on tyres because of the many high speed corners, therefore managing them properly will be important during the race. We will use the blown rear wing, as on this track it definitely brings an advantage in performance terms. There is still room to improve the handling of our car, but we can't really expect any sort of change in terms of performance."

Stefano Domenicali: "We were expecting Red Bull to be very strong and that has proved to be the case, while it is harder to evaluate the McLarens, epecially given what happened this morning with Hamilton. We worked through our programme and now we have to analyse the data and prepare ourselves as well as possible for qualifying and the race. Tomorrow there is a very high chance of rain, therefore anything could happen. We will have to pay great attention to managing all the various situations that could arise. We must remain focussed on our own tasks, without worrying about what the others are doing."

Chris Dyer: "It was a reasonably positive day, during which we completed our programme, without encountering any particular problems. We tested a few new aerodynamic components and the first signs seem favourable. There is still work to do to get the car performance right, especially on new tyres. Furthermore, we must bear in mind that setting a time right from the very first lap might be less important given that tomorrow it is supposed to rain for qualifying: if that happens we can definitely expect an exciting day! With a heavy fuel load, the car's handling seems quite competitive, which is definitely a positive factor in terms of Sunday's race."

[Rob]

welcome Sergio Perez to Ferrari, may great things come to you.

[Rob]

Fernando Alonso said he was not worried about the prospect of a wet qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix.

Heavy rain is forecast for Saturday and there are fears qualifying might have to be postponed until race day on Sunday, when dry weather is expected.

The Ferrari driver admitted rain would produce difficult conditions and the possibility of a mixed-up grid.

"There is a possibility to overtake so we don't need to worry about the (grid) positions we are in," said Alonso.

"We need to be in the best position possible but knowing that the race is on Sunday with the dry conditions we expect, anything can happen.

"I suspect some teams will be quick in wet conditions - maybe Mercedes and Renault and Williams - and maybe they can have a very good qualifying."

Ferrari must pressure Red Bull - Alonso
Alonso heads into the Japanese race on the back of two consecutive wins, which have moved him up to second in the championship behind Red Bull's Mark Webber.

Webber, Alonso, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel are all within one win of the championship lead.

Overtaking is usually difficult at Suzuka but Alonso has experience of making up ground from a poor grid position there.

He finished third in the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix after starting 16th, despite being delayed by a controversial stewards' decision, and the race was won by McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen who started 17th.

Alonso admitted after two dry practice sessions on Friday that the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were clearly the fastest cars.

No surprises, we knew Red Bull are quick here, maybe the best circuit for them of the last four

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso
But he said he was hopeful they would not have the race all their own way.

"I'm sure there is speed to come for tomorrow," said Alonso. "Always on Saturday, you put everything in the car, the best pieces, the best set-up etc but I guess for them [Red Bull] there is more to come too.

"No surprises, we knew Red Bull are quick here, this is maybe the best circuit for them of the last four. We need to push them and make them push as well and not to have an easy weekend."

Asked which of Red Bull and McLaren he now regarded as Ferrari's main rivals, Alonso made it clear he is more concerned about the former.

"Looking at the competitiveness of the car, Red Bull [are our biggest rivals], they are very dominant," said the Spaniard.

"At Monza they were a little bit weak but at the rest they were favourites every Saturday, every Sunday. For the remaining races I see the Red Bull car very strong, but I see also McLaren have fought for many championships in the history of Formula 1, so they will know how to deal with this situation.

"They have two world champions in the cars so they have that experience as well, so McLaren will be a tough rival as well."

The prospect of a delayed qualifying session has arisen because of forecast's that predict up to 50mm of rain could fall on Saturday.

source BBC

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Japanese GP - Rain washes out practice and puts qualifying in doubt

Suzuka, 9 October – Incessant rain was the main feature of the final hour of free practice this morning at Suzuka, which hosts the sixteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. After completing an installation lap, Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso then waited out the entire session hoping the weather might ease up to allow them out on track, but in vain. Only two drivers set times, Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso (1.55.902) and Timo Glock in the Virgin (2.07.497.) The two Ferrari men and pretty much all the other drivers chose not to take any unnecessary risks as the track was flooded and aquaplaning was a constant threat.

If it stays like this, qualifying, due to get underway at 14.00 local time, will also be threatened.

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Ferrari unfazed by Sunday qualifying

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali says his team will be unaffected by the postponement of qualifying to Sunday.

Heavy rain forced the Japanese GP race director to call qualifying off and reschedule it for race day, with the session taking place five hours before the start of the Suzuka event.

Ferrari is one of the teams to have lived a similar situation in the past, with Suzuka qualifying having been postponed to Sunday already in 2004.

"For us, it does not change much and indeed, doing qualifying and the race on the same day is something we have experienced before, right here in Suzuka," said Domenicali.

The Italian said, however, that he fell sorry for the fans.

"We feel really sorry for the thousands of spectators who had braved the bad weather to pack the grandstands in order to watch what should have been an exciting qualifying session.

"There is always a great atmosphere here in Japan, with real enthusiasm for Formula 1: even today you could see lots of families with their children, something that is always nice to see and not just in our sport."

[Rob]

Japanese GP - Domenicali: “A shame for the fans in the stands”10.9.2010

Suzuka, 9 October – Rain seems to want to take on the starring role in Suzuka. For the second time in seven years, qualifying has been put back to Sunday morning because of the weather. “For us, it does not change much and indeed, doing qualifying and the race on the same day is something we have experienced before, right here in Suzuka,” commented Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Team Principal, Stefano Domenicali. “We feel really sorry for the thousands of spectators who had braved the bad weather to pack the grandstands in order to watch what should have been an exciting qualifying session. There is always a great atmosphere here in Japan, with real enthusiasm for Formula 1: even today you could see lots of families with their children, something that is always nice to see and not just in our sport.”

www.ferrari.com

[Rob]

GP - Ten o’clock tomorrow10.9.2010

Suzuka, 9 October – Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, round 16 of the Formula 1 World Championship, has been postponed until 10 tomorrow morning local time. Rain badly affected this morning’s third and final free practice session and when 26 millimetres of rain fell on the Japanese track, the race director cancelled this afternoon’s session, rescheduling qualifying for tomorrow morning, prior to the race starting at its usual time of 15.00.

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Japanese GP: Ferrari Saturday report

Eleven kilometres and five hundred and seventy metres split in two. It was definitely not a particularly stressful day for the engines in the two F10s of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, after they each completed just one installation lap, equivalent to 5.785 kilometres, slightly under the official track length of 5.807 km.

Tomorrow however will be a very different story, which will see qualifying at ten o'clock and the race at its usual 15h00, effectively condensing the day into less than seven hours. It is not the first time that qualifying and the race have taken place on the same day, as it happened here six years ago, even if the situation was somewhat different. Back then there had already been a lot of rain on Friday and a typhoon was predicted to be heading for the track, so that the Suzuka circuit bosses cancelled all Saturday's track action, with qualifying therefore moved on to Sunday. The outcome of that day, also the 10th October, was a good one for Ferrari, or at least for one of its drivers: Michael Schumacher took pole and dominated the race, while team-mate Rubens Barrichello collided with David Coulthard. It was a magic year for the Scuderia and on that day it took its fifteenth win of the season, the thirteenth for the German driver.

This time, the situation is very different. Tomorrow will be a tense time because the stakes are very high. There are only four races to go and the fight for the Drivers' title still involves five competitors, while three teams are still in the running for the Constructors' crown. Tomorrow morning, there will not be a moment to spare, neither for the engineers nor the mechanics. The forecast is for a dry race, while there is still a strong threat of rain for qualifying. If it proves to be the case, then it adds an another element of uncertainty which will add to the excitement of the day. Meanwhile news has come through that Lewis Hamilton has a five place grid penalty having had to change the gearbox on his McLaren: after his accident yesterday, this is yet another unfortunate incident for the 2008 champion, one of the "magnificent five."

-source: ferrari

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Japanese GP - A difficult qualifying: Alonso 5th, Massa 12th Domenicali: “Total concentration is the key”

Suzuka, 10 October – It was a rather difficult qualifying session for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, which ended with Fernando Alonso in fifth place and Felipe Massa in twelfth. Predictably, Red Bull made a clean sweep of the front row with Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mark Webber.

Felipe was rather unlucky in Q2, especially on his second run with soft tyres. Fernando also struggled a bit in Q2 on the softs, but was more competitive in Q3, securing a position that, thanks to Hamilton’s penalty, will see him start from the second row. “We expected a complicated session and that’s how it turned out,” commented Stefano Domenicali. “Now, the most important thing is to concentrate and prepare as well as possible for a race that gets underway in just a few hours and which could be long and stressful.”

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Alonso targets podium finish in race

Fernando Alonso believes a podium finish is possible after qualifying fourth on the grid for the Japanese Grand Prix following Lewis Hamilton's five-place grid drop.

The Ferrari driver, who won the last two races to move to second in the world championship behind Mark Webber, is seeking to limit the damage a dominant weekend from Red Bull would have on his title aspirarions.

"I think it is always difficult to predict what will happen on a different circuit - coming from Singapore," he told the BBC. "We knew McLaren brought some improvements to the car, we knew Red Bull finished on the podium at Spa, so on this type of track they are quite competitive. So we expected some difficulties.

"Starting fourth on the grid we limited the damage of qualifying and in the race I'm sure that a podium is possible."

Alonso added that his first task would be to get past Robert Kubica's Renault, after the Pole cemented his strong practice form with third on the grid.

"The first priority is to take Robert as soon as possible, if we can do it at the start that is better, but we will see," said Alonso. "Then around the pitstops, if not at the start.

"We need to pressure Red Bull, we know they are very quick, but if we put some pressure then maybe it will cause a mistake. We will see, at the moment they are very dominant this weekend."

Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa will start 11th after failing to make Q3, and afterwards the Brazilian blamed slower cars for his poor grid slot: "I had quite a bit of traffic on my most important lap and this took me out of Q3.

"It was a shame because for sure we would have been fighting up there."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87348

[Greig]

Stefano Domenicali: “First of all, I want once again to offer our condolences for the deaths of the soldiers yesterday in Afghanistan, which has affected us deeply. Then I want to praise the team, who worked in impeccable fashion on an unusual day, with qualifying and the race following one after the other. We knew that, at this track, Red Bull would be very strong and as we saw this morning, other teams also proved to be competitive. This third place is therefore a great result, in line with our game plan and it keeps us right in with a chance in the Drivers’ championship. Unfortunately, the situation in the Constructors’ took a knock because Felipe had to retire after the accident at the start. I am very disappointed for our driver, who despite a less than brilliant grid position had every chance of having a good race. There are three Grands Prix to go in this championship which is proving very hard to predict: it will be vital to concentrate all the time and give our utmost, day after day. As we have said for a while now, the maths can wait until Abu Dhabi on 14 November. Finally, I want to congratulate our customer teams, who brought home a further three Ferrari engines in the top ten.”

Felipe Massa: “I think I was really cursed today! This morning in qualifying, because of traffic, I failed to get into Q3. This afternoon in the race, I didn’t even manage to get through the first two corners. At the start, Rosberg, who was in front of me, got away poorly and at first I tried to move to the left, but Sutil was coming there. Then I moved to the right, but in so doing I found myself on the grass and the kerb. At that point the car took off on its own, I was unable to make it through the first corner and I ended up colliding with Liuzzi’s Force India. It’s a shame, because as Fernando showed, in the race our car had a good pace and I could have fought for a points finish. The main problem is still qualifying: again today I struggled, even if traffic played its part. In the race, the situation is better but we know how difficult it is to overtake. These past two races have been frustrating for me but we have seen many times this year how quickly the situation can change: I will be trying my very best in the remaining three Grand Prix.”

Fernando Alonso: “All things considered this was a positive day for us. On a circuit that seemed purpose built to show off the strengths of the Red Bull, we managed to get on the podium, losing just three points to the championship leader. We had a bit of luck because Kubica’s retirement meant a potentially very strong rival was out of the reckoning. I did not make an ideal start, partly because of a problem with the clutch, but then I soon made up a place over Button. In the first part, we ran a defensive race, trying to keep the McLarens at a distance, especially Jenson, who was on a very different strategy to ours. Then when we realised they were no longer a threat we tried to put the Red Bulls under a bit of pressure, but there was nothing to be done. Here they were perfect and when that happens they are really hard to beat. However, experience tells us that it is not always like this, or they would have already won the championship. So we must try and make the most of every opportunity. We are trying to improve the F10 with every passing race: here for example we had a new oil from Shell and other minor aerodynamic updates. We will have further new parts in the next few races: maybe not so big but put together they could give us a few tenths which is always useful. We come out of this weekend with our heads held high, knowing that we must try and beat Webber in the coming races to close down the gap to the top.”

Chris Dyer: “A very tough day for the entire team, with qualifying and the race squeezed into just a few hours. The day did not get off to an easy start: Fernando did not get a perfect lap in qualifying and Felipe had problems that kept him from making it to Q3. At the start, we immediately lost Felipe and that is very disappointing as he could still have had a good race. Fernando drove a great race, obtaining the maximum we could have hoped for in a Grand Prix where we did not have the pace to beat the Red Bulls: he drove almost the entire time as if it was a qualifying session. We can claim to have limited the damage in the most effective way possible and now we hope to be more competitive in the coming races. From every point of view, the team worked very well – car preparation, pit stops and strategy – in what was definitely not an easy situation, so to all of them my heartfelt congratulations.”

[Rob]

Japanese GP - Montezemolo to the team: “The maximum we could have achieved”10.10.2010

Suzuka, 10 October – It was a satisfied Montezemolo that phoned Stefano Domenicali this evening to compliment the team after Fernando Alonso’s third place in the Japanese Grand Prix.

“We knew that in this race Red Bull was practically impossible to beat but we brought home the best possible result with Fernando, who remains firmly in the title battle,” Montezemolo told www.ferrari.com. “The team has worked well, with commitment and concentration. “I’m sorry for Felipe, who was certainly not lucky this weekend: I’m sure that he will be the surprise of the last three races of the season. After this bad day he will be desperately keen to react and we will do everything to give him the possibility to win.”

The Ferrari president underlined how the consistency of Fernando’s performances could be decisive. “In the last six races our driver has taken three wins, one second and one third place, scoring the most points of anyone. We must continue down this path, seeking to make the podium every time.”

[Rob]

Montezemolo backs Massa to 'surprise'

By Pablo Elizalde Sunday, October 10th 2010, 13:32 GMT


Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has backed Felipe Massa to bounce back and be the "surprise" of the final three races of the season.

Massa retired from the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday as he continued with his disappointing season. The Brazilian is currently 78 points behind team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Massa also struggled for qualifying pace as his tyre warm-up problems returned at Suzuka, where he qualified down in 12th position before crashing out at the first corner.

Di Montezemolo, however, believes Massa will react in the final three races of the season.

"I'm sorry for Felipe, who was certainly not lucky this weekend: I'm sure that he will be the surprise of the last three races of the season," said di Montezemolo on Ferrari's website.

"After this bad day he will be desperately keen to react and we will do everything to give him the possibility to win."

The Italian was pleased with Alonso's third place finish in Japan, conceding Red Bull was untouchable.

"We knew that in this race Red Bull was practically impossible to beat but we brought home the best possible result with Fernando, who remains firmly in the title battle," he added. "The team has worked well, with commitment and concentration."

Di Montezemolo also praised Alonso's consistency in the final part of the season.

"In the last six races our driver has taken three wins, one second and one third place, scoring the most points of anyone. We must continue down this path, seeking to make the podium every time."

www.autosport.com

[Rob]

Japanese GP - Best of the rest10.10.2010

Suzuka, 10 October – If one accepts that the two Red Bulls were in a race of their own today, then Fernando Alonso won the Grand Prix for the other cars. Unfortunately, only one driver takes the winner’s points, so the Spanish Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver had to settle for a great third place on the podium at the end of an action-packed 53 laps of the fantastic Suzuka track. His team-mate Felipe Massa had a very short race, knocked out at the very first corner as he was involved in a collision with Tonio Liuzzi in the Force India and his F10 was too badly damaged to continue.

Fernando is still second in the Drivers’ championship, but the gap to the leader Mark Webber, who came second today, has grown from 11 to 14 points. The Ferrari man is now equal on points with today’s winner, Sebastian Vettel, but is ranked second as he has one more victory than the German. In the Constructors’ classification, the Scuderia is still third, but here too, the gap to the leaders has grown from 64 to 92 points.

The enthusiastic Japanese crowd certainly got good value for money today, watching not just the race, but, in the morning, qualifying too. In fact, the excitement began before the start, as Di Grassi destroyed his Virgin going out to the grid. Then, as soon as the lights went out, Hulkenberg and Petrov collided, with the Renault ending up in the barrier at the side of the grid. Going into the first corner, Vettel led from pole, while Kubica made a great start from third to tuck his Renault in behind the German and ahead of Webber, so that Fernando was in his grid position, fourth. Further back, Felipe was hit by Liuzzi and both men spun off into the gravel at Turn 1, so that the Safety Car made a very early appearance, staying out until the end of lap 6. Fernando was promoted to third when Kubica retired on lap 2 and from then on, the Ferrari man was generally around 2 seconds behind Webber with the McLaren duo of Button and Hamilton behind him.

On lap 24, Vettel and Fernando made their one pit stop to change tyres, so that Webber led for a lap until he too came in, which left Button in the lead, the Englishman eventually pitting much later than the other front runners on lap 38. There were some good scraps further down the order, with Rosberg holding off his Mercedes team-mate, Schumacher for much of the race until the younger man spun off the track. Delighting the crowds was the Japanese driver Kobayashi, who also made the headlines with a great drive here last year. The Sauber man, on fresh tyres, charged up the order in the closing stages to come home seventh.

Once Button had pitted, the old order resumed at the front, with the two Red Bulls ahead of Fernando, followed by Button who got the better of his team-mate, as Hamilton had a gearbox problem. That would remain the order to the flag, with Schumacher finishing sixth ahead of the aforementioned Kobayashi, whose team-mate Heidfeld was eighth. Barrichello was ninth and Buemi was tenth for Toro Rosso, meaning that along with the two Saubers, no less than four Ferrari engines finished in the top ten. Next stop, the new adventure that is Korea, in two weekends time.