Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix. - 28.29.30 September 2007 @ Fuji Speedway Fuji Japan

Race weekend report , Q1. Q2 . Q3 and race times click here

The race

The first 19 laps of the race were run behind the safety car and thereafter Lewis Hamilton drove perfectly to win, after being hit by Robert Kubica and his chances of being world champion look almost certain after his team mate Fernando Alonso lost it on the exit of turn five and smashed into the outside wall. having earlier been tapped into a spin by Sebastian Vettel. Vettel looked almost certain for a podium finish until, behind the safety car he rain into the back of Mark Webber causing both of the Red Bull cars retirement. The Ferrari´s had got it wrong at the start having put on intermediate wets when the FIA had ordered wets and had to come in to change them and Kimi refueling to the end. From the back in the early stages Raikkonen drove brilliantly and during the latter stages overtaking David Coulthard and crawled all over his fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen using all of the track, and off it in his attempt to wrest the second place, but the rookie deservedly took the honors, aquaplaning the Renault to the chequered flag. Felipe Massa had been lying third before he came in for an unexpected fuel stop and during the last lap kept the crowd on their feet with his duel with Robert Kubica, the Brazilian taking sixth, despite a drive through penalty and 3 other pit stops and the Pole seventh ahead of Vitantonio Liuzzi giving Scuderia Toro Rosso Ferrari their first point. Adrian Sutil drove well to bring the Spyker into ninth ahead of Rubens Barichello finishing in front of his team mate Jenson Button who had driven well in the earlier stage until his front wing was knocked off. David Coulthard used all of his race craft to take an impressive fourth place for Red Bull.

Comments
Lewis Hamilton - "I think for every race it's important for me to focus and just remember that it is my first year. I have to remain relaxed and calm. Anything can happen."

Fernando Alonso - "For next year I have a contract with this team and I don't see any (problem on that. I have been working with the engineers, with the mechanics, with everybody from the beginning of the season, until now with the same relationship. They are all very professional, very focused on doing the best we can and we are achieving good results. I won four races, I make some good podiums and I am fighting for the world championship so everything is going quite well for me and I am happy." (Reuters)

Felipe Massa - "I have to think about the team, thinking to do the most to help the team whenever I can. In that situation, if one driver no longer has the chance of winning, then he must concentrate on just working for the good of the team to help it win. But at the moment, I still have a chance of taking the title."

Giancarlo Fisichella - "There are several interesting places on this circuit: turns five and six for example look fairly tricky. The final section is a bit slow with first and second gear corners. I think there’ll also be a few traps because of poor visibility. This is because there’s a part of the track that falls away, and in one corner in particular it’s impossible to see the apex."

Ralf Schumacher - "The track itself has a very long straight, so that's very exciting; you could end up overtaking twice on the straight. I think the corners we have except for turn four are not so special, but it's a nice layout."

Takuma Sato - "I think everything is open but looking realistically, it's going to be a very very tough race for us, so we need something - a little change – that always gets us into an exciting situation."

Japanese Grand Prix on ITV
Live qualifying Saturday 29 September 0530-0720 ITV3
Quali re-run Saturday 29 September 1000-1120 ITV1
Live race Sunday 30 September 0430-0735 ITV1
Race re-run Sunday 30 September 1130-1330 ITV1
Highlights Monday 1 October 0010-0115 ITV1
Highlights re-run Monday 1 October 1800-1900 ITV4

Belgian Grand Prix @ Spa Francorchamps - 14/15/16 September 2007

Race weekend report , Q1. Q2 . Q3 and race times click here

The Race
Kimi Raikkonen le from pole to take the chequered flag and his third victory at Spa., never putting a wheel wrong with Felipe Massa coming second, complaining of handling problems until the first pit stop, rectified by the change of tyres and a perfectly handling car on the soft tyres after the second stop. The result give the Italian team their 15th constructors' world championship title following the FIA´s Paris ruling in Paris on thursday. Fernando Alonso despite the pressures of the last week, drove well, and after a first lap duel that ran all the way from the lights to the top of Eau Rouge with his team mate, held Lewis Hamilton behind him for the rest of the race, the British driver appearing to loose his cool towards the last few laps of the race. Nick Heidfeld took his traditional place behind the top four after breaking clear of squabbling midfield pack early on. The consistent Nico Rosberg took sixth ahead of Mark Webber who must be considers as one of the contenders for "Driver of the day" for his driving her this afternoon, ahead of Heikki Kovalainen who just managed to hold of Robert Kubica. Other drivers of note were the performance of Adrian Sutil during the first part of the race, breathing down DC´s exhaust pipe and up to 12th, Takumo Sato in last years Honda overtaking Jenson Button in this years car!

Comment

Fernando Alonso when questioned about the World Council hearing today

“I’m not thinking of anything outside of the race weekend. I’m going to have a meeting with my engineer to decide on the tyres to use in P1 and P2, check the forecast, set-up, and the updates from the test we had here at end of July.

Anymore than this I am not ready to think about.

I am concentrating 100 per cent on this paddock, this track and winning this race.

With all that I won’t have two seconds to think" [about the WMSC hearing].

What do you think will be the outcome of the World Council hearing?

The Majority say
No penalty, McLaren exonerated


Belgian Grand Prix on ITV
Live qualifying Saturday 15 September 1230-1420 ITV4
Quali re-run Saturday 15 September 1615-1720 ITV1
Live race Sunday 16 September 1200-1505 ITV1
Highlights Sunday 16 September 2245-2345 ITV1
Highlights re-run Monday 17 September 1800-1900 ITV4

Italian Grand Prix @ Monza - 07/08/09 August 2007

Race weekend report , Q1. Q2 . Q3 and race times click here

Comment(s)
Raikkonen says he is fully aware of the threat his former team is likely to pose on the high-speed track.

"That was a good test, where we could try out some new things for the car.

Looking at the times, I think you can say that we have a fierce fight ahead of us; but you never know how much fuel the others use during the tests, so we'll only see during the qualifying what the situation is really like.

Traditionally Ferrari has been very competitive here, but also McLaren has been very strong, during the years when I raced for them, but for some reason or another I never managed to win.

Let's hope we can make it this time, by being perfect from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.

Winning the home race of Ferrari would be a great feeling."

The Race
Fernando Alonso cut Lewis Hamilton´s lead to three points this afternoon driving superbly to lead from pole to the chequered flag. For his part Hamilton made up for a bad start, overtaking Massa, who had overtaken him, going into the first corner, having given the Brazilian very little room as he moved to the left, causing Felipe to ride the white line, and so close was it into the chicane that Felipe was forced to touch Lewis sending the rookie onto the green area. It would have been possible to maybe attack Fernando as a result, but would sure to attract the steward's attention, so he tucked in behind the Spaniard who gradually pulled away until the safety car came out after David Coulthard´s high speed crash - Not DC´s weekend with the gearbox problems yesterday!. Pressure was taken off Lewis Hamilton when Felipe Massa came in for an unexpected pit stop, went out again for just one lap before "calling it a day" - Something to do with the rear end and unfortunately taking the Brazilian's contention for the World Championship. The best battle meanwhile was between Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg. The two McLaren´s made their first stops, Lewis obviously having a lighter fuel load, coming in first with Fernando a couple of laps later, Fernando managing to retain his lead. Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari played their ace and went for a one stop strategy, the Finn managing to come out in front of Lewis. Kimi must have been very surprised to see a silver car out brake him into the first chicane from 50 metres behind and overtake him. After that it really was a question of keeping the engines in good shape for Spa next weekend. The two McLaren drivers and Ron Dennis must be very pleased to have finished first and second at Ferrari's Monza. Are Ferrari trying to win the Championship of the circuit must be asked? At first it was just one Italian employee, then one McLaren employee. Hopefully the matter will be settled once and for all next thursday.

Come on Ferrari - do you remember when you ordered Rubens Barichello to let Michael Schumacher overtake in Austria?

Italian Grand Prix on ITV
Live qualifying Saturday 8 September 1230-1430 ITV4
Highlights qualifying Saturday 8 September 2325-0040 ITV1
Live race Sunday 9 September 1200-1450 ITV1
Highlights Sunday 9 September 2245-2345 ITV1
Highlights re-run Monday 10 September 1800-1900 ITV4