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2007 Japanese Grand Prix

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2007 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 15 of 17 in the 2007 Formula One World Championship
Fuji Speedway
Fuji Speedway
Race details
Date September 30, 2007
Official name XXXIII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Location Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Sunto District, Shizuoka, Japan
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.563 km (2.835 miles)
Distance 67 laps, 305.721 km (189.945 miles)
Weather Very Heavy Rain
Pole position
Driver
McLaren-Mercedes
Time 1:25.368
Fastest lap
Driver United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
Time 1:28.193 on lap 27
Podium
First
McLaren-Mercedes
Second
Renault
Third
Ferrari

The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was held on 30 September at the recently revised Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka. For 20 years the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka, but in 2007 it returned to Fuji for the first time since 1977. Pole position, the fastest lap and the race itself were all won by Lewis Hamilton, who extended his lead in the championship to 12 points with 2 races remaining.

Pre-race

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren led the Drivers' Championship by only 2 points from team-mate Fernando Alonso, who was a further 11 points ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen.

After McLaren's exclusion from the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari had been confirmed as Constructors' Champions, following their Belgian Grand Prix one-two. They were 71 points ahead of BMW Sauber.

Three Japanese constructors and two Japanese drivers competed in the race. Toyota were 6th in the Constructors' Championship, whilst Honda were 8th, behind their own "B-team" Super Aguri. Takuma Sato was 15th in the Drivers' Championship for Super Aguri, whilst compatriot Sakon Yamamoto had yet to score for Spyker F1, having debuted at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Race Summary

Due to torrential rainfall, the race was started under the safety car, which led the field for the first 19 laps. The Ferraris of Kimi Räikkönen and Felipe Massa were forced to pit during the first few laps after starting on standard wet tyres, as opposed to "extreme wet" tyres, which were a requirement in the treacherously wet conditions. Ferrari boss Jean Todt later stated that the team were not informed about the requirements prior to the race, although all other teams were.[1]

The Ferraris dropped back to 20th and 21st positions respectively following the pitstops, and Massa pitted again on lap 15. When the safety car finally left the circuit, the two McLarens began the race proper at the head of the field, in front of a quick-starting Sebastian Vettel. The Toro Rosso driver had clinched 3rd place from Nick Heidfeld, after the latter collided with Jenson Button's Honda. Mark Webber reached 4th place during the first racing lap as a result of the collision.[1] A first-corner spin caused Alexander Wurz to collide heavily with Felipe Massa's Ferrari. Wurz's car sustained heavy damage and he retired on the spot.

Later in the race, Fernando Alonso crashed out. The reigning World Champion blamed aquaplaning for the accident, which once again brought out the safety car. During this safety car period on lap 45, dangerous driving by Lewis Hamilton caused third-placed Sebastian Vettel to collide with second-placed Webber in the wet conditions. This collision put Heikki Kovalainen's Renault in 2nd place, which he managed to hold until the end of the race, despite repeated overtaking attempts by Kimi Räikkönen. The Ferrari driver would eventually finish third, ahead of David Coulthard in fourth for Red Bull Racing.

On the final lap, Felipe Massa prevailed in a spectacular battle with BMW driver Robert Kubica. The Pole had previously served a drive through penalty for colliding with Hamilton. Massa finished 6th, and Kubica 7th, behind Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault. Vitantonio Liuzzi finished in 8th, scoring the first 2007 championship points for Toro Rosso.[1] However, these points were later removed when Liuzzi was penalised for overtaking Adrian Sutil under waved yellow flags. This promoted Sutil to 8th, giving him and the Spyker team their first F1 points.

Post-race

Following the race, Sebastian Vettel was facing a 10-place penalty for the next race in Shanghai, China, for causing the collision with Mark Webber which put both drivers out of the race, but this punishment was reduced to a reprimand. When new evidence was presented to the FIA, it began an investigation of Lewis Hamilton for dangerous driving and causing the collision himself. Hamilton was leading the race right in front of Webber, before suddenly braking and forcing Webber to follow suit lest he be penalised for overtaking behind the safety car; the collision occurred when Vettel's car ran into the back of Webber. Hamilton might have faced either disqualification or a grid penalty for the next race,[2] but the FIA decided not to impose any penalty.[3]

Problems with the Circuit

The event had a lot of problems such as the paralysis of the transportation network provided by the shuttle buses, poor facilities including some reserved seats without a view, lack of organization, and expensive meals that meant a simple lunch-box was sold for 10,000 yen (US$87) at the circuit.[4][5]

Transportation

The free practice session on Saturday was abandoned due to the fog, which grounded the Medical Helicopter, after repeated delays.[6][7] Only three drivers set a time in four minutes: Alexander Wurz (Williams-Toyota), Nico Rosberg (Williams-Toyota) and Jarno Trulli (Toyota).[8]

Before the race, there were suggestions that the plan of carrying all of the 100,000 spectators or more only by shuttle bus would be impossible. To relieve people's doubts, the circuit was said that there was complete preparation for the race.[9] These doubts were realised when, after the qualifying session on Saturday, the shuttle buses could not leave because the road on the east gate of the circuit sank around 16:00. As a result, approximately 20,000 spectators were forced to stay for four hours or more until 21:00.[10][11][12] As for the race on Sunday only the shuttle bus was admitted for spectators as transport.[13]

Refund

On Sunday morning, the circuit announced that they would refund spectators who had bought seats in the reserved seat area on 'C' stand, near the first corner. This was due to the low visibility which meant that the cars on the racing line were not seen at all.[14] The cost of the tickets, 50,000 yen (US$435), was scheduled to be reimbursed to 7,000 people who were in the stand. The total cost of the refund is expected to be around 350 million yen (US$3 million).[15][16][17] After the race on Sunday, the circuit held the press conference to apologise for problems and announced that they would refund another 85 spectators who did not arrive at the circuit until after the start of the race, at 13:30, due to the delay of the shuttle bus. The circuit said that they would reimburse them for all the costs caused by watching the race: the transportation expenses, hotel charges and the cost of the tickets etc.[15][18]

Toyota bias

The circuit, Fuji Speedway, prohibited the spectators from setting up the flags and banners to support the teams and drivers[19][20], with the exception of the Toyota F1 team whose owner also owned the circuit.[21] Therefore, there were very few flags and banners in the event compared with other Grand Prix events.[22][14] After the event, Japanese media people, like Jun Imamiya, a Fuji TV F1 commentator, and Tetsuo Tsugawa, a Fuji TV F1 commentator and a former mechanic for Benetton Formula (now Renault), criticised the organization of the circuit. Tsugawa mentioned:

...Although I have worked in Formula One for thirty years, this is the first time I have seen a Grand Prix race without seeing fans wave the flag of Ferrari. I think this is inexcusable. What I heard was Fuji Speedway prohibited flags and banners of F1 teams, but I saw a Toyota F1 flag in the stands of the Toyota-owned circuit.
The track later said the flags were not prohibited, but there was a miscommunication between the race organisers and the staff of the circuit. However, many fans familiar with Formula One noticed the strangeness of the circuit without the team banners. Why was this not solved on initial notice? (kaizen) ...[23]

On the other hand, there was a high evaluation by the visitors of the paddock.[24][25] Though there were a lot of problems and the Grand Prix was criticized very much during the event, the Team Principal of Toyota F1, Tadashi Yamashina praised the event:

...I would like to say congratulations to Fuji Speedway for hosting this race for the first time in 30 years. The facilities here are excellent and the race was well organised.[26]

Classification

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren-Mercedes started from pole ahead of team-mate Fernando Alonso. He is the second man to qualify on pole in F1 at Fuji after Mario Andretti in 1976 and 1977. For the third consecutive race, both positions on the front row were occupied by team-mates. 6th place is Jenson Button's best qualifying position of the year and his best since the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix for Honda. Sebastian Vettel's 8th position is Scuderia Toro Rosso's best ever qualifying position, although higher positions had been attained by the team in its previous guise of Minardi. Qualifying was run on a wet track, although no rain was falling. all drivers used Wet tyres.

Pos Name Team/Engine Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
1 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.489 1:24.753 1:25.368
2 Spain Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.379 1:24.806 1:25.438
3 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:25.390 1:24.988 1:25.516
4 Brazil Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:25.359 1:25.049 1:25.765
5 Germany Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:25.971 1:25.248 1:26.505
6 United Kingdom Jenson Button Honda 1:26.614 1:25.454 1:26.913
7 Australia Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:25.970 1:25.535 1:26.914
8 Germany Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.025 1:25.909 1:26.973
9 Poland Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1:26.300 1:25.530 1:27.225
10 Italy Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:26.909 1:26.033
11 Finland Heikki Kovalainen Renault 1:27.223 1:26.232
12 United Kingdom David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:26.904 1:26.247
13 Italy Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:26.711 1:26.253
14 Italy Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:27.234 1:26.948
15 Germany Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:27.191 no time†
16 Germany Nico Rosberg‡ Williams-Toyota 1:26.579 1:25.816 1:26.728
17 Brazil Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:27.323
18 Austria Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 1:27.454
19 United Kingdom Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:27.564
20 Germany Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 1:28.628
21 Japan Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:28.762
22 Japan Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 1:29.668
  • † Ralf Schumacher had no car during the second session of qualifying as he crashed into the back of Sakon Yamamoto at the end of the first session.
  • ‡ During Friday morning practice, Williams decided to change Nico Rosberg's engine, giving him a 10-place grid penalty for the race.[27]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 67 2:00:34.579 1 10
2 4 Finland Heikki Kovalainen Renault 67 +8.377 secs 11 8
3 6 Finland Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 67 +9.478 secs 3 6
4 14 United Kingdom David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 67 +20.297 secs 12 5
5 3 Italy Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 67 +38.864 secs 10 4
6 5 Brazil Felipe Massa Ferrari 67 +49.042 secs 4 3
7 10 Poland Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 67 +49.285 secs 9 2
8 20 Germany Adrian Sutil Spyker-Ferrari 67 +1:00.129 secs 20 1
9 18 Italy Vitantonio Liuzzi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 67 +1:20.622 secs 14
10 8 Brazil Rubens Barrichello Honda 67 +1:28.342 secs 17
11 7 United Kingdom Jenson Button Honda 66 Suspension 6
12 21 Japan Sakon Yamamoto Spyker-Ferrari 66 +1 lap 22
13 12 Italy Jarno Trulli Toyota 66 +1 lap 13
14 9 Germany Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 65 Technical 5
15 22 Japan Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 65 Collision 21
Ret 11 Germany Ralf Schumacher Toyota 55 Puncture 15
Ret 23 United Kingdom Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 54 Throttle 19
Ret 16 Germany Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 49 Electronics 16
Ret 19 Germany Sebastian Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari 46 Collision 8
Ret 15 Australia Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 45 Collision 7
Ret 1 Spain Fernando Alonso McLaren-Mercedes 41 Accident 2
Ret 17 Austria Alexander Wurz Williams-Toyota 19 Collision 18


Notes

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2007 Japanese Grand Prix.
Wikinews has related news:

References

  1. ^ a b c "Hamilton reigns supreme in rain-swept Fuji thriller". Formula1.com. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  2. ^ The Official Formula 1 Website
  3. ^ [1].
  4. ^ "富士スピードウェイ：コース見えず、トイレやバスは大渋滞　３０年ぶりＦ１に課題 (Fuji Speedway: Can't see the course, and the rest rooms and the shuttle buses are crowded. There is a problem in F1 has not held for 30 years)" (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "F1 Grand Prix lunch-box - \10,000". www.kansenzyuku.com/. 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Final practice - just three drivers set a time". Formula One official website. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Final practice abandoned due to poor weather". GPUpdate.net. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "2007 Japanese Grand Prix: SATURDAY PRACTICE". Formula One official website. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "２８日『富士』でＦ１日本ＧＰ開幕　準備最終コーナーに (Fuji will hold the Japanese GP: The preparation at the final corner)" (in Japanese). Chunichi Simbun. 2007-09-16. Retrieved 2007-10-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "Kenji Sawada's Report from circuit" (in Japanese). Kenji Sawada, an official F1 photographer. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Ｆ１：道路陥没で大渋滞　一部観客４時間足止め　日本ＧＰ" (in Japanese). MSN Mainichi Interactive. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Ｆ１観戦客２万人足止め" (in Japanese). DailySports Online. 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ "Ticket and ride system". Fuji Speedway. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  14. ^ a b "Kenji Sawada's Report from circuit" (in Japanese). Kenji Sawada, an official F1 photographer. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ a b "350 million yen will be reimbursed" (in Japanese). Yomiuri Online. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Motor racing-Japan GP host to refund $3 million for poor seats". Reuters. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  17. ^ "Fuji Speedway to repay fans". GPUpdeta.net. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  18. ^ "Fuji apologises for problems". F1-Live.com. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  19. ^ "Notes on the reserved seat" (in Japanese). kansenzyuku.com. 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  20. ^ "日本ＧＰ・横断幕の事 (About banners at the Japanese GP: Q&A with Mr. Ikeya, Fuji Speedway)" (in Japanese). champion-ship. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ "Captured image from the race on sunday" (in Japanese). Formula One Administration. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ "横断幕はどこ？ (Where are banners?)". AUTOSPORT Japan]. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
  23. ^ Tetsuo Tsugawa (2007). "Tetsuo Tsugawa from press room: Summary of the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix and Problem to next year". BestCar (in Japanese) (November 11, 2007 *released on October 11, 2007). {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  24. ^ "Paddock Life - Fuji edition". Jonathan Noble, autosport.com. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ "Ted's Fuji notebook". ITV-F1.com. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2007-10-03. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  26. ^ "Japanese Grand Prix – Race Round-Up". Toyota F1. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-10-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Grid penalty for Rosberg". GPUpdate.net. 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-09-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Liuzzi penalised, Sutil scores first point". autosport.com. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  29. ^ "Drivers say GP should not have started - "It was impossible to see anything" - Barrichello". F1-Live.com. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ "Japan Grand Prix". bbc.co.uk. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  31. ^ "FIA post-race press conference - Japan". Formula1.com. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)


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