F1 : Japanese Grand Prix.

[Ferry_vO]

Only two races left; First japan and China next week. Bad weather all weekend in Japan, with an interesting qualifying session.

The session strarted with a wet track, but after the first twelve drivers it started to rain again, a big disadvantage for the last eight !

Pole position for Ralf Schumacher (How's about that, Panther ? :D) and second for Button, means Toyota and Honda secure a frontrow in their homerace. Desaster for McLaren, as Kimi (17th, but set back due to another enginechange)and Montoya (No time set in qualifying) will be starting from the back of the grid.

The new worldchampion Alonso is not far away though on P16.

1. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota 01:46.106
2. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda 01:46.141
3. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault 01:46.276
4. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth 01:46.464
5. Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda 01:46.841
6. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth 01:46.892
7. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW 01:47.233
8. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas 01:47.440
9. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari 01:48.248
10. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas 01:48.278
11. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota 01:48.718
12. Antonio Pizzonia Brazil Williams-BMW 01:48.898
13. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth 01:50.843
14. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari 01:52.676
15. Robert Doornbos Holland Minardi-Cosworth 01:52.894
16. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 01:54.667
17. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota no time
18. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota no time
19. Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes no time
20. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes 02:02.309*

[* denotes ten-place penalty for engine change]

[CybrSlydr]

Is it me or does it feel like now it's just a "put in your time" since everything is pretty much set?

Let's hope for a good race! :)

[Ferry_vO]

Kimi won ,having started seventeenth !!

Some great overtaking today, with Alonso overtaking Michael Schumacher on the outside in the '130R', something the 'experts' claimed to be impossible.
Raikkonen secured victory by overtaking Fisichella in the first corner of the last lap.

1. Kimi Raikkonen Finland McLaren-Mercedes-Benz 53 laps 01:29:02.212
2. Giancarlo Fisichella Italy Renault-Renault +1.633
3. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault +17.456
4. Mark Webber Australia Williams-BMW +22.274
5. Jenson Button Britain BAR-Honda +29.507
6. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull Racing-Cosworth +31.601
7. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari +33.879
8. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +49.548

9. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull Racing-Cosworth +51.925
10. Felipe Massa Brazil Sauber-Petronas +57.509
11. Rubens Barrichello Brazil Ferrari-Ferrari +61.633
12. Jacques Villeneuve Canada Sauber-Petronas +58.221*
13. Tiago Monteiro Portugal Jordan-Toyota +1 lap
14. Robert Doornbos Holland Minardi-Cosworth +2 laps
15. Narain Karthikeyan India Jordan-Toyota +2 laps
16. Christijan Albers Holland Minardi-Cosworth +4 laps

Rtd Antonio Pizzonia Brazil Williams-BMW 9 laps completed
Rtd Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota 9 laps completed
Rtd Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes-Benz 0 laps completed

Exc Takuma Sato Japan BAR-Honda excluded for causing avoidable accident

[* denotes addition of 25-second penalty]

Villeneuve was punished for pushing Montoya of the track, Sato was punished for ramming into Trulli at the chicane.

The current drivers' championship :

1. FERNANDO ALONSO RENAULT 123
2. KIMI RAIKKONEN MCLAREN 104
3. MICHAEL SCHUMACHER FERRARI 62
4. JUAN PABLO MONTOYA MCLAREN 60
5. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA RENAULT 53
6. JARNO TRULLI TOYOTA 43
7. RALF SCHUMACHER TOYOTA 39
8. RUBENS BARRICHELLO FERRARI 38
9. JENSON BUTTON BAR 36
10. MARK WEBBER WILLIAMS 34
11. NICK HEIDFELD WILLIAMS 28
12. DAVID COULTHARD RED BULL RACING 24
13. JACQUES VILLENEUVE SAUBER 9
14. FELIPE MASSA SAUBER 8
15. TIAGO MONTEIRO JORDAN 7
16. ALEXANDER WURZ MCLAREN 6
17. NARAIN KARTHIKEYAN JORDAN 5
= CHRISTIAN KLIEN RED BULL RACING 5
19. CHRISTIJAN ALBERS MINARDI 4
= PEDRO DE LA ROSA MCLAREN 4
21. PATRICK FRIESACHER MINARDI 3
22. ANTONIO PIZZONIA WILLIAMS 2
23. VITANTONIO LIUZZI RED BULL RACING 1
= TAKUMA SATO BAR 1

Because of Montoya's accident, and because both Renault drivers scored points today, Renault now lead again in the constructors' championship by just two points, so this one will be decided in the last race next week !

1. RENAULT 176
2. MCLAREN 174
3. FERRARI 100
4. TOYOTA 82
5. WILLIAMS 64
6. BAR 37
7. RED BULL RACING 30
8. SAUBER 17
9. JORDAN 12
10. MINARDI 7