2009 Japanese Grand Prix
The Japanese Grand Prix 2009 took place on 4 October at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka place and was the 15th race of the Formula 1 2009 season.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Singapore Grand Prix Jenson Button led the Drivers' Championship with 15 points, ahead of Rubens Barrichello and 25 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Brawn -Mercedes resulted in the Constructors' Championship with 42.5 points ahead of Red Bull-Renault and 91 points ahead of Ferrari.
On Wednesday before the race, driving a Ferrari was known in 2010: Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, who replaced Kimi Raikkonen will go for Ferrari at the start.
Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil contested the Grand Prix of Japan each their 50th Grand Prix.
With Fernando Alonso (twice), Barrichello, Kimi Raikkonen and Hamilton ( once each ) were four former winners of this Grand Prix.
Training
For the two training sections on Friday Timo Glock was replaced because of a cold by the Japanese Kamui Kobayashi. The first free practice took place in wet conditions. Although it was not raining, the track dried incomplete. The best time achieved Heikki Kovalainen. Kazuki Nakajima Lokalmatator was second and Adrian Sutil third parties.
In the second session the conditions were even worse. After both Toro Rosso - Ferrari drivers were briefly down at the beginning of the training on the track, waiting for all drivers because of the rain on better terms. In the last thirty minutes of exercise, as the conditions were somewhat better, drove 17 drivers on the track. Sutil fastest driver was under these conditions. In second and third place followed by Vettel and Vitantonio Liuzzi.
The third free practice session on Saturday took place under dry conditions. Jarno Trulli set the fastest time in front of Sébastien Buemi and Nico Rosberg. Mark Webber had in this training section that he had to skip qualifying an accident in the Degner curve, in which his car was so badly damaged.
Qualifying
In the first phase of qualifying Vettel posted the fastest time. Fisichella, Nakajima, Grosjean, Liuzzi and Webber, who had to cancel, dropped out.
The second qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix had to be interrupted twice due to severe accidents. For the first interruption caused Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso driver, who drove in the Degner curve into the tire wall. The Spaniard was able to leave the damaged car itself. As it went on again lost Glock in the Casio Triangle control of his vehicle and drove head-on into a tire barrier. The qualifying session was canceled for the salvage of the crashed Glock, which was recovered by rescuers. Then we flew Glock to a control examination at the hospital that he could leave a little bit later again .. When the qualifying went on, Vettel once again achieved the fastest lap. Besides Alguersuari and Glock Kubica, Alonso and Rosberg retired from. For a further incident caused Buemi, who was driving the exit of the Spoon curve in the wall. He could go on and bring the car to the pits, however, were various debris, including his front wing on the track. After that not all drivers were considerate to the yellow flags and so subsequently Alonso, Barrichello, Button and Sutil were punished with a disciplinary transfer to five places. Also Buemi was five places further back, as its Continue represented a risk for him and the other driver.
In the third part of qualifying there was an interruption. This time it was Kovalainen, who lost his car in the Degner Curve. He could leave the car unhurt, but the qualification was interrupted. Ultimately, Vettel claimed pole position ahead of Trulli and Hamilton.
Race
As Glock was unable to start after his accident in qualifying, occurred only 19 pilots for the Grand Prix of Japan. At the start Vettel maintained his lead. Trulli had to give up his second place to Hamilton. After Vettel in the early rounds of the fastest man was, Hamilton was able to keep the backlog a little later to a few seconds constant. A little further developed between Kovalainen, Sutil and Button a duel for the eighth. However, Sutil had at first no chance against the McLaren equipped with KERS.
In the eleventh round Buemi had to retire with a clutch problem. In lap 13 Sutil, Kovalainen attacked in the chicane. Kovalainen did not want to let pass Sutil and so the two collided. Although they were able to continue, but they lost their good position. Button benefited from the collision and was new rollercoaster. The first pit stops did not change the order of the top trio. Vettel was able to stay out the longest and assert its leadership after the stop.
Vettel extended his lead to Hamilton each round further and was much heavier than the McLaren, which earned him another advantage. Hamilton, however, focused on keeping his position in front of Trulli. The second stop of the leadership group began Raikkonen, who prior to the fourth-placed Nick Heidfeld completed his pit stop, the Germans yet overhauled. Heidfeld's stop was not optimal and allowed the Finns whose position profit. Hamilton came again before Trulli into the pits. This time, the Italian could pass through his later pit stop Hamilton and take second place. Vettel maintained his lead after the stop.
After Alguersuari in the R130 had a serious accident, the Safety Car had on the track. Alguersuari was uninjured. With the safety car phase, the field moved back together in the final stages of the race. Rosberg took advantage of the safety car phase for his second stop and came in fifth behind Raikkonen back on track. Vettel maintains his lead at the restart and also on other points positions, there were no offsets. Finally, Vettel won the race ahead of Trulli and Hamilton. The other points were awarded to Raikkonen, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Barrichello and Button. This kept Vettel and Barrichello a theoretical chance of winning the world title.
While the race for Vettel ran perfectly, drove his team-mate Webber behind the field and completed a total of five pit stops. Still, it was Webber, who in the last round took off his teammate the fastest race lap.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
(K ) = race car with KERS
1 Sébastien Buemi was moved up five places to the rear, as it is the exit of the Spoon curve crashed into the wall and then drove back to the pits with a damaged car. Because, among other things lay his front wing on the track, yellow flags were waved in that section. Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button and Adrian Sutil were moved up five places to the back, because they ignored the yellow flags in this section and drove too fast.
2 Heikki Kovalainen and Vitantonio Liuzzi were punished back because of a gear change with a shift by five places.
3 Timo Glock had in the second section of the qualifying practice a serious accident in which his race car was damaged. Because he needed a new chassis for the race, he would have to start from the pit lane.
4 Mark Webber had to skip the qualifying because his car was too badly damaged after an accident in free practice three and a completely new chassis had to be rebuilt, so he had to start from the pit lane.
Race
(K ) = race car with KERS
WM stands after the race
The first eight of the race were 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).