Hot off the back of a thrilling Korean Grand Prix, F1 headed east to Japan and the historic Suzuka circuit for round 15 of the 2013 season.
It is a real driver favourite with its sweeping bends, high-speed corners and charm. The fans are always out in force too and are as enthusiastic as ever, despite not having a driver on the 2013 grid to support.
For more on the Suzuka circuit check out my race preview and track guide. Relive last year's race with my One Year Rewind for RichlandF1, see more on the race with my '5 things you might not have known' piece for Car Throttle and see what happened at the track on Thursday with my Snap Shot.
Sebastian Vettel went into the Japanese round of the 2013 season with the chance of clinching his fourth consecutive world championship. It was a tough task but did he do it?
FP1
Under beautiful blue skies and stunning sunshine, the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix took place. Pastor Maldonado opened the timing sheets after a flurry of installation laps in the early stages.
His first lap, a 1m36.969, was set on the hard compound tyres before Perez soon moved to the top of the time sheets. However the yellow flags flew early in the session after Jules Bianchi hit the wall at the challenging Degner corner after just 30 minutes of the session.
The on-track action heated up shortly after with drivers emerging from their garages to kick start their running. Webber, Massa and Vettel previously held the top spot before Rosberg moved to the front.
Drama soon ensued Pastor Maldonado shed a left-rear wheel on the out lap of his second run at the Spoon Curve. Meanwhile at almost the same time Giedo van der Garde went off at the second Degner, locking up into turn nine and tapping the tyre barrier.
By the chequered flag it was Lewis Hamilton who set the pace with a 1m34.157, three tenths faster than team-mate Nico Rosberg. Vettel and Webber were both six tenths further back and Massa rounded out the top five, one place ahead of Alonso. The Lotus duo finished within the top 10 and Force India continued to struggle in 14th and 17th for Sutil and di Resta.
FP2
It was a quiet start to the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix and we were one car down, Jules Bianchi's Marussia MR-02 suffered chassis damage after his crash in first practice which couldn't be fixed by the afternoon session.
Pastor Maldonado was the first driver out on track and continued on to set the opening lap time of the session, like FP1, with a 1m36.722. It was swiftly beaten by Hulkenberg, Vergne and Ricciardo.
Vettel soon moved to the front with Rosberg and Webber close behind. Maldonado's session came to an end after just 12 minutes, crashing at the second Degner Curve. The drama continued minutes later after a big crash for Sergio Perez at the Spoon Curve, losing the rear end on entry after touching the artificial grass.
Mark Webber was the first driver to move on to the medium compound tyres with 58 minutes of the session remaining. Alonso ruined his first lap on the softer rubber with a spin and Vettel returned to the top after his run on the option tyre. The off-track excursions continued with Raikkonen beaching his Lotus E21 at turn seven.
With drivers either moving back to the hard tyres or completing a long stint on the options, there wasn't any movement in the times by the chequered flag with Vettel's 1m33.852 remaining fastest from Webber, Rosberg, Raikkonen and Grosjean. Hamilton finished the session in seventh with Button and Alonso in ninth and 10th.
FP3
There was a rather sombre mood in the paddock come Saturday morning after the tragic news that former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota sadly passed away on Friday in Spain, due to natural causes. However the Japanese Grand Prix weekend continued with third and final practice ahead of qualifying and the race.
Esteban Gutierrez and Jules Bianchi were the first drivers to take to the circuit. It was Kimi Raikkonen, who spun in FP2, to set the opening time at a 1m40.877. He swiftly beat that time on his next circulation of the track.
20 minutes into the session and there were 20 lap times on the table with only the Ferrari's having yet to run. Mark Webber moved to the top with a 1m32.722, three tenths ahead of Vettel. Adrian Sutil was the first driver of the day to hit the wall after spinning at the exit of the Spoon Curve.
With the chequered flag closing in, drivers dived into the pits for a set of medium compound tyres. Meanwhile Vettel's session came to a premature close due to the need to replace his KERS battery, meaning he missed the closing qualifying runs. By the chequered flag he had dropped to ninth place, but it was his team-mate Mark Webber who set the pace with a 1m32.053.
Hamilton finished just one tenth down on the Aussie with Rosberg, Grosjean and Alonso all within seven tenths. Massa, Button and Raikkonen all finished ahead of Vettel and it was Nico Hulkenberg who rounded out the top 10, despite losing track time early on with an exhaust problem.
Qualifying
Q1
Esteban Gutierrez was the first driver to emerge from the pit lane for the first qualifying session, where the bottom six drivers were eliminated from the battle for pole position.
The Mexican continued on to open the time sheets with a 1m33.547. He was soon joined on track by the likes of Raikkonen, Button and di Resta. Gutierrez returned to the garage but drama ensued after there was a brief fire on his car. Fortunately he managed to exit the cockpit quickly and the fire was put out.
Alonso moved ahead of Button to lead the session early on. Hamilton initially went second before moving to the front with half of the session remaining. Vettel, Webber and Bianchi waited for the final half of the session to set their lap times. The Red Bull RB9's went fourth and first with their first efforts.
However the session was red flagged with three minutes remaining after Jean-Eric Vergne's brakes caught fire in spectacular style. Marshals reacted quickly but the session was halted due to the smoking Toro Rosso. Cars queued at the pit lane exit before emerging for the restart. The top five felt confident enough to remain in the pit lane.
The majority of drivers returned to the track on the medium compound 'option' tyre for just one timed lap. As you might expect, the results page changed considerably in the closing stages. Grosjean topped the session from Massa, Rosberg, Webber and di Resta. Meanwhile Sutil exited qualifying in the drop-zone and was joined by Vergne, an impressive Chilton, Pic, van der Garde and Bianchi.
Q2
Paul di Resta was the first driver out on track in the second qualifying session. Drivers battled for a spot in the top 10 shoot-out as the sixth, seventh and eighth rows on the grid were decided.
The Scottish driver put the first time on the board, a 1m33.059 on the medium compound, before the Lotus duo of Raikkonen and Grosjean displaced him on the prime Pirelli tyre. Hamilton and Alonso swapped fastest times and Button slotted in just behind, looking much happier with the balance of his McLaren MP4-28.
With four minutes to go, Vettel and Webber put in their first times of the session. The former went fastest by five tenths of a second, despite being on the back-foot after third practice. Webber also moved to the front with a time just two tenths off his team-mate.
Grosjean showed that the Lotus also had good pace on the medium compound tyre. The Frenchman moved up to third place with just over one minute of the session remaining. Drivers emerged for their final runs with the order changing furiously. Vettel and Webber remained at the top but the battle for the final few spaces in Q3 were hard fought.
Massa, Rosberg, Alonso, Button and Hulkenberg all rescued themselves from the drop-zone but Perez wasn't so fortunate, missing out by just under one tenth of a second. He was joined by Di Resta, Bottas, Gutierrez, Maldonado and Ricciardo.
Q3
The final qualifying session arrived and it was the battle for pole position. The top 10 shoot-out kicked off with triple world champion Sebastian Vettel being the first driver to emerge out on track.
He was soon joined on track by Alonso, Webber, Hamilton and Button as the first runs got underway. Vettel crossed the line to set his first time, a 1m31.312, before Webber put himself on provisional pole.
Vettel's lap was messy after running wide at the exit of the Spoon Curve. He was also told to make "three clicks rearwards" on the brake balance to compensate for a potential KERS issue. Alonso went third with his first effort with Hamilton going one tenth slower in fourth.
With four minutes remaining, the garages were a hive of activity in preparation for the final runs. After little over a minute of track silence, all 10 drivers taking part in the final qualifying session took to the track for one final attempt.
Raikkonen's first lap time was good enough for third, seven tenths down, with Vettel going second. Rosberg crossed the line in third place with Alonso moving up to fifth. Hamilton's lap was only good enough for third on the grid.
However it was Mark Webber who took pole position to break Vettel's qualifying dominance at the Suzuka circuit. However he wasn't far ahead and finished just one tenth ahead of his team-mate to make it a Red Bull 1-2. Hamilton and Grosjean qualified third and fourth with Massa, Rosberg and Hulkenberg following. It was a poor session for Alonso and Raikkonen in eighth and ninth, Button rounding out the top 10 two tenths further back.
Results:
++ 10 place grid penalties for three reprimands
The Race
The sun was shining over the iconic Suzuka circuit for the 29th running of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Enthusiastic fans packed out the grandstands in support of their favourite drivers, creating a real buzz and atmosphere at the classic old-school track.
Qualifying didn't spring too much of a surprise. It was a Red Bull on pole position but not the car that you might think. Mark Webber took the top spot on the grid after Vettel suffered a KERS issues, although the German still managed a slot on the front row.
Fernando Alonso went into the race under pressure. If Vettel won the race, he needed to finish higher than eighth to prevent him from taking a fourth consecutive world title. Did he do it? Read on to find out.
In the land of the rising sun, the revs rose, the lights went out and we were racing at the Suzuka circuit. Off the line it was Romain Grosjean who got the best start from fourth on the grid to move into the lead. Pole-sitter Mark Webber slotted in to second place but it was close behind.
Hamilton managed to get a strong start but Vettel made contact with him as he went through. The Brit slowed after turn two with a puncture. Meanwhile further back Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi made contact into the first corner. The Caterham flew into the barrier and the Marussia was beached in the gravel.
With the yellow flags out it was Grosjean who led from Webber, Vettel and Rosberg as they crossed the line to start lap two. Perez and Gutierrez had made strong starts to move into the top 10 and Raikkonen moved down to 11th.
Lewis Hamilton suffered a right-rear puncture on the first lap and pitted for repairs, emerging on the hard tyres. As the cars moved on to lap three, Grosjean had a lead of just six tenths over Mark Webber as the DRS was activated.
Vettel radioed to ask about front wing damage after his tag with Hamilton but the team didn't see a problem. Meanwhile towards the back of the grid, Sutil had made a storming start to clear the backmarkers and jumped to 16th by lap four.
The gap at the front was close early on with Vettel dropping further back and Rosberg moving into the clutches of the Ferrari duo, Massa remaining ahead of Alonso into turn one. Hamilton reported that his damaged Mercedes was "all over the place" after suffering aero damage from his puncture.
Vettel fell even further behind the lead duo after running wide and onto the grass at the exit of turn two. The DRS zone was put to good use on lap seven with Raikkonen displacing Button for 10th and Ricciardo moving ahead of Bottas for 13th.
Jean-Eric Vergne pitted from 17th place at the end of lap seven with Hamilton taking to his pit box at the end of lap eight. Unfortunately it was to retire his damaged Mercedes W04. The Brackley based squad's day didn't get any better with an off at turn one for Nico Rosberg. Button, Bottas and Sutil filed into the pit lane on the following lap for a change of tyres.
The pit stop sequences were well underway with Hulkenberg and Di Resta taking to the pit lane on lap 11. Mark Webber took to the medium compound tyres on lap 12 and was the first leader to change tyres. Massa also pitted and dropped behind Hulkenberg when he emerged out on track.
Lotus reacted and pitted Grosjean on the following lap to move on to the hard compound tyres. It was a clean stop and he emerged still ahead of Mark Webber. Meanwhile further down the pit lane Mercedes released Rosberg into the path of Sergio Perez in what was a clear unsafe release.
It got close between the two McLaren drivers with Button and Perez running side by side on the run down the pit straight. The Mexican driver got past his more experienced team-mate in a clean move up the inside. Vettel pitted at the end of lap 14 and returned to the track in a clear third place.
Rosberg was handed a drive-through penalty for the earlier unsafe release, stewards working quickly to punish Mercedes for the error. Webber was told to create a two second gap to race leader Romain Grosjean, in order to save the tyres. However behind Vettel was setting fastest sector times and had moved to within three seconds of his team-mate by lap 18.
Fernando Alonso moved ahead of his team-mate on lap 20 with a little help of DRS. The Spaniard was caught in the train behind Daniel Ricciardo, who had yet to stop by that stage of the race. Hulkenberg was leading the train and managed to overtake the Toro Rosso driver up the inside at 130R. Alonso followed him through on the pit straight.
Massa ran wide at the second Degner which left the door open to Gutierrez. The Mexican driver dived up the inside but couldn't get through, losing momentum through Spoon and losing a place to Raikkonen at 130R. At the front of the field, Grosjean led Webber by two seconds.
McLaren pitted Button at the end of lap 23, meaning a firm three-stop strategy. It was a slow stop but he emerged in clear air. The battle at the front started to heat up with Webber closing to within five tenths of the leading Lotus. Red Bull decided to pit the Aussie in an attempt to get the undercut on lap 25.
However Lotus didn't react and pit Grosjean, keeping him out on a two-stop strategy. Vettel was on the same strategy and was told by his race engineer that he "wasn't racing Webber." The German moved to within one second of the Lotus but took the lead from the Frenchman when he pitted on lap 29.
Ricciardo and Massa were both given drive-through penalties. Meanwhile at the front, Vettel remained in the lead until lap 37. His Red Bull mechanics fitted a fresh set of hard compound tyres and released him back on track to hunt down Grosjean.
The gap was cut from three seconds to three tenths by lap 40. Vettel had a run on Grosjean on the run through 130R but couldn't find a way through into the chicane. However he was well within the DRS zone and had a great run through the final corner. He dived to the inside on the run to turn one and made it stick, moving up to second place.
Webber pitted for the third and final time on lap 42 for the medium compound tyres. He emerged in clear air and eight seconds behind his race leading team-mate, with Grosjean separating the two. Perez pitted on the following lap after suffering an instant puncture at the chicane, making contact with Rosberg into the braking zone.
Fernando Alonso passed Hulkenberg for fourth place on lap 46. Webber closed to within three tenths of Grosjean but couldn't get through on the pit straight on lap 47. He had another look on the next lap but the battle was costing him as he continued to drop behind Vettel.
The gap from third to first was 7.4 seconds with just five laps remaining. As the laps continued to count down, Webber just could not find a way through the Lotus driver as Vettel maintained his advantage.
However he finally managed it on lap 51 after a late move up the inside on the run to turn one in what was a great move. Meanwhile Raikkonen displaced Hulkenberg for fifth place after a stunning move around the outside into the chicane.
But it was Sebastian Vettel who took his fourth victory around the Suzuka circuit and his fifth win in a row after making a two-stop strategy work.
Sebastian Vettel wins the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel didn't clinch the world title in Japan but he did take his fifth consecutive race victory and his ninth of the 2013 season after a thrilling race at the Suzuka circuit. He made a two-stop strategy work to take the win, jumping ahead of team-mate Mark Webber who was on a differing strategy. It was a messy first stint but he got it all together to take 25 points.
Mark Webber made it a Red Bull 1-2 after getting held up by Romain Grosjean in the final stint. He drove a superb race and managed to keep ahead of Vettel at the start, but unfortunately he couldn't take the fight to his team-mate. Grosjean drove a controlled and fantastic race to take third and his second consecutive podium finish.
Alonso kept his slim title chances alive to with a fourth place finish. It was a good drive by the Spaniard, albeit finishing 35 seconds down on the car ahead. His top five finish meant that he became the most successful points scorer in the history of F1. Raikkonen's late move on Hulkenberg meant that he moved into the top five for a good haul of points. It was a decent recovery drive after a poor qualifying position and a difficult start to the race.
The Sauber duo raced well to take sixth and seventh, Hulkenberg ahead of Gutierrez. The former drove a fine race to take another strong result and the latter managed to score his first points in F1 after an impressive race through the field.
Rosberg recovered from a drive-through to finish in eighth place with Button chasing him down after a late fight with Felipe Massa who finished in 10th. The Brit would have scored more if it wasn't for a poor second pit stop, however it was his seventh consecutive finish in the points. Massa also had to take a drive-through which ultimately cost him points.
It was another poor result for Force India with Paul di Resta finishing in 11th place and Sutil crossing the line in 14th after starting in last. Vergne and Ricciardo finished in between after a hard fought race which ultimately yielded no reward. Perez had a miserable race with a puncture and a delay at his pit stop to take 15th.
Maldonado and Bottas got a bit too close for comfort at the end after making contact at the final chicane. However, it didn't improve the result with Maldonado finishing in 16th and Bottas in 17th.
Pic was the leading backmarker and finished 20 seconds clear of Max Chilton who was the last of the finishers. Hamilton registered his first retirement of the season after floor damage from his lap one puncture. He joined van der Garde and Bianchi on the sidelines after their first corner crash.
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| (c) Sahara Force India F1 Team |
For more on the Suzuka circuit check out my race preview and track guide. Relive last year's race with my One Year Rewind for RichlandF1, see more on the race with my '5 things you might not have known' piece for Car Throttle and see what happened at the track on Thursday with my Snap Shot.
Sebastian Vettel went into the Japanese round of the 2013 season with the chance of clinching his fourth consecutive world championship. It was a tough task but did he do it?
FP1
Under beautiful blue skies and stunning sunshine, the first practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix took place. Pastor Maldonado opened the timing sheets after a flurry of installation laps in the early stages.
His first lap, a 1m36.969, was set on the hard compound tyres before Perez soon moved to the top of the time sheets. However the yellow flags flew early in the session after Jules Bianchi hit the wall at the challenging Degner corner after just 30 minutes of the session.
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| (c) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team |
The on-track action heated up shortly after with drivers emerging from their garages to kick start their running. Webber, Massa and Vettel previously held the top spot before Rosberg moved to the front.
Drama soon ensued Pastor Maldonado shed a left-rear wheel on the out lap of his second run at the Spoon Curve. Meanwhile at almost the same time Giedo van der Garde went off at the second Degner, locking up into turn nine and tapping the tyre barrier.
By the chequered flag it was Lewis Hamilton who set the pace with a 1m34.157, three tenths faster than team-mate Nico Rosberg. Vettel and Webber were both six tenths further back and Massa rounded out the top five, one place ahead of Alonso. The Lotus duo finished within the top 10 and Force India continued to struggle in 14th and 17th for Sutil and di Resta.
FP2
It was a quiet start to the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix and we were one car down, Jules Bianchi's Marussia MR-02 suffered chassis damage after his crash in first practice which couldn't be fixed by the afternoon session.
Pastor Maldonado was the first driver out on track and continued on to set the opening lap time of the session, like FP1, with a 1m36.722. It was swiftly beaten by Hulkenberg, Vergne and Ricciardo.
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| (c) Getty Images |
Mark Webber was the first driver to move on to the medium compound tyres with 58 minutes of the session remaining. Alonso ruined his first lap on the softer rubber with a spin and Vettel returned to the top after his run on the option tyre. The off-track excursions continued with Raikkonen beaching his Lotus E21 at turn seven.
With drivers either moving back to the hard tyres or completing a long stint on the options, there wasn't any movement in the times by the chequered flag with Vettel's 1m33.852 remaining fastest from Webber, Rosberg, Raikkonen and Grosjean. Hamilton finished the session in seventh with Button and Alonso in ninth and 10th.
FP3
There was a rather sombre mood in the paddock come Saturday morning after the tragic news that former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota sadly passed away on Friday in Spain, due to natural causes. However the Japanese Grand Prix weekend continued with third and final practice ahead of qualifying and the race.
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| (c) Getty Images |
20 minutes into the session and there were 20 lap times on the table with only the Ferrari's having yet to run. Mark Webber moved to the top with a 1m32.722, three tenths ahead of Vettel. Adrian Sutil was the first driver of the day to hit the wall after spinning at the exit of the Spoon Curve.
With the chequered flag closing in, drivers dived into the pits for a set of medium compound tyres. Meanwhile Vettel's session came to a premature close due to the need to replace his KERS battery, meaning he missed the closing qualifying runs. By the chequered flag he had dropped to ninth place, but it was his team-mate Mark Webber who set the pace with a 1m32.053.
Hamilton finished just one tenth down on the Aussie with Rosberg, Grosjean and Alonso all within seven tenths. Massa, Button and Raikkonen all finished ahead of Vettel and it was Nico Hulkenberg who rounded out the top 10, despite losing track time early on with an exhaust problem.
Qualifying
Q1
Esteban Gutierrez was the first driver to emerge from the pit lane for the first qualifying session, where the bottom six drivers were eliminated from the battle for pole position.
The Mexican continued on to open the time sheets with a 1m33.547. He was soon joined on track by the likes of Raikkonen, Button and di Resta. Gutierrez returned to the garage but drama ensued after there was a brief fire on his car. Fortunately he managed to exit the cockpit quickly and the fire was put out.
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| (c) Caterham F1 Team |
Alonso moved ahead of Button to lead the session early on. Hamilton initially went second before moving to the front with half of the session remaining. Vettel, Webber and Bianchi waited for the final half of the session to set their lap times. The Red Bull RB9's went fourth and first with their first efforts.
However the session was red flagged with three minutes remaining after Jean-Eric Vergne's brakes caught fire in spectacular style. Marshals reacted quickly but the session was halted due to the smoking Toro Rosso. Cars queued at the pit lane exit before emerging for the restart. The top five felt confident enough to remain in the pit lane.
The majority of drivers returned to the track on the medium compound 'option' tyre for just one timed lap. As you might expect, the results page changed considerably in the closing stages. Grosjean topped the session from Massa, Rosberg, Webber and di Resta. Meanwhile Sutil exited qualifying in the drop-zone and was joined by Vergne, an impressive Chilton, Pic, van der Garde and Bianchi.
Q2
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| (c) Sauber F1 Team |
The Scottish driver put the first time on the board, a 1m33.059 on the medium compound, before the Lotus duo of Raikkonen and Grosjean displaced him on the prime Pirelli tyre. Hamilton and Alonso swapped fastest times and Button slotted in just behind, looking much happier with the balance of his McLaren MP4-28.
With four minutes to go, Vettel and Webber put in their first times of the session. The former went fastest by five tenths of a second, despite being on the back-foot after third practice. Webber also moved to the front with a time just two tenths off his team-mate.
Grosjean showed that the Lotus also had good pace on the medium compound tyre. The Frenchman moved up to third place with just over one minute of the session remaining. Drivers emerged for their final runs with the order changing furiously. Vettel and Webber remained at the top but the battle for the final few spaces in Q3 were hard fought.
Massa, Rosberg, Alonso, Button and Hulkenberg all rescued themselves from the drop-zone but Perez wasn't so fortunate, missing out by just under one tenth of a second. He was joined by Di Resta, Bottas, Gutierrez, Maldonado and Ricciardo.
Q3
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| (c) Getty Images |
Vettel's lap was messy after running wide at the exit of the Spoon Curve. He was also told to make "three clicks rearwards" on the brake balance to compensate for a potential KERS issue. Alonso went third with his first effort with Hamilton going one tenth slower in fourth.
With four minutes remaining, the garages were a hive of activity in preparation for the final runs. After little over a minute of track silence, all 10 drivers taking part in the final qualifying session took to the track for one final attempt.
Raikkonen's first lap time was good enough for third, seven tenths down, with Vettel going second. Rosberg crossed the line in third place with Alonso moving up to fifth. Hamilton's lap was only good enough for third on the grid.
However it was Mark Webber who took pole position to break Vettel's qualifying dominance at the Suzuka circuit. However he wasn't far ahead and finished just one tenth ahead of his team-mate to make it a Red Bull 1-2. Hamilton and Grosjean qualified third and fourth with Massa, Rosberg and Hulkenberg following. It was a poor session for Alonso and Raikkonen in eighth and ninth, Button rounding out the top 10 two tenths further back.
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| (c) Getty Images |
Results:
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m30.915s
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m31.089s +0.174s
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m31.253s +0.338s
4. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m31.365s +0.450s
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m31.378s +0.463s
6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m31.397s +0.482s
7. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m31.644s +0.729s
8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m31.665s +0.750s
9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m31.684s +0.769s
10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.827s +0.912s
Q2 cut-off time: 1m31.848s Gap **
11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m31.989s +0.699s
12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m31.992s +0.702s
13. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m32.013s +0.723s
14. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m32.063s +0.773s
15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m32.093s +0.803s
16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m32.485s +1.195s
Q1 cut-off time: 1m32.875s Gap *
17. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m32.890s +1.066s+
18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m33.357s +1.533s
19. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.320s +2.496s
20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m34.556s +2.732s++
21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m34.879s +3.055s
22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m34.958s +3.134s++
107% time: 1m38.251s
* Gap to quickest in Q1
** Gap to quickest in Q2
+ 5 place grid penalty for a gearbox penalty++ 10 place grid penalties for three reprimands
The Race
The sun was shining over the iconic Suzuka circuit for the 29th running of the Japanese Grand Prix.
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| (c) Getty Images |
Enthusiastic fans packed out the grandstands in support of their favourite drivers, creating a real buzz and atmosphere at the classic old-school track.
Qualifying didn't spring too much of a surprise. It was a Red Bull on pole position but not the car that you might think. Mark Webber took the top spot on the grid after Vettel suffered a KERS issues, although the German still managed a slot on the front row.
Fernando Alonso went into the race under pressure. If Vettel won the race, he needed to finish higher than eighth to prevent him from taking a fourth consecutive world title. Did he do it? Read on to find out.
In the land of the rising sun, the revs rose, the lights went out and we were racing at the Suzuka circuit. Off the line it was Romain Grosjean who got the best start from fourth on the grid to move into the lead. Pole-sitter Mark Webber slotted in to second place but it was close behind.
Hamilton managed to get a strong start but Vettel made contact with him as he went through. The Brit slowed after turn two with a puncture. Meanwhile further back Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi made contact into the first corner. The Caterham flew into the barrier and the Marussia was beached in the gravel.
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| (c) Getty Images |
Lewis Hamilton suffered a right-rear puncture on the first lap and pitted for repairs, emerging on the hard tyres. As the cars moved on to lap three, Grosjean had a lead of just six tenths over Mark Webber as the DRS was activated.
Vettel radioed to ask about front wing damage after his tag with Hamilton but the team didn't see a problem. Meanwhile towards the back of the grid, Sutil had made a storming start to clear the backmarkers and jumped to 16th by lap four.
The gap at the front was close early on with Vettel dropping further back and Rosberg moving into the clutches of the Ferrari duo, Massa remaining ahead of Alonso into turn one. Hamilton reported that his damaged Mercedes was "all over the place" after suffering aero damage from his puncture.
Vettel fell even further behind the lead duo after running wide and onto the grass at the exit of turn two. The DRS zone was put to good use on lap seven with Raikkonen displacing Button for 10th and Ricciardo moving ahead of Bottas for 13th.
Jean-Eric Vergne pitted from 17th place at the end of lap seven with Hamilton taking to his pit box at the end of lap eight. Unfortunately it was to retire his damaged Mercedes W04. The Brackley based squad's day didn't get any better with an off at turn one for Nico Rosberg. Button, Bottas and Sutil filed into the pit lane on the following lap for a change of tyres.
The pit stop sequences were well underway with Hulkenberg and Di Resta taking to the pit lane on lap 11. Mark Webber took to the medium compound tyres on lap 12 and was the first leader to change tyres. Massa also pitted and dropped behind Hulkenberg when he emerged out on track.
Lotus reacted and pitted Grosjean on the following lap to move on to the hard compound tyres. It was a clean stop and he emerged still ahead of Mark Webber. Meanwhile further down the pit lane Mercedes released Rosberg into the path of Sergio Perez in what was a clear unsafe release.
It got close between the two McLaren drivers with Button and Perez running side by side on the run down the pit straight. The Mexican driver got past his more experienced team-mate in a clean move up the inside. Vettel pitted at the end of lap 14 and returned to the track in a clear third place.
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| (c) Sahara Force India F1 Team |
Rosberg was handed a drive-through penalty for the earlier unsafe release, stewards working quickly to punish Mercedes for the error. Webber was told to create a two second gap to race leader Romain Grosjean, in order to save the tyres. However behind Vettel was setting fastest sector times and had moved to within three seconds of his team-mate by lap 18.
Fernando Alonso moved ahead of his team-mate on lap 20 with a little help of DRS. The Spaniard was caught in the train behind Daniel Ricciardo, who had yet to stop by that stage of the race. Hulkenberg was leading the train and managed to overtake the Toro Rosso driver up the inside at 130R. Alonso followed him through on the pit straight.
Massa ran wide at the second Degner which left the door open to Gutierrez. The Mexican driver dived up the inside but couldn't get through, losing momentum through Spoon and losing a place to Raikkonen at 130R. At the front of the field, Grosjean led Webber by two seconds.
McLaren pitted Button at the end of lap 23, meaning a firm three-stop strategy. It was a slow stop but he emerged in clear air. The battle at the front started to heat up with Webber closing to within five tenths of the leading Lotus. Red Bull decided to pit the Aussie in an attempt to get the undercut on lap 25.
However Lotus didn't react and pit Grosjean, keeping him out on a two-stop strategy. Vettel was on the same strategy and was told by his race engineer that he "wasn't racing Webber." The German moved to within one second of the Lotus but took the lead from the Frenchman when he pitted on lap 29.
Ricciardo and Massa were both given drive-through penalties. Meanwhile at the front, Vettel remained in the lead until lap 37. His Red Bull mechanics fitted a fresh set of hard compound tyres and released him back on track to hunt down Grosjean.
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| (c) Getty Images |
The gap was cut from three seconds to three tenths by lap 40. Vettel had a run on Grosjean on the run through 130R but couldn't find a way through into the chicane. However he was well within the DRS zone and had a great run through the final corner. He dived to the inside on the run to turn one and made it stick, moving up to second place.
Webber pitted for the third and final time on lap 42 for the medium compound tyres. He emerged in clear air and eight seconds behind his race leading team-mate, with Grosjean separating the two. Perez pitted on the following lap after suffering an instant puncture at the chicane, making contact with Rosberg into the braking zone.
Fernando Alonso passed Hulkenberg for fourth place on lap 46. Webber closed to within three tenths of Grosjean but couldn't get through on the pit straight on lap 47. He had another look on the next lap but the battle was costing him as he continued to drop behind Vettel.
The gap from third to first was 7.4 seconds with just five laps remaining. As the laps continued to count down, Webber just could not find a way through the Lotus driver as Vettel maintained his advantage.
However he finally managed it on lap 51 after a late move up the inside on the run to turn one in what was a great move. Meanwhile Raikkonen displaced Hulkenberg for fifth place after a stunning move around the outside into the chicane.
But it was Sebastian Vettel who took his fourth victory around the Suzuka circuit and his fifth win in a row after making a two-stop strategy work.
Sebastian Vettel wins the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix
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| (c) Getty Images |
Mark Webber made it a Red Bull 1-2 after getting held up by Romain Grosjean in the final stint. He drove a superb race and managed to keep ahead of Vettel at the start, but unfortunately he couldn't take the fight to his team-mate. Grosjean drove a controlled and fantastic race to take third and his second consecutive podium finish.
Alonso kept his slim title chances alive to with a fourth place finish. It was a good drive by the Spaniard, albeit finishing 35 seconds down on the car ahead. His top five finish meant that he became the most successful points scorer in the history of F1. Raikkonen's late move on Hulkenberg meant that he moved into the top five for a good haul of points. It was a decent recovery drive after a poor qualifying position and a difficult start to the race.
The Sauber duo raced well to take sixth and seventh, Hulkenberg ahead of Gutierrez. The former drove a fine race to take another strong result and the latter managed to score his first points in F1 after an impressive race through the field.
Rosberg recovered from a drive-through to finish in eighth place with Button chasing him down after a late fight with Felipe Massa who finished in 10th. The Brit would have scored more if it wasn't for a poor second pit stop, however it was his seventh consecutive finish in the points. Massa also had to take a drive-through which ultimately cost him points.
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| (c) Sahara Force India F1 Team |
It was another poor result for Force India with Paul di Resta finishing in 11th place and Sutil crossing the line in 14th after starting in last. Vergne and Ricciardo finished in between after a hard fought race which ultimately yielded no reward. Perez had a miserable race with a puncture and a delay at his pit stop to take 15th.
Maldonado and Bottas got a bit too close for comfort at the end after making contact at the final chicane. However, it didn't improve the result with Maldonado finishing in 16th and Bottas in 17th.
Pic was the leading backmarker and finished 20 seconds clear of Max Chilton who was the last of the finishers. Hamilton registered his first retirement of the season after floor damage from his lap one puncture. He joined van der Garde and Bianchi on the sidelines after their first corner crash.
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| (c) Getty Images |
Results:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. Sebatian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h37.410s
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +7.1s
3. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault +9.9s
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari +45.6s
5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault +47.3s
6. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari +51.6s
7. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari +1m11.6s
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes +1m12.0s
9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes +1m20.8s
10. Felipe Massa Ferrari +1m29.2s
11. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes +1m38.5s
12. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1 lap
14. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +1 lap
15. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes +1 lap
16. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault +1 lap
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault +1 lap
18. Charlies Pic Caterham-Renault +1 lap
19. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth +1 lap
Fastest lap: Mark Webber, 1m34.587s
Not classified/retirements:
Driver Team On lap
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 9
Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 0
Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 0
To see what the drivers thought of the race check out my driver reaction piece.
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