The Japanese Grand Prix Thread (Kimi Raikkonen wins!)

[Ed]

Pole setter Ralf Schumacher said:

It's obviously an incredible feeling to take my first pole position for Toyota, and what better place could there be to do it than here at Suzuka, the team's home track and my own personal favourite. I'd like to thank everyone in the team for helping to make it happen - both here in Japan and back at the factory in the Cologne. Obviously the weather worked in our favour but that doesn't often happen so I'm happy to take that slice of luck this time. The lap itself was difficult because of the changing conditions and far from perfect. The track was very slippery and that meant the car was hard to handle with lots of oversteer. But it was a reasonable time and I will certainly take it because it has put me on pole! Looking at the cars around us I'm optimistic that we can fight to convert this into a great result tomorrow

Full Toyota Team and Driver quotes following qualifying

[Ed]

2nd on the grid Jenson Button said:

It's fantastic to be on the front row of the grid for Honda's home race here at Suzuka. I'm very happy with the position, if not the lap itself. We were lucky with the weather as the rain came soon after my run. The car itself had massive understeer everywhere and it was difficult to drive, particularly as we had not the run the wet tyre before this weekend. All in all we have set the car up well for the race, we have a good strategy and I hope to go really well in front of the incredible crowd of fans that we have here this weekend

Full BAR Honda Team and Driver quotes following qualifying

[Ed]

3rd on the grid Giancarlo Fisichella said:

I am quite pleased to be third to be honest. It was already raining as I left the pit-lane, and I knew the circuit would get worse as I did my lap. I was running on the normal wet tyres, which were the right choice, but the final sector was too wet by the time I got there. Otherwise, I think I could have got pole position quite easily, to be honest. But I am still happy with third, because we have a good strategy for tomorrow, and our rivals McLaren are a long way back. I will be aiming to get the best result possible.

Full Renault Team and Driver quotes following qualifying

[Ed]

Race: Kimi Raikkonen wins a thrilling race ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso. Mark Webber, Jenson Button, David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Ralf Schumacher make the top 8.

Full Results - Commentary

[Ed]

Race winner Kimi Raikkonen said:

I think that was one of my best races ever with a lot of hard work and I really enjoyed myself. Considering all the problems we have had here to come away with a win is just fantastic. There was a lot happening on the first lap and both Juan Pablo and myself got involved, which is often inevitable when you are starting so far down.
I was pushing as hard as I could and the car just got better and better. My seventh gear was a little too short which meant that the revlimiter sometimes kicked in and made it difficult to overtake. I knew that Webber and Button had to pit before me, and after the second stop I had gained enough on Fisichella to go for it and I did.
I got past him on the last lap coming into the first corner, and it was one of those opportunities you have to take. Today's result means that I have the best possible position for qualifying in China, but as this weekend showed that is no guarantee. I look forward to Shanghai where we will do everything we can to win the Constructors' Championship."

Team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya who retired on the first lap of the race said:

What a disappointment for me and my team. I would have liked to take part in this exciting race which I watched from the pitwall. We probably could have had a one-two today which would have been fantastic for the team. I got off the line well, but it was a bit crowded at the first two corners, and I think Kimi and I gently touched, but fortunately nothing happened.
However then Villeneuve missed the chicane and pushed me off the track, and that was the end of my race. All in all a difficult weekend. However I'm now off to Shanghai to prepare for the last race of the year where hopefully we will win the Constructors' battle.

Team boss Ron Dennis said:

Probably the best race of Kimi's career and a fantastic reward for the team's efforts in what has been a challenging weekend. The strategy was executed in a professional and disciplined manner and Michelin also performed to their usual high standard.
Unfortunately Juan Pablo was the victim of an incident with Jacques Villeneuve which is currently being investigated by the Stewards, and we expect them to share our opinion. We now look forward to an exciting end to the season in Shanghai where our aim is to clinch the Constructors' title.

[Ed]

Second place Giancarlo Fisichella said:

That was a tough race this afternoon. I got a good start, but the early safety car period certainly cost me -- it kept the field very close together in the early stages, and I wasn't able to pull out the kind of gap over the quick cars at the back of the field that I would have hoped for. Even so, the strategy worked well to get me out in front of Ralf and Jenson, and after that I just concentrated on doing my race, and trying to lap quickly and consistently.
The team told me Kimi was close after the last stop, and he caught me up quite quickly -- especially when I got chopped by a backmarker into 130R, which cost me a lot of time. He was very fast in the final part of the lap, and I did my best to hold him off, but he held the line into the first corner and that was that. I am disappointed, of course, but this is still a good result for the team in the championship.

3rd placed Fernando Alonso said:

It sounds strange, but I am quite disappointed with third: the car felt just fantastic today, and I thought that we were probably a match for McLaren for the first time since the start of the season. So after starting ahead of them and having the opportunity to beat them, it didn't really work out for us today.
There was a strange incident with Klien, when I was seven seconds ahead and told to give the position back, which surprised me a little bit. And then with the strategy today, I just seemed to end up in traffic behind slower cars all the time. But for the first time at Suzuka, I had a car that was good enough to overtake, and there were some special moments -- especially with Schumacher and Webber.
I think I have done maybe two or three overtaking manoeuvres all year up to now, and today there were about fourteen, but I could afford to take the risks because there was nothing to lose. It was good to get my fourteenth podium of the year this afternoon, and I want number fifteen in China.

Team boss Flavio Briatore said:

What a fantastic race! It was a great spectacle for all the fans here at Suzuka, and watching on television. We had overtaking, dramatic incidents and a battle for the lead that went down to the final lap.
Honestly, I think the key moment of this race was not at the end, but in the first stint when Fernando was forced to give his position back to Klien. We didn't understand why, because he had already done it once, but the FIA asked him to do it again. That cost him nine seconds, and meant he was in much more traffic during the rest of the race. Without that delay, he could have been in front of Raikkonen after the second stop, and maybe we would have seen a different result.
As for Fisico, he led for much of the way but couldn't hold Raikkonen off at the end. But honestly, we must look at the positives now. We have one race left, we are leading the constructors' championship again, and there is a new engine upgrade to come in China. There is everything still to play for there.

[Julian Mayo]

Flavio always sees the big picture, including the fans. I think the guy is a genuine motor racing afficianado

[rah]

Sato has been disqualified for punting Trulli off.

JV got a 25sec penalty for his first lap incident with JPM.

[Julian Mayo]

Sato has been disqualified for punting Trulli off.

JV got a 25sec penalty for his first lap incident with JPM.

Will Sato consider seppuku now