The Japanese Grand Prix Thread (Kimi Raikkonen wins!)

[Ed]

This is the place to discuss everything related to the eighteenth round of the 2005 season taking place at Suzuka in Japan between the 7th and 9th of September.

The Japanese Grand Prix Preview is available here.
The main Japanese Grand Prix Page is available here.

To submit your 8 'n' Pole Picks for Japan click here, to register in the competition click here (it is never too late to enter as the winner of each round wins a prize in addition to the overall prizes)

Team and Driver Previews available soon.

FIA Press Conferences:
Thursday with Flavio Briatore, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen
Friday with Tsutomo Tomita, Yasuhiro Wada, Takuma Sato and Jarno Trulli
Saturday with Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella

[Ed]

The event timetable for the Japanese Grand Prix

Friday
1st Friday Practice 11:00 local time - 02:00 GMT
2nd Friday Practice 14:00 local time - 05:00 GMT

Saturday
1st Saturday Practice 09:00 local time - 00:00 GMT
2nd Saturday Practice 10:15 local time - 01:15 GMT
Qualifying 13:00 local time - 04:00 GMT

Sunday
Race 14:00 local time - 15:30 GMT

[Ed]

The latest weather forecast for the Japanese Grand Prix (last updated 06 October)

Friday
1st Practice - 11:00 - 22 - Showers
2nd Practice - 14:00 - 22 - Light Rain

Saturday
1st Practice - 09:00 - 23 - Rain
2nd Practice - 10:15 - 24 - Rain
Qualifying - 13:00 - 24 - Thunderstorms

Sunday - 23 - Partly cloudy
Race - 14:30

[Ed]

Engine status:

The following drivers will use the same engine used in Brazil:

Michael Schumacher - Ferrari
Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari
Takuma Sato - BAR Honda
Fernando Alonso - Renault
Giancarlo Fisichella - Renault
Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren
Juan Pablo Montoya - McLaren
Felipe Massa - Sauber
Christian Klien - Red Bull

Mark Webber, Antonio Pizzonia, David Coulthard, Tiago Montiero and Jarno Trulli have the option of using a new engine as they did not finish the race in Brazil however it may be beneficial to use the same engine used in Brazil for Japan and get a new engine for China that is only needed for 1 race.

All other drivers will have a new engine for the next two events (Japan and China)

[Ed]

The FIA Thursday Press Conference is now available here with Flavio Briatore, Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.

Flavio and Fernando talk about winning the championship while Raikkonen doesn't see any reason for switching teams!

[Julian Mayo]

Channel 10 Australia will broadcast the race immediately after the finish of The V8 MT PANORAMA telecast at 4:30pm AEST

[rah]

Channel 10 Australia will broadcast the race immediately after the finish of The V8 MT PANORAMA telecast at 4:30pm AEST

Well thats my Sunday set then. Have to do all my chores Saturday in time for the shootout.

[Ed]

1st Friday Practice Session - Top 8: de la Rosa, Zonta, Button, Coulthard, Montoya, Alonso, Fisichella and Sato

Raikkonen stopped on the track. Possibly an engine failure (to be confirmed)

Full results - Commentary

[Ed]

2nd Friday Practice Session - Top 8: Zonta, M Schumacher, de la Rosa, Barrichello, Raikkonen, R Schumacher, Trulli and Alonso.

Full results - Commentary

[Ed]

Kimi Raikkonen who had an engine failure during the first session said:

Obviously I'm a bit disappointed with the engine failure which stopped my first practice session prematurely. However we managed to get some running in the second practice, and there is still plenty of time left tomorrow morning. The balance is basically OK but a lot depends on what the weather will do for the rest of the weekend.

Ron Dennis said:

A very disruptive practice for everybody but more for us with Kimi's unscheduled engine change. However we still managed to get a strong indication regarding tyre choice.

Norbert Haug said:

This first day, which took place in changing conditions with intermittent rain, makes it difficult to judge where everybody stands. Kimi had an engine failure after only eight laps in the first session, the cause of which we are investigating. The engine change means that he has to start 10 places back.

[Ed]

Friday FIA Press Conference now available here with Tsutomo Tomita, Yasuhiro Wada, Takuma Sato and Jarno Trulli

Wada answers questions about the "new team" Honda will be supplying engines to next year.

Sato confident of a drive next year

I am expecting to race in 2006, whether with a new team or an existing team

Trulli says the new B chassis is quicker even if he feels slower

It is a bit frustrating for me to drive this car because I don?t feel quick at all; I actually feel slower but even being slower with this car I am quicker than with the old car, that is why we took it here

[Ed]

1st Saturday Practice Session - Top 8: M Schumacher, Raikkonen, Montoya, Webber, Pizzonia, Karthikeyan, Barrichello and Button

Only 13 drivers set lap times

Coulthard did the most number of laps with 10. The 2 Renaults didn't go out this session while Ralf Schumacher, Villeneuve and Massa only completed 1 lap.

Full results - Commentary

[Ed]

2nd Saturday Practice Session - Top 8: Fisichella, Karthikeyan, R Schumacher, Button, Albers, Monteiro, Webber and Trulli

Doornbos did the most number of laps with 10.
Pizzonia and Klien did the least number of laps with 4.
Michael Schumacher and the 2 McLarens didn't go out this session.

Full results - Commentary

[Ed]

Qualifying - Top 8: Ralf Schumacher grabs his first pole position of the season ahead of Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella. Christian Klien, Takuma Sato, David Coulthard, Mark Webber and Jacques Villeneuve make the top 8.

Session started with a wet track but no rain. Rain returned towards the end of the session!

Full results - Commentary

[Ed]

FIA Post Qualifying press conference is now available here with Ralf Schumacher, Jenson Button and Giancarlo Fisichella