F1 Fuji: Championship Leader Lewis Hamilton Wins in the Rain

Muamer Hodzic October 1, 2007

The GP in Fuji this weekend will definitely go down in the books of “bizarre races.” The rain ruined the race, but made it exciting at the same time. What it [rain] really did was level the playing field, where not the fastest car was going to win the race, but the best strategy and the drivers ability to keep the car on the track.

The start: For the fifth time this year, Lewis and Fernando started from an all Vodafone McLaren Mercedes front row. Due to heavy rain, the race began behind the Safety Car.

The race: The Safety Car was withdrawn at the end of lap 19. Lewis maintained his lead ahead of Fernando.
Fernando pitted on lap 27 (11.9sec) whilst at the same time Lewis posted the fastest lap of the race (1:28.193 Min.). He came in one lap later (11.6sec). Both got enough fuel to finish without further pit stops. Lewis resumed in third position whilst Fernando was eighth; Sebastian Vettel (Toro Rosso Ferrari) was in the lead.

Following Vettel’s pit stop on lap 32, Lewis was second and Fernando seventh. The Spaniard was passed by Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) at the beginning of lap 34. One lap later, Lewis was pushed into a spin by Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber), who consequently received a drive-through penalty. On lap 35, Fernando spun after being hit by Vettel.
On lap 41, all drivers had completed their pit stops and Lewis was back in the lead. One lap later, Fernando who was fourth now spun under braking for the hairpin due to aquaplaning and heavily hit the barrier. He retired with a damaged car, the first retirement of a Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver this season. Again the Safety Car was deployed. The race was re-started at the end of lap 48.
After 67 laps, still in torrential rain, Lewis drove to his fourth GP victory.

Comments

Lewis Hamilton
“A very eventful race and I am so happy to have won here at Fuji. There were moments when I thought it would have been better to stop the race; however, when the rain faded a little, conditions improved a bit. I didn’t feel too much pressure and think I would have been able to push a bit harder if necessary. I was lucky that nothing serious happened to my car when Robert Kubica hit me. I didn’t see him come so the impact caught me by surprise, and I spun. Afterwards I stayed concentrated and focused on keeping the car on the track. I want to say thank you to everybody in the team who have done a great job throughout the weekend. This was an important victory for the championship, but I do not want to think too much about it and will focus hard on the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai next weekend.”

Fernando Alonso
“A difficult race in difficult conditions. After my pit stop I came out into traffic and was fighting for positions in the field. It was very difficult to see anything because of the spray especially when you were coming down the straight. As a result I did not see Vettel in my mirrors and was surprised when he hit me. I think the car was damaged quite a bit by that, but I was able to continue. However when I was braking for Turn Five I just aquaplaned and spun. Unfortunately the walls at that corner are very close to the track, so I hit the barrier heavily, and that was it. Of course, it is a difficult situation for me now in the championship; however, I will keep fighting until the end – as last year’s Championship battle showed anything can happen.”

Ron Dennis
“The weather conditions here at Fuji created their own challenges for all the teams throughout the weekend but by staying focused we made sure that both Lewis and Fernando had a chance for victory today. However, unfortunately for Fernando he aquaplaned off the circuit after driving a controlled race in very tricky conditions – particularly after his car was damaged due to a collision with Vettel. Lewis’s performance was masterful, and he was in control throughout. The team is now going to focus on the last two races where both Lewis and Fernando have a chance of claiming the title. We will make sure that they both have the opportunity to do so and look forward to an exciting end to the Championship.”

Norbert Haug
“An extremely difficult race in challenging conditions. Lewis showed a first class performance and did not put a foot wrong. He had a handicap and lacked downforce after his car had been hit by Robert Kubica and had been damaged at the rear. Fernando was in a difficult situation fighting in the field after his pit stop, he had aquaplaning, spun and hit the wall – that is a shame but this can happen in conditions like these, and it was not Fernando’s fault. The entire team worked really hard throughout the weekend achieving double pole, race win and fastest lap. We now look forward to the remaining races in China and Brazil and stay focused to maintain our 1-2 lead until after the final of the season.”