27/09/2015
NEWS STORY
Whatever the result, today's race is dedicated to Scruffy, one of the Pitpass cats. A valued and much loved member of the team since May 2009, who died instantly last night after being hit by a car.
No, you don't get such nonsense on the Sky Sports F1 website, or the BBC, Autosport or Motorsport.com, but then again, at Pitpass we prefer the personal touch.
Needless to say, it's going to be a difficult day for the team, in much the same way as Jenson Button and a number of fellow drivers face difficult afternoons.
Lewis Hamilton claims that had it not been for the red flag following Daniil Kvyat's horrendous crash he would have taken pole. Fact is, teammate Nico Rosberg looked smoother, and quicker in both of yesterday's sessions. On the other hand, at least Lewis has the comfort of knowing that Singapore, contrary to what the doom merchants were saying, was just a blip.
Williams is looking strong here this weekend, and while Bottas benefitted from that red flag, the Martini liveried cars look good here and showed strong pace on their longer runs yesterday.
If Mercedes proved the doubters wrong, Ferrari, on the evidence thus far, has been a bit of a let down. However, for much of the season the red cars have been better on Sundays - when it matters - than Saturday afternoon.
If Daniel Ricciardo has looked to be a man on a mission this weekend, not so teammate Kvyat, who though quickest on Friday, was extremely erratic yesterday. Thankfully he is unscathed after yesterday's horrific crash - which is more than be said for the car, which has been completely rebuilt - so it will be interesting to see how he recovers today.
Another bravura performance from Romain Grosjean who, despite Lotus' many issues, on and off track, gives 100%. Hopefully his efforts will be rewarded with a few points rather than an early bath he's suffered in a number of recent races. As for Pastor Maldonado, let's just hope he brings the car home.
Force India is looking good, despite the grid penalty Nico Hulkenberg brings here from Singapore, teammate Sergio Perez looking to outshine the German yet again.
Following his penalty for endangering other drivers after parking his car on the racing line, after its electrics failure, there have been the anticipated 'Mad Max' headlines. The Faenza outfit has had an up and down season, but hopefully they'll leave here with something... if not an engine deal for 2016.
Fernando Alonso described his Q2 lap as one of the best of his career, and though promoted to 12th on the grid following Hulkenberg's penalty and the need for Kvyat to start from the pitlane, the Spaniard deserves better. As does teammate Button.
Another team 'enjoying' an up and down season is Sauber, where both drivers deserved better yesterday. Barring problems, or maybe because of problems, one of them should grab a point or two this afternoon.
Manor's weekend, as expected, has been overshadowed by the memory of what happened here last year, the popular little outfit still in mourning. No doubt the team will be glad to get this one out of the way and move on.
There is a long history of safety cars at Suzuka, with the first and final corners often being the cause of a few problems. If nothing else, one of the legacies of last year's nightmare is the Virtual Safety Car, it's just sad that it took such a tragedy to see its introduction.
Tyres are hard and medium, however, after Friday's wash-out, with the teams lacking data for their strategy calculations compared to a totally dry weekend this could affect each team's full understanding of the complete picture. Two stops are expected for the 53-lap race.
The fastest strategy would be to start on the medium, change to the mediums from laps 16-18, hards from laps 33-35. A three-stop strategy is also possible, but this isn't as quick.
There is one sole DRS zone, on the main pit straight.
With Ferrari unlikely to worry Mercedes too much today, those of us who want to see the title fight go down to the wire - or somewhere close - must rely on Rosberg to do the business. However, after an unconvincing start to the season and subsequent revival, there followed another slump. He has the ability we're just not convinced that he believes it.
The pitlane opens and one by one the drivers make their way to the grid, most masking a number of detours back into the pitlane along the way. A big lock-up on the way to the grid for Vettel.
Air temperature is 27 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 38 degrees. It is bright and sunny, with the weather gods unlikely to make an appearance. That said, rain overnight has left the track a little 'green'.
Apparently Rosberg is suffering a headache, the German looking far from happy as the team gives him a couple of paracetamol.
As they head off on the warm-up lap, all are on the option rubber except Button who is on primes.
The grid forms very slowly.
They're away. Strong starts from both Mercedes with Rosberg on the outside in T1, however in T2 he runs slightly wide and loses ground and positions to his teammate who holds his line which sets him up for the next corner.
Further back Massa has a problem, smoke and sparks pour and fly from underneath his car after banging wheels with Ricciardo. The Brazilian has a right-front puncture, the Australian left-rear. Rosberg, having lost second to Vettel, subsequently loses out to Bottas also, while Perez goes wide after being squeezed by Massa and clouted by Sainz and ploughs through the gravel trap in T1.
Hamilton leads Vettel, Bottas, Rosberg Raikkonen and Grosjean at the end of lap 1, as Perez pits. Ricciardo, Massa continue slowly making their way back to the pits, eventually it's a new set of tyres for Ricciardo, tyres and a new nose for Massa. The Red Bull driver rejoins in 19th, the Williams is last.
Great start for Hulkenberg who is back up to eighth after his grid penalty. Verstappen has also done well, the youngster up to thirteenth.
Hamilton maintains a 2.6s lead over Vettel who is 2.3s clear of Bottas, Rosberg all over the back of the Williams. Sainz makes a great move on Alonso in T1 to take 9th. Teammate Verstappen is busy battling Nasr and Button.
On lap 5 Hamilton posts a new fastest lap (39.140) as Rosberg, who has asked if he can turn his engine up, continues to hustle Bottas. Ericsson leaves Alonso for dead.
"It's like driving on ice, they pass me on the straight like GP2," complains Alonso. "Embarrassing, very embarrassing."
"Engine temps are high," Rosberg is told, "causing damage". Not what the German wants to hear.
With Grosjean sixth and Maldonado seventh, Lotus is enjoying a good start to the race.
Aware of the engine temperature issue, Rosberg drops back and into the clutches of Raikkonen.
Stuck behind Nasr, Verstappen says; "I can't get past". The Sauber driver isn't making it easy.
At the end of lap 8, Kvyat stops for prime rubber. He rejoins in 18th. Hamilton leads by 5.3s. Ricciardo is advised that he has damage to the rear of his car, but all is OK.
Next time around, Alonso and Verstappen pit.
Ericsson runs wide in T14, which allows teammate Nasr through.
Hulkenberg, Nasr and Button all pit at the end of lap 10. All much earlier than expected.
"Push hard now and overtake Bottas," Rosberg is told, as the Finn pulls off into the pits. Grosjean also pits, the Frenchman rejoining behind Hulkenberg in tenth. Bottas rejoins in seventh.
As Maldonado pits, Bottas, on fresh rubber, goes quickest in S2. Hulkenberg passes Ericsson to take seventh.
Vettel pits at the end of lap 13, the German rejoining in fifth. Ericsson also pits.
"Multi 10, position 9, urgent," Kvyat is told. "I tried that," he replies, "it doesn't work."
Raikkonen pits at the end of lap 14, as does Sainz. The Finn rejoins in fifth.
Next time around Rosberg pits, the German rejoining in fourth behind Bottas.
Hamilton and the Manor duo are the only drivers still to stop. At which point the race leader is told to "box, box, box!"
Sure enough, at the end of lap 16, Hamilton dives into the pitlane. 22.7s later he rejoins the race still leading.
It's: Hamilton, Vettel, Bottas, Rosberg, Raikkonen, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Maldonado, Sainz and Perez. Sainz having just posted a new fastest lap.
Under intense pressure from Rosberg, Bottas makes a mistake at the chicane and thereby allows the German through. Elsewhere, Verstappen attempts to go around the outside of Kvyat in 130R. The Russian is subsequently told not to use his overtake button for "reliability reasons".
Perez makes his second stop of the afternoon, promoting Alonso to tenth. Behind the Spaniard, it's: Kvyat, Verstappen, Button, Ericsson, Nasr, Perez, Ricciardo, Stevens, Rossi and Massa. Despite the mayhem on the first lap there are no retirements.
After 19 laps, Hamilton leads Vettel by 10.5s, with Rosberg a further 2s down the road and on a charge.
Kvyat dives into the pits at the end of lap 20, thus allowing Verstappen to hunt down Alonso.
"This is good Kimi, let's have him," Raikkonen is told as he closes to within DRS distance of fellow-Finn Bottas.
When Kvyat complains of "no brakes in turn 10", the team tells him it is due to temperatures and not anything terminal. Elsewhere, Perez makes a bold move on Ericsson to take 14th.
As Verstappen hunts down Alonso, the end result is inevitable.
Kvyat, still struggling with his brakes, runs wide in Spoon.
Finally, Verstappen makes his move, going around the outside of Alonso in T1. The young pretender beats the old master.
Raikkonen closes on Bottas, but makes a mess of the chicane and thereby gives the Williams driver some much needed breathing space.
"GP2 engine," complains Alonso, "GP2 engine." And this at Honda's own circuit.
Sainz and Button both pit at the end of lap 27, the Spaniard taking a new front wing after damaging his old one as he hit a bollard at the pitlane entrance.
As Raikkonen pits, at the end of lap 28, there is a large piece of debris - from Sainz' car - on the track. Alonso also pits.
Rosberg pits next time around, having been told to do the "opposite of Vettel", as does Bottas. They rejoin in third and eighth, the Finn exiting behind Raikkonen. Indeed, he's behind Maldonado also.
Vettel pits next time around, the German rejoining just behind Rosberg.
"I'm struggling here," complains Hamilton, the Briton experiencing a "big vibration" from his tyres.
Hamilton pits at the end of lap 31, as do Nasr and Hulkenberg. As Rosberg posts a new fastest lap (34.147), Hamilton rejoins still leading by 8s.
After 31 laps, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg (9.2s behind), Vettel (1.6), Raikkonen (13.7), Bottas (2.8), Grosjean (5), Maldonado (1.4), Hulkenberg (13.7), Perez (17) and Sainz (0.254).
Verstappen is told that he needs to get to the end of the race on his current tyres.
As Hamilton posts a new fastest lap (36.145), under pressure from Sainz, Perez locks up. A mistake sees Grosjean miss the final chicane also. He subsequently dives into the pits.
Kvyat pits at the end of lap 34, the Russian, currently 15th, no doubt glad to leave Japan after a torrid weekend. Teammate Ricciardo is one place behind.
Stevens is under investigation for speeding in the pitlane.
Massa pits at the end of lap 35, the Williams driver rejoining in 20th.
A lap later and Maldonado pits from seventh, the Venezuelan rejoining in eighth. Perez also pits, thereby releasing Sainz. The Mexican rejoins in 14th, in the process he is lapped by the race leader.
Suddenly, Vettel closes to within 1.7s of Rosberg. The pair are now encountering a lot of traffic. Indeed, there is a train of five cars, all battling for position, to negotiate.
Stevens is handed a 5s time penalty for his earlier misdemeanour.
Kvyat and Massa sweep past Button, the Brazilian un-lapping himself in the process.
Perez is all over Ericsson as they battle for twelfth. Out front, Hamilton enjoys a 12.4s lead.
The battle for ninth could be interesting, it features Sainz and Verstappen... just a week after Singapore, only this time the Spaniard has the advantage.
"Drink, drink," Alonso is told. No doubt the Spaniard will need a stiff one after this.
Perez goes around the outside of Ericsson in T1 but the Swede has position in T2, much like the Mercedes duo at the start.
As Perez and Ericsson battle, Rosberg and Vettel need to weave their way through. Blue flags aplenty.
Sainz locks-up in the final chicane and Verstappen is through. Elsewhere, Kvyat complains that he's losing his brakes. "The last chicane, absolutely no brakes," he wails.
Hamilton is told he might have picked up some debris in his front wing. But nothing to worry about.
Woah! A big, big moment for Stevens who loses the rear of the Manor as he's passed by Massa and half spins in 130R sending up a great cloud of tyre smoke, as he fights to control the car he is lucky not to collect teammate Rossi, who slips through in the process.
"Rear temperature critical," Verstappen is told.
With 5 laps remaining, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Maldonado, Verstappen and Sainz. Only these ten are on the same lap as the leader.
Another lock-up for Kvyat as he harries Perez who is in turn hunting down Ericsson.
As Ricciardo closes in on his (14th placed) teammate, he's told "it's going to get tasty".
Finally, heading out of Spoon, Perez passes Ericsson to take 12th, Kvyat also hounding the Swede. "Fight the Red Bulls, fight the Red Bulls," the Sauber driver is told.
As Ericsson moves aside for Raikkonen, Kvyat nips in to catch the Sauber driver off guard. "OK, finally," says the Russian. Elsewhere, Nasr pits. Indeed, he climbs from his car, the first retirement of the afternoon.
Hamilton begins his final lap, Vettel, now 2.1s behind Rosberg, seemingly having settled for third.
The world champion takes the flag, having led since T2, it's his third win here. Rosberg is second, ahead of Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Grosjean, Maldonado, Verstappen and Sainz.
Alonso is eleventh, ahead of Perez, Kvyat, Ericsson, Ricciardo, Button , Massa, Rossi and Stevens.
"Fantastic job guys," says Hamilton, "absolutely flawless all weekend, as always. It's great to be back up here, thanks for so much hard work.
"I tried everything," says Vettel, "but the tyres were gone, there was nothing I could do."
The win sees Hamilton extend his lead to 48 points, almost two victories, though at least Rosberg has a slightly bigger cushion over Vettel now.
Whilst Mercedes is virtually unbeatable in the constructors' standings, Grosjean and Maldonado's ten points is good news for Lotus, a dat ahead of its hearing the High Court in London.
Not a great race, but not a bad one.
And dedicated to Scruffy.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.