China 2007
LEWIS HAMILTON COULD HAVE CLINCHED THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HERE BUT HE DIDN'T! IN ANOTHER RAIN AFFECTED RACE (BUT NOWHERE NEAR AS BAD AS AT FUJI LAST WEEK), HE STAYED OUT TOO LONG ON A SET OF 'INTERMEDIATE' TYRES THAT HAD ALREADY ALMOST COMPLETED TWO STINTS AND THAT WERE VERY BADLY WORN. HE HAD BEEN IN THE LEAD FROM THE START AND IT WAS A TEAM DECISION, TAKEN BECAUSE THEY WERE RECEIVING CONSTANT WEATHER UPDATES THAT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT TYPE OF TYRE TO USE WHEN HE DID EVENTUALLY PIT - THEY DID NOT WANT TO SEND HIM OUT ON THE 'WRONG' TYRE ONLY TO HAVE TO CALL HIM IN AGAIN AND SUFFER THE RESULTING LOSS OF TIME FROM THE EXTRA PIT-STOP. THEY WERE NOT HELPED BY THE FACT THAT KIMI RAIKKONEN WAS HARRYING HIM FOR THE LEAD.
WITH THE TYRES SO WORN THAT THE CANVAS WAS SHOWING THROUGH, HE HEADED FOR THE PITS BUT THEY WERE SO WORN THAT THEY COULD NOT GRIP AT ALL AS HE MADE THE SHARP TURN AT THE START OF THE PIT-LANE AND HE ENDED UP BEACHED IN A VERY SMALL GRAVEL RUN-OFF AREA - SMALLER, IN FACT, THAN MANY GOLF COURSE BUNKERS. UNFORTUNATELY, HE DID NOT HAVE A SUITABLE SAND WEDGE CLUB TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF AND THAT WAS THAT. KIMI WENT ON TO WIN WITH FERNANDO ALONSO, SEIZING THE LIFELINE THAT LEWIS HAD THROWN TO HIM, COMING SECOND AND FELIPE MASS THIRD.
ALTHOUGH THE LIMELIGHT WAS INEVITABLY FOCUSSED ON THE TITLE BATTLE, THERE WERE SOME EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCES TURNED IN HERE. SEBASTIAN VETTEL HAD BEEN INITIALLY PENALISED WITH A 10-PLACE DROP ON THE GRID BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT IN JAPAN, THIS WAS RESCINDED AND THEN HE WAS JUDGED TO HAVE BLOCKED SOMEONE DURING QUALIFYING AND WAS HANDED A 5-PLACE PENALTY DROP. STARTING FROM 17TH ON THE GRID HE BROUGHT HIS SCUDERIA TESTA ROSSO HOME IN 4TH. JENSON BUTTON QUALIFIED IN 10TH, SUFFERED WITH LACK OF GRIP IN THE FIRST FEW LAPS AND DROPPED TO 17TH AT ONE STAGE AND THEN FOUGHT BACK TO CLAIM 5TH PLACE. FINALLY, VITANTONIO LIUZZI, WHO INITIALLY THOUGHT HE HAD EARNED A POINT FOR 8TH IN JAPAN ONLY TO LOSE IT WHEN HE WAS GIVEN A 25-SECOND PENALTY, DROVE A FINE RACE TO FINISH 6TH.
HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT AN EXTREMELY EXCITING END TO THE SEASON, AS OPPOSED TO JUST AN EXCITING END, LEWIS HAS DONE US ALL A FAVOUR BECAUSE AT THE LAST RACE, BRAZIL IN A FORTNIGHT'S TIME, ANY ONE OF THE THREE LEADERS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP COULD WIN IT, DEPENDING ON THE RESULT THERE!
STARTING GRID
| |
| 1.
|
Lewis Hamilton
|
| 2.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 3.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 4.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 5.
|
David Coulthard
|
| 6.
|
Ralph Schumacher
|
| 7.
|
Mark Webber
|
| 8.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 9.
|
Robert Kubica
|
| 10.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 11.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 12.
|
Jarno Trulli
|
| 13.
|
Heikki Kovalainen
|
| 14.
|
Anthony Davidson
|
| 15.
|
Nico Rosberg
|
| 16.
|
Rubens Barrichello
|
| 17.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 18.
|
Giancarlo Fisichella
|
| 19.
|
Alexander Wurz
|
| 20.
|
Takuma Sato
|
| 21.
|
Aidrian Sutil
|
| 22.
|
Sakon Yamamoto
|
RESULT
| |
| 1.
|
Kimi Raikkonen
|
| 2.
|
Fernando Alonso
|
| 3.
|
Felipe Massa
|
| 4.
|
Sebastian Vettel
|
| 5.
|
Jenson Button
|
| 6.
|
Vitantonio Liuzzi
|
| 7.
|
Nick Heidfeld
|
| 8.
|
David Coulthard
|
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Drivers :
| |
| Lewis Hamilton
|
107
|
| Fernando Alonso
|
103
|
| Kimi Raikkonen
|
100
|
| Felipe Massa
|
86
|
| Nick Heidfeld
|
58
|
| Robert Kubica
|
35
|
| Heikki Kovalainen
|
30
|
| Giancarlo Fisichella
|
21
|
Constructors :
|
| Ferrari
|
186
|
| BMW
|
94
|
|
| Renault
|
51
|
| Williams
|
28
|
| Red Bull Racing
|
24
|
| Toyota
|
12
|
| Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
8
|
| Honda
|
6
|
| Super Aguri
|
4
|
| Spyker
|
1
|
| McLaren
|
0
|
Race Results posted by
David Little
8th October 2007
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