UpdateF1 >> Formula 1 News > Raikkonen blows title race open

No points for Hamilton

This has been – to coin a phrase – a fairytale season for Lewis Hamilton. Fairy tales, however, have their dark moments, and the Chinese Grand Prix certainly ranks as such for the young Englishman.

This was never going to be a straightforward race – we knew that from the forecast of changeable weather at race time. Changeable, take note, is a very different proposition to the constant downpour we saw in Japan last week, and presents a nightmare for the team tacticians – today would be all about getting it right, at the right moment.

So it was the cars lined up on a damp track, with a light shower falling, and left a huge cloud of spray behind them as Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen led them away in grid formation. Behind these two Fernando Alonso took on Felipe Massa around the outside of the opening sequence of turns, a section that doubles back – and more – in a curve that changes radius all the way around.

The Mclaren got ahead, only for Massa to have the better line at the next turn. Back to grid order it was, then, with Hamilton heading Raikkonen, and Massa and Alonso next.

Behind the lead four Nick Heidfeld had got away well, vaulting the BMW to fifth position, while Ralf Schumacher wasted his fine qualifying position with an early spin that dropped him to the back. To his credit, Schumachers comeback drive was spectacular and forceful, the German picking off cars left, right and centre and elevating himself back to decent position, before finally spinning into a non-recoverable position. On his day Ralf can produce fine drives, but it remains to be seen whether he will be on the grid next year.

Up front Hamilton began to pull away from Raikkonen at a few tenths per lap, with these two leaving the Massa-Alonso scrap at a similar rate, while a fine battle was developing between Tonio Liuzzi in the Toro Rosso and Mark Webber in the Renault engined version of that car, the Red Bull RB3. Further evidence that the STR was using the chassis and Ferrari engine to good effect here came with Sebastian Vettel, the youngster having incurred a penalty that saw him start 17th was positively scything through the pack.

By lap ten the track appeared to be giving up a dry line, but with Hamilton a comfortable seven seconds ahead of Raikkonen we received news of further rain due in a few laps. It came on lap 14, another shower strong enough to wet the circuit, and coincided with Hamilton’s first scheduled stop a lap later. Fuel went into the Mclaren, and the same intermediate tyres – wearing notably – were left on.

Over the next four laps the front runners all came in for the same treatment – Massa first, Alonso next, and finally Raikkonen who had been absolutely flying on his leading laps – and duly returned to the same positions out on track.

Also in the pits around this time were Coulthard and Liuzzi, both from good points scoring positions, while Hamilton upped the pace somewhat, and by lap 22 it appeared that dry tyres may be the order of the day.

In situations like this the teams all wait for the first to take the gamble, and use him as a bench-mark for their own decision. That man was Alex Wurz, and the Williams promptly lapped much quicker than anyone so far; dry tyres it was to be.

Mark Webber followed very quickly, and the decision looked the right one for the Red Bull at the time.

At around this point Schumacher had a coming together with Liuzzi, with no visible damage to either car, and more cars began to pit for dry tyres, Robert Kubica, Massa and Coulthard among them. Significantly, Sebastian Vettel would wait another couple of laps before making what would be his only stop of the afternoon.

Around half distance rain began to fall again, and Red Bull made the somewhat odd decision of pitting Mark Webber for a new set of inters. This ruined what should have been a fine race, as the rain would soon stop.

Up front, and drama ensued as Hamilton suddenly slowed on the damp track. What we could see, but he could not, was that his right rear tyre – the original intermediate, remember – was down to the canvas. In no time at all Raikkonen – also on his originals but wearing rather better – was all over him, and a moment at turn eight allowed the Ferrari by into the lead, the Finn instantly drawing away.

Nico Rosberg was having an eventful race in the Williams, and found himself on the main straight with Renaults passing on both sides! This so astonished the German that he promptly spun at the end of the straight, recovering to continue a fruitless journey to the end.

The Renaults, having been nowhere at all for the first part of the race, were suddenly among the quickest cars on track.

Not so Hamilton’s Mclaren, now losing big bunches of time to Alonso and Massa behind him (the Spaniard having neatly despatched the Brazilian with some fine moves a couple of laps earlier) and as Lewis gingerly tip-toed around waiting for – it later became clear – his scheduled stop the fear of a blow out was foremost.

It would not be such that ended his race, but a mistake of the easiest kind: hardly aided by the lack of rubber on the rear tyre, the Mclaren made an entry to the pit lane, gently slid wide, and stopped on the gravel trap. Frantically the driver called for assistance, but none is permitted, so that was that. A strange end to what could have been a triumphant race.

Nevertheless, he lives to fight another day, and we go to Brazil with a fabulous contest in prospect.

Back to the race, and we had lost Schumacher – with a spin – and Sutil – who hit the barriers in the wet, on dry tyres – by this point, as well as Anthony Davidson, whose afternoon lasted all of nine laps.

Straight after Hamilton’s retirement the three front runners came in for dry tyres – Raikkonen and Alonso on the same lap, Massa one later – and this left Robert Kubica, driving beautifully in the BMW and having timed his stop to perfection, in the lead by a few seconds from Raikkonen.

Indeed Kubica looked good up front – until, that is, he pulled off the track on the straight, rolling along the grass with what was obviously a terminal mechanical failure. Would he have had to stop again? We think not, and a fine finish – perhaps even a victory – slipped from the grasp of the Pole.

With the front trio settled in an order – Raikkonen, Alonso and Massa – that would remain until the end, the next few places provided the interest for the remainder of the race.

With twenty laps to go Jenson Button – always excellent when the conditions are unpredictable – was running in fourth, and lapping very quickly in the knowledge that he had to stop once more.

Behind Button was Liuzzi, the Italian on form of late as he nears the end of his Toro Rosso contract, and driving like a man who deserves another chance, while Vettel followed with Fisichella just behind. Alex Wurz had been in the mix, but had to make a further pit stop which dropped him from the points.

Alex confirmed before the race that he is retiring from competitive driving at the end of this season – it is rumoured that there is a place for him within the Williams team. This may not have been a great season for the Austrian – a few very good results apart – but he is a very highly regarded member of the team, and his presence in F1 circles is a welcome breath of fresh air.

As with Wurz, Button, Liuzzi and Fisichella all had another stop to make prior to the end of the race, and all would be – naturally - affected by the stops. For Fisichella it would mean no points after a spirited drive, but for Button a fine fifth place was a very impressive performance.

Raikkonen, Alonso and Massa duly took the first three places as the flag waved, but the biggest celebration was for the man in fourth.

Sebastian Vettel was the subject of much criticism last week, having run into the back of Mark Webber behind the safety car, an accident he accepted as his mistake. That he had a ten place penalty for that incident repealed on Friday, only to be moved five places back to 17th for impeding another car in qualifying, must have amounted to a pressure filled weekend for the youngster.

As it was the 20 year old drove a perfect race from his lowly starting point and, helped by a superb decision by the team that brought him in for dry tyres at exactly the right moment, managed to complete the race with only a single stop. Fourth place was just reward, and that team mate Liuzzi drove an equally fine race to sixth adds up to a great race for the little team from Faenza. A nice F1 trivia question, too: when was the last time four Ferrari-engined cars finished in the top six?

Jenson Button we have already praised – rightly – and Nick Heidfeld took a deserved seventh place, having fought hard to get past Liuzzi, to no avail, in the last part of the race. The final point went to good old DC, who led home a hard charging Heikki Kovalainen.

Indeed, the Finn had gone backwards during the opening section of the race thanks to un-driveable understeer in the wet, but was one of the quickest cars on the track when the dry line came. A good drive, even if it yielded no points.

A fine effort also from Mark Webber who, but for the curious decision to revert him to intermediates so soon after he changed to dries, may well have finished where Vettel did. The rest of the finishers were Fisichella, Wurz, Trulli, Sato, Barrichello, Rosberg and Yamamoto.

We go to Brazil, then, with what every fan wants – a true showdown. Whereas Hamilton came away from Japan totally in charge – with 17 points over Raikkonen, and ten over Alonso – he goes to Brazil in a far less comfortable position. Alonso is now a mere four points behind, and Raikkonen, astonishingly, just seven away!

In truth, it would be very hard for Kimi to challenge for the title, but stranger things have happened.

We will be with you for the final race of what has been a fascinating season, with full coverage of practice, qualifying, and the Brazilian Grand Prix.

UpdateSport – Keep Updated!

Written: Sun, 07 Oct 2007 09:01:48