F1: Alonso Surprises, Wins Again in Japan

Formula 1

F1: Alonso Surprises, Wins Again in Japan

Kubica and Raikkonen complete podium on a race marked by controversial moves that relegated Massa and Hamilton to seventh (after a penalty) and 12th.

RACER & autosport.com | http://www.racer.com/speedtv | Posted October 12, 2008 Oyama, Japan

Alonso's second straight win gives Renault a 16-point edge over Toyota in the constructor's battle for fourth place. (LAT Photo)

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice on the same place, but that was exactly the feeling on the Formula 1 paddock after Fernando Alonso took his and Renault's second victory in a row in the Japanese Grand Prix, a race marked by controversial moves by title contenders Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton that relegated the Ferrari and McLaren drivers to eighth and 12th at the finish line, respectively.

Massa and Hamilton were both delayed by drive-through penalties, the Briton for forcing Kimi Raikkonen wide at the start, and the Brazilian for pushing his title rival into a spin shortly afterwards.

Meanwhile Robert Kubica kept himself in title contention by finishing second for BMW, while Raikkonen’s Ferrari completed the podium.

Polesitter Hamilton made a slow start and was behind Raikkonen going into Turn 1, where the McLaren dived down the inside with a tire-smoking move that took not only Hamilton and Raikkonen wide onto the run-off, but also caused their teammates Heikki Kovalainen and Massa to go off in avoidance, allowing Kubica and Alonso to slip into first and second ahead of the recovering Kovalainen. Massa, Hamilton and Raikkonen fell back into the traffic.

Hamilton's aggressive move on Raikkonen at the start cost the Brit a drive-through penalty. (LAT Photo)

On the next lap Massa ran wide into the Turn 10 chicane and Hamilton slipped past and into fifth place, but the Ferrari fought back across the curbs at the second part of the corner, punting Hamilton into a spin. Both drivers received drive-through penalties for their aggressive moves.

At the front, Kubica held a narrow lead over Alonso and Kovalainen through the first stint, with Raikkonen swiftly hacking through the field and back up to fourth, then closing right in on the closely-matched top three.

But at the first stops Alonso managed to leapfrog Kubica and take the lead, and was able to charge away at the front. Kovalainen's shot at victory ended at the same time, as his McLaren suffered an engine failure.

By the time Alonso came in for his final stop on lap 43, he had established a 13-second lead over Kubica and an 18-second advantage over Raikkonen, and although both his pursuers were running several laps longer, neither was able to get anywhere near the flying Renault. The Spaniard duly pulled away again after pitting, taking another comfortable victory that demonstrated Renault's huge improvements in recent weeks.

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