Japanese GP 2014

OCTOBER 5, 2014

Race Notes - Hamilton wins Japanese GP over Rosberg

Japanese GP 2014
© Active Pictures

 

Lewis Hamilton won a wet Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka today in his Mercedes GP after passing his team mate Nico Rosberg on lap 29 to take the lead. Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull-Renault finished third.

The race was ended under a red flag when Jules Bianchi had a large accident when he hit a tractor that was removing Adrian Sutil's Sauber, and Bianchi was transported to the Suzuka Central Hospital unconscious.

The win is Lewis Hamilton's eighth win and eighth Mercedes GP 1-2 finish of the season. Hamilton now leads the world championship by 10 points over his team mate with four races remaining.

Daniel Ricciardo in the second Red Bull was fourth, followed with Jenson Button in the McLaren-Mercedes in fifth, Valtteri Bottas in the Williams-Mercedes was sixth, his team mate Felipe Massa was seventh, Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India-Mercedes was eighth, Jean-Eric Vergne in the Toro Rosso-Renault was ninth and Sergio Perez in the second Force India finished in the final points paying position in tenth place.

Before the start the weather was wet, with the downgraded

Rosberg starts on pole with Hamilton starting second. On the second row are the two Williams of Bottas and Massa. Alonso and Ricciardo start on the third row, while the McLaren's of Magnussen and Button start on the fourth row, Vettel and Raikkonen round out the top ten starters.

The race is started with the drivers running behind the Safety Car, as the circuit is very wet.

Vettel tells the team that he is aquaplaning at 80 kph. The rain has picked up since the cars were on the grid.

On lap 2 Marcus Ericsson spins near the pit entrance, but the marshals help him and he resumes.

The Red Flag is shown and the cars return to the pits and stop. With two laps in the books, the race can now be scored as an official race.

25 minutes after the scheduled start time, the field is restarted and the follows the safety car out of the pitlanne.

On lap 3 as the the field comes to the hairpin Alonso's Ferrari loses all power and comes to a stop. Alonso gets out and his day is done.

On lap 4 Hamilton tells Mercedes that the track conditions are improving.

On lap 6 Hamilton tells the team that the conditions are as good as they are going to get.

Williams tells it's drivers that they should expect at least another half hour before conditions get worse.

Vergne also tells Toro Rosso that the conditions are fine.

As the cars continue behind the safety car, Hamilton says,"It's almost time for intermediates" the Mercedes driver is raring to get started.

Many drivers start speculating about switching to intermediate tyres.

At the end of lap 9 the safety car comes in and the race is underway.

On lap 10 Button and Maldonado pit for new intermediate tyres.

Vettel looks to get past Magnussen at the hairpin, but can't make the pass.

At lap 11 Rosberg leads Hamilton, Bottas, Massa, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Vettel, Raikkonen, Perez and Kvyat in tenth place.

McLaren tells Button that he is running as quick at the

Bottas, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Raikkonen, Perez, Kvyat, Gutierrez, Grosjean, Vergne, Ericsson and Chilton all pit for intermediate tyres.

Mercedes tells Rosberg that the internediates are still slower than full-wet tyres.

On lap 11 Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m52.563s.

On lap 12 Massa, Vettel, Hulkenberg and Sutil all pit for intermediate tyres.

On lap 13 Rosberg pits from the lead and switches to intermediate tyres - he rejoins in second place. Bianchi pits as well.

Hamilton runs wide at the Spoon corner, but continues and pits at the end of the lap. Rosberg retakes the lead as Hamilton rejoins behind him.

Rosberg complains of a lot of oversteer in his Mercedes.

Ricciardo is pressuring team mate Vettel for sixth place.

At lap 15 Rosberg leads Hamilton (2.1s), followed by Button (14.6s), Bottas (8.1s), Massa (2.0s), Vettel (0.7s), Ricciardo (0.6s), Hulkenberg (6.6s), Raikkonen (0.9s) and Kvyat (1.4s) in tenth place.

Rosberg sets fast lap at 1m52.551s.

On lap 16 Vettel passes Massa for fifth place. Ricciardo passes Massa the next lap at the esses.

On lap 18 Vettel passes Bottas on the outside of the hairpin to take fourth place. Hamilton has been slowly chipping away at the lead and and closes on his team mate Rosberg to just 1.0 seconds

On lap 19 Ricciardo passes Bottas for fifth at the esses - the Red Bull running with much more downforce than the Williams, 2-3 seconds faster a lap. Gutierrez runs off-track at turn 1 but continues.

On lap 20 Vergne pits. Grosjean runs off-track at Spoon corner but continues.

On lap 22 Grosjean pits and takes another set of intermediates. Hulkenberg runs wide at turn 8.

A drier line is starting to emerge and some drivers start to look for water to keep their tyres cooler.

On lap 23 Sutil and Maldonado both pit for more intermediate tyres.

Hamilton closes to just 0.7 seconds behind Rosberg. Gorsjean passes both Sutil and Magnussen for 16th place.

On lap 24 Raikkonen makes a slow pit stop. Bianchi pits as well.

At lap 25 Rosberg leads Hamilton by 0.4 seconds, followed by Button (17.8s), Vettel (8.8s), Ricciardo (1.8s), Bottas (20.5s), Massa (4.4s), Hulkenberg (1.7s), Perez (11.8s) and Gutierrez (11.9s) in tenth place.

Rosberg contiunes to complain of oversteer.

On lap 27 Hamilton has a moment at the first corner and runs over the outside kerb, but continues and resumes his attack.

Hulkenberg pits for more intermediates.

On lap 29 on the front straight Hamilton makes a run in the DRS zone - Rosberg tucks to the right to defend his position, and Hamilton passes him on the outside on the entry to the first corner to take the lead.

On lap 30 Vettel pits from fifth place for another set of intermediate tyres.

Rosberg slows his pace and Hamilton pushes out to a 4.8 second lead at lap 31.

On lap 32 Button pits from third place and makes a slow stop - McLaren changing his steering wheel, and still performing a 6.2 second stop. Vettel sets fast lap at 1m52.191s.

On lap 33 Maldonado passes Sutil at turn 1 for 16th place.

Vettel sets another fast lap at 1m51.915s.

On lap 34 Rosberg pits from second place for another set of intermediates. Button sets fast lap at 1m51.721s. Magnussen spins at turn 2 and continues. Maldonado runs off-track and continues. Magnussen pits

On lap 36 Hamilton pits from the lead and takes another set of intermediates and rejoins in second behind Ricciardo. Gutierrez, Raikkonen and Grosjean pit as well.

Ricciardo pits the next lap. The rain seems to be falling a bit harder now - some teams saying it will last for 15m

At lap 37 Hamilton leads Rosberg by 7.3 seconds, followed by Vettel (6.9s), Button (4.8s), Ricciardo (4.4s), Bottas (26.7s), Massa (7.1s), Hulkenberg (7.6s), Kvyat (11.5s) and Perez (2.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 38 Massa pits. Vergne and Magnussen run wide at turn 1.

Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m51.667s.

On lap 39 Bottas pits and he rejoins ahead of Massa in sixth. Vettel runs wide in the esses, but saves it and continues.

On lap 40 Hamilton told to be careful at turn 1 - Hamilton responds that it is raining harder.

Ricciardo passes Button at the hairpin for fourth - but Button charges back and takes the position back.

There are continued reports of heavier rain. DRS has been disabled.

Maldonado and Magnussen both pit. Magnussen switches back to full-wet tyres.

On lap 42 Ricciardo passes Button again at the hairpin - making it stick this time. Button then pits for full-wet tyres.

On lap 43 Sutil is off the track in the barriers at turn 7 - double yellow flags at the corner while marshals clear the car.

The rain is continuing to get harder.

On lap 44 the safety car is deployed.

Perez, Hulkenberg and Raikkonen all pit.

There are reports that Bianchi has had a large accident at the same spot as Sutil's car is being cleared from the track.

Vettel pits as well.

On lap 45 behind the safety car Hamilton leads Rosberg, Ricciardo, Vettel, Button, Bottas, Massa, Hulkenberg, Vergne, Perez in tenth, followed by Kvyat, Raikkonen, Gutierrez, Magnussen, Maldonado, Grosjean, Ericsson, Chilton and Kobayashi.

On lap 46 the red flag comes out and the cars once again follow the safety car into the pitlane.

The race has been called and is over. Results were calculated from one lap before the red flag.

Emotions are muted and there are concerns for the situation at the crash site at turn 7.

Hamilton wins, Rosberg is second and Ricciardo is third.

Initial reports saying that Jules Bianchi was unconcious after his accident and was trasported to the local hospital by ambulance as the weather was too bad to use the helicopter