2015 Formula 1 : Hamilton proves unbeatable and moves level with Senna at Suzuka

2015 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix Champion : 
Lewis Hamilton #44 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Lewis Hamilton had hoped to equal his hero Ayrton Senna’s tally of 41 race victories in Singapore, but in the end he did it at Suzuka - an altogether more appropriate venue given that the great Brazilian sealed all three of his world championship crowns there.

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2015 Formula 1 : Vettel beats Ricciardo in Singapore race

2015 F1 - Singapore Grand Prix Champion  - Sebastian Vettel #5 Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel has completed a commanding third win of the season in the Singapore Grand Prix after keeping his cool on a challenging evening around the Marina Bay Circuit, while Lewis Hamilton has seen his championship lead shrink following a first retirement of the year.

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2015 Formula 1 : Hamilton wins Belgian Grand Prix

2015 F1 Belgian Grand Prix Champion : Lewis Hamilton #44 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Lewis Hamilton has extended his lead in the 2015 Formula 1 World Championship standings with a commanding lights-to-flag victory over Nico Rosberg in the Belgian Grand Prix, while Sebastian Vettel suffered his first non-score of the year after a dramatic late tyre blowout

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2014 Formula 1 : Hamilton wins Japanese Grand Prix

2014 F1 Japanese GP Winner - Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes AMG F1 W05

• Race called after 44 laps
• Bianchi hits rescue vehicle after Sutil crash
• Hamilton declared winner ahead of Rosberg and Vettel

October 5, 2014 - Lewis Hamilton won the Japanese Grand Prix after a serious incident for Jules Bianchi caused the race to be red flagged.

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2014 Formula 1 : Hamilton wins Singapore Grand Prix

2014 Formula 1 - Singapore Grand Prix Winner : #44 Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes

• Hamilton wins despite safety car eroding lead
• Rosberg retires after electrical issue
• Vettel second and Ricciardo third ahead of Alonso and Massa

Lewis Hamilton won the Singapore Grand Prix and took the championship lead as team-mate Nico Rosberg retired early in the race.

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2014 Formula 1 : Ricciardo wins Belgian Grand Prix

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2014 F1 - Belgian Grand Prix Winner : Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) #3  Redbull racing RB10

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium : August 24, 2014 - Daniel Ricciardo says Red Bull has the top speed to challenge Williams and Ferrari in the Belgian Grand Prix.

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2014 Formula 1 : Ricciardo wins dramatic Hungarian GP

2014 F1 Hungarian GP Winner : Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing-Renault

HUNGARORING : July 27, 2014 - Daniel Ricciardo took a stunning victory in a thrilling Hungarian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton beat team-mate Nico Rosberg despite starting from the pit lane.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : VETTEL WINS ITALIAN GRAND PRIX @ MONZA

2013 F1 - Italian GP Champion : Sebastian Vettel (GER) - Red Bull Racing RB9

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix at a canter on Sunday to move 53 points clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in the Formula One championship after six victories from 12 races.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : VETTEL WINS BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

2013 Belgian GP F1 Champion : Sebastian Vettel (GER) - Red Bull Racing RB9

Sebastian Vettel was in a class of his own at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday in the first race back after the August summer break. He was able to blast past Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes on the first lap of the Belgian Grand Prix and then controlled the race from there to the chequered flag to claim his fifth GP victory of the year and his second win at the historic Spa circuit, having previously won in Belgium in 2011.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : HAMILTON WINS HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

2013 F1 Hangarian GP Champion : Lewis Hamilton - #10 Mercedes F1 W04 : 

Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Lewis Hamilton proved that miracles can and occasionally still do happen in F1, as he put his tyres woes in Germany behind him with an impressive run on Sunday to claim victory in the 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix. In doing so, Hamilton clinched his first win for his new team Mercedes at the same time as equalling Michael Schumacher's record of four wins at the Hungaroring and earned his 22nd career Grand Prix victory.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : VETTEL WINS GERMAN GRAND PRIX

2013 F1 German Grand Prix Champion : Sebastian Vettel - #1 Red Bull Racing-Renault - Red Bull Racing-Renault RB9 

Sebastian Vettel found the perfect way to respond to the disappointment of losing victory in the closing stages at Silverstone, winning his home race for the first time.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : ROSBERG WINS BRITISH GRAND PRIX

2013 F1 British Grand Prix Champion : Nico Rosberg - #9 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team - Mercedes -Benz F1 W04

Nico Rosberg claimed his second win of the 2013 F1 season after emerging from a dramatic British Grand Prix just 0.7secs ahead of a charging Mark Webber.

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2013 FORMULA 1 : VETTEL WINS AT BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX

2013 Formula 1 - Bahrain Grand Prix Champion : Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull Racing RB9

Sebastian Vettel defied the experts to guide Red Bull to its second victory of 2013, amid a repeat of the 2012 Bahrain GP podium.

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2013 F1 : ALONSO WINS CHINESE GRAND PRIX

2013 F1 - Chinese GP Champion - Fernando Alonso (ESP) Scuderia Ferrari F138

A terrific start off the line at the beginning of the 2013 Chinese Grand Prix combined with a combative and assertive display of controlled, thoughtful driving throughout the 56 laps of the race in Shanghai was enough to hand Fernando Alonso a comprehensive victory in China on Sunday.
 

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2013 FORMULA 1 : RAIKKONEN WINS SEASON-OPENING AUSTRALIAN GP

2013 F1 Australian GP Champion : Kimi Raikkonen No.7 - Lotus-Renault F1 Team

After all the qualifying drama leading up to the green lights, the Australian Grand Prix itself proved a remarkable calm affair for the ice-cool Kimi Raikkonen, who kept his head and cruised into impressive control of the opening race of the new F1 world championship season, confounding many experts who had all-but written-off the chance of significant success for Lotus in 2013.

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Breaking News : Honda Withdraws From Formula One

2008 Honda F1 Race Car

TOKYO : Dec. 05, 2008 - Honda announced today to withdraw from all Formula One activities, making 2008 the last season of participation.


This difficult decision has been made in light of the quickly deteriorating operating environment facing the global auto industry, brought on by the sub-prime problem in the United States, the deepening credit crisis and the sudden contraction of the world economies.

Honda must protect its core business activities and secure the long term as widespread uncertainties in the economies around the globe continue to mount. A recovery is expected to take some time.

Under these circumstances, Honda has taken swift and flexible measures to counter this sudden and expansive weakening of the marketplace in all business areas. However, in recognition of the need to optimize the allocation of management resources, including investment regarding the future, we have decided to withdraw from Formula One participation. We will enter into consultation with the associates of Honda Racing F1 Team and its engine supplier Honda Racing Development regarding the future of the two companies. This will include offering the team for sale.

In its third era of Formula One activities, Honda has been participating in Formula One races from the 2000 season, initially with BAR, by adopting a new format of jointly developing racing machines. Subsequently, in a move to meet the changing environment surrounding Formula One, we switched to running a 100% Honda-owned team commencing with the 2006 season.

From Statement by Takeo Fukui, President and CEO Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Surmounting many challenges, the Honda Team achieved a Grand Prix victory in 2006, enabling Honda to receive overwhelming support from Honda fans around the world that were looking forward to greater success. It, therefore, has been an extremely difficult decision for us to come to this conclusion without having been able to fully meet the expectations of our fans.

By making the best of what we have learned during these times of economic turmoil, coupled with the spirit of challenge gained through active participation in racing, we intend to continue with our commitment in meeting new challenges.

Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our fans and all those who have supported Honda's Formula One efforts, including everyone in the world of Formula One.

[Source : HONDA]

F1 : The ING Renault F1 Team confirms its 2009 driver line-up

ING-Renault Formula 1 Team

• ING Renault F1 Team is renewing the contracts of Fernando Alonso, for the 2009 and 2010 seasons, and Nelson Piquet, for 2009, under the direction of Flavio Briatore, Managing Director of ING Renault F1 Team.
  
• Renault has been a major player in Formula 1 for over 30 years, claiming the Manufacturers' and Drivers' titles in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso.

Boulogne Billancourt Cedex : November 5, 2008 - After a tough start to the season, Renault became the fourth ranked manufacturer in Formula 1 in second-half 2008, notching up 80 points. The Team scored two wins in a row at the Singapore and Japan Grand Prix and placed second in Brazil. Currently ranked fifth in the drivers’ championship, Fernando Alonso wrapped up the season in style with three podium finishes in the last four races of the year, making him the best driver over the last six Grand Prix events in 2008.


The ING Renault F1 Team is pleased to announce that it will field an unchanged line-up next season with Fernando Alonso signing a two year extension for 2009 and 2010, and Nelson Piquet confirmed

We are happy to confirm both Fernando and Nelson for next season, commented Managing Director, Flavio Briatore. This gives the ING Renault F1 Team one of the most exciting driver pairings with the perfect blend of youth and experience. Fernandos commitment for the next two seasons confirms the faith he has in the team and we are delighted to continue working with him. He has been a big asset throughout this difficult season and his leadership and talent, matched with the teams hard work and determination, have paid off with our recent performances, which have placed the ING Renault F1 Team back among the top competitors of Formula 1.

Fernando Alonso commented: I have decided to stay with the ING Renault F1 team because, as I have often repeated this season, they have always been my first choice and I feel very happy and comfortable with them. Its a very close-knit team with a competitive and winning mentality, and also a relaxed and warm attitude, which suits me perfectly. After a difficult start to the season, we have overcome our difficulties and constantly improved our performances, continued Fernando. My back-to-back wins in Singapore and Japan, and my recent second place podium finish in Brazil, have proved how competitive we can be. In the past we have won championships together, as well as going through tough moments, but we are now determined to show that we can repeat that success together in the coming seasons.

Nelson Piquet added: Obviously I am delighted to have the opportunity to race for the ING Renault F1 Team for a second year. Although I have had a tough year, I have learned a lot from my rookie season and I will aim to put that experience to good use next season. I want to thank the team for their support this year and for the trust they have shown in me for the future. Im already excited about 2009 and looking forward to working with the team over the winter so that we can start next season strongly.

[Source : ING-Renault F-1 Team]

F1 : Massa victorious, Hamilton takes title in last lap drama.

Lewis Hamilton - 2008 F1 Champion

SAO PAULO, Brazil : November 2, 2008 - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton roared into the record books as Formula One's youngest champion on Sunday when he snatched the title in last lap drama at the Brazilian Grand Prix.


The 23-year-old, needing only a fifth place finish in the season-ending race to become Britain's first champion since Damon Hill in 1996, was seconds from failure for the second year in a row as Ferrari rival Felipe Massa swept to victory.

Hamilton entered the last lap in sixth place after a late shower forced a change to wet weather tyres and saw Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso overtake the McLaren.

With the title disappearing as fast as Massa's Ferrari approached the chequered flag, Hamilton had Toyota's Timo Glock to thank after the German stayed out on dry tyres and was unable to hold on to his fifth place.

Hamilton powered past as the final corner approached.

"Amazing, I can't even get my breath back," said the astonished Briton, who embraced his father and brother before being mobbed by the team.

Felipe Massa - 2008 Brazilian GP Champion

Home Winner

Massa, Hamilton's sole title rival, won his home race for the second time in three years to chalk up a record 16th constructors' title for the Italian team.

Hamilton, who missed out by a single point to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in Brazil last season, ended the 18-race season one point clear of Massa.

"He scored more points than me, he deserves to win the title," said the disappointed race winner. "I know how to win, I know how to lose.

"This is another day of my life that I'm going to learn a lot from."

At 23 years and 301 days old, Hamilton broke the age record set by former McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard who won the first of his two titles with Renault in Brazil at the age of 24, one month and 27 days.

Hamilton's title was the first for Mercedes-powered McLaren since Finland's Mika Hakkinen in 1999.

Massa, the first driver since Alain Prost in 1989 to miss out on the title after winning more races than anyone else, led from pole position after a start delayed for 10 minutes by a sudden downpour while the cars were waiting on the grid.

The safety car was then deployed for two laps after a collision that sent Britain's David Coulthard crashing into retirement after 15 seasons in Formula One.

The Scot's Red Bull tangled with the Williams of Kazuki Nakajima and Renault's Nelson Piquet, who was also eliminated from the race.

Alonso took second place in the race, with Raikkonen joining him on the podium to seize third place overall from BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica on race wins.

Congratulation : The Youngest F-1 Champion - Lewis Hamilton





2008 Brazilian Grand Prix : Race result

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Time/Retired	Pts
1	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	34:11.4	10
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+13.2 secs	8
3	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+16.2 secs	6
4	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari	+38.0 secs	5
5	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	+38.9 secs	4
6	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	+44.3 secs	3
7	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	+55.0 secs	2
8	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+68.4 secs	1
9	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	+79.6 secs
10	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1 Lap
11	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+1 Lap
12	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	+1 Lap
13	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+1 Lap
14	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari	+1 Lap
15	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+1 Lap
16	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	+2 Laps
17	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	+2 Laps
18	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	+2 Laps
Ret	6	Nelsinho Piquet	Renault	Accident
Ret	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	Accident

Driver Championship Standings :

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Team	Points
1	Lewis Hamilton	British	McLaren-Mercedes	98
2	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Ferrari	97
3	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Ferrari	75
4	Robert Kubica	Polish	BMW Sauber	75
5	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	61
6	Nick Heidfeld	German	BMW Sauber	60
7	Heikki Kovalainen	Finnish	McLaren-Mercedes	53
8	Sebastian Vettel	German	STR-Ferrari	35
9	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	31
10	Timo Glock	German	Toyota	25
11	Mark Webber	Australian	Red Bull-Renault	21
12	Nelsinho Piquet	Brazilian	Renault	19
13	Nico Rosberg	German	Williams-Toyota	17
14	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Honda	11
15	Kazuki Nakajima	Japanese	Williams-Toyota	9
16	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull-Renault	8
17	Sebastien Bourdais	French	STR-Ferrari	4
18	Jenson Button	British	Honda	3
19	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Force India-Ferrari	0
20	Adrian Sutil	German	Force India-Ferrari	0
21	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Super Aguri-Honda	0
22	Anthony Davidson	British	Super Aguri-Honda	0

Constructor Championship Standings :

Pos	Team	Points
1	Ferrari	172
2	McLaren-Mercedes	151
3	BMW Sauber	135
4	Renault	80
5	Toyota	56
6	STR-Ferrari	39
7	Red Bull-Renault	29
8	Williams-Toyota	26
9	Honda	14
10	Force India-Ferrari	0

[Source : Super Wheel]

F1 : Hamilton wins Chinese GP, Massa second .. updated!

2008 SINOPEC Chinese Grand Prix

SHANGHAI : October 19, 2008 - McLaren's Lewis Hamilton put himself on the brink of the Formula One world title with a nerveless pole to flag victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Winner : Lewis Hamilton

Felipe Massa kept the championship alive with second place after his Ferrari team mate Kimi Raikkonen let him pass but Hamilton just needs to finish in the top five in Brazil on Nov. 2 to become the sport's youngest champion at the age of 23.

Winner - Lewis Hamilton(center), Second - Felipe Massa(left), Third - Kimi Räikkönen(right)

Robert Kubica's slim hopes of winning the title disappeared despite the Pole making a sterling effort to get his BMW-Sauber up from 11th on the grid to sixth at the finish.

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

Hamilton's fifth win of the season, and ninth of his 34 race career, gave the Briton 94 points with Massa seven behind and Kubica third with 75. Just 10 points remain on the line at Sao Paulo's Interlagos circuit.

Hamilton had been subjected to barrage of criticism after a wild getaway from pole position and clumsy attempt to retake the lead from Raikkonen at Fuji last weekend.

There were no mistakes on Sunday, and no repeat of the Shanghai nightmare of last season when the rookie skidded off into the gravel at the pit lane entry in a race that could also have handed him the title.

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

Hamilton made a clean start, sweeping into the first corner and keeping Raikkonen well behind before wrapping up a day of domination with the fastest lap.

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen tried to help his team mate with a vain attempt to force his way past Massa on the first chicane after overtaking Spain's Fernando Alonso at the start.

Twice world champion Alonso, who won the last two races, quickly regained fourth place from Kovalainen and held it to the finish.

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

Hamilton, meanwhile, never looked back and was nearly seven seconds clear of Raikkonen after the first round of pit stops.

By the time of his second stop, he had built up a sufficient advantage to comfortably return to the track with his lead intact and he crossed the line nearly 15 seconds ahead of Massa.

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

Brazilian Massa had been running third a substantial distance behind Raikkonen but the world champion slowed to let his team mate past seven laps from the end.

Kubica's German team mate Nick Heidfeld was fifth, his compatriot Timo Glock seventh for Toyota and Renault's Brazilian Nelson Piquet claimed the last point in eighth.

Kovalainen's 27th birthday was ruined by a run onto the grass on lap 35 which resulted in puncture to his front right tyre and he retired in the pits a few laps later.

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

2008 SINOPEC Chinese Grand Prix : Race result

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Time/Retired	Pts
1	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	Winner	10
2	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+14.9 secs	8
3	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+16.4 secs	6
4	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+18.3 secs	5
5	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+28.9 secs	4
6	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+33.2 secs	3
7	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	+41.7 secs	2
8	6	Nelsinho Piquet	Renault	+56.6 secs	1
9	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari	+64.3 secs
10	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	+74.8 secs
11	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+85.0 secs
12	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	+90.8 secs
13	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari	+91.4 secs
14	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	+92.4 secs
15	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	+1 Lap
16	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+1 Lap
17	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	+1 Lap
Ret	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	+7 Laps
Ret	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	+43 Laps
Ret	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+54 Laps

Driver Championship Standings :

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Team	Points
1	Lewis Hamilton	British	McLaren-Mercedes	94
2	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Ferrari	87
3	Robert Kubica	Polish	BMW Sauber	75
4	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Ferrari	69
5	Nick Heidfeld	German	BMW Sauber	60
6	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	53
7	Heikki Kovalainen	Finnish	McLaren-Mercedes	51
8	Sebastian Vettel	German	STR-Ferrari	30
9	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	30
10	Timo Glock	German	Toyota	22
11	Mark Webber	Australian	Red Bull-Renault	21
12	Nelsinho Piquet	Brazilian	Renault	19
13	Nico Rosberg	German	Williams-Toyota	17
14	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Honda	11
15	Kazuki Nakajima	Japanese	Williams-Toyota	9
16	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull-Renault	8
17	Sebastien Bourdais	French	STR-Ferrari	4
18	Jenson Button	British	Honda	3
19	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Force India-Ferrari	0
20	Adrian Sutil	German	Force India-Ferrari	0
21	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Super Aguri-Honda	0
22	Anthony Davidson	British	Super Aguri-Honda	0

Constructor Championship Standings :

Pos	Team	Points
1	Ferrari	156
2	McLaren-Mercedes	145
3	BMW Sauber	135
4	Renault	72
5	Toyota	52
6	STR-Ferrari	34
7	Red Bull-Renault	29
8	Williams-Toyota	26
9	Honda	14
10	Force India-Ferrari	0

Lewis Hamilton ; Vodafone - McLaren - Mercedes

[Source : Super Wheel ; Image courtesy of Vodafone-McLaren-Mercedes]

F1 : Alonso wins while Hamilton fails to score

Japanese GP Champion : Fernado Alonso

SHIZUOKA : October 12, 2008 - Renault's Fernando Alonso stormed to his second win in a row at a wild Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, while McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton plunged from first to last and failed to score.


Hamilton finished in 12th after starting on pole, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa battling to eighth - later promoted to seventh - to close the gap on the Briton to five points with two races left.

The Formula One title rivals both received drive-through penalties, Hamilton for cutting across Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari and causing mayhem behind him in a mad dash to the first corner.

Massa, who survived several scrapes during the race, was similarly penalised after the Brazilian collided with Hamilton on lap two, spinning the McLaren and leaving the Briton in 18th.

"I made a mistake at the first corner and I paid for it," Hamilton told reporters. "Then Felipe hit me off. I left room on the apex of turn 11 but he hit me pretty hard.

Hamilton, who won in Japan last year before allowing Raikkonen to make up a 17 point deficit over the final two races to take the title, said his championship hopes had not suffered serious damage.

"I don't think it makes any difference," said the 23-year-old. "I lost one point today which is I guess damage limitation. We'll move on to next week.

"We'll still be as competitive and we are going to make sure we win the last two races."

BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica finished second to boost the Pole's outside chances of the championship, while Raikkonen's third place ended his title defence.

CRUCIAL POINT

Massa picked up what could be a crucial extra point after stewards penalised Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais for a tangle with the Brazilian as his Toro Rosso emerged from the pits on lap 51.

"He just hit me coming out of the box (pits)," said Massa. "It was completely wrong. It could have been better in terms of points but we can't leave here saying it was a disaster."

Hamilton has 84 points with Massa on 79. Kubica has 72 with races in China and Brazil remaining.

"This is completely unexpected," said Alonso, a surprise winner in Singapore two weeks ago for a team who began the season struggling to score points.

"I can't believe it. Anything is possible now in the last two races," added the double world champion after capturing his 21st victory from fourth on the grid.

Raikkonen, who started alongside Hamilton on the front row, earned Ferrari six points, lifting them back above McLaren in the constructors' race. Ferrari have 142 to McLaren's 135.

Renault's Brazilian rookie Nelson Piquet finished fourth with Toyota's Jarno Trulli taking fifth at the Japanese team's home circuit.

Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel, a winner in Italy last month, was promoted to sixth while Australian Mark Webber moved up to eighth for Red Bull.

Japan's only Formula One driver Kazuki Nakajima was 15th and the final finisher in his home debut for Williams.

2008 Japanese Grand Prix : Race result

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Time/Retired	Pts
1	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:30:22	10
2	4	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+5.2 secs	8
3	1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+6.4 secs	6
4	6	Nelsinho Piquet	Renault	+20.5 secs	5
5	11	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+23.7 secs	4
6	15	Sebastian Vettel	STR-Ferrari	+39.2 secs	3
7	2	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	+46.1 secs	2
8	10	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	+50.8 secs	1
9	3	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+54.1 secs
10	14	Sebastien Bourdais	STR-Ferrari	+59.0 secs
11	7	Nico Rosberg	Williams-Toyota	+62.0 secs
12	22	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	+78.9 secs
13	17	Rubens Barrichello	Honda	+1 Lap
14	16	Jenson Button	Honda	+1 Lap
15	8	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams-Toyota	+1 Lap
Ret	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India-Ferrari	Gearbox
Ret	23	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren-Mercedes	Engine
Ret	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India-Ferrari	Puncture
Ret	12	Timo Glock	Toyota	Accident damage
Ret	9	David Coulthard	Red Bull-Renault	Accident

Driver Championship Standings :

Pos	Driver	Nationality	Team	Points
1	Lewis Hamilton	British	McLaren-Mercedes	84
2	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Ferrari	79
3	Robert Kubica	Polish	BMW Sauber	72
4	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Ferrari	63
5	Nick Heidfeld	German	BMW Sauber	56
6	Heikki Kovalainen	Finnish	McLaren-Mercedes	51
7	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	48
8	Sebastian Vettel	German	STR-Ferrari	30
9	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	30
10	Mark Webber	Australian	Red Bull-Renault	21
11	Timo Glock	German	Toyota	20
12	Nelsinho Piquet	Brazilian	Renault	18
13	Nico Rosberg	German	Williams-Toyota	17
14	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Honda	11
15	Kazuki Nakajima	Japanese	Williams-Toyota	9
16	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull-Renault	8
17	Sebastien Bourdais	French	STR-Ferrari	4
18	Jenson Button	British	Honda	3
19	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Force India-Ferrari	0
20	Adrian Sutil	German	Force India-Ferrari	0
21	Takuma Sato	Japanese	Super Aguri-Honda	0
22	Anthony Davidson	British	Super Aguri-Honda	0

Constructor Championship Standings :

Pos	Team	Points
01	Ferrari	142
02	McLaren-Mercedes	135
03	BMW Sauber	128
04	Renault	66
05	Toyota	50
06	STR-Ferrari	34
07	Red Bull-Renault	29
08	Williams-Toyota	26
09	Honda	14
10	Force India-Ferrari	0

[Source : SuperWheel ; Image courtesy of ING-Renault F1 Team]