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Japanese GP

2009 Formula 1 Japanese GP

Oct 1, 2009 to Oct 4, 2009
Suzuka, JP
Live text
Formula 1 Japanese GP

2009 Japanese Grand Prix Race day at Suzuka

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Lap 10: Nakajima runs in 14th and is fending off a challenge from Fernando Alonso, with Liuzzi 16th, Buemi 17th, Grosjean 18th and Webber one lap down in 19th position.
Lap 10: Vettel is told on the radio that he may be able to make an extra lap on fuel but is warned not to use any more. His lead is up to 3.8 seconds as Hamilton perhaps struggles with his softer tyres.
Lap 9: Adrian Sutil and Jenson Button are still close behind Kovalainen, with Kubica 11th, Fisichella 12th and Alguersuari 13th.
Lap 9: Vettel continues to extend his advantage and this is very strong pace from the leader.
Lap 9: The action in the race is all centred on Heikki Kovalainen at the moment. He is still eighth, but now 5.1s off Rosberg.
Lap 8: Buemi is just 0.4s behind Tonio Liuzzi who is 16th, as Alonso begins to move away from that pair.
Lap 8: Vettel sets the fastest lap again, pulling out the lead gap to 2.9 seconds over Hamilton, with Trulli a further 1.9s down.
Lap 8: Sebastien Buemi has passed Romain Grosjean for 17th place.
Lap 7: Rubens Barrichello is sixth in his Brawn, a second down on Kimi Raikkonen. The pair have a very similar fuel load.
Lap 7: Kovalainen in eighth is a massive 4.7s behind Rosberg and losing ground. Sutil and Button are right with the McLaren. This is bad for Jenson as he is a full eight seconds behind team-mate Barrichello.
Lap 6: Mark Webber is into the pits for the third time in just five laps. The Australian rejoins, hoping to complete more than a couple of laps consecutively.
Lap 6: Vettel edges the lead out to 2.4 seconds with another new fastest lap.
Lap 6: Heikki Kovalainen in eighth is backing up Sutil in ninth and Button has already closed up to the pair of them.
Lap 5: We now see the Button move on Kubica for 10th. It was a good, aggressive overtake at the chicane as Jenson sold the Pole a dummy approaching the right-left flick. Kubica bought it and Button switched to the inside, completing the pass.
Lap 5: Hamilton slotted in second but is now matching Vettel for pace, setting the fastest lap.
Lap 5: Replays of the start show that Hamilton was side by side with Vettel for the lead but had no where to go on the outside at the first corner.
Lap 5: Replays show that Sebastien Buemi made a poor start off the line. He has dropped all the way down to 18th place.
Lap 4: Webber rejoins after those repairs to the cockpit foam on the Red Bull.
Lap 4: Jenson Button has passed Robert Kubica for 10th place.
Lap 4: Webber is back into the pits for a second time and his chance of points is now gone. The team are fixing the cockpit foam surround and are trying to send him back out.
Lap 3: Sutil has lost out again with Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen now past the Force India.
Lap 3: It was a wonderfully clean first lap after all the problems yesterday. Button is still 11th and chasing after Robert Kubica.
Lap 3: Vettel takes the fastest lap at 1m34.661s to go 1.9 seconds clear at the front.
Lap 3: Vettel is streaking off in the lead on the second lap with Hamilton holding second comfortably from Trulli.
Lap 2: Mark Webber left the pits at the start, but came back in at the end of the first lap. He rejoins still in last place.
Lap 2: It was a good start from Heidfeld, who is now ahead of Raikkonen and Barrichello while Sutil ended up seventh.
Lap 2: Fernando Alonso passes Tonio Liuzzi round the outside going into Turn 1 on the second lap. Alonso takes over 15th place.
Lap 2: Hamilton was unable to make it past Vettel and remains second as they go into the second lap.
Lap 1: Jenson Button has dropped a position and runs 11th on this opening lap.
Lap 1: Down to the hairpin it is Vettel from Hamilton, Trulli, Heidfeld and Raikkonen.
Lap 1: Trulli is third with Heidfeld fourth in the S curves.
Lap 1: Sebastian Vettel makes a good start and holds off the challenge of Hamilton in Turn 1.
Lap 1: The five red lights go out and we are racing in Japan!
The field is now in place. This will be a cracker.

We await the lights ...
Vettel stops at his pole position grid slot and the front two rows pull into line.
Round the 130r they come and Vettel slows them down into the chicane. He begins to bring the pack into line behind him.
There isn't a cloud in the sky as they dive downhill towards Spoon as the formation lap continues.
Lewis Hamilton is on the softer tyres, looking for extra grip off the start.
Sebastian Vettel leads the field round the troublesome Degner curves and under the crossover bridge.
With grip levels still lacking after Friday's rain, the harder tyres are the choice for the majority of the drivers.

By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton

Published: