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Formula 1
Japanese GP
2011 Japanese Grand Prix The Japanese Grand Prix
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Lap 50: Just a second in it as Alonso flashes over the line chasing Button into the final three tours.
Lap 50: Some small consolation for di Resta in the final stages. He has passed the ailing Kobayashi for 12th place.
Lap 49: Perez in eighth has consistently chipped away at an eight second deficit to Massa. The gap is now 4.9 seconds.
Lap 49: Alonso brings the gap down to 1.6 seconds and clearly has a pace advantage with the condition of his tyres at the moment.
Lap 49: Behind this developing scrap for the lead, Massa has caught Schumacher and they now begin a fight for sixth place.
Lap 48: Five laps remain at Suzuka as Alonso pulls to just 2.1 seconds behind leader Button.
Lap 48: Rosberg is through past Kobayashi and takes 11th place, leaving him a shot at Petrov in the closing laps for the final point.
Lap 48: Red Bull tell its drivers not to take any risks - both Vettel on Alonso and Webber on his team-mate.
Lap 47: Rosberg is 12th and will surely also pass the Sauber soon, adding further bad news for the patriotic home crowd.
Lap 47: So the battle for the final point is now between Kobayashi in 10th, with Petrov on his tail ... he's through into Turn 1 and takes 10th.
Lap 47: Alonso sets his personal best time as he enjoys the pace from his medium compound rubber. He is 3.7 seconds off the lead.
Lap 46: The Scot is struggling now and Rosberg comes through as well to take 12th.
Lap 46: Meanwhile, Massa is now on the case of Schumacher's Mercedes, with Hamilton just a couple of seconds further ahead.
Lap 46: Kobayashi is down to 10th and gets a lifeline as Petrov makes a cheeky moves and takes di Resta for 11th.
Lap 46: Vettel is now 1.2 seconds behind Alonso after that moment in traffic.
Lap 45: Sutil has caught Kobayashi and makes a move into 130R ... great move from the German and he is through into ninth.
Lap 45: Vettel is heavily compromised lapping d'Ambrosio in the Virgin, waving his fist in anger at the Belgian.
Lap 45: Kobayashi is struggling and desperately trying to finish in the points at home. Sutil has passed team-mate di Resta for 10th.
Lap 44: Perez in eighth is continuing to catch Massa but his sensational rate of progress is flattening out now. He is 6.4s clear of team-mate Kobayashi.
Lap 44: Schumacher may be finding the benefits of his creative strategy, closing now on Hamilton who has much older tyres.
Lap 43: Vettel continues to harry Alonso, while Button has a comfortable 4.9 second lead over that scrap.
Lap 43: Rosberg with fresher tyres will now start his charge towards the points in the remaining laps, providing some entertainment.
Lap 43: 10 laps remain in a fascinating Japanese Grand Prix.
Lap 43: Kobayashi is up to ninth now with di Resta in 10th, Sutil 11th, Petrov 12th and Rosberg rejoined in 13th place.
Lap 42: Surely the Mexican will have used the best of this set of tyres in the next lap or two.
Lap 42: Perez is absolutely flying in that Sauber. With Rosberg's stop he is back into eighth and catching Massa's Ferrari hand-over-fist.
Lap 42: Schumacher has resumed behind Hamilton in sixth.
Lap 42: Rosberg also pits from eighth place, while Perez has passed Kobayashi.
Lap 42: Meanwhile, Vettel is all over the back of Alonso, with the Spaniard only just holding off the advances of the Red Bull into Turn 1.
Lap 41: Meanwhile, Button has caught temporary leader Schumacher and the Mercedes heads for the pits.
Lap 41: Perez continues to push and is going to catch team-mate Kobayashi at the end of this lap.
Lap 41: That puts Hamilton up to sixth, with Massa now on the tail of Rosberg - a man out of phase with the leading strategy.
Lap 41: Perez moves up to 11th and he is flying after that late stop. He shoots straight past Maldonado and moves into the points.
Lap 41: DRS is the ticket for Hamilton though as he breezes past the Mercedes into Turn 1.
Lap 40: Hamilton continues to look for a space around 130R, but Rosberg has the door firmly closed.
Lap 40: Petrov comes in from ninth place, releasing Kobayashi and Maldonado into ninth and 10th.
Lap 40: Schumacher continues to lead, however Button is rapidly closing on the Mercedes.
Lap 39: Hamilton is now right behind Rosberg and is looking for a move on the Mercedes into 130R.
Lap 39: Rosberg is up to sixth with Hamilton now seventh after that bold pass of Massa, leaving the Brazilian eighth, with Petrov ninth and Kobayashi 10th.
Lap 39: Button is 3.1 seconds clear of new second-place man Alonso, who has Vettel right on his tail.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton
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