//:: F1 News: Ferrari hits back! ... Mixed emotions for Ferrari

I'd say it was a good and bad day for Scuderia Ferrari. Good because they took the lead back on the constructors championship and bad cause Kimi only finished 3rd and Massa at 7th.

October the 12th at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. The 2009 Formula1 Japanese Grand Prix.

As it has been the issue of Scuderia Ferrari, both their drivers Kimi Raikonen and Felipe Massa both strugelled for pace during the qualifying session yesterday October 11, 2008. Kimi was the best of the 2 red cars which placed his Ferrari 2nd on the grid. Felipe on the other hand made a costly mistake and got the 5th spot on the grid. The 2 admitted they struggled for grip during the qualifying session....

Come October 12th, Race Day! I was feeling confident that The Ferrari cars would take some places in the coming first few laps of the race. When the red lights went out, Kimi Raikkonen took the lead of the line from Lewis Hamilton. Lewis had a bad start which caused other cars behind him to tag along side him. he tried to get a slip stream behind kimi and almost collecting his team mate as he moved to the right of kimi. On the first corner, Lewis over cooked it and pushed several cars wide. Kimi Raikonen and Felipe Massa where forced to go off-track and on to the run-off area because of the mistake Hamilton did. He cause so much stir that a lot of cars bunched up behind them banged wheels to each other. Further at the back, David Coulthard could not do anymore move to prevent a collision with other cars. He broke his rear suspension and just went of the track collecting the front wing of William's Kazuki Nakajima. Because of the incident the Red cars was forced to go offline and rejoined at the middle of the pack. At the twisty turn 10, Felipe Massa tried to to attack Lewis but both of them made contact. After all those incidents involving Lewis alot, the stewards handed out drive-thru penalties both for Lewis Hamilton for pushing other cars wide on turn 1 which has caused Kimi the raace and for Felipe Massa for hitting lewis on turn 10 where lewis already has the line.

The race was a really nerve wracking. After 67 laps around the great Fuji Speedway circuit. Kimi Raikkonen finished 3rd behind Robert Kubica and winner Fernando Alonso while Felipe crossed the line 8th. But because Sebastien Bourdais was handed out another 25 second penalty for colliding with Felipe Massa after exiting the pits relegating the Frenchman from 6th to 10th. Felipe earned 7th as the result. So all in all Scuderia Ferrari scored 8 points for the constructors title adding up to a 7 point lead over Mclaren on the constructors title. Because Felipe Massa scorred 2 points this race and Lewis did not. Lewis' lead on the drivers title has been cut to 5. Thanks also to an engine failure for Heiki Kovaleinen Mclaren did not score any point for this round.

Now that Kimi has no chance of defending his title this year. My bet to win the drivers title is the 2nd Ferrari Driver Felipe Massa. If the Ferrari Boys can finish 1 and 2 for the last 2 races, keeping Massa up front. Felipe Massa will be the 2009 World Champion. If it wasn't for the misfurtunesssssss of Kimi Raikkonen this year. Clearly Kimi would be have a great chance of defending his 2008 drivers title.

Here are some photos from the Formula1 Japanese Grand Prix

First corner mistake by Lewis, locking his brakes

Kimi losses ground to Heiki and Robert at the first corner because of Lewis' mistake

Forced wide and off the track

Kimi exiting the pit lane

Podium Finishers: 1st Fernando Alonso (ESP), 2nd Robert Kubica (POL), 3rd Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

A big congratulations to the Renault F1 team and the 2 time world champion Fernando Alonso for winning 2 in a row (The singaporean GP and the Japanese GP). Amazing race by the spaniard! He was so consistent. I was so amazed by how he managed to closely put consistent lap times when he was told to push really hard "Sprint like hell fernando" on the radio by his engineer. For 5 consecutive laps before entering the pits. He clocked his Renault on 1.19.191 to 1.19.200's. It was amazing to look at the time for 5 consecutive laps. Great job also by the chassis department and aero department of the renault team. They said they're engine has lost like 20 to 30 horse power which kills them on the straights. But I think it's the corners where they really had the edge. With the pace like that they nearly matched the front runners (Mclaren, Ferrari, BMW). Fernandos' team mate Nelson Piquet, Jr. who finished 4th has really sealed it down for them. It has really shown what kind of development the team has done for this final part of the season. They have now secured the win at the mid field of the grid.

Flavio Briatore (Renault F1 team boss) with his drivers Nelson Piquet, Jr. and Race winner Fernando Alonso

2008 World Championship Standings after the Japanese GP

DRIVERS:

1) L. Hamilton - 84 Points

2) F. Massa - 79 Points

3) R. Kubica - 72 Points

4) K. Raikkonen - 63 Points

5) N. Heidfeld - 56 Points

6) H. Kovalainen - 51 Points

7) F. Alonso - 48 Points

8) S. Vettel - 30 Points

J. Trulli - 30 Points

10) M. Webber - 20 Points

11.) T. Glock - 20 Points

12) N. Piquet - 18 Points

13) N. Rosberg - 17 Points

14) R. Barrichello - 12 Points

15) K. Nakajima - 9 Points

16) D. Coulthard - 8 Points

17) S. Bourdais - 7 Points

18) J. Button - 3 Points

CONSTRUCTORS:

1) Ferrari - 142 Points

2) McLaren Mercedes - 135 Points

3) BMW Sauber - 128 Points

4) Renault - 66 Points

5) Toyota - 50 Points

6) Scuderia Toro Rosso - 36 Points

7) Red Bull Racing - 28 Points

8) Williams Toyota - 26 Points

9) Honda - 14 Points