FUJI, Japan, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Team by team analysis of Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix (listed in championship order):
- - - - FERRARI (Kimi Raikkonen 3, Felipe Massa 6)
Ferrari started on regular wet tyres without realising that the governing body had told all teams to use extreme wets, and were ordered to pit or face disqualification. The team said later they had only received the e-mail after the race had started. Massa's title hopes are over, Raikkonen's almost snuffed out. "It will need a miracle," said team boss Jean Todt.
- BMW SAUBER (Robert Kubica 7, Nick Heidfeld 14)
Kubica said the race start should have been delayed and complained that it was hard to see 50 metres in front of him. He touched Lewis Hamilton's McLaren and then fought with Massa at the finish. He also had a problem with water coming into the air filter. Heidfeld said his radio failed, the engine misfired and his race was ruined when Button's Honda ran into him.
- RENAULT (Heikki Kovalainen 2, Giancarlo Fisichella 5)
Kovalainen's first podium, from 11th place on the grid, and Renault's first of the season. Both drivers ran a one-stop strategy. Fisichella struggled with his car's handling in low-speed corners and let Kovalainen past early on.
- WILLIAMS (Nico Rosberg and Alex Wurz retired)
Wurz was hit from behind after the first safety car period and said the conditions were diabolical: "The only way I can describe it is if you close your eyes and run through your house at high speed". Rosberg retired with an electronics problem.
- RED BULL (David Coulthard 4, Mark Webber retired)
Coulthard said he enjoyed one of the scarier races of his career. Webber threw up from food poisoning before and during the race but was second when Toro Rosso's Sebastian Vettel ran into the back of him during the second safety car period.
- TOYOTA (Jarno Trulli 13, Ralf Schumacher retired)
Schumacher's race ended with a slow puncture 12 laps from the chequered flag. He had already lost time with an electronic problem. Trulli spun while warming up his tyres and lost several positions behind the first safety car.
- SUPER AGURI (Takuma Sato 15, Anthony Davidson retired)
Sato damaged his front wing and nose in a collision behind the first safety car. Davidson retired with throttle sensor
failure.
- HONDA (Rubens Barrichello 10, Jenson Button 11)
Button was up to fourth at the start when the Ferraris pitted but he and Heidfeld collided on lap 21. He then struggled with a throttle problem and finally parked up on the last lap after a collision with Sato broke his suspension. Barrichello started 17th.
- SPYKER (Adrian Sutil 8, Sakon Yamamoto 12)
Sutil collected the team's first point, from 20th on the grid, after Toro Rosso's Liuzzi was penalised for passing under a yellow flag. Yamamoto was the highest placed Japanese.
- TORO ROSSO (Vitantonio Liuzzi 9, Sebastian Vettel retired)
Liuzzi finished eighth but was demoted to ninth after being penalised 25 seconds. Toro Rosso have appealed the decision. Vettel led for three laps and was impressive in the toughest conditions, much less so when it was easier. He collided with Alonso, contributing to the Spaniard's later crash, and put Webber and himself out of the race while second and third.
- MCLAREN (Lewis Hamilton 1, Fernando Alonso retired)
Hamilton's fourth win in 15 races, with the fastest lap and from pole position. He now leads Alonso by 12 points and can become the first rookie champion as well as the youngest if he wins the next race in China. Both drivers pitted only once. Alonso aquaplaned at turn five on lap 42.
