2007 Japanese Grand Prix

The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix (officially the 2007 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix ) [ 1 ] was a Formula One motor race held on 30 September 2007 at the Fuji Speedway , Oyama, Shizuoka . The 67-lap race was the fifteenth round of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship . It was held at the recently revised track in very heavy rain and misty conditions. For the previous 20 years, the Japanese Grand Prix had been held at Suzuka Circuit , but at this race it returned to Fuji for th...

Lewis Hamilton of McLaren led the Drivers' Championship by two points from his team-mate Fernando Alonso , who was a further 11 points ahead of Ferrari 's Kimi Räikkönen . After McLaren's exclusion from the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari had been confirmed as Constructors' Champions, following their Belgian Grand Prix one-two. They were 71 points ahead of BMW Sauber .

Sebastian Vettel in the Toro Rosso and Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber occupied row 5, just behind Jenson Button , getting his best qualifying of the season in the Honda, and Mark Webber 's Red Bull. Nico Rosberg qualified 6th in the Williams, but was penalised ten places for an engine change. This meant that Vettel qualified eighth, the then best qualifying ever for Toro Rosso. Nick Heidfeld qualified 5th for BMW Sauber, and the top four was once again the two McLarens and two Ferraris . The Fe...

The Ferraris dropped back to 20th and 21st positions respectively following the pit stops, and Massa pitted again on lap 15. When the safety car finally left the circuit, the two McLarens began the race proper at the head of the field, in front of the quick-starting Sebastian Vettel . The Toro Rosso driver had taken third place from Nick Heidfeld , after the latter and Jenson Button 's Honda collided. Mark Webber was in fourth by the first racing lap as a result of the collision, [ 3 ] despite s...

On the final lap, Felipe Massa prevailed in his battle with BMW driver Robert Kubica . The Pole had previously served a drive through penalty for colliding with Hamilton. Massa finished sixth, and Kubica seventh, behind Giancarlo Fisichella 's Renault. Vitantonio Liuzzi finished in eighth, scoring the first 2007 championship points for Toro Rosso. [ 3 ] However, these points were later removed when Liuzzi was penalised for overtaking Adrian Sutil under waved yellow flags. This promoted Sutil to ...

The free practice session on Saturday was abandoned after repeated delays due to fog , which grounded the medical helicopter. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] Only three drivers set a time in four minutes: Alexander Wurz (Williams-Toyota), Nico Rosberg (Williams-Toyota) and Jarno Trulli (Toyota). [ 12 ]

Fuji Speedway prohibited spectators from setting up flags and banners supporting teams and drivers, [ 23 ] [ 24 ] with the exception of the Toyota F1 team whose owner also owned the circuit. [ 25 ] Therefore, there were very few flags and banners in the event compared with other Grand Prix events. [ 18 ] [ 26 ] After the event, Japanese media figures such as Fuji TV F1 commentator Jun Imamiya, and Fuji TV F1 commentator and former mechanic for Benetton Formula Tetsuo Tsugawa criticised the organ...

...Although I have worked in Formula One for thirty years, this is the first time I have seen a Grand Prix race without seeing fans wave the flag of Ferrari . I think this is inexcusable. What I heard was Fuji Speedway prohibited flags and banners of F1 teams, but I saw a Toyota F1 flag in the stands of the Toyota-owned circuit. The track later said the flags were not prohibited, but there was a miscommunication between the race organisers and the staff of the circuit. However, many fans fami...

However, the event was well received by visitors in the paddock. [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Despite the problems and criticism, the team principal of Toyota F1 , Tadashi Yamashina praised the event:

In 2009, the Japanese Grand Prix was held again at Suzuka, with the plan to alternate between the two circuits in subsequent years. It was suggested that this could help to prevent future shows of such flagrant parochialism. [ 31 ] However, Toyota later announced that the Japanese Grand Prix would not be held at Fuji Speedway any more, and the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix was the last held at the circuit. [ 32 ]

On 16 June 2008, 109 spectators went to Tokyo District Court and took an action against the circuit to claim total 32 million yen ( US$ 295,500) in compensation for bad health and missing the race due to the problems with the shuttle buses. [ 33 ] [ 34 ] [ needs update ]

35°22′18″N 138°55′36″E  /  35.37167°N 138.92667°E  / 35.37167; 138.92667