Grand Prix 2011 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

The championship is still alive!!!!!!!!!!! Okay that may be a bit over optomistic

Despite another crushing win by Vettel in Singapore, Buttons valiant second place ensures that the championship mathematically remains possible for the experienced Britain, but for him to take his second world title he requires Vettel to not finish in all the remain races and Button to win every race and to be honest there is as much chance of me winning the lottery.

Indeed, Button has had a strong 2011 and this would be more highlighted if it wasnt for the sheer dominance of Vettel who has taken a podium in every race apart from Germany. He has outperformed his beleagured team mate Hamilton who is under severe pressure from the media after another incident, this time with Massa who didn't take kindly to it and made his feelings clear after the race.

But at Ferrari they seem to be going through the motions after a great win at Silverstone, Alonso has strong drives without challenging and Massa is regularly in the middle of the points without ever challenging the podium, surely he'll be on the way out soon as he's not performing at a level that Ferrari require him to be if they want to be serious Constructors Champions in the future.

Big news at Mercedes as Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis have joined the team, with the team struggling (in comparison) since their return to the sport in 2010, these two signings might just get them back at the front in the near future and might convince Schumacher to extend his contract, Singapore aside, Schumacher's performances have been a lot better this season and at the very least he has matched Rosberg and perhaps there is still life in the old dog yet and the podium might not be too far away.

Japan has become famous for title deciders with Prost/Senna being the most memorable with the crashes at the final chicane and turn 1 being some of the most controversial in the sport (particularly the latter after a dispute over the start position). The track is regarded as one of the best driver tracks on the calendar, second only to Spa and returned to the calendar in 2009 after Fuji pulled out of F1 due to financial problems after holding the grand prix in 2007 and 2008 where Hamilton and Alonso won respectively.

No doubt the championship will be won in Suzuka but you never know, stranger things have happened in F1, surely the reliability of the Red Bull can't hold out forever, can we hope?

For Galahads superb circuit write up see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/suzuka-international-racing-course/
 
Either it was James Allen's or Joe Seward's website, I forget which...but one of them said - after Germany - that a Ferrari insider said that they would "walk" Suzuka.

Ferrari had gone well at Silverstone-Nurburgring eventhough they were 'cold' races (as were Hungary and Spa) and the thinking was it would be warm in Suzuka and the configuration would suit the 150 Italia.

Let's see how badly Ferrari get beaten.

Perhaps when they said "walk", they really meant they would look like they were walking whilst everyone was running! ;) :D
 
For once, the weather for a GP is not forecasted to be rain.

But we will probably end up getting rain, and the weather forecasters for F1 will get proved wrong again.

The amount of times the weather has been wrong this season is probably the same amount of times Sebastian Vettel has achieved pole!
 
I an glad that Suzuka is again the Japanese GP

Fuji was a disaster as far as leaving the circuit after the race, truly the worst I ever experienced. Hope I get the chance to see a race at Suzuka though, one of my favourites
 
Lovely Jubbly, can't not wait for this one.

Will we get a repeat of Alonso going around Schumacher at 130r? Will Red Bull blow the competition into smithereens? Only time will tell :), but right up for this one as it's my birthday next weekend and i love GP's on my Birthday weekend :).
 
It ought to be a Red Bull walkover really. Ferrari seem to have gone from being far too gentle on their tyres to being far too hard on their tyres without actually looking like fastest at any point in between.

Could be a big race for Kobayashi I suppose.
 
I think that Vettel should Just be able to squeak his point, his record here is not too bad. I think it is going to take on a similar vein to recent races, with McLaren being the only team to stay anywhere near the Bulls, Ferrari off the pace but clear of the Mercedes. There are still some interesting battles in the midfield, it should be a track which is better for the Renaults, so they may be able to pull away from the Force india's, although I am sure Paul Di Resta will want to have a good race to consolidate the result from Singapore.

I think Lewis will bounce back, as he has gone well here in the last couple of years, and 09 was a great race to 3rd in a car that really should not have been there.

I think Vettel, Hamilton, Webber, Button, Alonso, and not too much trouble. Hopefully.
 
Am I the only one that liked the Fuji racetrack?

If I am honest, I find the races at Suzuka quite boring, the last good race we saw there was Suzuka '05 and that was only because the 3 best drivers of that time where starting at the back of the grid. Every other time I have seen a race here it's not been that great.

It has a nice flow, and is a great track, but the races there aren't too great.
 
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Am I the only one that liked the Fuji racetrack?

If I am honest, I find the races at Suzuka quite boring, the last good race we saw there was Suzuka '05 and that was only because the 3 best drivers of that time where starting at the back of the grid. Every other time I have seen a race here it's not been that great.

It has a nice flow, and is a great track, but the races there aren't too great.
I agree. I wish Fuji aand Suzuka alternated. Also, the mountain in the background at Fuji makes for brilliant viewing.
 
Lovely Jubbly, can't not wait for this one.

Will we get a repeat of Alonso going around Schumacher at 130r? Will Red Bull blow the competition into smithereens? Only time will tell :), but right up for this one as it's my birthday next weekend and i love GP's on my Birthday weekend :).
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Fernando's move on Schumacher, especially around 130r, has to be added to the list of great passes in F1.
 
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Fernando's move on Schumacher, especially around 130r, has to be added to the list of great passes in F1.

Im not so sure.

When asked how he knew that Schumacher would concede the corner, he said it was because Schumacher had a family. Call me a lightweight, but for me the move was reckless, in the same way that Webber on Alonso at Eau Rouge this year was.
 
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