McLaren Rival Alonso Wipes Out As Weather Rules Japanese GP

OYAMA, Japan — The Japanese Grand Prix started out somewhat sedately with a record 20 laps and 42 minutes spent behind the safety car because of heavy rain.
But once the race really started, things got wild and crazy. The action continued right up to the 67th and final lap when Lewis Hamilton crossed the line to claim his fourth victory of the season.
“I think there were so many times during the race where it went through all of the drivers’ heads that we should stop the race,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton’s win moved him 12 points ahead of championship rival and McLaren Mercedes teammate Fernando Alonso, who crashed out of the race.
Rookie Heikki Kovalainen drove superbly to finish second (his first podium) in a Renault set up for dry conditions. For the first time, there were two Finns on the podium, as Kimi Raikkonen charged from the back of the field to claim third in his Ferrari.
The race started behind the safety car for the first time since the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. Shortly before the start, stewards notified the teams that extreme wet-weather tires must be fitted to their cars. Somehow, Ferrari didn’t get the message until an e-mail arrived seven minutes after the start, and thus its cars were on intermediate tires.
Stewards ordered the Ferraris in to change tires, and that dropped Raikkonen and Massa, from third and fourth, to the back of the field. It effectively ruined Ferrari’s chances in the race.
When the safety car finally pulled in, Hamilton, who had been leading all the while from pole, continued to do so.
Such was the nature of this crazy race that Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella all led during the pit stops although Hamilton eventually resumed the lead.
Although the rain eased off at times, visibility was always poor. Everybody had trouble in the slippery conditions, including Hamilton, who was pushed off by Robert Kubica trying to pass. Stewards gave Kubica a drive-through penalty for causing the accident.
Alonso slid off the track, then damaged his car when he tangled with Vettel and later crashed heavily into the wall after aquaplaning. Alonso’s accident brought the safety car out for another seven laps and triggered a crash that eliminated Webber from second and Vettel from third.
David Coulthard finished a fighting fourth ahead of Fisichella’s Renault.
One of the best fights of the race happened on the last lap with Massa and Kubica banging into each other as they passed and re-passed each other.
Massa slithered by to take sixth place, .243 second ahead of Kubica.