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Posted on Friday, 10.02.09

Formula One - Japanese Grand Prix Preview

The Sports Network

Date: Sunday, October 4th

Start Time: 1 a.m. (et)

Site: Suzuka Circuit -- Suzuka City, Japan

Track: 5.807 km (3.608 miles), 17-turn road course

Laps: 53

Miles: 191.126

Capacity:

Total purse:

Payouts:

Year: 25th

On TV: SpeedChannel

Announcers:

On Radio:

Race record: Fernando Alonso, 2006 (1 hour, 23 minutes, 53.413 seconds)

Qualifying record: Felipe Massa, 2006 (1 minute, 29.599 seconds)

2008 Finish

Defending champion: Fernando Alonso

Runner up: Robert Kubica

Pole winner: Lewis Hamilton, 1:18.404

Top 10:

1. Fernando Alonso (Start: 4)

2. Robert Kubica (6)

3. Kimi Raikkonen (2)

4. Nelson Piquet Jr (12)

5. Jarno Trulli (7)

6. Sebastian Vettel (9)

7. Felipe Massa (5)

8. Mark Webber (13)

9. Nick Heidfeld (16)

10. Sebastien Bourdais (10)

Average speed: 202.788 k.p.h.

Time of race: 1 hour, 30 minutes, 21.892 seconds

Margin of victory: 5.283 seconds

Caution flags:

Lead changes:

Past winners

2008 Fernando Alonso, Renault, 202.788 k.p.h./1:30:21.892

2007 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren, 151.978 k.p.h./2:00:34.579

2006 Fernando Alonso, Renault, 219.982 k.p.h./1:23:53.413 (record)

2005 Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren-Mercedes, 207.266 k.p.h./1:29:02.212

2004 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 218.524 k.p.h/1:24:26.985

2003 Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari, 217.136 k.p.h./1:25:11.743

2002 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:26:59.698

2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:27:33.298

2000 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:29:53.435

1999 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:31:18.785

1998 Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:27:22.535

1997 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:29:48.446

1996 Damon Hill Jacques, Williams-Renault, 1:32:33.791

1995 Michael Schumacher, Benetton-Renault, 1:36:52.930

1994 Damon Hill, Williams-Renault, 1:55:53.532

1993 Ayrton Senna, McLaren-Ford, 1:40:27.912

1992 Riccardo Patrese, Williams-Renault, 1:33:09.533

1991 Gerhard Berger, McLaren-Honda, 1:32:10.695

1990 Nelson Piquet, Benetton-Ford, 1:34:36.824

1989 Alessandro Nannini, Benetton-Ford, 1:35:06.277

1988 Ayrton Senna, McLaren-Honda, 1:33:26.173

1987 Gerhard Berger, Ferrari, 1:32:58.072

1986 , , Not Held

1985 , , Not Held

1984 , , Not Held

1983 , , Not Held

1982 , , Not Held

1981 , , Not Held

1980 , , Not Held

1979 , , Not Held

1978 , , Not Held

1977 James Hunt, McLaren-Ford, 1:31:51.68

1976 Mario Andretti, Lotus-Ford, 1:43:58.86

Last race

Race: Singapore Grand Prix (September 27th)

Site: Marina Bay Street Circuit -- Singapore

Miles: 192.066

Laps: 61

Finish line order: Lewis Hamilton, Timo Glock, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button

Time of Race: 1 hour, 56 minutes, 6.337 seconds

Average speed: 159.845 k.p.h.

Margin of victory: 9.634 seconds

Caution flags:

Lead changes:

Lap leaders:

Entry list

#1 Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone

#2 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone

#3 Giancarlo Fisichella (Rome, Italy) Ferrari/Marlboro

#4 Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) Ferrari/Marlboro

#5 Robert Kubica (Krakow, Poland) BMW-Sauber

#6 Nick Heidfeld (Monchengladbach,Ger) BMW-Sauber

#7 * Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) Renault/ING

#8 Romain Grosjean (Geneva, Switz.) Renault/ING

#9 Jarno Trulli (Pescara, Italy) Toyota/Panasonic

#10 Timo Glock (Lindenfels, Germany) Toyota/Panasonic

#11 Jaime Alguersuari (Barcelona,Spain) Ferrari/Red Bull/Toro Rosso

#12 Sebastien Buemi (Aigle,Switzerland) Ferrari/Red Bull/Toro Rosso

#14 Mark Webber (Queanbeyan, Australia) Renault/Red Bull

#15 Sebastien Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) Renault/Red Bull

#16 Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) Toyota/AT&T

#17 Kazuki Nakajima (Aichi, Japan) Toyota/AT&T

#19 Adrian Sutil (Grafelfing, Germany) Mercedes/Force India

#20 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy) Mercedes/Force India

#21 Jenson Button (Frome, England) Mercedes/BrawnGP

#22 Rubens Barrichello (Sao Paulo, Brz) Mercedes/BrawnGP

Leading contenders

Name	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Fernando Alonso	11th		18th	5th	3rd	Won	21st	Won
Robert Kubica								2nd
Kimi Raikkonen	21st	3rd	2nd	6th	Won	5th	3rd	3rd
Sebastian Vettel							19th	6th
Mark Webber		10th	11th	20th	4th	19th	20th	8th
Nico Rosberg						10th	18th	11th
Lewis Hamilton							Won	12th
Rubens Barrichello	5th	2nd	Won	19th	11th	12th	10th	13th
Jenson Button	7th	6th	4th	3rd	5th	4th	11th	14th
Giancarlo Fisichella	17th	13th	17th	8th	2nd	3rd	5th	16th

Notes

After two years at Fuji Speedway, the Japanese Grand Prix returns toSuzuka Circuit. With three races remaining in the 2009 campaign, Jenson Buttonholds a 15-point lead over his Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello. Buttonfinished fifth, while Barrichello came in sixth in last Sunday's SingaporeGrand Prix.Last season, Fernando Alonso scored his second consecutive victory by takingthe Japanese Grand Prix. Alonso defeated runner-up Robert Kubica by 5.2seconds for his 21st and last career F1 title.In 2007, Lewis Hamilton raced to victory, overcoming rain, fog and the fieldfor his fourth victory of the season. Hamilton cruised to a 8.377 secondsvictory over Heikki Kovalainen. Hamilton currently ranks first on the pointslist, seven ahead of Felipe Massa. In two years on the circuit, Hamilton hasammassed eight victories and 29 top-10s in 32 races.Fernando Alonso cruised to a 16.151 seconds victory over Felipe Massa in 2006for his seventh win that year.Kimi Raikkonen started last in 2005, but finished first, as he crossed thefinish line 1.633 seconds ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella for his 10th career F1title. The win, his seventh of the 2005 season, enabled Raikkonen to finishsecond behind Fernando Alonso in the final Grand Prix standings.At 4.563km long, the revamped Fuji Speedway re-opened its doors in April 2005and in 2007, took over the hosting of the Japanese Grand Prix in what is analternating basis with the Suzuka Circuit.The 2009 Formula One season continues October 18th in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Felipe Massa won last year's Brazilian Grand Prix in his home country.10/02 16:23:48 ET

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