2009 Japanese Grand Prix

Championship standings

Button leads Barrichello by 15 points. Vettel is a further 10 points back and still mathematically in contention. Webber cannot win the championship. McLaren and Ferrari are separated by 3 points in the Constructors’ Championship for third place, with Ferrari ahead.

Previous race

Hamilton won in Singapore ahead of Glock and Alonso — the only race of the season without a Brawn or Red Bull on the podium. Vettel was penalised for speeding in the pit lane, dropping to fourth. Webber crashed out with a brake failure. Button extended his lead by one point finishing fifth, one ahead of Barrichello.

Between-race developments

The race returns to Suzuka after two years at Fuji Speedway. Eight drivers — including Hamilton, Vettel, Kovalainen, Nakajima, Sutil, Buemi, Alguersuari, and Grosjean — have not previously raced at Suzuka in Formula One. This is the first time since 1991 that neither a Michael nor a Ralf Schumacher is entered for Suzuka.

Milestones

Hamilton, Kovalainen, and Sutil each start their 50th Formula One race.

Tyre choices

Bridgestone brings the hard and soft compounds.

Practice

Heavy rain severely limited running in both Friday sessions. Toyota’s Glock was replaced by GP2 driver Kamui Kobayashi in FP1 after a fever left him unable to drive. The second session saw very limited running, with Toro Rosso the only team setting times in the wet early on. Many drivers — including Kovalainen and the Brawn cars — chose not to take to the circuit. Sutil set the fastest time in FP2, some seven seconds slower than Kovalainen’s FP1 benchmark.

Button and Alguersuari made contact at the start of the dry Saturday session, requiring Button to change his front wing. Buemi dominated the hour, with Vettel close second until Trulli went fastest on his final lap. Webber crashed near Degner Corner in FP3, requiring a complete chassis rebuild that forces him to start from the pit lane.

Multiple drivers were summoned to the stewards following qualifying for allegedly setting times under yellow flags caused by Buemi’s off in Q2. Button, Barrichello, Alonso, and Sutil each received five-place grid penalties. Kovalainen crashed at Degner in Q3 and also incurs a five-place penalty for a gearbox change. Glock crashed heavily at the final corner in Q2 and is airlifted to hospital with a wound to his left leg and back pain.