Formula 1: Ferrari on the podium, Alonso remains championship leader
Success for Felipe Massa: The Ferrari racer crossed the finish line as the runner-up at the Japanese Grand Prix. In a turbulent starting phase the Brazilian whose Ferrari is fitted with dampers from ZF Friedrichshafen AG stayed clear of trouble. From position ten on the grid, he pushed forward and thanks to a sophisticated race strategy took his best result of the season and first podium place in the current season. Behind Massa, Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber-Ferrari finished in third place. Massa’s Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso had to park his car after suffering a puncture as early as on lap one. After 15 of 20 rounds of the season, the Spaniard is leading the championship with a four-point advantage over race winner Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull).
Daniel Ricciardo, who in his Toro Rosso-Ferrari relies on dampers and a clutch from ZF Friedrichshafen AG, finished in tenth place and thus scored championship points for the second consecutive time. Sergio Pérez (Sauber-Ferrari, retirement) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 13th) trust high-tech from Germany as well.
Result GP Japan (J), round 15, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 05.10-07.10.2012:
1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1h 28m 56.242s
2. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, + 20.639s ZF
3. Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber-Ferrari, + 24.538s ZF
4. Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes, + 25.098s
5. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, + 46.490s
6. Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus-Renault, + 50.424s
7. Nico Hülkenberg, Force India-Mercedes, + 51.159s
8. Pastor Maldonado, Williams-Renault, + 52.364s,
9. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, + 54.675s
10. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, + 1m 06.919s ZF
Drivers’ World Championship standings:
1. F. Alonso, 194 points; 2. S. Vettel, 190; 3. K. Räikkönen, 157; 4. L. Hamilton, 152; 5. M. Webber, 134; 6. J. Button, 131; 7. N. Rosberg, 93; 8. R. Grosjean, 82; 9. F. Massa, 69; 10. S. Pérez, 66.
Manufacturers’ World Championship standings:
1. Red Bull-Renault, 324 points; 2. McLaren-Mercedes, 283; 3. Ferrari, 263; 4. Lotus-Renault, 239; 5. Mercedes, 136; 6. Sauber-Ferrari, 116; 7. Force India-Mercedes, 81; 8. Williams-Renault, 58; 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 15.