**Official Japanese Grand Prix Thread 2008 **

[gloomyDAY]

Please, Vettel, no repeat of last year.

[ioan]

Please, Vettel, no repeat of last year.

Yeah, win it this time. Or at least crash into a certain McLaren, not into Webber! :

[gloomyDAY]

Yeah, win it this time. Or at least crash into a certain McLaren, not into Webber! :

lol

I have to admit, that really cracked me up!

[truefan72]

so what are the changes they report on fuji this year. lookslike the same wexact track as las year, maybe the last turn is less tight?

[ShiftingGears]

Well, at some point I hope to see Vettel and Webber closing in on a McLaren

Besides that chicane, and the unnecessary tarmac runoff that facilitates frequently running off the road, Fuji is a good circuit!

[ShiftingGears]

so what are the changes they report on fuji this year. lookslike the same wexact track as las year, maybe the last turn is less tight?

Where'd you hear that?

[gloomyDAY]

Practice 1

1. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.910 + 23
2. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:19.063 + 0.153 24
3. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:19.279 + 0.369 20
4. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:19.399 + 0.489 31
5. Alonso Renault (B) 1:19.473 + 0.563 30
6. Piquet Renault (B) 1:19.743 + 0.833 35
7. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.121 + 1.211 30
8. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:20.160 + 1.250 26
9. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:20.182 + 1.272 34
10. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.217 + 1.307 25
11. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:20.288 + 1.378 26
12. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:20.350 + 1.440 28
13. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:20.620 + 1.710 24
14. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:20.628 + 1.718 23
15. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:20.657 + 1.747 33
16. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:20.753 + 1.843 32
17. Button Honda (B) 1:20.769 + 1.859 27
18. Glock Toyota (B) 1:20.823 + 1.913 37
19. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:20.905 + 1.995 24
20. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:21.014 + 2.104 28

[F1boat]

So far first blood for Lewis Hamilton - it was the same in Singapore, however and in qualifying Massa was fastest. It is nice to see that the Renault remain competitive.

[christophulus]

Free Practice 2

1. Glock Toyota (B) 1:18.383
2. Alonso Renault (B) 1:18.426 + 0.043
3. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.463 + 0.080
4. Massa Ferrari (B) 1:18.491 + 0.108
5. Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 1:18.725 + 0.342
6. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:18.734 + 0.351
7. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.734 + 0.351
8. Vettel Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:18.761 + 0.378
9. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) 1:18.803 + 0.420
10. Trulli Toyota (B) 1:18.863 + 0.480
11. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) 1:18.865 + 0.482
12. Piquet Renault (B) 1:18.888 + 0.505
13. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) 1:18.981 + 0.598
14. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 1:19.040 + 0.657
15. Barrichello Honda (B) 1:19.258 + 0.875
16. Sutil Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.287 + 0.904
17. Coulthard Red Bull-Renault (B) 1:19.327 + 0.944
18. Fisichella Force India-Ferrari (B) 1:19.482 + 1.099
19. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) 1:19.894 + 1.511
20. Button Honda (B) 1:19.999 + 1.616

Top 17 covered by a second, Glock fastest and Nakajima still showing promise

[PolePosition_1]

Whilst I'm looking forward to next years regulations, which should provide a good format for encouraging closer racing.

I think its definately going to spread the field out hugely, and I will miss the days of the top 17 cars being covered by 1s.

Does anyone know of any era in F1 where the cars were so closely matched?