Japanese Grand Prix grid (updated)
3rd October 2009, 7:32 by Keith Collantine 69 Comments »
The FIA has said the final grid will be announced on Sunday morning in Japan. There is some confusion as to what order penalties were issued in, which could alter the starting order. In the meantime this is the expected grid:
1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault – 1’32.160
2. Jarno Trulli, Toyota – 1’32.220
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes – 1’32.396
4. Nick Heidfeld, BMW – 1’32.945
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari – 1’32.980
6. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn-Mercedes – 1’32.660***
7. Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota – 1’31.482
8. Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes – 1’32.466***
9. Robert Kubica, BMW – 1’32.341
10. Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes – 1’32.962***
11. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes – no time*
12. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – no time
13. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari – no time****
14. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari – 1’31.704
15. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams-Toyota – 1’31.718
16. Fernando Alonso, Renault – 1’31.638***
17. Romain Grosjean, Renault – 1’32.073
18. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes – 1’32.087*
19. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault – no time**
Penalties
*five-place penalty for a gearbox change
**will start from pit lane
***five-place penalty for failing to slow down sufficiently under yellow flags
****five-place penalty for driving an unsafe car back to the pits
The penalties were applied in the following order:
17:52: Alonso (drops to 17th)
18:05: Barrichello (drops to tenth, Button sixth, Kovalainen eighth, Buemi ninth)
18:07: Button (drops to 11th, Barrichello ninth, Kovalainen seventh, Buemi eighth)
18:08: Sutil (drops to ninth, Barrichello eighth, Kovalainen sixth, Buemi seventh)
18:54: Kovalainen (drops to 11th, Sutil eighth, Barrichello seventh, Button tenth, Buemi sixth)
19:18: Buemi (drops to 11th, Sutil seventh, Barrichello sixth, Button ninth, Kovalainen tenth)
Timo Glock not starting from 14th means the drivers who qualified behind him move up a place.
Not starting:
Timo Glock, Toyota
Japanese Grand Prix
- Vettel has slight strategy advantage (Japanese Grand Prix fuel weights)
- Button, Barrichello, Alonso, Sutil and Buemi get five-place grid penalties
- Sebastian Vettel takes pole in crash-hit session (Japanese Grand Prix qualifying)
- Crashes for Alguersuari, Glock and Kovalainen halt Japan qualifying (Video)
Frans said on 3rd October 2009, 9:43
Hey Keith. Were are the fuel predictions and stragtegie of the japanese Grand Prix?
Kind regards,
Frans
The Netherlands
Keith Collantine said on 3rd October 2009, 10:24
Fuel weights haven’t been revealed yet. They’ll be posted at the top of the home page when they are.
Randy said on 3rd October 2009, 11:44
Are the drivers promoted into the top ten due to the penalties still able to tweak their fuel strategies. Rosberg and Kubica could be dangerous from 7th and 8th if they run a one stopper.
Anyone know the rule on this one?
sato113 said on 3rd October 2009, 15:36
yep they are allowed. and they have!
Andrew White said on 3rd October 2009, 9:48
Apparently Button, Barrichello, Kubica, Heidfeld, Alonso, Sutil and Buemi have been summoned by the stewards, presumably regarding the yellow flag incident in Q2.
Prisoner Monkeys said on 3rd October 2009, 10:44
If all seven get penalised, based on the number and severity of charges plus Q1 times, the grid will look something like this:
1 – Vettel
2 – Trulli
3 – Hamilton
4 – Raikkonen
5 – Kovalainen
6 – Rosberg
7 – Button
8 – Barrichello
9 – Alonso
10 – Kubica
11 – Heifeld
12 – Sutil*
13 – Buemi**
14 – Glock
15 – Alguersuari
16 – Fisichella
17 – Nakajima
18 – Grosjean
19 – Liuzzi
20 – Webber
* Sutil said to be on two charges, thus demoting him to the back.
** Buemi possibly on charge of driving damaged car, the most severe of all charges, hence I put him behind Sutil.
Meander said on 3rd October 2009, 11:01
Uhm, moving forward due to a penalty doesn’t seem to make any sense. If Alonso and Kubica sped thru yellow they surely can’t move up the grid, can they?
Andrew White said on 3rd October 2009, 11:08
And how has Button got ahead of Barrichello?
F1Low said on 3rd October 2009, 19:35
Because he’s a lucky f***
mp4-19b said on 3rd October 2009, 11:30
Hats off to the stewards. Hope they maintain this level of consistency in the future. This is really good for the championship though.
arporter said on 3rd October 2009, 11:39
i wonder how many drivers trulli is going to get KERSed by at the start
carol treurnicht said on 3rd October 2009, 11:42
Hey Keith
you need to update for Glock to start from pitlane if he races- he also needs a new car like Webbo………
Keith Collantine said on 3rd October 2009, 11:52
I’m waiting for official information on that.
arporter said on 3rd October 2009, 11:45
kovi is looking good with his fuel weight following the grid penalties
Red Andy said on 3rd October 2009, 11:53
Might have to change his gearbox though. If not he will be in a strong position, very ironic as he only has so much fuel on board because he crashed at the beginning of Q3!
bradley said on 3rd October 2009, 12:37
I’ve worked it out and the grid should be:
S.Vettel
J.Trulli
L.Hamilton
N.Heidfeld
K.Raikkonen
N.Rosberg
R.Kubica
J.Alguersari
A.Sutil
R.Barrcihello
G.Fisichella
J.Button
K.Nakajima
H.Kovalainen
S.Buemi
R.Grosjean
F.Alonso
V.Liuzzi
T.Glock
M.Webber
D Winn said on 3rd October 2009, 12:26
Kovi to move back 5 places for gearbox change ??
D Winn said on 3rd October 2009, 12:27
So says Pitpass
Prisoner Monkeys said on 3rd October 2009, 13:16
Confusion over the proper order stems from the fact that you have to add the penalties in the order they were issued: the yellow-flaggers, then Glock, then Kovalainen.
James Bennett said on 3rd October 2009, 13:20
I have worked out the following grid:
1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
2. Jarno Trulli, Toyota
3. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
4. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
6. Nico Rosberg, Williams
7. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
8. Adrian Sutil, Force India (Pen)
9. Rubens Barrichello, Brawn GP (Pen)
10. Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso
11. Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
12. Jenson Button, Brawn GP (Pen)
13. Giancarlo Fisichella, Ferrari
14. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso (Pen)
15. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
16. Romain Grosjean, Renault
17. Fernando Alonso, Renault (Pen)
18. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India
19. Timo Glock, Toyota (Pitlane)
20. Mark Webber, Red Bull (Pitlane)
Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Adrian Sutil, Fernando Alono – penalties for failing to slow adequately (if at all) under yellow flags
Sebastien Buemi – penalty for impeding other cars and causing a potential hazard to other drivers
Heikki Kovalainen – penalty for a gearbox change
Timo Glock & Mark Webber – will start from the pitlane because they have had new chassis
James Bennett said on 3rd October 2009, 13:24
Yellow penalties were applied as follows:
1st – Fernando Alonso (17:52)
2nd – Rubens Barrichello (18:05)
3rd – Jenson Button (18:07)
4th – Adrian Sutil (18:08)
5th – Sebastien Buemi (19:18)
SaloolaS said on 3rd October 2009, 14:12
Button will be having a tough time, starting in front of KERS-equiped Giancarlo and Heikki
sato113 said on 3rd October 2009, 14:33
very good point. in terms of the champ lets hope he gets eaten up!
Ponzonha said on 3rd October 2009, 14:33
The strange thing is that Alonso said on TV that he actually saw the flag and slowed down, as proved by his time and by his failure to get on Q3. The others did not, entered Q3 and will start in better positions despite not obeying the yellow flag.
I wouldn’t say that’s consistent…
steph90 said on 3rd October 2009, 14:35
If Alonso did back off then that is pretty unreasonable but excluding that I think the decision to hand out punishments was right.
I don’t think Kobayashi should be granted permission to race; no-one stood in for Ferrari in Hungary.
iBlaze said on 3rd October 2009, 15:02
Yeah, but nobody else had done the practise sessions at Hungary for Ferrari so it left them with little choice. Ferrari chose not to ask for force majeure. Here, Toyota were anticipating Glock’s absence anyway (unfortunately it seems it may come for a different reason now). But Kobayashi has already done the friday running so if Toyota do choose to ask for force majeure, they may be granted permission.
On a side note – I’ve just read that they aren’t going to publish the final grid until tomorrow, so everything is still provisional.
steph90 said on 3rd October 2009, 15:52
I know Ferrari never had anyone in at practice and it’s unfortunate for Toyota but Glock was the one in qualifying not Kobayashi
gabal said on 3rd October 2009, 20:22
Ferrari haven’t even tried to put their reserve driver in the seat. After we saw how Badoer was doing they have made a good choice
Prisoner Monkeys said on 3rd October 2009, 15:07
Confusion reigns!
Not just here, but in the Suzuka Press Office.
The FIA have annouced that the grid will be resolved in the morning, with the penalties applied in the order they were issued. It seems there is some contention over precisely when Glock and Kovalainen received theirs.
SaloolaS said on 3rd October 2009, 15:09
In what order do they start from pits, if there are more drivers (let’s say there will be KOB and WEB tomorrow). Who leaves the pits first, KOB or WEB?
nick_jp said on 3rd October 2009, 16:20
yellow-colored and all other flags should be obligatorily displayed also in the driver’s steering wheel…
HounslowBusGarage said on 3rd October 2009, 16:25
I though red and yellow flags already were. . .
nick_jp said on 3rd October 2009, 16:31
dunno actually, but for what alonso has alleged (dust) it looks like the only way he had to see the flag was by looking to the lights on the track…
nick_jp said on 3rd October 2009, 16:38
what do you know about it, keith?
saab said on 3rd October 2009, 16:21
So, I go up at 7 AM on a Saturday to watch quali only to now be informed that the actual grid will be presented on Sunday before the race. Thanks again FIA for nothing.