Round 15 · 2012

Japanese Grand Prix

CircuitSuzuka CircuitLocationSuzuka, JapanDates5 Oct – 7 Oct 2012Final

PoleVET

Fastest lap1:35.774Vettel · L52

Biggest gain+12Schumacher P23→P11

Retirements5of 24 starters

Classification

Pos	Driver	Team	Grid	+/−	Laps	Time / Status	Pits	Pts
1	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1	0	53	1:28:56.242 FL	—	25
2	Felipe Massa MAS	Ferrari	10	+8	53	+20.640	—	18
3	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	Sauber	3	0	53	+24.540	—	15
4	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	8	+4	53	+25.100	—	12
5	Lewis Hamilton HAM	McLaren	9	+4	53	+46.490	—	10
6	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	Lotus F1	7	+1	53	+50.420	—	8
7	Nico Hülkenberg HUL	Force India	15	+8	53	+51.160	—	6
8	Pastor Maldonado MAL	Williams	12	+4	53	+52.360	—	4
9	Mark Webber WEB	Red Bull Racing	2	-7	53	+54.680	—	2
10	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	Toro Rosso	14	+4	53	+1:06.920	—	1
11	Michael Schumacher SCH	Mercedes	23	+12	53	+1:07.770	—
12	Paul di Resta DIR	Force India	11	-1	53	+1:23.460	—
13	Jean-Eric Vergne VER	Toro Rosso	19	+6	53	+1:28.650	—
14	Bruno Senna SEN	Williams	16	+2	53	+1:28.710	—
15	Heikki Kovalainen KOV	Caterham	17	+2	52	+1 lap	—
16	Timo Glock GLO	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	18	+2	52	+1 lap	—
17	Vitaly Petrov PET	Caterham	22	+5	52	+1 lap	—
18	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	HRT	20	+2	52	+1 lap	—
19	Romain Grosjean GRO	Lotus F1	4	-15	51	+2 laps	—
—	Fernando Alonso ALO	Ferrari	6		0	DNF · L0	—
—	Narain Karthikeyan KAR	HRT	24		31	DNF · L31	—
—	Nico Rosberg ROS	Mercedes	13		0	DNF · L0	—
—	Sergio Pérez PER	Sauber	5		18	DNF · L18	—
—	Charles Pic PIC	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	21		37	DNF · L37	—

Pos	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	—	—	—	11
2	Mark Webber WEB	Red Bull Racing	—	—	—	15
3	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	Sauber	—	—	—	16
4	Romain Grosjean GRO	Lotus F1	—	—	—	20
5	Sergio Pérez PER	Sauber	—	—	—	20
6	Fernando Alonso ALO	Ferrari	—	—	—	17
7	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	Lotus F1	—	—	—	18
8	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	—	—	—	14
9	Lewis Hamilton HAM	McLaren	—	—	—	17
10	Felipe Massa MAS	Ferrari	—	—	—	12
11	Paul di Resta DIR	Force India	—	—	—	14
12	Pastor Maldonado MAL	Williams	—	—	—	11
13	Nico Rosberg ROS	Mercedes	—	—	—	16
14	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	Toro Rosso	—	—	—	14
15	Nico Hülkenberg HUL	Force India	—	—	—	12
16	Bruno Senna SEN	Williams	—	—	—	8
17	Heikki Kovalainen KOV	Caterham	—	—	—	6
18	Timo Glock GLO	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	—	—	—	8
19	Jean-Eric Vergne VER	Toro Rosso	—	—	—	14
20	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	HRT	—	—	—	6
21	Charles Pic PIC	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	—	—	—	8
22	Vitaly Petrov PET	Caterham	—	—	—	8
23	Michael Schumacher SCH	Mercedes	—	—	—	10
24	Narain Karthikeyan KAR	HRT	—	—	—	6

Pos	Driver	Team	Best lap	Laps
1	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1:32.136	17
2	Mark Webber WEB	Red Bull Racing	1:32.371	20
3	Felipe Massa MAS	Ferrari	1:32.824	13
4	Michael Schumacher SCH	Mercedes	1:32.918	23
5	Sergio Pérez PER	Sauber	1:32.920	19
6	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	Sauber	1:32.924	15
7	Romain Grosjean GRO	Lotus F1	1:33.008	21
8	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	1:33.025	16
9	Paul di Resta DIR	Force India	1:33.094	17
10	Pastor Maldonado MAL	Williams	1:33.160	16
11	Fernando Alonso ALO	Ferrari	1:33.184	14
12	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	Lotus F1	1:33.224	15
13	Lewis Hamilton HAM	McLaren	1:33.569	14
14	Jean-Eric Vergne VER	Toro Rosso	1:33.722	18
15	Nico Rosberg ROS	Mercedes	1:33.899	23
16	Bruno Senna SEN	Williams	1:33.984	19
17	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	Toro Rosso	1:34.023	19
18	Nico Hülkenberg HUL	Force India	1:34.369	11
19	Heikki Kovalainen KOV	Caterham	1:35.568	19
20	Vitaly Petrov PET	Caterham	1:36.355	18
21	Timo Glock GLO	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:36.389	11
22	Charles Pic PIC	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:36.517	18
23	Narain Karthikeyan KAR	HRT	1:36.649	12
24	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	HRT	1:36.875	16

Pos	Driver	Team	Best lap	Laps
1	Mark Webber WEB	Red Bull Racing	1:32.493	34
2	Lewis Hamilton HAM	McLaren	1:32.707	32
3	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1:32.836	37
4	Nico Hülkenberg HUL	Force India	1:32.987	30
5	Fernando Alonso ALO	Ferrari	1:33.093	28
6	Romain Grosjean GRO	Lotus F1	1:33.107	35
7	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	1:33.349	22
8	Bruno Senna SEN	Williams	1:33.499	35
9	Felipe Massa MAS	Ferrari	1:33.614	32
10	Michael Schumacher SCH	Mercedes	1:33.750	13
11	Nico Rosberg ROS	Mercedes	1:33.866	19
12	Sergio Pérez PER	Sauber	1:33.903	36
13	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	Sauber	1:33.983	33
14	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	Lotus F1	1:34.291	12
15	Pastor Maldonado MAL	Williams	1:34.300	33
16	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	Toro Rosso	1:34.863	32
17	Jean-Eric Vergne VER	Toro Rosso	1:35.080	34
18	Heikki Kovalainen KOV	Caterham	1:35.711	41
19	Vitaly Petrov PET	Caterham	1:35.870	37
20	Timo Glock GLO	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:36.194	32
21	Charles Pic PIC	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:36.636	28
22	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	HRT	1:37.342	30
23	Narain Karthikeyan KAR	HRT	1:37.701	35
24	Paul di Resta DIR	Force India	—	2

Pos	Driver	Team	Best lap	Laps
1	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	1:34.507	20
2	Lewis Hamilton HAM	McLaren	1:34.740	26
3	Mark Webber WEB	Red Bull Racing	1:34.856	24
4	Nico Rosberg ROS	Mercedes	1:35.059	18
5	Michael Schumacher SCH	Mercedes	1:35.122	20
6	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	Sauber	1:35.199	27
7	Felipe Massa MAS	Ferrari	1:35.283	24
8	Paul di Resta DIR	Force India	1:35.299	18
9	Nico Hülkenberg HUL	Force India	1:35.474	22
10	Pastor Maldonado MAL	Williams	1:35.478	24
11	Fernando Alonso ALO	Ferrari	1:35.484	26
12	Sergio Pérez PER	Sauber	1:35.584	24
13	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	Lotus F1	1:35.691	22
14	Romain Grosjean GRO	Lotus F1	1:35.724	21
15	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	Toro Rosso	1:36.123	19
16	Jean-Eric Vergne VER	Toro Rosso	1:36.222	25
17	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1:36.366	23
18	Valtteri Bottas BOT	Williams	1:36.389	24
19	Timo Glock GLO	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:37.716	17
20	Vitaly Petrov PET	Caterham	1:38.295	23
21	Charles Pic PIC	Manor / Marussia / Virgin	1:38.616	25
22	Narain Karthikeyan KAR	HRT	1:39.043	25
23	Giedo van der Garde VDG	Caterham	1:39.374	22
24	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	HRT	1:39.688	19

Session schedule

Practice 1Final5 Oct 2012 01:00 UTC

Practice 2Final5 Oct 2012 05:00 UTC

Practice 3Final6 Oct 2012 02:00 UTC

QualifyingFinal6 Oct 2012 05:00 UTC

Grand PrixFinal7 Oct 2012 06:00 UTC

Championship after round 15

Pos	Driver	Pts
1	Fernando Alonso ALO	194
2	Sebastian Vettel VET	190
3	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	157
4	Lewis Hamilton HAM	152
5	Mark Webber WEB	134
6	Jenson Button BUT	131
7	Nico Rosberg ROS	93
8	Romain Grosjean GRO	82

Running totals from published race points.

Teammate qualifying gaps

Team	Ahead	Gap	Behind
Red Bull Racing	Sebastian Vettel VET	—	Mark Webber WEB
Sauber	Kamui Kobayashi KOB	—	Sergio Pérez PER
Lotus F1	Romain Grosjean GRO	—	Kimi Raikkonen RAI
Ferrari	Fernando Alonso ALO	—	Felipe Massa MAS
McLaren	Jenson Button BUT	—	Lewis Hamilton HAM
Force India	Paul di Resta DIR	—	Nico Hülkenberg HUL
Williams	Pastor Maldonado MAL	—	Bruno Senna SEN
Mercedes	Nico Rosberg ROS	—	Michael Schumacher SCH
Toro Rosso	Daniel Ricciardo RIC	—	Jean-Eric Vergne VER
Caterham	Heikki Kovalainen KOV	—	Vitaly Petrov PET
Manor / Marussia / Virgin	Timo Glock GLO	—	Charles Pic PIC
HRT	Pedro De La Rosa DEL	—	Narain Karthikeyan KAR

Deepest knockout session both drivers set a time in.

Season	Event	Winner	Team	Grid
2011	Japanese Grand Prix	Jenson Button BUT	McLaren	2
2010	Japanese Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1
2009	Japanese Grand Prix	Sebastian Vettel VET	Red Bull Racing	1
2006	Japanese Grand Prix	Fernando Alonso ALO	Renault (2002–10)	5
2005	Japanese Grand Prix	Kimi Raikkonen RAI	McLaren	17
2004	Japanese Grand Prix	Michael Schumacher SCH	Ferrari	1
2003	Japanese Grand Prix	Rubens Barrichello BAR	Ferrari	1
2002	Japanese Grand Prix	Michael Schumacher SCH	Ferrari	1