The successes and failures of Suzuka

The tops

Sebastian Vettel
The return of ?Baby Schumi? had been expected for several weeks. Winner of two Grands Prix in the first half of the season, the German driver was Jenson Button's announced rival in the fight for the world title, before his team experienced a downturn. Very fast in Singapore, Vettel had to abandon his hope of victory due to a penalty. At Suzuka, the pilot Red Bull was imperial. Author of the pole with the three best times in Q1, Q2 and Q3, Vettel never let go of the race lead, winning solidly. Thanks to his Japanese success, can he continue to dream of becoming world champion?

Jarno Trulli
Le pilote italien n?est pas dans une situation rêvée. Chez Toyota depuis plusieurs saisons, le natif des Abruzzes n?a toujours pas réussi à offrir de victoire à l?écurie du constructeur nippon. Et, en cette fin de saison, il sait qu?il ne roulera plus chez Toyota l?an prochain. Malgré ça, Jarno Trulli s?est montré à son avantage à Suzuka, en se hissant à la deuxième place sur la grille de départ. Rapidement dépassé par Lewis Hamilton, the Italian struggled throughout the race to regain his original place, achieving his goals during the second refueling. In the end, he gave Toyota its second consecutive podium.

Jenson Button
The world championship leader has scored few points in each race since the start of the summer. But, little by little, by being consistent, the Briton is building capital which should guarantee him the world title. In addition, Button maintains all his fair play, despite the pressure he may have on his shoulders. And, once out of his seat, the Brawn GP driver is confident about his chances of winning the world crown.

The flops

Timo Glock
It's not entirely his responsibility but the German driver had a nightmare weekend. In Japan, Timo Glock started his weekend unwell after suffering a cold. On Friday, he had to leave his seat at Kamui Kobayashi. Returning on Saturday, the Toyota driver experienced a violent exit from the track during qualifying. Taken to hospital, he was treated for his leg after suffering a serious gash. Returning to Suzuka on Sunday, Timo Glock was however not authorized to participate in the race. He therefore had to watch the Grand Prix from the stands. A very difficult weekend.

Sébastien Buemi
The Swiss driver is undoubtedly the one who generated the most disappointed hopes at Suzuka. In Japan, single-seaters Toro Rosso arrived with new developments, getting closer and closer to the car of its cousin team, Red Bull. Second in free practice on Saturday morning, Buemi was eagerly awaited in qualifying. On his first lap, the Swiss made a mistake, Toro Rosso managing to repair his car so that he qualified for Q2. Once done, Buemi then qualified in Q3, reaching the last phase of the session. But, once again making a mistake, the Swiss indirectly caused five penalties, including his own. Finally starting from the back of the grid, the Toro Rosso driver stayed on track for twenty minutes before having to retire due to a clutch problem. A big disappointment.

Heikki Kovalainen
Accustomed to getting into the points since the German Grand Prix, the Finn came up short in Japan. Long in the top eight, the driver McLaren clashed with Vitantonio Liuzzi when the latter tried to overtake him. Ultimately, Kovalainen finished eleventh and was unable to help Lewis Hamilton for McLaren to steal the place. Ferrari in the constructors' championship. At a time when the teams are thinking about their drivers for the next season, the Finn must not make a mistake.