February 12, 2021

F1 2012 - A Retrospective Part 16: Japan

Qualifying

Sebastian Vettel ended McLaren’s four Grand Prix streak of taking pole position. The German earned only his fourth of the 2012 season, his first since Valencia. Mark Webber completed the front row for a Red Bull lock-out.

Webber was well off the pace of his teammate ever since he took victory in Britain during Round Nine, but he was only two tenths off taking pole in Suzuka.

Jenson Button took third place, but received a five place grid penalty for a change of gearbox. This promoted Kamui Kobayashi and Romain Grosjean to third and fourth. This was the Sauber driver’s home race and yet another impressive Saturday performance to add to his collection for the season.

Sergio Perez was fifth in the other Sauber. Between races, he was confirmed as the man to replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren. Hamilton was down in ninth, having had issues with his choice of setup.

Fernando Alonso was sixth. In the five races since his pole position in the wet of Germany, he was unable to even make it as high as the second row on the grid on Saturdays. The Ferrari’s performance was falling behind its rivals.

Felipe Massa qualified 11th in the other Scuderia, he started in 10th. The Brazilian was unable to make the second row at all so far in 2012, but for his third place qualification in Monza.

Kimi Raikkonen was the last to be moved up due to Button’s penalty. He started in seventh, once again behind Grosjean.

Not for the first time, the two Mercedes drivers struggled on Saturday. Michael Schumacher out qualified his younger teammate, in 13th, but was handed a 10-place grid penalty for causing a collision with Jean-Eric Vergne at the last Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg qualified in 15th, but was promoted to 13th due to Schumacher’s infringement. Nico Hulkenberg, from 10th, was also given a five place grid penalty, for a change of gearbox, and started in 15th.

Pre-Race

Up to this point, only three races in the 2012 season were won by someone who started outside the front row. Malaysia, Valencia and last time out in Singapore were won from eighth, 11th and third.

However, Martin Brundle believed that Suzuka was always unpredictable. “This track always seems to throw up a few surprises,” he said.

For Vettel, he was perfectly placed to chop down Alonso’s 29 point championship lead. While the Spaniard had made a habit out of finding a way onto the podium, a victory with Alonso in second would still bring the gap down to within one race.

For now, Alonso’s lead was unassailable at any one Grand Prix, but Vettel was set to change that. But nothing was certain in 2012 and the defending World Champion took nothing for granted.

The tyre choices for this race were between the Soft and Hard compounds. The Soft tyres were reportedly blistering quite quickly, so the Hard tyres were considered the better race option. This was set to be a strategy fight between the two and three-stop.

Only Vergne and Schumacher opted to start on the Hard tyres, with everyone else on the Softs.

The DRS zone was shortened by 20m for the 2012 edition. The previous year saw a lot of overtakes on the main start/finish straight, but DRS was considered to have made overtaking too easy for drivers.

As the race was about to get underway, the Sky Sports commentary team warned that the Saubers were yet to convert any of their previous high starting grid positions into meaningful points on the Sunday. Their three podiums came from starting further back, so this was a chance to do it the easier way and maybe even contend for a race win.

Race

It was a great start for Kobayashi, who immediately pulled ahead of Webber to slot into second place. For the Australian, everything went from bad to worse as he was clipped from behind at Turn One and was sent spinning into the grass!

That was on the inside of the corner, but on the outside it was Alonso who was sent spinning into the gravel! He had a left rear puncture, his race was over! The championship leader suffered only his second DNF of the season so far!

Both Webber and Alonso’s incidents involved the Lotus drivers. Grosjean was the one who sent the Red Bull into a spin, ramming his car into the back of Webber. It was a total misjudgment by the Frenchman, who was at the centre of yet another lap one incident.

Alonso and Raikkonen touched around the outside of Turn One. Alonso was almost ahead of the Finn, but he squeezed the 2007 World Champion to the very edge of the track.

Raikkonen didn’t yield and his front wing tapped Alonso’s tyre, causing the puncture which then meant Alonso lost control of the car and spun into the gravel where his car was then beached. 

Alonso had little room to go anywhere with Button on his other side. It was an unfortunate racing incident with very little anyone could do about it.

Also caught up in the madness was Rosberg and Senna. The Mercedes driver was out of this race, but Senna was able to continue, albeit he had to finish the first lap without a front wing which got lost in the chaos.

Naturally, the Safety Car (SC) was brought out while all of this was cleared up. Webber hobbled back into the pits along with Senna and Grosjean. They all changed front wings and came back out on a set of Hard tyres.

However, the SC wasn’t staying out for very long so they had to quickly catch up to the back of the queue.

The top 10 was as follows as the race got back underway on lap three: Vettel, Kobayashi, Button, Massa, Raikkonen, Perez, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo.

The big winners here were obviously Button and Massa, who climbed from eighth and 10th. They avoided the action expertly and that was enough to bring them right up to the front of the pack.

As Vettel led the field for the race restart, Perez was the first to attempt a move. He tried to pass Raikkonen around the outside of Turn One, but the Mexican didn’t know when to give up and he ran wide and off the track. He rejoined behind Hamilton in seventh.

Brundle described the attempted move as “bravery that turned into stupidity,” as he believed Perez should’ve known to pull out of the move instead of persisting with it.

The British co-commentator was then shown replays of the opening lap incidents. It was clear that Grosjean was entirely at fault for causing the collision with Webber.

“Grosjean was too busy watching the Sauber and piled into the side of the Red Bull,” said Brundle. The Frenchman was under investigation for his role in the crash.

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He was more willing to wave blame away for the incident that saw Alonso’s race ended prematurely. He described it merely as a “first lap incident, if anything,” refusing to lay the fault at anyone’s steering wheel.

Raikkonen asked his race engineer about the state of his front wing following the contact with the Ferrari, but he was told not to worry about the missing pieces, with his engineer saying it was “not an important part.”

By lap six, Vettel’s lead was already up to 2.8s. Button was a further 1.2s behind but putting pressure on the Japanese driver.

Perez made up for his mistake on lap three, overtaking Hamilton by diving down the inside of the hairpin at Turn 10.

It was almost as if he caught Hamilton napping as the Sauber came from far back to make the move stick in an unexpected corner. He was back up to sixth, having overtaken the man he was set to replace in 2013.

“That was just pure brilliance,” said an excited Brundle about the pass. He had just been told to manage his tyres right before locking up in the process of completing the overtake.

Grosjean was handed a 10-second stop-go penalty, the harshest option available to the stewards other than a disqualification. This meant the Lotus driver had to come into the pits and wait for 10 seconds in his pit box before rejoining the race.

Webber had damage on his right side-pod due to the accident with Grosjean, but the Australian was encouraged to keep going. Massa showed last time out in Singapore that it was possible to catch up to the points positions despite a first lap incident.

By lap 11, Vettel’s lead was up to 6.2s. Perez was back within DRS range of Raikkonen, but he learned to be more patient this time. He sat back and bided his time on making a move.

On lap 13, Button was the first of the front runners to make his first pit stop. Raikkonen and Hulkenberg followed suit. They all changed to the Hard tyres.

The McLaren driver was now in eighth. Raikkonen was behind Vergne in 11th. Kobayashi was next to stop, he reacted to Button coming in the lap previously.

The Sauber driver kept his lead over Button. Meanwhile, Raikkonen overtook Vergne into Turn One. He then overtook Heikki Kovalainen at Turn 13, an unconventional overtaking position, to take ninth.

Perez came in on lap 15, but he was still behind Raikkonen despite the Finn having to fight through traffic. Hamilton came in on lap 16, he overtook Perez out of the pits.

Out front, Massa was setting competitive lap times in the clean air. His closest rivals were stuck behind Ricciardo. Kobayashi passed the Toro Rosso driver down the inside of Turn 10 on lap 17, much like the Perez move on Hamilton.

Vettel and Massa came in at the end of that lap. Vettel comfortably retained his lead. But Massa jumped Button and Kobayashi and took second place!

Button was stuck behind Ricciardo, and even attempted a move at 130R (Turn 15), but couldn’t get ahead of the Australian. Ricciardo also pitted on that lap. But the damage was done and Button was down to fourth.

Button complained of a “problem with the gearbox,” but was told “we understand everything is okay,” by his race engineer. He had to change the gearbox over the weekend, so having an issue with this new one would be a big concern.

Immediately following this, the Briton set the fastest lap of the race so far so perhaps everything was okay.

Perez once again was closing in on Hamilton. He tried to pass the 2008 World Champion the same way as before, by diving down the inside of Turn 10, but Hamilton was wise to the move and cut the Mexican off.

Perez then lost control of the car as he moved to the outside and he spun into the gravel! He beached the car! His race was over. His rear end stepped out on him on the entry to the corner and he never fully recovered.

Vettel’s lead out front was now up to 9.5s. The German was comfortably ahead and quicker than everyone on track. Button was still complaining of missing gears and going into neutral.

Massa went quickest on lap 22. Vettel was essentially warned to go slower in order to manage his tyres, but he responded by going quickest on lap 23.

Hamilton told his race engineer that his tyres had “gone off,” but Massa was told he needed 15 more laps on the current set of tyres so it wasn’t likely Hamilton was going to pit anytime soon.

Ted Kravitz reported they were “worried” inside the McLaren garage. Button was falling behind Kobayashi and Hulkenberg was gaining on Hamilton.

Hulkenberg reported to his pit wall that his “rears are struggling.” Most teams were hoping to two-stop, but multiple drivers were now complaining about tyre wear.

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Webber came in for his second stop on lap 26. He stopped on lap one and managed almost half distance on his set of Hard tyres.

On lap 27, Schumacher moved up to 11th place. He passed Paul di Resta at Turn One. He won six times at Suzuka in his career and was driving like it having started at the back of the grid. “He doesn’t look like a man who’s about to retire,” said Brundle.

The German announced that 2012 was going to be his final in Formula One. He was being replaced at Mercedes by Hamilton, but decided not to look for a drive elsewhere. He was finally hanging up the gloves, having retired initially in 2006.

On lap 30, Raikkonen was the first of the front runners to come in for a second time. He arrived back out in eighth, and was now on a new set of Soft tyres.

Kobayashi and Hamilton followed suit on lap 31. Hamilton just about came out ahead of Raikkonen. They were side by side going into Turn One, and it looked like the Finn had the advantage around the outside, but Hamilton held firm and took the place.

Button was told to give it everything he had as he looked to overcut Kobayashi. He came in at the end of lap 35. However, it wasn’t enough and the Sauber driver held onto third place.

Massa and Schumacher also came in, changing to Softs, before Vettel pitted on lap 37.

“How’s Alonso going to stop this guy now?” asked Brundle. The Red Bull had pulled ahead in performance over Ferrari in these last two races, and Brundle also believed that Webber was going to be more valuable in taking points off Alonso than Massa to Vettel.

Alonso hadn’t led a lap since his victory in Germany. While he was consistently on the podium since then, he also suffered two DNFs while his rivals took victories.

Kravitz chimed in by claiming that Red Bull’s new double DRS system helped their qualifying pace, which Ferrari were unable to compete with.

Meanwhile, on track, Hulkenberg was beginning to gain on Raikkonen in the battle for sixth. Schumacher was also gaining on the car ahead. He was chasing down Ricciardo in the battle for 10th.

Kobayashi was sandwiched between Button and Massa with a 3.5s gap either side of the two.

Senna moved ahead of Grosjean around the outside of 130R in the fight for 14th. Senna lined up the move over several corners and got ahead of the Frenchman with a nice move.

As the race drew towards the final few laps, McLaren were urging Button to keep pushing in a bid to win the final podium place from Kobayashi. He closed the gap down to 1.7s by lap 45.

“We can give it everything here,” he was encouraged over the radio. Kobayashi was fighting not only for his first podium in F1 but also potentially for his seat with the team for 2013. The last time a Japanese driver stood on the podium at their home race was in 1990.

On lap 48, Schumacher caught up to Ricciardo but was unable to pass the Australian.

The fight for third was where the action was set for the closing laps. The gap stayed at around 1.7s over the course of the next few laps. The Sauber crew were too nervous to even sit down inside the garage.

By lap 51, Button was told his pace was “superb” and he was now almost within DRS range of Kobayashi. By lap 52, the gap was 1.1s.

Out in front, Vettel began the last lap of the race. He spent the majority of the race having fun setting fastest laps despite being warned numerous times to slow down in order to preserve his tyres. However, he was always in control and mastered this race from start to finish.

Vettel took the chequered flag by 20s! He reduced the gap to Alonso in the championship to just four points. The race was on.

In the battle for third in this Grand Prix, the race was still on to the bitter end. But Kobayashi held on to achieve his first ever podium in F1 and he did it at his home venue to add a cherry on top.

Massa came home in second, he earned his first podium in 36 races, in the 2010 season. This was a very popular podium pairing among the paddock, with two drivers earning their moment in the Sun after difficulties this season.

The final standings were as follows

Championship Standings Top Five (Round 15)

Alonso remained calm in his post-DNF interview following the incident that ended his race. He said that the final five races was the beginning of a “mini championship,” that he was confident he was still able to win.

While the pace of the Red Bull indicated Vettel should now be considered the favourite, it was impossible to rule out Alonso. The Ferrari driver was relaxed about the slice of luck that significantly reduced the gap.

“We need to keep working well and not making mistakes. Nothing we can do. Thanks to this consistency we are leading the championship. The others make mistakes, we need to avoid this,” said Alonso.

Vettel was jubilant over his victory. He credited the team for upgrading the car, complimenting how good it felt to drive throughout the entire weekend.

“I knew behind me there was a crash and I saw a Ferrari was out but wasn’t sure which. Halfway through I was looking to see the others and I saw there [Ferrari] car still racing Felipe [Massa], I didn’t know what happened to Fernando [Alonso],” said the German.

“The atmosphere has been unbelievable all weekend. There has been so much support, the stands have been full and that really makes our job feel very special.

“When you’re dreaming at night, you dream one day about racing a car like that. The balance was so good and that’s why there was a gap to behind.”

The gap to third placed Raikkonen was now 37 points, but the pace of the Lotus was well off where it was in the first half of the season.

They were still in the championship picture, as was Hamilton, but they were starting to fade into the background as a two-way fight took to the foreground.

Post-Race

Vettel’s victory meant he was the first driver to claim back to back wins in the 2012 season. The gap to Alonso was closed down by 35 points with those two victories, with a helping hand coming from the Spaniard’s DNF on lap one.

The German celebrated emphatically. For a man that just won his 24th F1 Grand Prix, it felt more like he only earned his first, such was the joy he celebrated with.

The three podium sitters all tried to piece together the lap one incidents with each other, as if trying to find the final pieces to an intense jigsaw puzzle.

The pace of the Red Bull was ominous for Ferrari. Brundle revealed he heard scuttlebutt that the upgrades were still coming and they were already preparing changes to the car for the next race.

“I’ve heard Red Bull have got a whole new set of bodywork coming for Korea as well. Ferrari need to come up with something pretty special now, otherwise Vettel is going to make it three [championships] in a row,” said Brundle.

As the drivers prepared to step out onto the podium, the Japanese crowd could be heard bellowing out chants of “KA-MUI! KA-MUI” for their local hero. The atmosphere was nothing since Alonso’s home victory in Valencia.

Massa, maybe forgetting how the podium ceremony worked, knocked over his champagne bottle. He got ahead of himself and started spraying the remains down on top of the team below.

But it was Vettel who looked happiest. He was still giddy with excitement. Perhaps the DNF from Alonso played a role in that, but he was jumping up and down on the top step of the podium

Brundle remarked that he now considered the defending champion the “strong favourite” to take the title now, but with five races remaining a lot could still happen.

Driver in Focus

It has to be Kamui Kobayashi, who finally got his moment in the spotlight. While Massa also drove an excellent race and earned a first podium in 36 Grands Prix, his machinery was way more up to that task than Kobayashi’s Sauber.

Perez secured the team three podiums from the first 14 races of the season, performances that earned him a move to one of the big three in McLaren, but Kobayashi wasn’t that far off the pace of the Mexican.

The Japanese driver led their qualifying head to head 9–6, but Perez’s race pace delivered 66 points to Kobayashi’s 50. The extra two podiums more than made up the difference between them.

Kobayashi’s driving talent was obvious and he had a cult following for his exciting overtaking moves. The pairing with Perez made for one of the most entertaining midfield partnerships in modern F1.

There were many examples of Kobayashi fighting it out with the big names in much quicker cars throughout the 2012 season. Most notably, in Spain, he overtook the likes of the McLaren and the Lotus at a race where overtaking proved difficult.

He was under a lot of pressure to deliver results for the team at this stage of the season. While Sauber had already lost Perez for 2013, they were considering replacing Kobayashi as well. No names were confirmed for the Swiss outfit for the next season yet, but this was Kobayashi auditioning to keep his seat.

He did so in impressive fashion. He held his own against Button and never wilted under the pressure the 2009 World Champion applied over the last 10 or so laps. Perez’s three podiums all came from working his way through the field from a midfield starting position, but Kobayashi showed, at last, that he could back up his quick Saturday pace.

To do it at his home Grand Prix was a special moment. The crowd cheering his name was a great feel-good moment. As noted by the Sky Sports commentary team, his placement on the podium was very popular within the F1 community. The driver himself summed up how great a moment this was superbly.

“Thank you very much everyone. This is my first podium, and in Japan. Fantastic, unbelievable,” said Kobayashi.

Race Verdict

This was not one of the better races in the 2012 season. In fact, outside of the opening lap drama, there was little going on during the 53 laps of this Grand Prix. However, what it lacked with on-track action, it more than made up for it with great sentimental moments.

The pairing of Massa and Kobayashi on the podium was unexpected but deserving. It was a credit to both drivers, who both missed out on the chance to get inside the top three so far this season, that they took their opportunity when it arose.

The opening lap incidents also opened up the championship battle and left us with five races left but no idea who was going to win the title.

There were still some good on-track fights for position. Perez’s overtake on Hamilton, the successful attempt that is, was a particularly exciting highlight. It was especially fun given the context that Perez was set to replace Hamilton at McLaren in 2013.

With five races to go, it did begin to feel like the cars had mostly settled into a pecking order, but there were still a lot of laps left to complete before anything could be decided definitively.

Result: 2/5

Next up: SOUTH KOREA

Having heard the news about Fernando Alonso, this newsletter would like to extend him best wishes on the road to recovery!

It’s unclear, at the time of writing, how severe the injury is in relation to his return to F1 for the 2021 season, but my best interest is first that he remains healthy and okay. Thinking of you, Fernando, and hope you get well soon!

For fans who are enjoying the uptick in F1 writing, before and including the 2012 season retrospective series, there will be plenty to write about in the upcoming 2021 season, not least the return of Alonso.

The new season is just around the corner, with car reveals coming up in the next few weeks before Pre-Season Testing from March 12-14, with Bahrain kicking the show off on the 26-28th of March.

Expect plenty of newsletters touching on the various stories that pop up along the way.

There will also be a return to some football and/or tennis coverage following the conclusion of this series in three weeks time.

Previous entries in the series can be found here

Part 14: Italy

Part 15: Singapore

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