2007 Japanese Grand Prix

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2007 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 15 of 17 in the 2007 Formula One World Championship
Fuji Speedway
Race details
Date	September 30, 2007
Official name	2007 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Location	Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Sunto District, Shizuoka, Japan
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.563 km (2.835 miles)
Distance	67 laps, 305.416 km (189.777 miles)
Weather	Very heavy rain
Pole position
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes
Time	1:25.368
Fastest lap
Driver	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes
Time	1:28.193 on lap 27
Podium
First	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes
Second	Heikki Kovalainen	Renault
Third	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari
Lap leaders

The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix (officially the 2007 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix)^[1] was a Formula One motor race held on 30 September 2007 at the Fuji Speedway, Oyama, Shizuoka. The 67-lap race was the fifteenth round of the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was held at the recently revised track in very heavy rain and misty conditions. For the previous 20 years, the Japanese Grand Prix had been held at Suzuka Circuit, but at this race it returned to Fuji for the first time since 1977. The race was won by McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, who also took pole position and the fastest lap of the race. Heikki Kovalainen achieved his first podium, by finishing second for the Renault team, whilst Kimi Räikkönen finished in third for Ferrari. Adrian Sutil scored Spyker's first and only point by finishing 9th and being promoted to 8th after the race.

As a consequence of the race, Hamilton extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to twelve points over McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso. Alonso had only been two points behind Hamilton in the standings before he crashed during the race. Räikkönen's third-place finish ensured he remained in mathematical contention to clinch the drivers' title in the remaining two rounds. His Ferrari teammate, Felipe Massa, dropped out of championship contention after finishing the race in sixth position. Massa was now ten points behind Räikkönen. In the World Constructors' Championship, Ferrari were leading the standings on 170 points. McLaren would have been leading the table on 202 points had they not been given a penalty in the Hungarian Grand Prix, and then disqualified entirely due to the espionage controversy that year. BMW Sauber remained second in the standings, 78 points behind Ferrari, after scoring just two points in the race. Renault ensured that they would finish the year in third, (like BMW Sauber, they were unpassable by any other team), and were 41 points behind.