2009 Japanese Grand Prix
2009 Japanese Grand Prix
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2009 Japanese Grand Prix

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2009 Japanese Grand Prix

The 2009 Japanese Grand Prix (formally the 2009 Formula 1 Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix) was the fifteenth round of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race was held at the Suzuka Circuit on 4 October 2009.

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull won the race ahead of Toyota's Jarno Trulli and 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, leading through the whole race. This was the last podium for both Toyota and Jarno Trulli in Formula One.

With two races remaining in the 2009 season, Vettel's win maintained his slim hopes of winning the Drivers Championship, with Championship leader Jenson Button finishing eighth, one place behind Rubens Barrichello. The result left Button and Barrichello's Brawn team half a point away from clinching the Constructors Championship.

Jenson Button led Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello by 15 points going into the race, with Sebastian Vettel 10 points further back driving for Red Bull Racing. Mark Webber could no longer win the Championship.

Brawn also led Red Bull by 42½ points in the Constructors' Championship, and only needed to maintain this lead to take the trophy. McLaren and Ferrari were 3 points apart in the Constructors' Championship in 3rd and 4th, with their lead drivers Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen also separated by 3 points in 5th and 6th in the Drivers' Championship; Ferrari led on both counts.

Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix for Renault, which was held at Fuji Speedway. Alonso also won the last race at Suzuka, in 2006. Other former winners lining up include Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello, Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen and World Champion Lewis Hamilton. It was the first time since 1991 that a Schumacher (Michael or Ralf) was not on the grid at Suzuka.

Eight of the drivers had not raced at Suzuka in Formula One before, owing to the Fuji Speedway having hosted the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007 and 2008. Those drivers included Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Heikki Kovalainen, local driver Kazuki Nakajima, Adrian Sutil, Sébastien Buemi, Jaime Alguersuari and Romain Grosjean. However, both Vettel and Sutil had driven the circuit in practice sessions before when they served as test drivers in 2006.

The 2009 Japanese Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen and Adrian Sutil all start their fiftieth race in Formula One.

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