Japanese grand prix!

[Iliana]

The qualifying sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix were cancelled here Friday and moved to Sunday because of the threat of a typhoon scheduled to hit the Suzuka track.

Typhoon Ma-on is due to hit the region at 9:00 am local time (0000 GMT) on Saturday and officials have decided to close the track because of concerns over possible winds of up to 200km/h.

The sport's governing body, the FIA, confirmed the cancellation and a revised schedule includes pre-qualifying and qualifying taking place on Sunday morning before the race.

"On the advice of the local Japanese authorities, given the extreme weather forecast, circuit officials have proposed the closure of the Suzuka circuit on Saturday," the FIA said in a statement. "The stewards of the meeting have accepted their proposal and have cancelled all the sessions scheduled to take place on that date. There will be a revised timetable for Sunday."

The pre-qualifying session is now scheduled to take place at 9:00 am local time, followed by the grid-deciding qualifying session at 10:00 am with the race still due to take place at 2:30 pm local time on Sunday.

The typhoon, which is yet to hit land, has intensified in strength to a super typhoon but it is understood that once it has passed through the weather will improve significantly.

The continuation of the event, however, still depends on the state of the track once the typhoon has passed through the area and teams have battened down the hatches to limit damage.

BAR-Honda team principal David Richards said: "Clearly it is an unfortunate situation, more thinking of the fans actually out there, the poor people that have actually sat in the grandstands today."

There was limited running here Friday for first and second practice, with world champion Michael Schumacher topping both sessions for Ferrari ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella's Sauber.

After taking part in practice Friday, BAR driver Jenson Button said: "It's very dangerous because with so much aquaplaning on the straights if someone spins on the straight it could be pretty disastrous. Every corner you get to you are on a knife-edge because there is so much aquaplaning. You couldn't race in the conditions you had at the end of the session -- it's just way way too wet."

Teams spent most of the afternoon packing away their equipment in preparation for the typhoon, with radio masts being taken down and everything being stored in the garages. But Minardi team chief Paul Stoddart said: "The teams will survive I'm sure. We will batten down the hatches but lets hope the aftermath of the typhoon doesn't interfere with Sunday's race.

"I think it's bad enough we don't have qualifying tomorrow but if we also have to have a very poor or indeed an aborted race, I think that would be even worse for the fans."

Jarno Trulli will race for Toyota in Japan and Brazil.

A new Formula One team named Midland F1 announced on Friday that they will join the Grand Prix grid for the start of the 2006 season with a car built by Italian manufacturer Dallara. The project, run by a private trading and investment-holding organisation called the Midland Group, is co-founded by 36-year-old Alex Shnaider and will be based on the outskirts of London.

Shnaider said his company is 'most active' in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and he is confident he has the capital to enter the sport and maintain a team in the long-term. "We understand that basic survival in Formula One requires a budget of around 100 million (US Dollars) per annum and we are prepared for that," said Shnaider. "We are in the middle of a selection process for the crew."

Formula One is currently struggling to maintain its 20-car grid and motoring giant Ford announced in September that their Jaguar Racing team and their Cosworth engine manufacturing company are both up for sale. The new venture, if it becomes reality, could be the first all-new private team on the grid since Sir Jackie Stewart set up Stewart Grand Prix in 1997. Toyota were the most recent to join in 2002.

"I am surprised that no one has realised that having a Formula One team is like getting an NBA or NHL franchise for free, as it is one of the world's most popular sports," added Shnaider. "The opportunity to create value is immense and it stuns me that there are not more companies that have identified this opportunity just as we have. The search for a global platform is mutual and Formula One is the perfect fit."

Dallara ran their own team in Formula One in the early 1990s but they pulled out in 1992 and currently manufacture chassis for the United States-based IRL IndyCar championship and the World Series by Nissan.

The new team is in the very early stages of development and is yet to arrange a tyre or an engine supply but Shnaider said they are currently holding talks with 'the usual suspects.' He insists they are not planning to just make up the numbers and said: "Everybody wants to win. Midland F1 will be no exception to that but first we have to do our homework. We have to put a team together - the right people, a competitive car. Then we can start thinking about winning. But I can assure you winning will be on our agenda."

Shnaider said he would 'reveal everything' by January or February next year, but confirmed that the team aims to introduce the first Russian rookie to Formula One in the near future. Shnaider does not plan to run the team in the long-term and said: "The Formula One project is my line of action and I will co-ordinate the build-up. Once the team is established I will delegate the day-to-day-business to a team manager."

Source AFP

[Santos]

1. Michael Schumacher GER Ferrari 1:24:26,985

2. Ralf Schumacher GER Williams + 14.008

3. Jenson Button GBR BAR 19,662

4. Takuma Sato JPN BAR 31,781

5. Fernando Alonso ESP Renault 37,767

6. Kimi Raikkonen FIN McLaren 39,302

7. Juan Pablo Montoya COL Williams 55,347

8. Giancarlo Fisichella ITA Sauber 56,276

9. Felipe Massa BRA Sauber 1:29,656

10. Jacques Villeneuve CAN Renault 1 lap

11. Jarno Trulli ITA Toyota 1 lap

12. Christian Klien AUT Jaguar 1 lap

13. Nick Heidfeld GER Jordan 1 lap

14. Olivier Panis FRA Toyota 2 laps

15. Timo Glock GER Jordan 2 laps

16. Gianmaria Bruni ITA Minardi 3 laps

dnf: Webber, Barrichello, Coulthard, Baumgartner

[Iliana]

Race report from f1racing.net

Michael Schumacher won his thirteenth Grand Prix of the season today at Suzuka in Japan. The German dominated proceedings leading from the start and never looking back. Brother Ralf finished second ahead of BAR Honda's Jenson Button.

Despite overcast conditions the track was dry and both air and track temperature reached twenty-eight degrees Centigrade for the start of the race. Michael Schumacher made a strong start from pole to lead brother Ralf into the first corner while third placed Mark Webber dropped back to sixth.

After the first round of pit stops Michael Schumacher's domination continued to grow - after twenty laps his advantage over brother Ralf grew to a full twenty seconds. Takuma Sato was in third, ten seconds behind Ralf and three seconds ahead of Button while David Coulthard was fifth ahead of Fernando Alonso. On his debut for Toyota, Jarno Trulli continued to stand up to immense pressure from Juan Pablo Montoy and Rubens Barrichello in the fight for seventh.

Webber was the first retirement on lap 21, compounding his difficult afternoon after his poor start from third. The Australian pulled into the pits after feeling intense heat through the seat, burning his posterior. As he climbed from the cockpit he made mechanics splash water over his behind.

Michael Schumacher pitted for the second time on lap twenty-six and emerged from the refuelling stop in first.

Rubens Barrichello and David Coulthard retired from the race on lap forty after the Brazilian attempted a move from a long way back resulting in a collision and damage to both their front suspensions.

Michael Schumacher cruised home to clinch his thirteenth win of the 2004 season, his eighty-second career victory. Cruising for the last few laps Michael came home comfortably ahead of brother Ralf while BAR Honda's Jenson Button rounded off the podium positions - the British driver's tenth podium of the season.

Sato rounded off another great Japanese Grand Prix for BAR Honda with fourth place while Fernando Alonso just kept in touch in fifth. Raikkonen claimed three points for sixth ahead of Montoya and Fisichella bringing in the final point for Sauber.

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[Iliana]