Posted at 12:50 a.m., Sunday, September 30, 2007
Autos: Hamilton wins wild Japanese GP
Associated Press
OYAMA, Japan — Lewis Hamilton won a wet-and-wild Japanese Grand Prix today to move closer to the Formula One title with two races to go.Hamilton's main rival, McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, crashed out of the race. Heikki Kovalainen of Renault was second and Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari finished third.
Hamilton has a 12-point lead in the drivers standings. He can secure the world title in his rookie season if he finished next week's race in China with at least an 11-point lead over defending champion Alonso.
Alonso can still win the title but he needs a lot of luck.
Alonso spun and hit the wall hard on the 42nd lap at the Fuji Speedway. His car stopped in the middle of the track with debris around him. The Spaniard was helped out of the car and stayed behind a fence for a few laps to contemplate what happened.
It was Hamilton's fourth victory of the season, tying him with Alonso and Raikkonen for the most wins this year.
"I think for me one of the most, if not the most, difficult races I had to do. The conditions were changing so much," said Hamilton, who had to contend with spray, fog, and even had to clear up moisture inside his helmet.
