Q1 has just begun, and we've got a bright sunny afternoon in Japan.  However, the rain during Friday practice claimed a victim in Saturday's practice.  Because of all the rain, the RedBull team had no usable data and sent Mark Webber out with the ride height a little too low.  He hit a bump in the Degner Curve, the bottom of the car contacted the asphalt, and suddenly he had no control at all.  The car went straight on into the tire barrier, and the chassis was totaled.  In fact, the damage was so bad that the team has to build him a new car altogether for the race; he'll not be participating in quals as a result and at the moment will be starting from the pit lane.

Sebastian Buemi in his Toro Rosso just lost it in the exact same place, and probably for the exact same reason.  He backed it into the tire barrier a little more gently, but he has yet to re-emerge.

As I say that, Heikki Kovaleininininnie just took a wild ride... at the Degner Curve.  This might prove interesting during the race.

There's another typhoon near the Philippines, headed towards Japan.  The forecasters have thrown up their hands and stalked away in disgust, so nobody has the faintest idea what weather we'll have for the race.

Championship notes: If Jenson Button finishes 4th or better, he wins the Driver's Championship, no matter what teammate Rubens Barrichello does.  If Red Bull doesn't outscore BrawnGP by at least 7 points, Brawn wins the Constructor's Championship... thus, the Mark Webber crash might have stuck a fork in the Red Bull hopes.

Full Qual results later!

Posted by: Wonderduck at 11:23 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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