Formula One news

Alonso steals title stranglehold

Fernando Alonso took a championship stranglehold fighting up from fifth on the grid to take victory in the Japanese Grand Prix from Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella. Under pressure from Alonso, Schumacher suffered his first engine failure since 2001 and slips ten points behind in the championship. Alonso needs just a single point in Brazil to be sure of his second drivers' crown.

130,000 fans turned out for the last Grand Prix to be held at Suzuka, for the time being at least, and it proved to be an event to remember. Massa made a strong start and waltzed off into the lead while Schumacher chopped across the track to guard against his fast starting brother and retaining second position. Fernando Alonso got the job half-done in turn one as he picked off Jarno Trulli - one Toyota down, one to go.

Ferrari's choreography came very early - at the start of lap 3 - when Felipe Massa lifted off on the main straight and let Schumacher through to the lead. Alonso meanwhile was all over the back of Ralf's Toyota, but unable to make a move.

Alonso held station until lap 12 when Ralf pitted, followed in on the next lap by Felipe Massa. The Spaniard put the hammer down and showed the Renault was no slouch around this circuit, cutting almost three second out of Schumacher's seven-second lead over the next three laps. The flying laps really paid dividends for Renault: Alonso pitted on lap 15 and rejoined the race ahead of Felipe Massa, in a net second place behind Michael Schumacher.

Michael Schumacher pitted from the lead on lap 18 of 53 and rejoined comfortably ahead of Alonso - but importantly the battle was now on between the two championship contenders running first and second on track with just 5.5s between them.

Drama on lap 21 when Christijan Albers suffered a major driveshaft failure which sheared his rear right wheel off the chassis taking the rear wing with it as he braked for the final chicane. Despite the fact there was a driveshaft sitting in the middle of the race track, race control did not despatch the safety car.

Alonso meanwhile set about eating away at Schumacher's lead and by lap 27 he had cut the deficit to 4.2s while Felipe Massa had fallen six more seconds adrift in third. As the leading pair negotiated backmarkers the difference grew again to 5.5s where it stabilised.

Alonso was again first to blink, making his second stop on lap 35. Schumacher responded immediately and dived into the pits on lap 36. It looked to be game, set and match to Schumacher until his Ferrari engine exploded dramatically in the middle sector of his out-lap. It was the German's first engine failure since 2000, coming at the worst possible moment.

Alonso cruised into the lead as Schumacher looked philosophical as he trudged back to the pits. Mark Webber meanwhile tried to steal the headlines with a spectacular slide and crash in the tyre barrier in the final corner.

All that was left was for Alonso to stroll to his seventh victory of the season and the fifteenth of his career ahead of Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella. Alonso's victory puts him ten points ahead of Schumacher meaning that all he needs to in Brazil is score one point to be sure of his second championship. For Schumacher there is a feint glimmer of hope, but to take the title he will need to win in Brazil and will need Alonso to not score any points. Fisichella's third place helps Renault extend its constructros' championship lead to nine points over Ferrari.

Jenson Button salvaged fourth for Honda at its home circuit while Raikkonen made the most of another strange strategy from McLaren which saw them compromise grid position to run a very long first stint while still on the same two-stop strategy as everyone else.

Toyota dropped back during the race and finished sixth and seventh while Heidfeld took the final championship point for BMW.

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