Japanese GP - Michelin - RaceKimi Räikkönen scored a spectacular victory in the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka in his Michelin-shod McLaren Mercedes, the penultimate round of the championship.
From 17th on the grid – he was one of several leading drivers who suffered
the consequences of a heavy rain shower during qualifying – the Finn survived a first-lap clash with team-mate
Juan Pablo Montoya and fought his way through the field to emerge in second place after the final round of pit stops.
He then cut the gap to long-time leader
Giancarlo Fisichella and – after a couple of failed overtaking attempts – managed to usurp his rival at the start of the 53rd and final lap.
It was the Finn’s seventh victory of the campaign – and Michelin’s 17th. The company has now scored 92 F1 world championship wins but this was its first at Suzuka.
Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director
“What a fantastic race – it was a privilege to play a small but vital role in such clash of the titans, RenaultF1 and McLaren-Mercedes. I was delighted that Michelin’s tyres enabled its partners to perform in such a spectacular manner through the 53 laps – and the ferocious pace did not compromise our customary performance or durability. This was a perfect illustration of how the current F1 regulations provide the basis for great racing.”
Nick Shorrock, Director of Michelin F1 activities
“It’s great to celebrate our first win at Suzuka – and particularly in such circumstances, in a race that was full of entertaining battles from the first lap to the last. We have managed to evolve our F1 tyres throughout the season without ever dulling our competitive edge and both our ‘prime’ and ‘option’ compounds were highly competitive today. The early safety-car period naturally caused pressures to drop, but this had no adverse effect. Our tyres performed in a safe, effective manner in all conditions throughout the afternoon.”
Ron Dennis, McLaren Group chairman
“It’s a fantastic reward for the team’s effort in what has been a challenging weekend. The strategy was executed in a professional and discipline manner and Michelin also performed to their usual high standard. That was probably Kimi’s best race yet – the result of a great team effort. Michelin played a crucial role in our success and we’re all now looking forward to China.”
E.A. Source Michelin
