Japanese GP Pre-race Power Ratings

Grand Prix DB provides each driver’s statistical rating prior to the start of the race. A rating of 1.00 is the highest possible score. Here are the Grand Prix DB Power Ratings for the Japanese GP:

1. Lewis Hamilton, 0.90
2. Felipe Massa, 0.85
3. Heikki Kovalainen, 0.82
4. Robert Kubica, 0.76
5. Fernando Alonso, 0.73
6. Nick Heidfeld, 0.71
7. Sebastian Vettel, 0.69
8. Timo Glock, 0.65
9. Kimi Raikkonen, 0.58
10. Jarno Trulli, 0.56
11. Nico Rosberg, 0.56
12. Nelson Piquet Jr, 0.52
13. Sebastien Bourdais, 0.49
14. David Coulthard, 0.49
15. Mark Webber, 0.48
16. Kazuki Nakajima, 0.46
17. Jenson Button, 0.40
18. Giancarlo Fisichella, 0.29
19. Adrian Sutil, 0.27
20. Rubens Barrichello, 0.25

The staff of Grand Prix DB took a Fall break between grands prix and came back to what could effectively be the coronation of Lewis Hamilton as the next World Champion. True, he is only seven points ahead of Felipe Massa with three races to go, but the gap may was well be 27 with the opposing directions that McLaren and Ferrari have been headed these past few races.

Ferrari’s season was summed up metaphorically in Singapore, where a Massa podium and very likely victory was squandered by human error. Almost surprisingly, McLaren and Hamilton showed restraint and settled for a sensible third place. The result will almost certainly be the difference maker in a season punctuated by more unforced errors from the leading drivers and teams than we have seen in decades.

Massa is not known as a great come-from-behind driver, so his fifth grid spot will prove to be a heavy handicap considering two McLarens are starting in front of him. In addition, if Fernando Alonso manages to protect his position ahead of Massa into the first corner, it may be a very long afternoon for the Brazilian.

Kimi Raikkonen’s return to form is too late to make up for his own deficit in the ’08 Championship. And it will be difficult for him to play a spoiler if Hamilton continues to finish ahead of Massa. He has said all along he will go for wins, and he has a great opportunity to do so. He might be heavier on fuel than both Hamilton and Massa, and with the right execution, Raikkonen can convert this strategy into a victory.

But in the end, it all comes back to Hamilton. He could not have asked for anything better than starting on pole. He can now apply his usual Sunday aggression from a safe starting spot and with a cushion in the points if anything unforeseen occurs. And as we saw in Singapore, Hamilton is now aware that to win a championship, he does not need to try to win races at all costs.

Perhaps, it can be said that Ferrari’s transition into the post-Michael Schumacher era is now complete. In hindsight, their remarkable execution in the final races of ’07 that thrust Raikkonen to the World Championship may have had more to do with the lasting effects of having a seven-time champion as the centerpiece of the organization than the succession plan that saw an overhaul of the operations heading into ’07. The pundits who suggested the demise of the Ferrari dynasty following Schumacher’s retirement may have been proven wrong last year, but now we are witnessing a Ferrari team that is performing the way its detractors predicted it would.

This is all good news for Hamilton, who now has a second chance for glory following his historic implosion last year. All he needs to do is collect solid points and the Championship will be his. The situation may resemble last year’s. However, Hamilton is now a wiser competitor and I would be surprised if he throws it all away again.