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 Chinese GP:

1. Lewis Hamilton, 0.83
2. Felipe Massa, 0.83
3. Fernando Alonso, 0.80
4. Robert Kubica, 0.75
5. Nick Heidfeld, 0.73
6. Heikki Kovalainen, 0.73
7. Sebastian Vettel, 0.71
8. Timo Glock, 0.62
9. Kimi Raikkonen, 0.60
10. Jarno Trulli, 0.58
11. Nico Rosberg, 0.55
12. Mark Webber, 0.53
13. Sebastien Bourdais, 0.53
14. Nelson Piquet Jr, 0.51
15. Kazuki Nakajima, 0.44
16. Jenson Button, 0.42
17. David Coulthard, 0.41
18. Rubens Barrichello, 0.31
19. Giancarlo Fisichella, 0.29
20. Adrian Sutil, 0.25

The big news of the session is that Kubica did not make it out of Q2. Once again, BMW Sauber could not get on top of the tire situation, and bad timing for Kubica that he was on the wrong end of the team’s shortcomings in qualifying this time. It seems fitting that in the most important qualifying session of the season for Kubica as far as the Championship is concerned, that the team could not rise to the occasion and deliver a faster package. Perhaps he will load up on fuel for tomorrow and hope for the best.

To add insult to injury for BMW Sauber, Heidfeld committed a clear infraction in Q1 by moving on Mark Webber on what appeared to be an in lap for Heidfeld. The incident was shown to everyone on the world feed. Given how liberally the stewards have given out penalties, expect Heidfeld to be dropped five places on the grid.

For the Ferrari drivers, tomorrow will all come down to the start and how well Raikkonen and Massa can manage their tires. They do not seem to have to pace to match Hamilton, although Ferrari have tended to improve their pace in races relative to qualifying this season. The pressure is now really on Massa.

Once again, Hamilton has the Championship in his grasp. And I fully expect that this time, he will do what it takes to clinch the title. He is in the best position possible to prove his detractors wrong and also become the youngest World Champion in history.

For the last four months, Robert Kubica has been pleading his case in the press for his BMW Sauber team to fully support his efforts to win the Driver’s Championship in 2008. And finally, with just two races left in the season, the team principals have expressed support for their driver.

While such statements make for a nice feel-good story, it couldn’t have come at any less effective of a time. With Kubica 12 points down to leader Lewis Hamilton, the distinct disadvantage in terms of pace that BMW Sauber have to the two leading teams, McLaren and Ferrari, means that it is only a matter of time before the Pole is mathematically eliminated from contention. As a matter of fact, he must finish at least two places ahead of Hamilton in this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix (provided Kubica finishes first or second) in order to carry his slimmest of opportunities to the last event in Brazil.

Since there are no longer any testing days available, the best the team can now do is focus their weekend preparations on maximizing Kubica’s performance. Later today in Friday practice, Heidfeld’s program will probably be primarily devoted to tire testing for Kubica’s setups. The team must finally get on top of the tire pressure mysteries that have affected the car in qualifying and races. It will also be interesting to see on Saturday if they play a hand with Heidfeld’s qualifying fuel load if the German makes it into Q3.

But it could all be for naught if Kubica cannot show the pace to keep up with whoever sets the best times. The only way Kubica has a chance is if he wins. So his competition is not necessarily Ferrari or McLaren. He may have to fight with Alonso or Vettel if the weekend ends up once again getting turned upside down.

Many supporters cite the 17 point deficit that Kimi Raikkonen overcame last year in defeating Hamilton as a prime example that similar good fortune can come Kubica’s way. Unfortunately, the difference is that BMW Sauber have not shown the potential to dominate a weekend the way that Ferrari showed last year. And as much as I enjoy watching Kubica drive a racing car and compete, I do not see him winning or even finishing second in both races to end 2008.

As I mentioned in previous posts, BMW Sauber had to throw their support behind Kubica in the Summer, when they could have capitalized on the many mistakes made by the other contenders. Instead, they appeared to lose their way in terms of developing the car and managing their weekends. Also, the team seemingly became distracted by the fate of their other driver, Nick Heidfeld, until he was renewed right before the last race in Japan. In hindsight and now knowing how the season has unfolded, it is clear that BMW Sauber have let a great opportunity slip right through their hands.

With a remarkable performance in Japan, Fernando Alonso took his second successive win of the season, this time over Robert Kubica. Both drove extremely well in what may have been the best race of the season. And in what has become the theme of 2008, the title contenders managed to once again throw away their opportunities.

Confirming the dramatic uptick in performance for the Renault team, Nelson Piquet finished a strong fourth in what was certainly his best performance of the year. The next six months will be very interesting to see if Alonso decides to stay at Renault and how the team will build on its progress going into next season. I wonder how their KERS system is coming along…

After dismal displays of driving early in the race, both Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa deservedly received drive-through penalties. It is understandable that Massa was fighting with a sense of desperation. However, it is bewildering how many big chances Hamilton took at the beginning of the race. After showing surprising maturity in Singapore, the Championship leader showed an even more surprising regression to his old impulsive ways in the very next event. Luckily for Hamilton, Massa’s own transgressions ensured that he left Japan with his points lead mostly intact. As I mentioned after qualifying, I would be surprised if Hamilton throws the Championship away for the second season in a row, now with only two races remaining.

Many fans may appreciate the unpredicability of this season and the ups and downs experienced by the front runners. However, I think it’s a sign that neither Hamilton, Massa, or Kimi Raikkonen are worthy successors to the throne that was vacated by Michael Schumacher. The fact that Robert Kubica is still in contention driving a car that is well behind both the McLaren and Ferrari (and now perhaps even behind Renault) is enough evidence that the four drivers (the three plus Heikki Kovalainen) piloting the runaway two best cars of the field have not lived up to the capabilities offered to them by their equipment. It is almost unfortunate that either Hamilton or Massa will end up winning the Championship.

While Kubica is still mathematically in the hunt, it is an impossible task for him to reach the top spot. If not for a big lull in perfomance by his BMW Sauber team in the middle of the season, Kubica might be leading the points. Then he might have had a chance. But for him to overcome a 12-point deficit (13 to actually win the Championship) in what is now the fourth best car in the field is even more unlikely than Raikkonen’s 17-point gap last year. Still he has had some outstanding performances this year, and it is too bad he was not in a Ferrari. I hope BMW Sauber can raise its game in ‘09.

The last two races have completely restored Alonso’s stature in F1 after his reputation-shattering season in ‘07. He very well may be, in the words of Ross Brawn, the “best driver” in the series. While his victory in Singapore may have been lucky, it is easy to forget that he was definitely on the pace in practice and in Q1. Then his win earlier today in Japan has confirmed that Renault has raised its game and Alonso has driven like a champion in order to take full advantage. Like Kubica it is too bad Alonso was not in a Ferrari.

So now we immediately move on to China for the penultimate round of the Championship. We all know how that race ended up in ‘07. And same as last year, if Hamilton can manage to leave the race with a 10-point lead, he will win the title. However, unlike last year, I think he will end up doing it. And thankfully, the ‘08 driver’s crown will then be decided, so that we can move on to what promises to be the start of a new era in 2009.

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.