The first 19 laps of the race were run behind the safety car due to the fog and heavy rain at Fuji. Despite instructions from race control that the field must start on extreme wet tires, the Ferraris were both fitted with intermediates.  As a result both Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen spun while behind the safety car in one of the dumbest moves in Ferrari history.  Both drivers had to stop during the caution and switch to extreme wets.

"A very eventful race and I am so happy to have won here at Fuji," said a happy and relieved Hamilton. "There were moments when I thought it would have been better to stop the race; however, when the rain faded a little, conditions improved a bit. I didn’t feel too much pressure and think I would have been able to push a bit harder if necessary. I was lucky that nothing serious happened to my car when Robert Kubica hit me. I didn’t see him come so the impact caught me by surprise, and I spun. Afterwards I stayed concentrated and focused on keeping the car on the track. I want to say thank you to everybody in the team who have done a great job throughout the weekend. This was an important victory for the championship, but I do not want to think too much about it and will focus hard on the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai next weekend."

For the first 19 laps the field continued behind the Safety Car as conditions seemed to be getting worse.

At the end of lap 19 the Safety Car pulled off and the race went green with Hamilton leading Alonso.  Further back Heidfeld touches Button and spins causing a backup, that resulted in Wurz and Massa colliding. Wurz was done for the day while Massa was assessed a drive-through penalty.

At lap 20 the order was Hamilton and Alonso, followed by Vettel, Webber, Button, Fisichella, Kovalainen, Kubica, Coulthard and Sutil in tenth.

On lap 22 Sato pitted with flames erupting from the car but they went out when he left the pits.

On lap 23 Button pitted for a new nose that he lost in his first lap incident.

On lap 27 Alonso made his first stop from second place, rejoining in seventh.

On lap 28 leader Hamilton pits rejoining ahead of Alonso who slid off a corner while pushing on his out lap but continues.

Sebastian Vettel then took over the lead in the Toro Rosso, and at lap 30 the order was Vettel leading Mark Webber, both yet to stop, followed by Hamilton, Kovalainen, Kubica, Fisichella, Coulthard, Alonso, Heidfeld and Raikkonen in tenth place.

On lap 32 Vettel pits from the lead, rejoining in ninth, handing the lead over to Webber in the Red Bull.

On lap 34 Heidfeld passed Alonso for seventh place into the first corner, while on the same lap Hamilton and Kubica make contact and spin but continue.  On the next lap Alonso made contact with Vettel and spins and rejoins. Alonso’s car showed signs of bodywork damage just in front of his right rear tire.

By lap 37 the order was Kovalainen leading Fisichella by 7 seconds, followed right behind by David Coulthard - all three yet to make their first stops. Hamilton was in fourth followed by Webber, Vettel, Raikkonen, Alonso, Liuzzi and Rosberg in tenth place.

On lap 43 Alonso, pushing hard to catch Hamilton, aquaplaned off the track, the car nosing into the barrier on the side of the track and the car spinning to rest in the middle of the track, bringing out the Safety Car, the McLaren driver walking away from the car unhurt.

At lap 44 the order was Hamilton leading Webber, followed by Vettel, Liuzzi, Kovalainen, Massa, Coulthard, Fisichella, Sutil and Heidfeld in tenth, Raikkonen in 11th.

On lap 46 Vettel in third ran into Webber in second, behind the Safety Car, taking Webber out.  Vettel was given a 10-place penalty on the grid in China for the incident.

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