Qualifying for the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix would see AT&T Williams drivers Kazuki Nakajima and Nico Rosberg line up in fourteenth and fifteenth positions on the grid. The prospects for the race were far from promising and with the weather been overcast but dry there was not even the wild car of rain that could play a role. So with Hamilton on pole followed by Raikkonen, Kovalainen, and Alonso the grid would move away for the start of the sixty seven lap race. With the tyres running the green stripes denoting support for the FIA's Make Cars Greener campaign most drivers were on the harder tyre for their first runs. Massa was an exception being on the softer tyre for his first stint. Both Williams drivers were on the harder tyre.

The grid would form up and the lights would go out and it would be Hamilton leading into Turn one but he would push Raikkonen wide as the McLaren and Ferrari ran side by side. Hamilton was took quick into the first corner and ran wide. Coulthard would have a big crash ending his race. Kazuki would lose his front nose and have to pit. Kubica was leading from Alonso, Kovalainen, Trulli, Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, and Piquet in eighth. A fastest lap for Kubica, 1m:20.019, and Hamilton would try to pass Massa and Massa held his ground. Hamilton would spin and have to pit on lap three. Hamilton was slow away and Raikkonen went fastest on lap three with a 1m:19.415.

Kubica was leading Alonso by 1.0 seconds with Kovalainen third followed by Trulli, Raikkonen, Bourdais, Massa, and Glock. Nico was down in seventeenth and Kazuki nineteenth. Hamilton was now eighteenth. The moment between Massa and Hamilton will no doubt see the stewards investigate how Massa came back to run side by side with Hamilton and then make contact. Would Massa get a penalty? Glock would pit on lap six. Coulthard's crash was caused by right rear suspension failure. Kazuki would lose his front wing trying to avoid Coulthard. Raikkonen was fastest on lap five with a 1m:19.323. Glock would again pit as Kubica still lead from Alonso by 1.7 seconds. Kovalainen was third followed by Trulli, Raikkonen, Bourdais, Massa, and Piquet.

Raikkonen would pass Trulli at Turn Ten for fourth. Sutil would retire with a right rear tyre failure. Glock had retired also in his pit. Nico was now fifteenth and Kazuki eighteenth. Massa was closing in onto Bourdais. Hamilton really had thrown things away by his actions at the start of the race. Nico would move up to fourteenth moving ahead of Button. Kovalainen was fastest on lap twelve with a 1m:19.258. It was announced that the cars of Raikkonen, Massa, and Hamilton were under investigation for incidents. Massa had run across the grass with his left wheels as he came back on Hamilton. This would most likely see him get a penalty. Kazuki had being lapped by the leaders. Nico was right behind Fisichella. Nico would pass the Force India at Turn one.

Kubica was still leading from Alonso, 1.4 seconds, with Kovalainen a similar margin behind the Renault. Lap sixteen and Raikkonen was again fastest with a 1m:19.193. Kovalainen's car would start to smoke and he would pull off to retire. lap eighteen and Kubica and Raikkonen would pit. Alonso was fastest on lap seventeen with a 1m:19.169. Massa would get a drive through penalty for his part in Hamilton's spin. Hamilton was also given a drive through penalty for forcing Raikkonen off the track at the start. Lap nineteen and Alonso would pit. Hamilton would come in for his penalty as Trulli moved into the lead. Massa would pit staying on the softer tyre. Massa would come back in on lap twenty for his drive through penalty.

Trulli was leading Bourdais by 7.0 seconds. Piquet was in third followed by Vettel, Alonso, Kubica, Raikkonen, and Webber in eighth. Trulli would lap Hamilton. lap twenty two and Trulli would pit. Alonso was able to get in front of Kubica in their pit stops. Massa and Hamilton were down in fourteenth and fifteenth. It looked like neither driver would come away with any points from this race. Lap twenty three and Bourdais was leading from Piquet and Vettel. Nico was now in eleventh and Kazuki last and in sixteenth. Fisichella would retire in his pit. Vettel would pit on lap twenty four, staying on the harder tyre. Nico was challenging Barrichello for tenth. Alonso was running quicker than chasing
Kubica.

Nico would pass Barrichello into Turn one. Bourdais would pit on lap twenty six. Piquet was now leading from Alonso and Kubica. Barrichello was able to get back past Nico. Piquet would put in a personal best lap on lap twenty seven with a 1m:19.317. Massa was behind Button and losing time. Piquet would pit on lap twenty eight. Alonso was now leading from Kubica, Raikkonen, Webber, Trulli, Piquet, Bourdais, and Vettel. Massa had finally passed Button for twelfth in braking for Turn one. Nico was again in front of Barrichello for tenth. Kazuki was in fifteenth. Alonso was now leading by 7.8 seconds after lap thirty.

Nico was now 12.5 seconds behind ninth placed Heidfeld. Lap thirty two and Alonso's lead was out to 8.9 seconds. The gaps between the top eight were fairly static. Webber was running fourth but had yet to make his first stop. Nico would put in his personal best on lap thirty three with a 1m:20.177. Webber would pit on lap thirty five, taking on the softer tyre. Kubica continued to drop away from Alonso. Nico had yet to make his first stop. Lap thirty five and Alonso's lead was out to 10.1 seconds. With Webber's stop Nico had moved up to ninth. Kazuki would pit on lap thirty eight, with Alonso's lead now 11.0 seconds. Button would also pit followed by his team-mate Barrichello. Another personal best from Nico on lap thirty nine as he started to close in onto eighth placed Heidfeld. Heidfeld would pit on lap forty one. Nico was again faster as he tried to improve his position. A new fastest lap from Alonso on lap forty one with a 1m:19.101.

Hamilton would pit taking on the softer tyre while Nico had moved into eighth. Massa was now ninth. Lap forty two and Alonso's lead was out to 12.7 seconds. Nico would pit on lap forty three. Alonso would also pit from the lead on lap forty four. Alonso was on the softer tyre and would get a small adjustment to his front wing. Kubica was again leading from Raikkonen, Trulli, Piquet, Bourdais, Alonso now in sixth, Vettel, and Massa. Nico was now in eleventh. Raikkonen was now pushing setting a new fastest lap with a 1m:19.076. He was 3.7 seconds behind Kubica. Kubica would pit on lap forty seven, taking on the softer tyre. Massa was in eighth and Hamilton twelfth and one lap behind. Raikkonen was now leading from Trulli, Piquet, Bourdais, Alonso, Vettel, Kubica, and Massa. Massa would set a personal best on lap forty seven with a 1m:19.265.

Lap forty eight and Raikkonen would pit taking on the softer tyre. Massa would set a fastest lap on lap forty eight with a 1m:19.014. Raikkonen would come back out behind Kubica. Massa was again fastest with a 1m:18.963. Trulli was now leading from Piquet, Bourdais, Alonso, Vettel, and Kubica. lap fifty and Trulli and Bourdais would both pit. Lap fifty and Massa was again fastest with a 1m:18.893. Bourdais and Massa would make contact as Bourdais came out of the pit lane. Massa had turned in onto Bourdais with the Torro Rosso driver really left with nowhere to go. Massa would spin after the pair made contact but was able to continue. Vettel would pit on lap fifty two. Piquet would pit the next lap. Raikkonen was right behind Kubica.

Kubica was defending his second place from Raikkonen. Massa would pit on lap fifty four as Kazuki continued to run last and in fifteenth. Nico was down in eleventh. Kubica and Raikkonen were fighting over second with Raikkonen running wide as he tried to pass Kubica. Alonso was leading by 12.5 seconds from Kubica. The incident between Massa and Bourdais was now under investigation. Piquet was closing in onto Raikkonen after being able to get past Trulli. Massa was again fastest on lap fifty five, 1m:18.426, running in tenth. Nico was in eleventh and unlikely to make any improvement on this as the race started to draw to a close. Lap fifty eight and Piquet was right with Raikkonen, making it a three way fight. Massa was now right behind ninth placed Heidfeld.

It was looking like neither Massa or Hamilton would score any points, making Massa's challenge for the championship that much harder with Hamilton taking a seven point lead into the final two races of the season. Massa would pass ninth place Heidfeld and start his chase with Webber who was 8.1 seconds ahead of Massa. Kubica was now 2.0 seconds ahead of Raikkonen. Lap sixty one and Massa was now 3.9 seconds behind Webber. Webber's front left tyre looked more like a slick rather than a tyre with four treads. Piquet had made a mistake losing four seconds to Raikkonen. After lap sixty three Piquet was 9.7 seconds behind Raikkonen. Massa was now right with Webber and looking to score one point from eighth.

Lap sixty four and Alonso was leading Kubica by 9.6 seconds. Raikkonen was third from Piquet, Trulli, Bourdais, Vettel, and in eighth Webber. But it was likely that Massa would pass Webber and he would do just that going into Turn one. Webber would put the squeeze on Massa as they went down the straight. Nico was still in eleventh as Alonso started his last lap. The Renault driver would go onto to win the Japanese Grand Prix from Kubica, Raikkonen, Piquet, Trulli, Bourdais, Vettel and the last point went to Massa. This was a back to back win for Alonso and the Renault team.

For the Williams team it would be such a big step down from the joy of Singapore with neither driver scoring a point and they did not look like they really had any chance of scoring any points even with Kazuki's first corner dramas losing his front nose. Going to Shanghai Hamilton's lead was now six points from Massa, but Massa was still under investigation for the incident with Bourdais.

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time
 1.  Alonso        Renault               (B)  1h30:21.892
 2.  Kubica        BMW Sauber            (B)  +     5.283
 3.  Raikkonen     Ferrari               (B)  +     6.400
 4.  Piquet        Renault               (B)  +    20.570
 5.  Trulli        Toyota                (B)  +    23.767
 6.  Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  +    34.085
 7.  Vettel        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    (B)  +    39.207
 8.  Massa         Ferrari               (B)  +    46.158
 9.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault      (B)  +    50.811
10.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber            (B)  +    54.120
11.  Rosberg       AT&T Williams-Toyota  (B)  +  1:02.096
12.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +  1:18.900
13.  Barrichello   Honda                 (B)  +     1 lap
14.  Button        Honda                 (B)  +     1 lap
15.  Nakajima      AT&T Williams-Toyota  (B)  +     1 lap

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:18.426

Not classified/retirements:

Driver        Team                      On lap
Fisichella    Force India-Ferrari   (B)    22
Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes      (B)    17
Sutil         Force India-Ferrari   (B)    9
Glock         Toyota                (B)    7
Coulthard     Red Bull-Renault      (B)    1