The weather for this weekend has been apalling. It has rained on and off all weekend. a wet race is going to happen.

Hamilton got pole in yesterdays quialifying session, much to Alonso’s despair.

The starting grid for the race is as follows.

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Kimi Raikkonen
3. Felipe Massa
4. Fernando Alonso
5. David Coulthard
6. Ralf Scunamcher
7. Mark Webber
8. Nick Heifeld
9. Robert Kubica
10. Jenson Button
11. Vitantonio Liuzzi
12. Jarno Trulli
13. Heikki Kovalainen
14. Anthony Davidson
15. Nico Rosberg
16. Rubens Barrichello
17. Sebastian Vettel
18. Giancarlo Fisichella
19. Alexander Wurz
20. Takuma Sato
21. Adrian Sutil
22. Sakon Yamamoto

With the weather being so bad, the drivers all started the race on the intermediate tyres bar one or two who opted for full wets.

Everyone negotiated the first corner safely except for Schumacher, who span and ended up at the  very back of the pack. Liuzzi in the Torro Rosso challenged Mark Webber and overtook. There was also contact between Barrichello’s Honda and Davidson’s Super Aguri. Liuzzi was by now up to seventh and ready to challenge Nick Heidfeld for sixth place. Button had dropped to thirteenth and Coulthard held his place.

Back to the front of the field, and Hamilton is pulling away from Raikkonen at almost seven tenths of a second per lap. Liuzzi passes Heidfeld for sixth, and Liuzzi’s Torro Rosso team mate Sebastian Vettel passes Kovalainen’s Renault for tenth place. Kovalainen then loses another place to Trulli. He radios the pits and complained about the oversteer. Many cars were struggling in the wet, with several midfield battles still taking place. Meanwhile, Hamilton is still flying.

Midfield, Rosberg overtakes Button and Davidson retires. The damage caused by the collision with Barrichello in the opening stages was to blame.

Hamilton pitted lap 15, and keept his same set of tyres on. they were just starting to get into temperature. He leaves the pits in front of Coulthard. Kovalainen loses yet another place to Schumacher.

The rest of the front runners also kept the same tyres. Raikkonen came back out in front of Hamilton.

Sutil flew off the track, but managed to stay in the race. 

Webber pitted and put dry tyres, as many drivers will soon do also. Ralf Schumacher collided with Liuzzi and spun on the wet white lines.

By now, Raikkonen closes the gap on Hamilton. Ralf Schumacher, as he is on dry tyres, spins out, as Sutil smashes into the camera that recorded Schumacher! 

Hamilton is struggling on his poor tyres, and Raikkonen manages to overtake.

As Hamilton pulled into the pitlane for his stop, he went straight on into the gravel trap! Race over!! His right rear tyre had worn right down to the canvas.

The rest of the front runners get dry tyres.

Kubica leads the grand prix for a few laps after the pit stops of Raikkonen and Alonso, but retires with a mechanical problem.

Now the track is dry, and the drivers are on dry tyres.

Button up to fourth, and Vettel up to fifth, so they will be very happy with that result.

At the end of the race, the top ten looked like this.

1. Kimi Raikkonen
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Felipe Massa
4. Seb Vettel
5. Jenson Button
6. Tonio Liuzzi
7. Nick Heidfeld
8. David Coulthard
9. Heikki Kovalainen
10. Mark Webber

Hamilton is still in the lead of the championship but now must win in the final race of the season in Brazil to take the title. My driver of the weekend has to be Vettel bacause of his stirling drive to fourth. Bring on Brazil 

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