Fernando Alonso's championship chances received a massive boost at Suzuka, not only with victory in the Japanese Grand Prix but also with main rival
Michael Schumacher retiring from the race while comfortably in front.
The German's smoky exit 16 laps from home was the one major talking point in a race largely devoid of excitement but, ironically, has had the opposite effect on the title race, by leaving Alonso in need of a single point in Brazil to put the crown out of reach. Up until that point, the
Renault driver had been in damage limitation mode and appeared to be headed for Interlagos needing to score three points more than his rival.
Unable to gift his team-mate the lead as the lights went out, the race began with pole man
Felipe Massa heading the field into turn one while Schumacher slotted in behind to keep the Toyota of brother Ralf at bay. Alonso, meanwhile, was already on the move, vaulting past
Jarno Trulli for fourth at the opening corner, while team-mate
Giancarlo Fisichella lost out to
Honda's
Jenson Button as the odd-numbered starting positions proved more beneficial.
With Alonso looking feisty,
Ferrari wasted little time in getting Schumacher to the front, Massa appearing to slow in pre-determined fashion as the field crossed the start-finish line at the end of lap two. Once clear of his team-mate, the German edged away, but it was noticeable, even in the early stages, that
Bridgestone did not appear to have the same sort of advantage over Michelin as had been the case in qualifying.
Schumacher's cause was helped, inadvertently, by his younger brother, who managed to frustrate Alonso through the early stages. While the Spaniard looked for a way past the lighter
Toyota, the two Ferraris eked out a five-second gap. Alonso did little to help himself with a couple of lurid moments that allowed the second Toyota of Trulli to close in, but he was quickly back on Schumacher Jr's case, eventually passing the German for third at turn one on lap 13.
