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Two-times world champion Fernando Alonso proved Renault are back among the big boys Saturday when he qualified ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa for the Japanese Grand Prix.
His performance showed Renault are now contending to be among the top three teams in Formula One, as he felt they should have been all season.
The Spaniard’s victory in Singapore in the first night race in Formula One history two weeks ago was consolidated by his efforts and results at the Fuji Speedway Saturday.
“It is so difficult to believe, to win, back to back victories, it is hard to believe,” he said. “The team has done such a great job with the car.”
Alonso took full advantage of a bad day for title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa as he came home 5.2 seconds clear of second placed Pole Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber.
Defending drivers world champion Kimi Raikkonen finished third for Ferrari.
“I made a decent start and when the others went off I was able to go through behind Robert (Kubica) and then I had a really great second stint that won me the race,” said Alonso.
“It is a great feeling to win again and to have back-to-back victories is really good for the team. It is very nice.”
Alonso, the champion in 2005 and 2006 for Renault before departing for an inglorious season with McLaren last year, has yet to agree a deal for next season, but is likely to stay with the French team.
Hamilton finished in 12th after starting on pole, with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa battling to eighth—later promoted to seventh—to close the gap on the Briton to five points with two races left.
The Formula One title rivals both received drive-through penalties, Hamilton for cutting across Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari and causing mayhem behind him in a mad dash to the first corner.
Massa, who survived several scrapes during the race, was similarly penalised after the Brazilian collided with Hamilton on lap two, spinning the McLaren and leaving the Briton in 18th.
Hamilton’s championship lead was cut from seven to six points with two races remaining this season, while Ferrari moved six points ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings.
“What can I say, it was a bad day, I’ll move on to next week,” Hamilton said. “I went wide at turn one, it was a mistake, and then Felipe hit me off, I went on the inside and he broke left and hit me pretty hard.
“I lost one point which I guess is damage limitation.”
