2012 Japanese Grand Prix fastest laps

Sebastian Vettel couldn’t resist pumping in the fastest lap of the race on his penultimate tour of Suzuka despite his team urging him to take it easy.

Vettel was consistently lapping in the low 1’37s late in the race before producing a 1’35.774 that was eight-tenths of a second faster than anyone else managed.

That was over four seconds off the all-time lap record for Suzuka of 1’31.540, set by Kimi Raikkonen in 2005. However it was quicker than Jenson Button’s 2011 fastest lap of 1’36.568.

Here are all the drivers’ lap times from the Japanese Grand Prix.

Japanese Grand Prix lap times

All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded):

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/charts/2012drivercolours.csv

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48	49	50	51	52	53
Sebastian Vettel	117.872	158.826	99.841	99.523	99.802	99.545	99.45	99.341	99.18	99.202	99.232	99.427	99.515	99.727	99.579	100.128	101.809	116.435	99.207	99.497	99.063	98.449	98.855	98.862	98.596	98.903	98.524	98.246	98.637	98.663	98.99	97.961	98.154	98.493	98.509	98.768	100.238	115.095	96.63	97.425	97.339	97.445	97.159	97.128	96.875	96.466	97.216	97.225	96.962	97.02	97.173	95.774	98.261
Mark Webber	173.742	130.556	100.612	100.949	100.9	101.3	101.683	101.321	101.109	101.622	102.532	101.889	100.829	100.551	100.768	100.181	100.338	100.65	100.246	100.108	99.904	99.789	99.984	99.725	99.663	101.984	115.768	98.929	99.196	99.781	99.398	99.145	99.126	99.311	98.589	98.478	98.996	98.244	98.014	98.408	97.882	97.688	97.7	97.772	97.208	97.503	97.315	97.13	97.128	97.206	97.211	97.268	97.588
Kamui Kobayashi	119.454	158.635	100.366	100.39	100.028	100.114	100.038	99.965	99.84	99.983	99.853	100.061	99.951	101.903	118.223	101.454	101.224	99.321	99.304	99.434	99.308	98.993	99.008	99.113	99.593	99.729	99.83	99.78	99.659	100.025	102.174	114.735	98.313	98.465	98.348	98.113	98.7	97.766	97.735	97.608	97.701	97.86	97.758	97.454	97.226	97.732	96.8	96.847	96.988	96.99	96.762	96.679	97.447
Romain Grosjean	131.428	155.098	106.027	103.553	103.126	101.554	105.418	127.375	100.843	100.683	100.347	100.13	100.163	100.245	101.025	99.794	102.303	102.054	103.191	100.58	100.901	103.905	115.689	98.644	100.667	98.637	98.437	98.405	99.861	98.508	98.341	98.277	100.493	100.771	100.325	98.32	98.369	98.29	98.499	99.022	99.756	99.162	99.225	98.681	98.964	99.83	99.107	99.345	100.041	103.205	106.714
Sergio Perez	124.801	154.922	102.648	101.498	100.9	100.375	99.891	100.055	99.971	99.862	100.387	100.952	101.323	100.171	104.834	118.78	98.983	99.277
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Raikkonen	124.257	155.337	101.282	100.434	100.361	100.433	100.426	100.467	100.55	100.446	100.498	101.273	103.291	119.563	100.025	99.957	99.756	99.743	99.929	99.718	99.863	99.685	99.497	99.469	99.55	99.818	99.5	99.262	99.584	102.002	115.188	99.908	99.087	99.086	98.735	98.701	99.011	98.437	98.622	98.129	98.124	98.209	98.178	98.293	98.22	97.955	98.043	98.327	97.886	97.934	98.024	98.216	98.377
Jenson Button	121.866	156.703	100.681	100.298	100.473	100.033	100.234	100.299	100.117	100.033	100.001	100.362	101.648	115.664	100.869	101.456	102.86	98.953	99.875	99.736	99.672	99.488	99.504	99.484	99.734	99.39	98.942	99.26	99.381	99.539	99.522	98.982	98.624	99.508	100.878	115.151	97.997	97.914	97.545	97.422	97.224	97.524	97.256	97.007	97.16	97.532	97.09	96.9	96.764	96.623	96.606	96.618	96.938
Lewis Hamilton	125.742	154.395	101.947	101.409	100.549	101.661	100.892	100.99	100.415	100.315	100.372	100.358	100.487	100.102	101.755	101.543	116.564	99.392	99.637	100.236	100.557	100.459	100.258	99.945	99.593	99.139	99.008	99.007	99.137	99.237	100.183	114.518	98.387	98.59	97.947	98.544	98.506	98.593	98.25	97.937	98.007	97.97	98.113	98.183	97.76	97.895	98.126	98.339	97.805	98.22	98.033	98.27	99.455
Felipe Massa	123.402	155.664	100.673	100.493	100.392	100.16	100.235	100.353	100.136	100.016	100.176	100.27	100.299	99.666	99.37	100.041	101.467	115.713	98.925	99.242	98.876	99.256	98.845	98.813	98.668	98.835	99.086	98.98	99.581	99.045	99.962	98.833	99.033	99.08	99.629	101.684	115.404	97.579	97.455	97.189	97.371	97.381	97.409	97.525	97.273	97.119	97.051	96.916	96.938	96.894	97.104	97.398	97.976
Paul di Resta	134.512	148.753	103.792	103.698	101.291	101.52	102.086	101.923	102.212	101.993	101.458	101.852	103.711	117.572	100.688	101.065	100.725	100.725	100.844	100.75	100.298	100.2	100.114	100.296	100.14	100.336	101.712	100.06	100.062	99.861	99.821	102.32	118.001	98.125	98.079	98.326	97.931	98.046	98.197	98.243	98.243	98.345	98.445	98.587	98.357	98.206	98.506	97.535	98.032	98.157	98.139	98.452	99.36
Pastor Maldonado	127.35	153.718	102.907	101.749	101.454	100.984	101.032	101.003	100.958	100.976	100.831	100.792	101.147	100.594	100.795	102.538	118.422	102.525	99.792	99.247	99.145	99.603	99.451	99.358	99.581	99.382	99.39	98.414	98.568	98.875	98.586	98.409	100.335	115.704	98.695	98.198	97.969	98.409	98.696	98.442	98.162	98.378	98.17	98.151	97.771	97.773	97.821	98.025	98.106	97.968	97.914	98.044	98.299
Nico Rosberg
Daniel Ricciardo	128.624	152.67	103.161	102.455	101.095	100.865	101.033	100.99	100.908	100.86	101.182	100.97	101.285	101.08	101.223	101.502	105.336	118.779	100.202	99.756	99.49	99.233	99.324	99.935	99.477	99.843	99.036	99.26	99.077	99.202	99.392	99.47	99.355	101.693	117.164	98.308	98.728	98.843	98.341	98.553	99.263	98.081	97.878	98.162	97.972	98.529	97.997	98.146	98.059	97.455	97.631	98.261	98.027
Nico Hulkenberg	126.454	154.022	102.576	101.557	100.967	100.431	101.037	101.15	100.585	100.405	100.495	100.389	102.31	117.446	101.593	100.96	99.368	99.581	99.496	100.082	99.916	100.015	99.961	99.786	99.696	99.626	99.406	99.41	99.736	99.581	101.079	116.164	98.771	98.481	98.272	98.22	98.284	98.208	98.166	98.301	98.114	98.428	98.12	98.268	98.021	97.938	98.137	98.079	98.066	98.16	97.988	97.982	98.117
Bruno Senna	143.885	143.376	105.427	104.489	102.952	101.563	102.878	102.214	101.93	101.093	100.616	101.352	100.875	100.814	101.086	103.401	118.909	100.078	99.759	99.743	101.602	110.681	99.237	99.73	99.81	101.026	99.637	99.095	99.16	99.113	98.574	98.576	99.107	101.787	114.798	99.392	97.337	97.157	98.397	98.874	98.446	97.196	97.155	96.819	97.261	97.041	97.784	98.38	98.312	98.285	98.805	99.638	100.299
Heikki Kovalainen	131.897	150.411	103.252	102.638	102.239	101.942	101.999	102.139	102.056	101.783	101.733	101.677	101.621	101.811	102.466	103.679	102.098	104.533	120.819	101.046	100.769	100.992	100.681	100.927	101.648	101.255	102.4	100.513	100.771	100.673	100.694	100.604	101.496	100.657	100.505	102.146	100.381	100.729	100.463	100.356	102.321	119.796	101.378	98.932	102.338	99.457	98.95	98.793	98.63	98.663	98.307	98.043
Timo Glock	130.677	151.487	104.518	104.869	103.65	102.566	102.375	102.793	102.328	102.179	101.945	102.848	102.969	102.501	102.366	103.078	102.039	102.539	102.281	104.808	118.42	100.923	100.892	101.061	100.71	100.565	100.538	100.819	101.005	101.777	100.677	100.542	101.018	100.812	101.852	100.997	100.661	100.513	100.744	102.542	119.051	100.597	100.426	99.026	98.899	99.029	98.858	98.756	98.82	100.619	99.091	99.588
Jean-Eric Vergne	133.918	149.043	103.87	102.381	101.949	101.905	101.916	102.243	102.105	101.749	101.696	101.786	101.592	102.208	102.937	103.103	102.329	106.109	122.316	100.022	100.857	99.023	99.718	100.636	99.01	98.971	99.083	98.78	98.738	99.199	99.18	99.096	98.884	99.065	100.936	116.219	97.818	97.663	97.533	97.564	97.581	97.912	98.185	98.533	98.735	98.26	98.365	98.429	98.269	98.276	99.009	99.669	100.514
Pedro de la Rosa	136.9	147.65	104.539	103.859	103.445	103.195	103.101	103.276	103.772	103.058	103.092	103.734	103.774	104.044	103.364	103.662	107.773	124.594	101.713	101.768	101.299	101.517	101.186	101.31	101.339	102.607	101.545	101.632	101.631	103.024	101.967	102.163	103.342	102.127	102.647	105.308	119.225	100.13	102.006	101.999	100.657	100.568	100.128	99.809	100.439	103.22	100.219	99.504	99.821	99.351	99.383	99.938
Charles Pic	137.884	147.187	107.287	106.055	104.004	103.732	105.567	103.249	103.139	103.103	102.882	103.091	103.252	106.221	118.155	100.622	101.001	100.802	101.099	101.047	101.118	101.213	100.577	100.932	101.176	102.431	101.431	101.567	102.348	104.125	106.034	140.85	104.855	100.493	100.663	102.193	106.327
Vitaly Petrov	139.668	145.501	105.06	103.301	103.427	103.124	103.056	104.147	103.209	102.713	104.161	102.977	103.657	103.796	103.644	103.194	103.035	102.751	106.587	118.875	101.497	101.644	101.211	101.019	101.037	100.61	100.92	100.874	102.249	101.254	101.85	100.825	100.669	100.708	102.561	101.037	101.042	100.836	101.244	102.393	103.415	105.939	118.519	99.057	101.83	98.919	98.344	100.711	110.144	98.524	98.794	99.806
Michael Schumacher	135.845	147.792	103.987	104	102.029	101.925	101.783	102.034	101.732	101.823	101.596	101.282	101.937	101.674	102.772	102.47	104.958	116.2	99.726	99.621	99.467	99.564	99.382	99.319	99.823	100.125	99.45	99.32	99.006	98.856	98.885	99.182	99.029	99.982	99.375	101.275	114.042	97.747	97.665	97.409	97.381	97.501	96.942	97.01	97.412	97.721	97.775	98.223	98.042	97.789	97.319	98.284	98.523
Narain Karthikeyan	140.43	145.666	105.635	103.926	105.3	103.836	103.27	104.339	103.372	103.419	102.802	103.407	103.989	103.556	106.099	123.13	101.835	102.262	101.465	101.472	101.388	101.716	104.02	101.694	103.588	102.58	101.656	103.293	102.111	102.005	103.55	103.943

Japanese Grand Prix fastest laps

Each driver’s fastest lap:

Rank	Driver	Car	Fastest lap	Gap	On lap
1	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull-Renault	1’35.774		52
2	Jenson Button	McLaren-Mercedes	1’36.606	0.832	51
3	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber-Ferrari	1’36.679	0.905	52
4	Bruno Senna	Williams-Renault	1’36.819	1.045	44
5	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	1’36.894	1.120	50
6	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	1’36.942	1.168	43
7	Mark Webber	Red Bull-Renault	1’37.128	1.354	49
8	Daniel Ricciardo	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’37.455	1.681	50
9	Jean-Eric Vergne	Toro Rosso-Ferrari	1’37.533	1.759	39
10	Paul di Resta	Force India-Mercedes	1’37.535	1.761	48
11	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren-Mercedes	1’37.760	1.986	45
12	Pastor Maldonado	Williams-Renault	1’37.771	1.997	45
13	Kimi Raikkonen	Lotus-Renault	1’37.886	2.112	49
14	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes	1’37.938	2.164	46
15	Heikki Kovalainen	Caterham-Renault	1’38.043	2.269	52
16	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Renault	1’38.277	2.503	32
17	Vitaly Petrov	Caterham-Renault	1’38.344	2.570	47
18	Timo Glock	Marussia-Cosworth	1’38.756	2.982	48
19	Sergio Perez	Sauber-Ferrari	1’38.983	3.209	17
20	Pedro de la Rosa	HRT-Cosworth	1’39.351	3.577	50
21	Charles Pic	Marussia-Cosworth	1’40.493	4.719	34
22	Narain Karthikeyan	HRT-Cosworth	1’41.388	5.614	21
23	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari
24	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes

2012 Japanese Grand Prix

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5 comments on “2012 Japanese Grand Prix fastest laps”

Fernando Cruz
7th October 2012, 16:44

Just like in Singapura Bruno Senna was one of the fastest and even managed to be the fastest at some point of the race. What he ‘s been lacking is qualifying, where he has had the same kind of problems that even experienced drivers like Massa (since 2010), Webber (last year) and Button (this year) also had – difficulties in adapting a particular driving style to the performance window of the tyres. I don’ t know if pressure is also a factor in his bad qualifyings but I think he can still recover, not in Korea but in the venues after that.
vho (@)
7th October 2012, 19:17

@keithcollantine It would be interesting to see where drivers used DRS on their fastest laps. Vettel’s lap is just astonishing (especially if it was without DRS). I believe Button’s lap was with DRS when he was chasing down Kobayashi.
1. AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
  7th October 2012, 19:39
  
  It’s only one straight, so I don’t think the benefit would be more than 0.2s. Moreover, unless you get the DRS from a backmarker, you will be within one second of another car for a whole lap, so definitely in the dirty air.
  1. vho (@)
    7th October 2012, 21:26
    
    @adrianmorse Surely in F1, 2 tenths is still substantial. Vettel was just 8 tenths faster, if he used DRS on a back marker then it gave him that difference, otherwise he could’ve been only 6 tenths. Or if Jenson didn’t use DRS on his lap then he could’ve been over 1 sec slower – which could indicate that the Red Bull is way ahead of its competitors right now.
    1. AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
      10th October 2012, 13:13
      
      @vho It certainly does and you’re right, somewhere between .6-.8s is susbstantial indeed.
      
      I guess it’s a case of having DRS is great, but so is having clean air ahead of you.

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2012 Japanese Grand Prix fastest laps