For those of us who endured equal measures of pleasure and pain while watching the 2007 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at the Fuji track, it was evident that there is an ever widening skills gap in F1. Lewis Hamilton piloted his McLaren to a masterful victory over his championship rivals through steady, consistent and mature driving that left many more experienced drivers looking like kids driving bumper cars at the local amusement park.

I have been an F1 follower for far too long to get too excited about any driver's debut season. If you have watched Formula One for any length of time, you will know that great racing careers can just as likely start with aggravation as they do with exaltation. Having said that, Lewis Hamiltion seems to be channelling the spirits of F1 legends as he clearly drives with a maturity that is beyond a driver with his number of race starts in F1.

The 2007 Japanese F1 Grand Prix at Fuji turned out to be more of a test for the Formula One circus as a whole as opposed to a legitimate race between teams. It's extemely interesting to see how the Formula One management and racing officials deal with the prospects on a rained out race in a racing mad country like Japan and with such a closely contended championship on the line. Starting the race under safety car was clearly the only alternative, given the state of the track and what would surely have been a billion dollar pile of carbon fibre at the first turn. With the shenanigans of Ferrari's tire choice that clearly highlights the absence of Ross Brawn guiding their strategic direction, the bizarre tone of the race was set.

After 19 laps of soggy safety car shadowing, the field was let loose to test their wet weather setups and skills in what would turn out to be a drama filled afternoon. Lewis Hamilton pulled out small margin over Alonso with a little help from the veil of water spray pouring from the rear of his car. Conditions like those at Fuji really make F1 drivers earn their pay, as could be seen from the astonishing lack of visibility through onboard camera pictures. Rain in F1 can be a great performance equalizer, but it can also separate the men from the boys in the sport. As we have seen from the likes of Michael Schumacher, AKA the Rain-Meister, once the drops hit the tarmac, you either can deliver the goods or get delivered into the nearest wall.

Speaking of "Schumi", it would seem that the other talent Lewis Hamilton has been blessed with is the same unbelievable luck that Michael Schumacher always possessed. This was clearly evident when Hamilton was tapped into a spin by Robert Kubica and managed to continue racing with no significant damage to the McLaren.

While the field scrambled to keep their multi-million dollar hydroplanes on the track, Hamilton controlled the pace at the front and drove a brilliantly mature race to the flag. The cherry on Lewis Hamiltion's cake was the DNF for Alonso who crashed out at turn five while attempting to claw back some ground on Hamilton. It is clear that the ongoing political strife within the McLaren team and the mounting pressure on Alonso as the current World Champion is having an impact on his overall performance on the track.

With Lewis Hamilton comfortably across the line, Kovalainen piloted his Renault to a much needed second place for the team and his first Formula One podium finish. Kimi Raikkonen did an amazing job to bring the Ferrari home in third after the silliness in tire choice at the start of the race saw him at the tail of the field. David Coultard, Fisichellla and Massa rounded out the top six, with Massa and Kubica in an amazing battle to the finish as if the World Championship rested on the position! Notable was the retirement of Mark Webber's Red Bull car after being struck from the rear by the sister Torro Rosso car driven by Sabastian Vettel. This represents just another blow to Webber's confidence and more proof that he surely has to be the unluckiest driver in F1.

Formula One Grand Prix of Japan Results: 

1. Hamilton - McLaren

2. Kovalainen - Renault

3. Raikonen - Ferrari

4. Coulthard - Red Bull

5. Fisichella - Renault

6. Massa - Ferrari

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