British driver Lewis Hamilton won the Japanese Grand Prix for McLaren-Mercedes in the 15th leg of the 17-race world championship in Fuji Speedway on Sunday.

 

Hamilton, who started from pole position, dropped to fourth after his first pit stop, but regained the lead after 41 laps to finish ahead of Finland's Heikki Kovalainen in a Renault and Kimi Raikkonen in a Ferrari.

 

It was Hamilton's fourth win of the season, following his victories in Canada, the United States and Hungary.

 

Hamilton stretched his points tally to 107 points, 12 points ahead of his McLaren-Mercedes teammate, Fernando Alonso of Spain, who crashed at a hair-pin corner shortly after the Briton regained the lead.

 

Alonso, reigning world champion, came into the race trailing Hamilton by two points and ended without adding to his 95 points.

 

Raikkonen is third on 90 points and Felipe Massa of Brazil fourth on 80 points after his sixth-place finish in a Ferrari.

 

The next Formula One race is the Chinese Grand Prix, to be held on October 7 in Shanghai.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)