08/10/2011
NEWS STORY
Local hero Kamui Kobayashi will start the Japanese Grand Prix from seventh after the FIA corrected the original starting grid.
According to the official timing service, the Sauber star - who didn't post a time during Q3 - was to start tenth behind Michael Schumacher and the Lotus Renault Grand Prix duo, Bruno Senna and Vitaly Petrov.
However, there was confusion because the Japanese driver had at least started a flying lap in the final phase of the session, unlike his three rivals, and according to the rules in such instances the grid is decided in the order of drivers who attempt to set a qualifying time by starting a flying lap, drivers who fail to start a flying lap and drivers who fail to leave the pits.
In their post-qualifying press releases Sauber and Mercedes both admitted that the grid order could change, the FIA finally correcting the mistake a couple of hours after the session ended.
Consequently, Kobayashi will start seventh, behind Alonso and alongside Schumacher.
Check out our Suzuka qualifying gallery, here.