Michael Schumacher, in the penultimate race of his career, retired with engine trouble when he was leading with 17 laps to go.
SUZUKA: Defending world champion Fernando Alonso moved within a point of retaining his title on Sunday when Michael Schumacher's Ferrari suffered engine failure and he capitalised by winning the Japanese Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old Renault driver trailed the German for 36 laps of the 53-laps contest before taking the lead when the retirement-bound seven-times champion was forced to retire with engine problems for the first time this year.
Alonso went on to cruise to an unexpected victory and now requires just one point in the final race of the season, in Brazil in a fortnight, to clinch his second championship.
It was his first win in eight races since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, his seventh victory this year and the 15th of his career.
Alonso now leads Schumacher by 10 points in the drivers' standings and they are level on seven wins apiece this season. Schumacher can only claim an unprecedented eighth crown if he wins and Alonso fails to score a point in Sao Paulo.
Brazilian Felipe Massa, in the other Ferrari, came home second ahead of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault, a result that lifted the French team back on top of the constructors' championship.
Briton Jenson Button in a Honda finished fourth ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren, Italian Jarno Trulli in a Toyota and his teammate German Ralf Schumacher, who was seventh.
On a dry and sunny afternoon, the big crowd of an estimated 160,000 waved banners to signal goodbye to Suzuka after 20 years shortly before Massa pulled away to lead from the second pole position of his career.
Schumacher followed him into the first corner in close formation as the two Toyotas behind him battled with a surging, rampant Alonso, seeking to gain places swiftly.
The Spaniard found his way past Italian Jarno Trulli's Toyota through the "Esses" on the opening lap and as the field settled was running fourth.
The anticipated sight of Schumacher sweeping past his Ferrari teammate and into the lead happened on lap two, when the German took the inside line on the straight and overtook Massa.
The first in th epits for fuel was Trulli after 12 laps and he was followed one lap later by his teammate Ralf Schumacher and Massa.
This gave Alonso his chance to move up to second and push, a fastest lap following immediately. But Schumacher was nearly five seconds ahead and enjoying leading the field in the sunshine in pursuit of his seventh Suzuka victory.
After 15 laps, Alonso pitted and Briton Jenson Button in his Honda inherited second to the delight of the locals in the big crowd.
Button, however, pitted after 16 laps while Schumacher stayed out and built a lead of 28.3 seconds before he came in after 18 laps.
By then, Alonso had recovered second. Schumacher himself finally came in after 18 laps and resumed in the lead, his cushion reduced to 5.4 seconds.
Schumacher gradually enlarged the gap, but it remained only 5.9 seconds after 32 of the scheduled 53 laps when the second round of pit stops began.
Alonso and Massa were the first of the leaders to come in after 35 laps, but by then the Spaniard had an 11 seconds advantage. Schumacher followed into the pits after 36 and resumed with a lead of 8.8 seconds when, for him, disaster struck.
As he swept into the Degner Curve, his Ferrari engine produced a trail of blue smoke and then the full ferocity of his first power failure of the year.
For the seven-times champion, it was over: the race, after an otherwise impeccable weekend of speed, his dream of a seventh Suzuka triumph and, probably, the pursuit of an unprecedented eighth championship.
Alonso led for the first time and, when the field settled again, held a 10 seconds lead ahead of Massa. As the race continued, Schumacher climbed from his car, removed his helmet and, looking remarkably composed, walked away, waving to the crowd and to sympathy and smiles from the Ferrari garage.
Result
1. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault 1hr 23mins 53.413sec
2. Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari at 16.1s
3. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) Renault 23.9
4. Jenson Button (GBR) Honda 34.1
5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren-Mercedes 43.5
6. Jarno Trulli (ITA) Toyota 46.7
7. Ralf Schumacher (GER) Toyota 48.8
8. Nick Heidfeld (GER) BMW Sauber 76.0
9. Robert Kubica (POL) BMW Sauber 76.9
10. Nico Rosberg (GER) Williams-Cosworth 1 lap
11. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) McLaren-Mercedes 1 lap
12. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Honda 1 lap
13. Robert Doornbos (NED) Red Bull 1 lap
14. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Toro Rosso 1 lap
15. Takuma Sato (JPN) Super Aguri-Honda 1 lap
16. Tiago Monteiro (POR) Midland 2 lap
17. Sakon Yamamoto (JPN) Super Aguri-Honda 3 laps
18. Scott Speed (USA) Toro Rosso 5 laps
Overall standings
Drivers
1. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 126.0
2. Michael Schumacher (GER) 116.0
3. Felipe Massa (BRA) 70.0
4. Giancarlo Fisichella (ITA) 69.0
5. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 61.0
6. Jenson Button (GBR) 50.0
7. Rubens Barrichello (BRA) 28.0
8. Juan Pablo Montoya (COL) 26.0
9. Nick Heidfeld (GER) 22.0
10. Ralf Schumacher (GER) 20.0
11. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) 18.0
12. Jarno Trulli (ITA) 15.0
13. David Coulthard (GBR) 14.0
14. Mark Webber (AUS) 7.0
15. Jacques Villeneuve (CAN) 7.0
16. Robert Kubica (POL) 6.0
17. Nico Rosberg (GER) 4.0
18. Christian Klien (AUT) 2.0
19. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) 1.0
Constructors
1. Renault 195.0pts
2. Ferrari 186.0
3. McLaren-Mercedes 105.0
4. Honda 78.0
5. BMW Sauber 36.0
6. Toyota 35.0
7. Red Bull 16.0
8. Williams-BMW 11.0
9. Toro Rosso 1.0
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}