Germany's Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday for the second consecutive year, leading a Red Bull 1-2 at the Suzuka circuit.
The 23-year-old, who started from pole, recorded his third victory of the season, with championship leader Mark Webber finishing second, 0.9 seconds adrift. It was Red Bull's third 1-2 finish of the season after Malaysia and Monaco. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was third, 1.8secs behind Webber, while McLaren teammates Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth; with Hamilton nursing an ailing car to the finish with gear selection issues.
Vettel praised his “magnificent” car after his first victory since the European Grand Prix at Valencia in June, which sees him jump to third in the championship standings.
“It's about time,” he said after his third victory of the season. “This track is like it has been drawn for us with all the high-speed corners. It's always a pleasure (to drive). When the car was getting lighter and lighter (with fuel) at the end, it was more and more fun. You want to push every single lap, because the car is magnificent around here.”
Crash on opening lap
Vettel was quickest to react when the lights went out to start the race, leading a slow-starting Webber off the line. The Australian was passed into the first corner by Renault's Robert Kubica, but a safety car period slowed the race as quickly as it had started. Kubica's teammate, Russian Vitaly Petrov, smashed into the wall on the outside of the circuit trying to avoid the slow-starting Williams of Nico Hulkenberg, while Ferrari's Felipe Massa clashed with Force India's Liuzzi at the first turn, both drivers retiring on the spot.
Kubica then retired under the safety car when the right rear wheel of his Renault worked loose on lap three, leaving Webber to chase Vettel when the race re-started four laps later.
Webber pleased
Despite finishing behind Vettel for the second consecutive race, Webber said it had been a “very good day”. “The most important thing is the gap is going in the right way,” Webber said. “I have to keep it like that. We have three races to go and it is a good result for me. Seb deserved the victory, (but) I need to win again in the future. I'm confident I can do that.”
Alonso was upbeat after managing his eighth podium finish of the season on a circuit where Ferrari feared they would be no match for Red Bull.
“This place was maybe our maximum position here,” the Spaniard said. The victory was the eighth of Vettel's career, and he joins Mika Hakkinen (1998, 1999) and Michael Schumacher (2000-02) as the only drivers to win consecutive races at the high-speed 5.8-kilometre track.
With three races remaining, Webber leads with 220 points, while Alonso is second on 206, edging Vettel, also on 206, on race wins for the season. Hamilton drops a place to fourth on 192 points, while Button remains fifth on 189.
The results : 1. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) 1hr 30:27.323; 2. Mark Webber (Aus) at 0.905; 3. Fernando Alonso (Esp) at 2.721; 4. Jenson Button (Gbr) at 13.522; 5. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) at 39.595; 6. Michael Schumacher (Ger) at 59.933; 7. Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) at 1:04.038; 8. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) at 1:09.648; 9. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) at 1:10.846; 10. Sebastien Buemi (Swi) at 1:12.806; 11. Jaime Alguersuari (Esp) at 1 lap; 12. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) at 1 lap; 13. Jarno Trulli (Ita) at 2 laps; 14. Timo Glock (Ger) at 2 laps; 15. Bruno Senna (Bra) at 2 laps; 16. Sakon Yamamoto (Jpn) at 3 laps; 17. Nico Rosberg (Ger) at 6 laps.
Overall standings: 1. Mark Webber (Aus) 220.0 pts.; 2. Fernando Alonso (Esp) 206.0; 3. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) 206.0; 4. Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) 192.0; 5. Jenson Button (Gbr) 189.0; 6. Felipe Massa (Bra) 128.0; 7. Nico Rosberg (Ger) 122.0; 8. Robert Kubica (Pol) 114.0; 9. Michael Schumacher (Ger) 54.0; 10. Adrian Sutil (Ger) 47.0; 11. Rubens Barrichello (Bra) 41.0; 12. Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) 27.0; 13. Vitaly Petrov (Rus) 19.0; 14. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) 17.0; 15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) 13.0; 16. Sebastien Buemi (Swi) 8.0; 17. Pedro de la Rosa (Esp) 6.0; 18. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) 4.0; 19. Jaime Alguersuari (Esp) 3.0.
Constructors standings : 1. Red Bull 426.0 pts; 2. McLaren 381.0; 3. Ferrari 334.0; 4. Mercedes GP 176.0; 5. Renault 133.0; 6. Force India 60.0; 7. Williams F1 58.0; 8. Sauber 37.0; 9. Toro Rosso 11.0.
