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Vettel wins in Japan, closes gap on Alonso
Source: Agencies |
October 8, 2012, Monday
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RED Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday and blew the Formula One championship wide open with five races remaining after Ferrari's Fernando Alonso spun out at the start.
Vettel, who also won the previous race in Singapore, is only four points behind Alonso and within sight of a third straight title - Juan-Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher are the only other drivers to accomplish such a feat.
"It was an important step today," Vettel said. "There is still a long way to go. I don't know what happened behind me today but Alonso was very unlucky. We never know what is going to happen in the next race so it was important to take points today."
Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa was second, 20.6 seconds behind Vettel for his first podium since Korea in 2010, putting in a performance that should boost his chances of retaining his place in the team.
"It's a huge relief to be back on the podium," Massa said. "It was a great race and shows we are here to fight for the victory and the podium."
Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi delighted home fans by taking third place - holding off a strong late challenge from McLaren's Jenson Button - for his first-ever F1 podium finish, becoming the first Japanese driver to finish in the top three here since 1990.
"It was a very tough race," Kobayashi said. "I got off to a good start but really had to fight and it took everything I had to hold off Jenson. To get a podium here in Japan in front of these great fans is fantastic."
The race got off to a tumultuous start with a series of collisions in the first corner sequence. Alonso made contact with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and appeared to sustain a puncture, fishtailing off the track and the car stalled, leaving a disconsolate Alonso to trudge back on the short walk to the pits.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth, 20 seconds off Button, and in front of a chain of cars fighting out the lower points positions. Raikkonen took sixth ahead of Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, with Pastor Maldonado of Williams eighth and Red Bull's Webber recovering for ninth. Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo held off Michael Schumacher of Mercedes to take the last point.
In the drivers' championship, Alonso and Vettel look like fighting out the title. Raikkonen is 33 points behind Vettel in third and five points in front of Hamilton. Webber and Button are 59 and 63 points off the lead respectively.
Red Bull extended its lead in the constructors' championship to 42 points ahead of McLaren, with Ferrari a further 20 points behind.
Vettel, who also won the previous race in Singapore, is only four points behind Alonso and within sight of a third straight title - Juan-Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher are the only other drivers to accomplish such a feat.
"It was an important step today," Vettel said. "There is still a long way to go. I don't know what happened behind me today but Alonso was very unlucky. We never know what is going to happen in the next race so it was important to take points today."
Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa was second, 20.6 seconds behind Vettel for his first podium since Korea in 2010, putting in a performance that should boost his chances of retaining his place in the team.
"It's a huge relief to be back on the podium," Massa said. "It was a great race and shows we are here to fight for the victory and the podium."
Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi delighted home fans by taking third place - holding off a strong late challenge from McLaren's Jenson Button - for his first-ever F1 podium finish, becoming the first Japanese driver to finish in the top three here since 1990.
"It was a very tough race," Kobayashi said. "I got off to a good start but really had to fight and it took everything I had to hold off Jenson. To get a podium here in Japan in front of these great fans is fantastic."
The race got off to a tumultuous start with a series of collisions in the first corner sequence. Alonso made contact with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and appeared to sustain a puncture, fishtailing off the track and the car stalled, leaving a disconsolate Alonso to trudge back on the short walk to the pits.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth, 20 seconds off Button, and in front of a chain of cars fighting out the lower points positions. Raikkonen took sixth ahead of Force India's Nico Hulkenberg, with Pastor Maldonado of Williams eighth and Red Bull's Webber recovering for ninth. Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo held off Michael Schumacher of Mercedes to take the last point.
In the drivers' championship, Alonso and Vettel look like fighting out the title. Raikkonen is 33 points behind Vettel in third and five points in front of Hamilton. Webber and Button are 59 and 63 points off the lead respectively.
Red Bull extended its lead in the constructors' championship to 42 points ahead of McLaren, with Ferrari a further 20 points behind.
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