Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish to win Formula One’s Japanese Grand Prix yesterday, reviving his championship hopes.
Vettel finished ahead of Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton at Suzuka. Drivers’ championship leader Jenson Button of Brawn GP was eighth, a place below teammate Rubens Barrichello.
Brawn GP all but sealed the constructors’ championship. Only a one-two finish by Red Bull in both the remaining races with Brawn finishing pointless can prevent a Brawn championship in their first season.
PHOTO: EPA
A post-race stewards hearing had the potential to seal the constructors’ title, but fifth-placed finisher Nico Rosberg was cleared of charges that he did not slow when yellow flags were waved after a late crash. Had he been demoted or disqualified, the Brawn GP cars would have had enough points for the title.
In the drivers’ championship, Button’s lead over Barrichello was cut by a point to 14, with Vettel now just two points further back.
It was Vettel’s third win of the season and his first since the British Grand Prix in June. The German started from pole position and was never headed, getting a strong start to keep the KERS-power boost cars behind him.
He had built a 12.5 second buffer over Trulli before the late emergence of the safety car following a spectacular crash by Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari, who crashed through an advertising hoarding into a tire wall.
Even with the running order compacted, however, he emerged strongly when the safety car was removed and his victory was not threatened.
Trulli started second, but was predictably overtaken into the first corner by Hamilton, with the aid of the KERS-power boost in his McLaren. Trulli stuck doggedly behind Hamilton, however, and after his second pit stop emerged in front of the McLaren, which had lost a malfunctioning KERS system shortly beforehand.
Toyota have finished second in successive races, but still have not broken through for their first ever F1 win, meaning Trulli was less than exuberant when he climbed from the car.
“I am happy to be on the podium, but I have had many podiums,” Trulli said. “What we are missing at the moment is a win.”
Button has not won in eight races, but has collected points in each and still remains in a strong position to clinch the drivers’ title. Still, the Briton will be mindful that compatriot Hamilton led by 17 points with two races to go in 2007 and still did not take the title — something Vettel reminded him of after the race.
“Everyone said to Lewis it would not be a problem, sitting in one of the most competitive cars, just get a couple of points, but as we can see, sometimes things don’t go your way,” Vettel said.
Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen finished in fourth place, ahead of Williams’ Nico Rosberg and BMW-Sauber’s Nick Heidfeld in a race of little incident.
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