Flash: Vettel wins Japan GP

Suzuka, 7 Oct 2012: “Unbelievable,” exclaimed reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel after a stunning lights-to-flag victory for Red Bull team but not before he made a few hearts to skip a beat with a fastest lap in the penultimate lap of the Formula One World Championship Grand Prix of Japan here on Sunday. The 25-year old who became the first driver to win back-to-back races this year after his Singapore win and is back as a strong contender to win his third straight World Championship.

Vettel’s heroics and his fastest lap were greeted by a radio message to `calm’ down. The brilliant drive won the German 25 full points and with championship leader Fernando Alonso retiring with a rear puncture in the first lap with a `tiny-touch’ from Lotus’s Kimi Raikkonen, the Red Bull star closed the championship gap to four points and suddenly the Drivers’ championship is wide open with only five races remaining. Alonso leads with 194 points with Vettel on 190 with his fourth win this year. Kimi Raikkonen who is yet to win a race is on third with 157 points and his chances of being a dark horse are slowly vanishing unless he comes up with a victory soon.

Force India’s Paul Di Resta finished 12th behind Schumacher but Nico Hulkenberg was seventh not to allow Sauber to take too much of a lead with Kobayashi’s well-deserved third place behind Felipe Massa’s who got some consolation for Ferrari. Jenson Button of McLaren pushed home hero Kobayashi in the last few laps but had to be content with a fourth place followed by former world champions Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen in that order. Raikkonen is still in third place in the Driver’s championship with 157 points ahead of Hamilton on 152 points. Both have an outside chance to go after the title.

 The next race will be in Korea on October 14 before we move to the Indian GP at the Budh International Circuit on October 28.

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