Seven days after winning the drivers’ championship in Suzuka, world champion Sebastian Vettel scored his tenth Grand Prix victory of the season with a commanding drive in Yongam and in the process, sealing the constructors’ title for Red Bull Racing.
The 24-year old German was able to use the slipstream effect and KERS to get real close to Lewis Hamilton. He simply outbraked his race rival into Turn 4 and after that decisive move on the opening lap, the new world champion was left unchallenged to take his twentieth career win.
A safety car period wiped out Vettel’s four-second lead when Vitaly Petrov took Michael Schumacher out of the race at Turn 3. It seemed that Petrov misjudged his braking point fighting with Fernando Alonso and couldn’t stop in time and rammed the innocent Schumacher.
When racing resumed, Vettel was again able to pull away. His eventual winning margin over polesitter Hamilton was twelve seconds.
Hamilton’s runner-up spot was anything but easy as Mark Webber was never more than 1.5 seconds behind him.
A quick decision on the pitwall to bring Hamilton in for his final pit-stop just as his rear tyres were beginning to go off managed to keep him ahead of the Australian – who also stopped on the same lap.
The Red Bull driver seemed to have more pace than Hamilton, with the pair even running side-by-side for a number of corners on lap 34. Webber eventually made it by with a move into Turn 1 with five laps to the flag.
But thanks to the superior traction in the McLaren, and employing a tactic of using all his KERS and DRS at the same time, Hamilton retook the position seconds later on the long run down to Turn 3, and held it to the chequered flag.
Jenson Button fell from third to sixth on the opening lap following strong starts from the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. Such was Massa’s lack of pace on the worn Pirellis, that Nico Rosberg made it a four-way battle for the position as they approached the opening round of pit-stops.
While Alonso dropped out of the battle after staying out too long on worn tyres, the action switched focus to Button and Rosberg, who pitted together on lap 14.
Thanks to the swift tyre-change from the Mercedes GP’s team pitcrew, Rosberg got out ahead of Button (with the pair running side-by-side in the pitlane), but then Rosberg made a mistake by outbraking himself and running wide as the rejoined the circuit.
Rosberg regained the position with the aid of the Drag Reduction System a few seconds later, but could only keep Button behind for another lap.
Massa, by this time, had fallen behind the pair, and was also overtaken by Alonso at the second round of pit-stops, after a couple of sensational and consistent laps from the Spaniard.
Button and Alonso finished in fourth and fifth position, just behind the Hamilton/Webber battle, while Massa was next up for the Scuderia.
Jaime Alguersuari put in a strong performance to finish in seventh, the Spaniard passing Rosberg on the final lap after a couple of unsuccessful earlier attempts, while his Toro Rosso team-mate Sebastien Buemi was one place further back.
Paul di Resta completed the points scorers, ahead of his Force India team-mate Adrian Sutil, while Pastor Maldonado – who was in the mix with the Force Indias behind the safety car, was given a drive-through penalty for hitting a bollard at pit entry, and later retired.
So in the space of two weeks, Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing have been crowned the drivers’ and constructors’ championship. An impressive achievement and their record this season has been faultless, with one hundred per cent reliability especially from the Renault engine. With three races left, the fight for the runner-up spot remains.
The next Grand Prix is in a fortnight’s time in India and it will be fascinating how the drivers and teams will adapt to the new circuit, the Buddh International Circuit.
Race results from Yongam, 55 laps:
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h30:01.994
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +12.019
3. Webber Red Bull-Renault +12.477
4. Button McLaren-Mercedes +14.694
5. Alonso Ferrari +15.689
6. Massa Ferrari +25.133
7. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari +49.538
8. Rosberg Mercedes +54.053
9. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari +1:02.762
10. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes +1:08.602
11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes +1:11.229
12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth +1:33.068
13. Senna Renault +1 lap
14. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault +1 lap
15. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
16. Perez Sauber-Ferrari +1 lap
17. Trulli Lotus-Renault +1 lap
18. Glock Virgin-Cosworth +1 lap
19. Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth +1 lap
20. D’Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth +1 lap
21. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth +3 laps
Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:39.605
Not classified/retirements:
Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 31 laps
Petrov Renault 17 laps
Schumacher Mercedes 16 laps
World Championship standings, round 16:
Drivers:
1. Vettel 349
2. Button 222
3. Alonso 212
4. Webber 209
5. Hamilton 196
6. Massa 98
7. Rosberg 67
8. Schumacher 60
9. Petrov 36
10. Heidfeld 34
11. Sutil 28
12. Kobayashi 27
13. Alguersuari 22
14. Di Resta 21
15. Buemi 15
16. Perez 13
17. Barrichello 4
18. Senna 2
19. Maldonado 1
Constructors:
1. Red Bull-Renault 558
2. McLaren-Mercedes 418
3. Ferrari 310
4. Mercedes 127
5. Renault 72
6. Force India-Mercedes 49
7. Sauber-Ferrari 40
8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 37
9. Williams-Cosworth 5
Next race: Indian Grand Prix, New Delhi. October 28-30.
With Sebastian Vettel winning the Korean Grand Prix and team-mate Mark Webber in third, Red Bull Racing have won the constructors’ championship. Autosport.com has the story.
Red Bull Racing has secured the Constructors’ Championship after Sebastian Vettel’s victory in the Korean Grand Prix.
The Milton Keynes-based outfit had headed into the Korea event only needing to outscore main rivals McLaren to clinch its second successive crown.
And although McLaren had looked stronger in qualifying, Vettel’s strong run to the win and Mark Webber’s third place was enough to deliver it another title.
Red Bull Racing’s success in the Constructors’ Championship comes just one week after Vettel clinched his second successive drivers’ crown in Japan.
New world champion Sebastian Vettel celebrated his ‘fantastic’ weekend following victory in Korea. Autosport.com has the details.
Sebastian Vettel celebrated what he labelled as a fantastic victory at the Korean Grand Prix, as Red Bull clinched the constructors’ title for the second year in a row.
Although the team failed to start from pole position for the first time this year, Vettel took the lead early on and never looked back.
The German, who clinched his second title last weekend in Japan, took his 10th win of the season, finishing over 12 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.
Vettel was delighted for his team.
“I think it is good to see that the whole team keeps on pushing,” said Vettel. “In terms of preparation it was not ideal because most of us were tipsy after Sunday night but we deserved that.
“But to come here and have a tough Friday and a tough Saturday morning, and to come back in qualifying and in the race was fantastic.
“It was so fun to drive. The car was getting quicker and quicker. It is fantastic, after last weekend the drivers’ championship, this weekend the Constructors’ Championship for the team. It is fantastic.
“I want to say a lot of thanks to Renault. They have been pushing so hard. The package is fantastic, so thank you very much. I am very, very happy today.”
The double world champion admitted he was surprised he managed to stop just twice during the race, despite fears about tyre degradation.
“In the end we ended up stopping way less than we thought,” he said. “We expected a bit more degradation, and eventually it came, but we delayed the first stop, and in the end you realise you don’t have to stop three times.
“It was a very good race from that side. The tyres and tyre management were not easy, especially towards the end of the stint. I was able to gain on Lewis. I always wanted to stay clear of DRS with the headwind of Turn 2 to Turn 3.
“I was pushing hard. The tyres did not help in the second stint but they came back. It was crucial to control race from there.”
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has commented that he has never questioned himself despite a run of poor results lately. Autosport.com has the details.
Lewis Hamilton said he never questioned the belief in himself after returning to the podium at the Korean Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver had endured a difficult series of races that have put him under the spotlight, but on Sunday he delivered a strong drive to finish in second place.
Hamilton, who had started the race from pole position, said he never stopped believing in himself.
“I would never question by belief in myself,” said Hamilton. “That is not something that needs doing.
“I’ve got the trust and the confidence from the team so it is about trying to stay out of trouble, try and stay out of stewards’ office, keep my head down and get better results.”
The Briton said he was happy with his result despite having started from first place, and admitted he had a difficult race because of the handling of his car.
“It was okay. It wasn’t too bad. Mark drove really well through the race and congratulations to Seb. They were massively quick throughout the weekend and in the race it was hard to catch Seb and overtake.
“In the race I struggled. I had full lock everywhere and was struggling with understeer, but it was good weekend for me compared to what I have had in the past so I am happy.”
The fight between Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber was a highlight but the Red Bull driver admitted later that he couldn’t get pass the McLaren to take second position. Autosport.com has the story.
Mark Webber admitted he was disappointed not to get second place in the Korean Grand Prix on Sunday.
The Australian put on a solid performance and was involved in a long battle with McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton for the runner-up spot.
In the end Webber lost the battle and had to settle for third position.
The Red Bull driver was delighted to see his team clinch the constructors’ title again, but admitted he wanted second place in the race.
“It was the team’s day today,” said Webber. “The constructors’ title is a massive thing today. I’m disappointed not to get second today. We did a good job in the first stop and then got ourselves in a good position.
“The safety car got everyone back together and in the second stop we did the worst thing as we didn’t stop before or after, we stopped at the same time.
“I had a good battle on the first lap and that was how it was today. Looking forward to the next one.”
Webber, who is yet to score a win this year, said he is aiming for “perfect” weekends in the remaining grands prix of the year.
“I think pulling off a clean perfect weekend,” he said of his goals for the remaining races. “There are lot of positives for me today. We know how sensitive it is around, you need everything right to win.
“So a lot of positives today for me but the initial reaction is a bit of disappointment. I am sure I will be happy tomorrow when I wake up and look forward to the next event.”
Heikki Kovalainen says the Korean Grand Prix was Team Lotus’s strongest Formula 1 race to date after coming home in 14th place.
The Finn beat both Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez and finished close behind the Renault of Bruno Senna in one of the team’s best displays since joining the sport last year.
Kovalainen, who finished a lap down, was elated with his team’s performance.
“After the fantastic performance last weekend in Japan this is another big step forward for us,” said Kovalainen.
“Finishing 14th today, ahead of both Saubers and within touching distance of Senna on the final lap is for sure our strongest ever race and it’s a great feeling for me and the whole team to see us fighting with a big group of cars right from the very first lap.
“We’ve been strong all weekend and it’s great for the whole team that we’re heading towards the end of the season with a car that is giving us a chance to really show what we can do.
“Honestly, I’d like to get straight back in now and do it all over again – now I can’t wait for India!”
Team-mate Jarno Trulli finished in 17th position, also a lap down.
Source: Autosport.com
Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari was delighted with his strong race performance and the team has sets its sights on rival Sauber for the constructors’ championship. Autosport.com has the story.
Jaime Alguersuari was delighted with his Toro Rosso team’s performance in the Korean Grand Prix, and he reckons the squad can now overtake Sauber in the standings.
The Faenza-based squad put on its strongest performance of the year in Korea, with Alguersuari finishing in seventh position and team-mate Sebastien Buemi in ninth.
The result left Toro Rosso just three points behind seventh-placed Sauber with three races left.
Alguersuari, now 13th in the championship with 22 points, praised the team’s efforts to have raised its game in recent races.
“The reality is that the Toro Rosso team has done a fantastic job, not just this weekend, but also going back to Suzuka, where we introduced some updates on the car,” said the Spaniard. “In Japan, we did not make the most of them but in the few days in between the races the team has done really well to move forward for here.
“The car had fantastic straight line speed which is how I managed to pass Nico on the final lap. I must say I did not think I could do it, I did not expect it, but I gave it one last effort at the end I was able to get past, partly helped by the fact he made a small mistake on that lap.
“Combined with great pitstops, that is how we managed to produce this fantastic result. I am very happy for the team who have worked so hard, especially the mechanics fitting all these new parts.
“We are closer to Sauber now and with three races remaining, I think we have a chance of passing them, as long as we continue to perform like this, finishing in the top ten.”
Buemi was also elated with his performance after having to charge back following an incident on the opening lap.
“I am extremely pleased with my race,” he said. “Someone drove into me at the first corner which cost me four places and I’m not really sure what happened. After that, I had to work hard to pass other cars – the two Williams, the two Saubers and both Force Indias – to move up the order.
“The car was very competitive with good top speed down the straight. The pit stops also went very well, so I want to thank the team who did a great job right from the start of the weekend.”
Michael Schumacher said that he had no idea Vitaly Petrov was going to hit him and had no way of avoiding the accident which resulted in the pair’s retirement and provoked a safety car on the lap 16.
The German was taken out of the race by the Renault driver when Petrov tried to pass him at Turn 3, but instead collected the Mercedes and terminally damaging both cars.
The Russian was later given a five-place grid penalty for his part in the accident.
“I didn’t see Vitaly coming,” said Schumacher. “I was just suddenly spun into a direction I had not intended to go, and then I saw my rear wing hanging off. It was unfortunate but these things happen when you fight hard – that’s racing.”
“Another unfortunate end to a race which could have been encouraging today,” he added. “It’s a big pity as the car was again very good in race trim and I had already gained some positions.
“It would have been interesting to see what was possible, and I think we could certainly have taken some points.”
Team-mate Nico Rosberg said a flat spot on his left-front tyre during his second stint in the Korean Grand Prix which was the cause of him fading out of contention for fourth position in the middle of the race.
Rosberg had started the race strongly, and battled with Jenson Button and the two Ferraris for fourth early on. But pushed too hard after pitting for prime tyres while in fifth position ahead of the Ferraris and damaged his front left and forced him into pitting earlier than planned, which then left him powerless to keep up with the group he was racing with later on.
“I had good speed at the start of the race today but after we changed to the prime tyres, it became more difficult as the degradation was too strong,” he said. “I had some nice battles against Jenson and the Ferraris, and was pushing hard to defend my position against Felipe and Fernando in the middle stint. During this, I flat-spotted my front tyres so I had to pit earlier than expected which made my last stint on the primes very long.
“I didn’t have enough grip by the end and so I just wasn’t able to defend the position against Jaime. A difficult race for me today but I’m still happy to score some points.”
Source: Autosport.com
Force India’s Paul di Resta has rues the conservative tyre strategy in the Korean Grand Prix. Autosport.com has the story.
Paul di Resta said his Force India team should have opted for a more aggressive tyre strategy for the Korean Grand Prix, although the Scot believes it would have been unlikely to get a better result anyway.
Di Resta finished in tenth position, having started the race with the soft tyres, something he reckons it was a mistake in the end.
Nonetheless, the Force India driver was happy to get a point, admitting the Toro Rossos were too strong today.
“It’s good to come away with a point, but ultimately we didn’t have the performance to match Toro Rosso today,” he said. “It looked like we might be able to hold off Buemi in the final laps to stay ninth, but we came up six or seven laps too short with the tyres and I couldn’t hold him back.
“In terms of tyres, we probably should have been a bit more aggressive with the strategy and used my new super softs at the start of the race, rather than the used set, but I’m not sure it would have changed where we finished. Still, every point counts come the end of the year and we’ve managed to gain a point on Sauber, which is important.”
Team-mate Adrian Sutil also conceded the Toro Rossos were too quick today, after finishing in 11th position.
“It was not the easiest race today and I’m disappointed that I missed out on points,” Sutil said. “The start of the race was okay, but Schumacher and Alguersuari came by me quite early on.
“I think our strategy was good and I made my first stop when the safety car came out, but our main competitor today was Toro Rosso and we just didn’t have the pace to beat them.
“It’s clear that we have to fight really hard in the final three races because the race pace of our close competitors is strong and we will need to score points to hold on to our sixth position.”
Vitaly Petrov has been handed a five-place grid penalty, plus a reprimand, for his part in a collision with Michael Schumacher in the Korean Grand Prix.
The Renault driver was in a slipstream battle with Fernando Alonso down the long straight into Turn 3 following the first round of pitstops on lap 16, which resulted in the pair arriving the corner too fast.
While Alonso was able to take avoiding action to steer around slow cars ahead of them, Petrov had nowhere to go and slid into the back of Schumacher – putting both cars out of the grand prix.
Petrov was called to see the stewards after the race and, following an investigation, it was decided that he would be handed a five-place grid penalty for the Indian GP as well as a reprimand.
AUTOSPORT revealed earlier in the weekend that from this weekend’s race in Korea, stewards would reserve the right to add a reprimand on top of penalties under the totting up system – so serial offenders run the risk of facing further sanctions.
Source: Autosport.com
It was a difficult Korean Grand Prix for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, but the Spaniard will not give up on winning the remaining three races of the season. Autosport.com has the details.
Fernando Alonso says he is refusing to give up on wining one of the remaining races of the year despite a disappointing result in Korea.
The Ferrari driver, who had been fighting for victory last weekend in Japan, had to settle for fifth position after being unable to match the performance of the leading cars.
Alonso said Ferrari must try to raise its game in qualifying in order to have a better chance in the races, and claimed he is still seeking another win in the three remaining grands prix.
“All in all, it was an interesting race, with plenty of action,” said Alonso, who is 10 points behind second place in the standings.
“At the start, I was struggling a bit to match the pace of the leaders, because, after just a few laps, the super softs were already producing a lot of understeer. On top of that, being in traffic all the time compromised still further the tyre performance, because there was less aerodynamic downforce.
“When we switched to the softs, the situation improved significantly and, with a clear track, I was able to push as hard as I could, but by then it was difficult to reach the small group that was fighting for the podium: hence what I said on the radio, having given my all for twenty laps, but there was no way I could do more with just two laps to go.
“We must try and improve our Saturday performance, but we will not give up trying to secure a win in the remaining races of this season. Furthermore, we will continue to work towards next year, trying new things and maybe, taking a few risks with our strategy.”
Team-mate Felipe Massa finished in sixth position, the Brazilian claiming he was robbed of a better position because of some problems during the race.
“I’m not pleased because small problems prevented me from getting a better result,” Massa said. “Today, our performance level was better than it had been in qualifying, which has been a constant factor this year. Now we are off to the Indian Grand Prix, a new venue for Formula 1.
“I don’t know the country and I am very curious to see what it’s like, because I think it has a lot in common with Brazil, given that both are going through a period of strong growth.”
Jenson Button believes that a better first lap in the Korean Grand Prix would not have made any difference to his result after finishing a distant fourth in Sunday’s race.
The McLaren man could not recapture the blistering form that helped him to victory in Japan seven days earlier as he struggled with significant understeer from the beginning of the race.
And while he lost several places after running wide on the exit of Turn 4, on the opening lap, he admitted that it was that understeer that made it impossible for him to catch the leaders later in the race.
“My biggest problem was that I didn’t have any front grip,” he said afterwards. “We were putting a lot of ‘front-end’ in the car throughout the race by adjusting the front wing during the pitstops, but still I really struggled in the last sector.
“I just couldn’t get close enough to the cars in front to use the DRS, and when you are out of the DRS zone it’s really tricky because the car in front, if he is using DRS, is gaining half a second on you. So to make that time up around the rest of the lap to try and get at the DRS is pretty tricky.
“Towards the end of the stints the pace was okay but I just couldn’t get close enough in the last sector to use the DRS,” he added. “I think I used it once in the whole race, so not perfect, but if this is a bad day, it’s not so bad.”
Button admitted afterwards that he had not seen Felipe Massa coming on the opening lap as he was caught out by the Ferrari driver at Turn 3, which resulted in the Briton dropping to eighth after starting third on the grid.
“The start was alright,” he said. “I thought Mark [Webber] was behind me down into Turn 3, I don’t know where Massa was, and I braked where I felt it was correct to brake, turned in and there was a car there – I couldn’t see him at all before I actually turned in.
“Then I was stuck on the outside and lost a lot of places. But I don’t think not having a bad start would have changed my race, I just wasn’t quick enough today.”
Source: Autosport.com
Martin Whitmarsh has said that the loss of downforce on Lewis Hamilton’s car was a major issue during the Korean Grand Prix. Autosport.com has the story.
McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh has revealed that Lewis Hamilton lost about 10 points of downforce early in the Korean Grand Prix because of an unidentified problem.
The British driver has started from pole position but was overtaken early on by Red Bull rival Sebastian Vettel, who went on to open a gap that allowed him to enjoy a quiet race from the front.
Vettel won the event by 12 seconds over Hamilton, who had to do his best to keep Mark Webber at bay to maintain second place.
Whitmarsh, whose team had looked as favourite for victory since Friday, said Hamilton was hit by a loss of downforce that cost him valuable time during the race.
“We had a reasonable launch, we had a shocking first lap and after that we appear to have lost some front downforce,” explained Whitmarsh. “Whether that is damage or debris or something else caught in the front wing, so Lewis lost about 10 points of downforce, which meant it was a bit of a handful.
“In those circumstances we were not fast enough today but the stand out drive has to be Lewis because I think who would have said with 30 laps to go he had a car behind him that was at that point of the race quicker, he had a powerful DRS and Lewis should take a lot of satisfaction from this weekend.
“To take pole was good and given the circumstances in the race, that was a truly fantastic race from him. So congratulations to Red Bull but Lewis did an outstanding job and made what was a fairly gripping race for us, he will not be satisfied by not being first but professionally he should be satisfied with the job he did this weekend.”
Whitmarsh said Hamilton’s team-mate Jenson Button, who dropped from third to eighth on the opening lap, was also having a similar issue.
The team boss described the first lap as “shocking” and said it is something the British squad will have to analyse.
“During the race we are concentrating, but during the first stint we could see a loss and when I asked what it is, quantify, it – I was told 10 points,” he added.
“I don’t know whether there was damage, whether we have got some rubber in the slot of whatever, but in fairness Jenson was losing front downforce as well so it is something.
“We had a shocking first lap and we need to understand that – maybe there is something we are doing wrong on the first lap but that is not the first time we have had a shocking first lap, to come around second and eighth after the first lap is not quite what we had in mind.”