Sebastian Vettel is heading towards his fourth world championship after taking his 34th career victory in a race featuring some spectacular racing and bizarre incidents.
The Red Bull Racing driver was joined on the podium by Lotus duo Kimi Raikkonen – charging forward from tenth on the grid – and Romain Grosjean.
As Vettel stormed away into the lead at the start, Grosjean passed Lewis Hamilton for second into Turn 3.
In their wake, a late-braking move from Felipe Massa ended with the Ferrari spinning across the corner apex and scattering the pack behind. Everyone avoided Massa, but Jenson Button and Adrian Sutil picked up wing damage in the chaos.
The first half of the race featured Vettel pulling away from a closely-matched Grosjean and Hamilton, with Nico Rosberg behind and then Nico Hulkenberg fending off Fernando Alonso and a pack of cars.
Raikkonen jumped ahead of this pack after making his second pitstop earlier than his rivals.
Further up, Hamilton began to suffer extreme tyre degradation in his second stint and tumbled away from Grosjean towards Rosberg – only for the German’s front wing to partially fail in a shower of sparks as he overtook his struggling team-mate.
With both Mercedes delayed, Raikkonen gained two more positions, just before the first safety car when Sergio Perez’s right-front tyre dramatically blew on the long straight.
Mark Webber, who had made good progress from P13, was immediately behind and picked up a puncture from the resultant debris.
With the McLaren’s tyre carcass in the middle of the straight, a safety car was required.
Vettel stayed clear of the Lotus pair at the restart, with Raikkonen passing Grosjean with a spectacular Turn 1 move a lap later.
Another safety car was imminent, though. Sutil had spun into Turn 3 on the restart lap and hit Webber, causing the Red Bull to catch fire in the run-off area.
A fire vehicle eventually appeared on track to deal with the blazing car, forcing a frantic safety car deployment as the leaders caught sight of the fire truck.
After that mess was resolved, the race ran green to the chequered flag, with Vettel edging away from Raikkonen and Grosjean to win.
Behind them, an impressive performance from Hulkenberg earned him and Sauber fourth position. He had pounced on Hamilton at a restart to take the spot, and then clung on under huge pressure from the Mercedes and Alonso’s Ferrari, who were having a thrilling wheel-to-wheel scrap of their own.
Rosberg joined this battle by the end, followed by Button, Massa and Perez, who just denied the Mexican’s countryman Esteban Gutierrez by a single point.
Williams ran in the top ten for a while after a brilliant first lap from Pastor Maldonado, but the Venezuelan ultimately fell to P13 behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas.
Paul di Resta crashed his Force India and both Toro Rossos also retired, Daniel Ricciardo having got as high as seventh in the first stint.
So an eventful Korean Grand Prix featuring sparks, tyre blow-out and an appearance from a Jeep fire truck. And yet, the end result is that Sebastian Vettel has increased his lead in the championship with his eighth victory in the sport.
Which means, the Red Bull driver will become world champion next weekend at Suzuka, one of his favourite circuits. Can Fernando Alonso stop him? We shall find out in seven days time at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Korean Grand Prix, race results after 55 laps:
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h43:13.701
2. Raikkonen Lotus-Renault +4.224
3. Grosjean Lotus-Renault +4.927
4. Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari +24.114
5. Hamilton Mercedes +25.255
6. Alonso Ferrari +26.189
7. Rosberg Mercedes +26.698
8. Button McLaren-Mercedes +32.262
9. Massa Ferrari +34.390
10. Perez McLaren-Mercedes +35.155
11. Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari +35.990
12. Bottas Williams-Renault +47.049
13. Maldonado Williams-Renault +50.013
14. Pic Caterham-Renault +1:03.578
15. van der Garde Caterham-Renault +1:04.501
16. Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth +1:07.970
17. Chilton Marussia-Cosworth +1:12.898
18. Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari +2 laps
19. Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari +3 laps
20. Sutil Force India-Mercedes +5 laps
Fastest lap: Vettel, 1:41.380
Not classified/retirements:
Webber Red Bull-Renault 41 laps
Di Resta Force India-Mercedes 29 laps
World Championship standings, round 15:
Drivers:
1. Vettel 272
2. Alonso 195
3. Raikkonen 167
4. Hamilton 161
5. Webber 130
6. Rosberg 122
7. Massa 89
8. Grosjean 72
9. Button 58
10. Hulkenberg 31
11. Di Resta 36
12. Sutil 26
13. Perez 23
14. Ricciardo 18
15. Vergne 13
16. Maldonado 1
Constructors:
1. Red Bull-Renault 402
2. Ferrari 284
3. Mercedes 283
4. Lotus-Renault 239
5. McLaren-Mercedes 81
6. Force India-Mercedes 62
7. Sauber-Ferrari 31
8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 31
9. Williams-Renault 1
Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka. October 11-13.
After winning the Korean Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel is heading towards his fourth world championship but the Red Bull driver has said he is no hurry to clinch the title. Autosport.com has the news story.
Sebastian Vettel says he is in no hurry to clinch his fourth Formula 1 title in the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend after another commanding display in Korea.
The Red Bull driver took his fourth consecutive victory to extend his lead in the standings to 77 points over Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso.
It means Vettel could be champion next weekend in Japan if he wins and Alonso finishes eighth or lower.
The championship leader insisted, however, that he is simply focusing on making sure he wraps up the title eventually.
“I am not trying to think about it, to be honest,” said Vettel. “I try to focus more on the present. I think we had an incredible chance two years ago to do so [at Suzuka], and we did it, but there are still a lot of points to get.
“Even though it looks very good for us there is still a chance for Fernando, so we have to stay on top of our game, but to be honest, we are just having a good time.
“We enjoy the fact the team is working really well, the car is working. It is on the edge, more so than you think from the outside, but it’s nice when you get results like Singapore or this weekend
“I don’t really care [when I win the title]. I look forward to Japan because it is one of the nicest tracks of the season.”
Vettel said his victory, the third in Korea, had been tighter than it looked, and admitted he had been helped by the deployment of the safety car.
The Red Bull driver finished ahead of Lotus duo Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.
“I think it was close. Lotus probably had more range today, I think we had more pace initially. I think Romain could have afforded to pit early and maybe we could not have reacted to that.
“I think it would have been close without the safety car, but in the end, Kimi was quite consistent, and we had two or three tenths on hand.”
Lotus driver Romain Grosjean has downplayed the team controversy regarding finishing in second and third position. Autosport.com has the details.
Romain Grosjean insisted there was no controversy over his battle with Lotus team-mate Kimi Raikkonen late in the Korean Grand Prix, despite fraught radio messages.
Raikkonen beat his team-mate to second with a late-race pass at Turn 1.
Radio broadcasts picked up tense conversations between Grosjean and the team over whether he could repass afterwards, culminating in a request for the Frenchman to “smile” on the podium as the matter would be discussed later.
After the race Grosjean played the matter down and said the loss of second place was just down to his own mistake.
“Unfortunately for me and good for Kimi, the safety car came,” said Grosjean. “I made a small mistake, my fault, and Kimi passed me and then there were yellow flags so I couldn’t use DRS.
“I don’t hear most of the [radio] conversation. I was quicker today. It is a track where it is almost impossible to overtake.
“I should have avoided the AstroTurf in Turn 15 and that would be the end of the conversation.
“It was my mistake, it is not the end of the world.”
Raikkonen said the pass had been fairly routine.
“He made a mistake in the second-last corner and I got a good run,” said the Finn. “I think he moved a few times to the left.
“I heard there would be yellow flags on the straight so knew he would not get me back with DRS.
“So I decided to overtake and it was not too difficult.”
Mark Webber slated Pirelli after the Korean Grand Prix, saying drivers are not important to Formula 1’s tyre manufacturer.
The Red Bull driver picked up a puncture from debris when the right-front tyre on Sergio Perez’s McLaren failed in front of him.
“That is how it is. The drivers aren’t super important – it is what other people want,” said Webber after retiring from the race.
“The tyres are wearing a lot and they also explode a bit – but that is for Pirelli to sort out.”
Drivers complained over the weekend that the super-soft tyres taken to Korea were wearing out too quickly around the Yeongam track.
The safety car had to be deployed during the race after Perez’s tyre explosion.
Webber said there was no excuse for such issues.
“Pirelli will put the puncture of Perez down to a lock-up but the reason the drivers are locking up is because there’s no tread left,” said Webber.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who was also critical of the tyres on Saturday, was involved in a war of words with Pirelli boss Paul Hembery, who suggested the Spaniard should seek advice from Sebastian Vettel on how to make the tyres work.
“I can only suggest he goes to ask the soon-to-be four-times champion how to get the best from the same tyres,” Hembery said on Saturday.
Before the race, however, Hembery apologised to Alonso for his comments.
The Ferrari driver admitted it was up to his team to get the best out of the tyres, but he insisted there are no doubts that the rubber is on the limit.
“There is no controversy. We speak with facts and they [Pirelli] just use words. Everybody can see that,” said Alonso after the race.
“These are tyres that won’t last a lap, but as we said yesterday, we have zero problems with the performance. It’s us who haven’t adapted to these 2012 tyres. It’s up to us Ferrari, or the drivers, to improve.
“But the tyre marbles are there, and when it rains they have to stop the races, and then Perez has a blowout… So we know the tyres are on the limit in terms of quality.
“Hembery had not heard this and he made a mistake, and he came to apologise, so we are thankful for that.
“It seemed weird that given the season Pirelli is having they decide to speak out. But he apologised and it’s all good.”
Source: Autosport.com
Red Bull’s Mark Webber thinks the KERS unit caught fire after being hit from the back by an out-of-control Adrian Sutil. Autosport.com has the news story.
Mark Webber believes it was his Red Bull’s KERS unit that caught fire when he was hit by Adrian Sutil’s Force India in the Korean Grand Prix.
Sutil’s spinning car backed into the side of Webber’s Red Bull as he turned in at Turn 3 following the first safety car restart.
The Red Bull was soon ablaze as Webber pulled up in the run-off area.
“I think the KERS caught fire very quickly because the contact was very high,” said Webber. “I think it was an immediate KERS fire.”
It took some time for the fire to be brought under control, with the safety car then required after a fire vehicle abruptly appeared on the circuit.
“The fire got quite heavy quite quickly, so it was good that the guys weren’t too far away,” Webber said.
“I would’ve liked to get somewhere a bit closer to an extinguisher but I wanted to get out myself.”
Webber confirmed that he had made his own efforts to put the fire out and had no qualms about doing so.
“I tried to put it out – there’s an extinguisher in the car,” he said. “I’ve got my [fireproof] overalls on.”
Sebastian Vettel says he is in no hurry to clinch his fourth Formula 1 title in the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend after another commanding display in Korea.
The Red Bull driver took his fourth consecutive victory to extend his lead in the standings to 77 points over Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso.
It means Vettel could be champion next weekend in Japan if he wins and Alonso finishes eighth or lower.
The championship leader insisted, however, that he is simply focusing on making sure he wraps up the title eventually.
“I am not trying to think about it, to be honest,” said Vettel. “I try to focus more on the present. I think we had an incredible chance two years ago to do so [at Suzuka], and we did it, but there are still a lot of points to get.
“Even though it looks very good for us there is still a chance for Fernando, so we have to stay on top of our game, but to be honest, we are just having a good time.
“We enjoy the fact the team is working really well, the car is working. It is on the edge, more so than you think from the outside, but it’s nice when you get results like Singapore or this weekend
“I don’t really care [when I win the title]. I look forward to Japan because it is one of the nicest tracks of the season.”
Vettel said his victory, the third in Korea, had been tighter than it looked, and admitted he had been helped by the deployment of the safety car.
The Red Bull driver finished ahead of Lotus duo Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.
“I think it was close. Lotus probably had more range today, I think we had more pace initially. I think Romain could have afforded to pit early and maybe we could not have reacted to that.
“I think it would have been close without the safety car, but in the end, Kimi was quite consistent, and we had two or three tenths on hand.”
Source: Autosport.com
During the Korean Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg’s car suffered a nose failure that cost the driver a certain podium finish. The team will now look into the issue as to why it happened. Autosport.com has the details.
Mercedes says it will have to investigate what caused Nico Rosberg’s front wing/nosebox issue during the Korean Grand Prix.
Rosberg was just passing team-mate Lewis Hamilton for third on the Yeongam’s circuit long straight when the front of his Mercedes suddenly drooped in a shower of sparks.
The team put the problem due to a “structural issue” between the nose section and chassis.
Rosberg had to nurse the car back to the pits for attention and finished seventh.
“I really could not believe it,” said Rosberg.
“I was feeling good, had pace in the car, was going for it, and then the damn thing dropped and there were sparks coming off.
“I felt like I was sitting on the ground so I had no idea what was going on. The team and my engineer did a really good job to quickly tell me what the situation was and all I could do was try to cruise home.
“I wanted to know how bad it was, because if the wing is really under the car then it’s massively dangerous and I could’ve completely lost control of the car and crashed straight on, without braking, into the wall.
“I had to judge the situation and when I understood it wasn’t too bad I could carry some speed back to the garage.”
The German was certain he could have finished on the podium but for the nose drama.
“The car was very quick,” said Rosberg. “I was very comfortable and for one second the podium was guaranteed and I was going to go for [Romain] Grosjean because I had really good pace.”
As for Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, the strategy was a tough call. Autosport.com has the news story.
Mercedes admitted that Lewis Hamilton’s tyre problems in the Korean Grand Prix left it in a strategic dilemma.
Hamilton complained vehemently over team radio during his second stint as his medium compound Pirellis rapidly lost performance.
Mercedes boss Ross Brawn said the team preferred to keep him on track until he was nearer the predicted window for a two-stop strategy.
“At that point, we had a difficult decision to make: an extra stop at lap 22 would have committed us to a much slower three-stop strategy, or we could leave Lewis in clean air to tough it out and try and reach the target lap to make our two-stop strategy work,” said Brawn.
“We chose the latter option but it was a pretty painful few laps as Lewis battled to minimise the time loss.”
Hamilton said that the loss of tyre performance happened without warning.
“A disastrous race for us,” he said.
“We’d obviously have liked to finish higher and I think we deserved higher. Things just didn’t go our way today.
“The car was feeling OK but the right front was just destroyed all of a sudden at one point.
“They just said it might go through the graining phase, but it wasn’t graining, it was just dead.
“The tyre was losing temperature and I was locking up. I couldn’t get round the corners.
“It was a very difficult 10-15 laps we had to do on that tyre and that’s really what lost us so much ground.”
Hamilton ultimately finished fifth after a huge late battle with Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber and Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari.
Daniel Ricciardo has blamed a brake problem for his late retirement from ninth place in the Korean Grand Prix.
The Australian had run as high as fourth during the first stint of the race after starting on the medium-compound tyre and was set to claim two points when he was pitched off the track at Turn 3 with less than three laps to go.
The problem, which is also believed to have led the team to calling team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne into retirement, resembled the one that cost Ricciardo eighth place in the closing stages of last year’s Yeongam race, although he was able to struggle home ninth on that occasion.
“Coming down to Turn 3 with a few laps to go, I braked and the car immediately shot to the left,” Ricciardo told AUTOSPORT.
“When I got out, I saw the front-left brake duct and calliper is hanging off, so it’s obviously broken.
“It could have been a repeat of last year’s [problem], in a points position with a few laps to go.”
While frustrated at losing points with the issue, Ricciardo was happy with his race performance.
Toro Rosso struggled with the car all weekend and he had started 12th, but having capitalised on the first-lap confusion caused by Felipe Massa spinning his Ferrari at Turn 3, he jumped to seventh.
But while he would have left Korea with points, Ricciardo does not believe that would have been representative of the pace of the car.
“Personally, I am really pleased with my performance in the car today,” he said. “I am not sure we had a top 10 car but we really did make the most of it and were fighting in the top 10 for the majority of the race.
“I’m pleased but it’s frustrating that the team didn’t get rewarded.”
Source: Autosport.com
The most surreal incident that took place during the Korean Grand Prix was the appearance of the fire truck. The sport’s governing body has admitted it made the call. Autosport.com has the details.
The FIA has admitted it made the call to send a fire truck to Mark Webber’s Korean Grand Prix incident, but did not expect the vehicle to go out on track ahead of the leaders.
The governing body will await a report from race organisers about the safety response before deciding if lessons need to be learned.
The scale of the fire that took hold of Webber’s Red Bull after its collision with Adrian Sutil led Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting to order a response vehicle to the incident, anticipating that a vehicle at Turn 3 would be used.
However, there was concern when the fire truck from Turn 1 was dispatched and entered the track ahead of the race leaders – and before the safety car had been able to intervene to slow the field down.
Race winner Sebastian Vettel said: “It wasn’t quite clear that it was the safety car but then the safety car board was flashing and I lifted… and obviously saw that there was another car on the track.”
Although it is likely that procedures will need tightening for the future, the fact that marshals did wave white flags to warn drivers of the vehicle’s presence on track – as is demanded by the International Sporting Code – means the FIA sees no reason for sanctions.
However, race officials always send a report about the events of a grand prix weekend to the governing body, and the FIA is likely to take a more detailed look at what happened to see if there are safety aspects that can be tightened up.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said the fact that the fire truck was on a long straight was a blessing, as things could have been more dangerous if it had been hidden around a corner.
“It wasn’t great, but thankfully it happened on part of the track where there was plenty of time for the drivers to react,” he said.
“Sebastian was the first to come across it, but with the straight being so long there he thankfully had enough pre-warning to know that he was there.
“But if it had been unsighted it would have been a bit more dramatic.”
Mark Webber’s spectacular fire in the Korean Grand Prix was caused by a burst oil radiator.
Webber’s Red Bull was collected by the spinning Adrian Sutil’s Force India at the restart following a safety car period, and stopped at the side of the track.
However, oil that leaked from the radiator spilt onto the hot exhausts and burst into flames, causing a major fire.
Red Bull was waiting to asses the damage to the RB9 chassis on Sunday night before determining whether it needs to build up its spare car for Webber for next weekend’s race in Japan.
Team principal Christian Horner said: “We carry a spare chassis and all the spare components that go with it.
“But we need to see what the damage is and whether the car is badly wounded or whether it is repairable.”
Webber initially suspected that it was his KERS unit that had burst into flames in the impact.
Source: Autosport.com