Vettel leads Red Bull’s 1-2 in Japan

Germany’s Sebastian Vettel wins the Japanese Grand Prix for the second consecutive year.

SUZUKA: Germany’s Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix for the second consecutive year, leading a Red Bull 1-2 at the Suzuka circuit.

The 23-year-old, who started from pole, recorded his third victory of the season, with championship leader Mark Webber finishing second, 0.9 seconds adrift. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was third, 1.8 seconds behind Webber, while McLaren teammates Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth, Hamilton nursing an ailing car to the finish with gear selection issues.

Vettel praised his “magnificent” car after his first victory since the European GP at Valencia in June, which sees him jump to third in the championship standings. With three races remaining, Webber leads with 220 points, while Alonso is second on 206, edging Vettel, also on 206, on race wins for the season. Hamilton drops a place to fourth on 192 points, while Button remains fifth on 189.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2010.