Category: Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel capped off a great Sunday for Red Bull Racing by winning today’s Korean Grand Prix. It was the new world champion’s tenth win of the year and it sealed back-to-back constructors’ titles for his team.

Rain had affected proceedings on Friday and Saturday and Lewis Hamilton and McLaren had looked the team to beat. This perception was reinforced when Hamilton became the first non-Red Bull driver to claim pole position.

However, on race day Vettel was able to claim the lead on the opening lap and it was only surrendered momentarily before Fernando Alonso pitted for new tyres. Situation normal, it would seem.

Behind Vettel and Hamilton the opening lap had provided action and excitement. Mark Webber, for example, started fourth, was down to fifth and ended the lap in third place. He managed to stay there and was probably denied a better finishing result when his team called him in for a first pit stop on the same lap as Hamilton.

The Australian was still looking strong and had he stayed out, with clear track ahead, his tyres appeared to have the grip left in them to give Webber an opportunity to build a lead over Hamilton. It was not to be and Mark spent the rest of the race looking at Hamilton’s gear box.

After conventional methods hadn’t worked, Webber tried something different by overtaking Hamilton at the end of pit straight. However, Hamilton was able to get past Mark before the next corner by using his DRS on the long 1.1km straight. Unfortunately for Mark, his car was not as effective with DRS and he finished slightly frustrated in third.

At the back of the field Daniel Ricciardo was able to gain track position from last place and finish ahead of Jerome d’Ambrosio and teammate Tonio Liuzzi. He is expected to sit out the next race in India to allow Narain Karthikeyan a drive at his home race.

If Ricciardo is to secure a drive with Toro Rosso next year the once vulnerable Jaime Alguersuari looks safe; he put in a solid drive today to finish seventh. The Spaniard has performed very well since Ricciardo started with HRT and if the young Aussie has hopes for a better pathway with his Red Bull connections then he must have Sebastian Buemi’s seat in his sights.

Post-race comments from the three podium placegetters can be read after the break. You almost begin to feel sorry for Hamilton after every journo seemed to ask him the same question over and over.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]

It’s finally happened. Sixteen races into the season and Lewis Hamilton has broken Red Bull’s qualifying dominance after he put his McLaren onto pole position at the Korean Grand Prix.

Hamilton very nearly took pole last week at Suzuka, but there was no mistimed second run in Q3 this at Yeongam and Lewis topped the timesheets with a best lap of 1:35.820. Unsurprisingly, newly crowned world champ Sebastian Vettel was second quickest in his Red Bull (1:36.042). Continuing the McLaren-Red Bull pattern are Jenson Button in P3 (1:36.126) and Mark Webber in P4 (1:36.468).

Red Bull only used super soft tyres (options) during quali, choosing to keep all three sets of soft tyres (primes) brand new for the race. It will be interesting to see how that strategy plays out, with as many as four stops being predicted.

Daniel Ricciardo will start from the rear of the grid after a lingering cooling issue from Free Practice 3 prevented him from taking part in qualiyfing.

The transcript from the post-qualifying press conference can be read in full after the break. The closing lines from Vettel and Button provide a bit of a chuckle too.

Oh, does anyone else think the sulking and sour faces from Lewis Hamilton of late are way out of perspective with his lot in life? Sure, by his lofty standards, he hasn’t had a great year. But c’mon Lewis, you drive an F1 car for a living, cheer up mate.

[Pics: Red Bull Racing/Getty Images & Vodafone McLaren Mercedes]

Red Bull Racing has hung onto its 100% pole position record for 2011 by just .009 seconds when Vettel went quickest in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix. Today’s final qualifying segment was turning out to be a bit of a non-event—three drivers chose to conserve tyres for the race and did not set a time—but the closing few minutes had enough drama to keep chins wagging for some time.

The McLarens have been sharp all weekend, consistently topping the time sheets. Lewis Hamilton was shaping as the best threat yet to break Red Bull’s qualifying dominance. In the end, though, Sebastian Vettel found something within and claimed pole with a best time of 1:30.466. Jenson Button was ever so close behind, his time was 1:30.475.

For Lewis, who held provisional pole after the first run in Q3, it was a case of tough luck. Seven drivers went out for a late run with Hamilton, Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher at the end of the tail. With seconds remaining until the chequered flag fell for Q3, Lewis slowed to find a clear gap bewteen himself and Button ahead. In doing so Mark Webber pounced and overtook Hamilton with Schumacher following Webber through.

Only Webber managed to cross the line in time to set a final fast lap. No live footage of the incident was shown, but Hamilton’s ire was clear for all to see after he stepped out of his car. He elaborates a bit more in the press conference text available below. For his part, Mark has said the incident was nobody’s fault.

Vettel only needs to finish the race tenth or better to wrap up his second world drivers’ championship.

[Pic: Red Bull/Getty Images]