Sebastian Vettel isn’t leading the World Championship yet, but there’s little doubt that with five races to go in the 2012 Formula 1 season the Red Bull man is now bang on target to achieve a historic hat-trick of titles. His race day at Suzuka couldn’t have been more serene, as he converted his comfortable pole position into an untroubled victory.
Vettel’s day was made complete by the misfortune that befell World Championship leader Fernando Alonso. Sebastian arrived at Suzuka 29 points behind the Ferrari ace, and leaves Japan just four in arrears after Alonso’s disastrous non-finish.
Suzuka has been the scene of so many significant moments in World Championship history, and so it was again on Sunday. Starting from seventh, Alonso’s left rear was tagged by Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus on the approach to Turn 1. He did all he could to hang on to the Ferrari, but a punctured tyre left him powerless to stop the spin and he ended up facing the pack. Alonso’s race was done.
“I don’t understand why Kimi didn’t lift,” he shrugged, although the consensus had been that Raikkonen was faultless. The Ferrari had inadvertently squeezed the Lotus on the narrow run from the start and there really wasn’t much Kimi could do to avoid the contact.
The same couldn’t be said of Romain Grosjean ahead of them. The calamitous Frenchman, who started fourth, ran into the back of Mark Webber’s Red Bull at Turn 2, ruining the Australian’s race and causing mayhem behind him. Grosjean would be handed a 10-second stop-go penalty, and deservedly so.
Webber summed his feelings up succinctly, describing Grosjean as the “first-lap nutcase. Maybe he needs another holiday. It’s quite embarrassing at this level for him.” Nice guy he might be, but Romain doesn’t have many friends in the F1 paddock right now.
Nico Rosberg found himself a casualty of the collision’s concertina effect, as Bruno Senna’s Williams punted the Mercedes into retirement. Inevitably, the safety car was called on to allow the mess to be cleared up.
It didn’t take long, and on lap 3 Vettel streaked away as the race went green. Behind him, Kamui Kobayashi was running second on merit, having jumped Webber at the start before Grosjean’s assault. The Sauber ace, under pressure to keep his drive for 2013, would prove to be the star of the day.
Behind Kobayashi, Jenson Button was up to third from eighth on the grid, his lowly starting spot a consequence of a five-place penalty for a gearbox change. Button would report further gearbox problems during the race. For now, he headed Felipe Massa’s Ferrari, up from 10th on the grid, with Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez next up.
New McLaren signing Perez looked to be on a mission in these early laps, mugging the man he will replace at the hairpin on lap 6. Hamilton looked half asleep as Sergio dived up his inside to claim sixth place.
McLaren would gift Hamilton the place back in the pits, despite an untidy stop. So Perez had it all to do again, but tried a little too hard on lap 19, went in too hot as they approached the hairpin and spun into retirement. Not the best way to celebrate his new deal for next year.
As Vettel enjoyed his “perfectly balanced” Red Bull at the front, Button had designs on Kobayashi’s second place. But as the pair found themselves behind Daniel Ricciardo’s Toro Rosso after their first stops, Massa jumped both in what would be a sensational afternoon for Ferrari’s ‘other’ driver.
For the first time in two years, Massa would stand on the podium. Ok, he was never a threat to the imperious Vettel, but the timing of his accomplished drive to second couldn’t be better, as speculation continues over who will be driving ‘his’ Ferrari next year. And perhaps his race pace will offer a little consolation to his team-mate as Alonso contemplates how he’s going to stop Vettel overhauling him in the next few weeks.
In the second half of the race, Button continued to shadow Kobayashi and as we headed for the conclusion, Jenson closed in. But he didn’t quite have enough, and Kamui claimed a wonderful podium in front of his enthusiastic home crowd. Shades of Aguri Suzuki way back in 1990.
A subdued Hamilton claimed fifth behind his team-mate, ahead of Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg, Pastor Maldonado and the recovering one-stopping Webber.
Despite his setback, Alonso remained philosophical on his title hopes. “You never know, one time I retire, the next time it might be Vettel,” he said. “It’s like a mini-championship from now to the end.”
Vettel echoed those sentiments on the podium. “There is still a long way to go,” he said to interviewer Jean Alesi. “We don’t know what will happen in the next race, so it’s good to take the points today.”
Next stop, South Korea. Vettel has won two on the trot now. Can Alonso and Ferrari really stop him?
Also Alonsoo makes mistake: but much to our regret he did not admit it. Thanks to the stewards that did not penalized Raikonnen, he had no space left. Shame on the Italian tv commentators that even after seeing millions of replays kept saying that Alonso was out due to Kimi.
On a positive note I am very glad for Kobayashi 3rd place. Well done!
Great results all round, particularly from Felipe, Kamui and Jenson. Seb’s Red Bull was too quick for others to stay with, the race being with those from second to tenth. Fantastic drive by Jenson at the end especially with the concerns with his gearbox. It was a sensible, conservative drive until the last laps when he was more confident that he could push Kamui who had a superb drive in front of his home fans. Sauber should definitely keep him next season maybe alongside Jaime Algersuari who deserves a decent drive.
The result certainly keeps the championship on a knife edge. The Alonso / Raikkonen incident was racing and, if anyone was to blame, was down to Alonso but I would say it was a 50/50. I also thought Bruno was a bit harshly penalised and as for Grosjean . . . well, what can one say? Unfortunately he was involved – again!
yes he can. It’s so hard to get a hat-trick in f1, that only two drivers had done it in the history of the sport. fangio and schumacher. I really doubt vettel is going to be the third.
Now is attack mode at ferrari in all fronts.
Just as well that Mark doesn’t know that Romain’s other job is that of a banker in Geneva. Undoubtedly, Mark would have been unable to restrain his use of rhyming slang…
But, as our politicians say, something must be done! Shame that the Lotus team principal is also Grosjean’s manager which makes discipline a bit tricky.
Still, what makes it worse is that Grosjean physically seems unable to handle the frenetic action at the start of a race and so there may be no solution.
Alonso was a very poor sport this weekend. I doubt we will hear any media admit to it as they love him. However, he blamed Kimi 100% for something he had a big hand in and then he knocked Massa for his 2nd place as “a bit lucky”. Just be happy for Massa, he has had a horrible year.
Brilliant race for Vettel.. pole, win, fast lap and I hope a 3rd title in a row. He never gives up
Great to see “my guys” Massa and Koby up on the podium. Especially nice for each guy, for obvious reasons.
ALonso was a bit weird this weekend, quotation wise. He said hed have signed at the beginning of the season for leading the wdc with 5 races to go.
That draws attention away from the fact Ferrari seems unable to mount a challenge on performance, and most of their updates dont seem to work. The news about their windtunnel, 3 years into their reorganisation, is very bad news, and im suprised this doesnt have consequences in management. What a bunch of amateurs.
Well done Vettel. Very dominant weekend. He deserves a third title.
Given the disaster of Saturday I relieved, a little, that 4th and 5th were salvaged. I can’t see either McLaren driver winning the WDC now, sadly, so I hope Vettel can once again deny a ferrari driver for another year.
i followed the race via radio and eurosport feed and wasn’t enthralled – but glad i didn’t attempt to endure murdoch’s interpretation of what people want, and whilst it was good to see Seb doing what he does very well, oh and why do they say he is going to match Juan Manual’s total of GP wins, numerically maybe – but Fangio did that out of 49 starts – so not in perspective,
but was it me? an awful lot of drivers didn’t seem to have that ‘spark’ today, Paul di Resta seemed quiet, Maldonado as well, and the enthusiastic if not very bright Grosjean, and Lewis as well, it just had that sense of, we’d rather not be here weekend, and if we all like Suzuka what will we make of Korea?
the championship? somehow i think it will go down to the wire with Kimi winning the last race and is champion, ok just jesting, or?
Oh, Damien…
You’d really got the old pulse racing with a lively report of all the thrills and spills at Suzuka. Even in this cynical old mind’s eye, something like a motor race was being envisaged.
But then you had to go and spoil it all and put a dampener on everything in your very final line……. “Next stop, South Korea.”
Lewis Hamilton seems annoyed with button. This is what he wrote on twitter: @LewisHamilton: Just noticed @jensonbutton unfollowed, thats a shame. After 3 years as teammates, I thought we respected one another but clearly he doesn’t.
Major uh-oh moment. Again.
Some people really don’t seem to understand the term “respect”. A bit silly to get upset if someone “unfollows” one on social media, I’d think. Lack of respect is usually shown by such actions as lying to the stewards to get another driver demoted, or calling backmarkers “monkeys”, things like that.
Good race. Great circuit.
Shame to see Alonso stooping to blaming Kimi. Seems he too joins the ‘only sing when you’re winning’ gang this season.
Mclaren just rubbish. Never have I seen a frontrunning team shoot itself in the foot (head?) so often in one season. Perez or not, Whitmarsh needs the guys to pull a miracle car out of the hat this winter. 13 barren years with no WCC and counting…
Well, even the best can make mistakes, which is exactly what Fernando Alonso did as he cut across Raikkonen’s acceleration path. As for italian journalists… They can turn day into night and night into day when it suits them to favor their national team. It is already good and fair enough though that the stewards didn’t penalize the Ferrari affecting driver this time, so that’s an improvement in itself.
I must be missing something. Didn’t Kimi run into Alonso’s rear tire? In this country, Kimi would have gotten the ticket for not keeping an assured clear safe distance behind. I saw it as a racing incident with no one really to blame. Unfortunate for the title – Ferrari is giving it away to Seb again. Great race Kamui!!!!
Very glad to see most fans ripping Alonso… as if everyone on the grid is there to make room for the King. He was dodging back and forth that entire start and paid for it. To go on twitter and rip Kimi has blown up on him on all the F1 chat rooms and forums I have seen. Can’t bully everyone like you do your teammate Alonso. You are cracking at the wrong time and Vettel will take the title fingers crossed.
Dave this is a Race, on a racetrack right?. But even if we go by your assumption, you would have been given a ticket if you had run into the car in front of you, but never upon one cutting abruptly in front of you from the sides. You’re obliged to keep a distance from the car directly ahead of you, not from the ones on the sides. And yes I agree there’s nobody to blame, not the least Raikkonen in this case, which is what I try to remind Alonso of.
Yes Carlos, I know it was a race. Kimi hit Alonso from behind. End of story.
No Dave, Fernando hit Raikkkonen from the side, damaging his SIDE plate mate. End of story is what Alonso must be figuring out now about his Championship chances, don’t you think?
I’ll go back and look again. Speed TV didn’t get it right until they showed the replay from Hamilton’s car…and then they still might’ve missed it. I thought it was Kimi’s left front wing endplate that flattened Alonso’ left rear….In any case, Fernando must be feeling serious deja vu as Super-Sebi closes in for the kill once again.
Yeah! I am sorry for Alonso really, because he has been driving his best ever, but that just means that the title fight will get tighter, and all the better for all of us. Now, if Fernando and Ferrari do still pull it out winning it in a straight fight, wow, hats off to them then!. As I think he would truly deserve it. We’ll see.
I think it was a racing incident between Kimi and Alonso. This is what happens when you dont qualify at the front. Quite rightly Vettel stated qualification is crucial at a track like this.
Ferrari better make sure their updates work next week, or see that nice big lead being thrown away.
Two things: please not another SV/RB championship and when is Ferrari going to get their act together and supply FA a truly competitive car?
Alonso clearly side-bumped Kimi three times before his tire punctured. Very stupid move for a guy trying to win a world championship, and after watching those replays, I’m wondering why he wasn’t penalized.
The McLarens were awful, completely off the pace.
With Grosjean in Spa Hamilton was squeezed into the wall on the inside on the the run into a hard breaking zone so the consequences were always going to be worse. Grosjean has form so there was a harsh penalty. From a quick look what Alonso did yesterday was very similar but as he was out I presume the issue of an investigation/penalty for him did not arise or else it was just put down as a racing incident. Then again Grosjean give the stewards something else to think about so they may have quickly moved on. Unless Ferrari up the development Alonso can expect to be surrounded by the desperate men of the sport for the rest of tile season. That part of the grid has a lot of people fighting for their futures over the next races. The momentum is decidedly with Vettel.
About Grosjean, mmmh. The guy has got talent, and yes we’ve seen the likes of Villeneuve, Mansell, Senna, Schumacher, go through similar traits of inexperience in their early days, but eight accidents in thirteen races !!! (mainly at the start of the race), that’s just too many, way too much risk involved…
Since he just doesn’t seem to be able to cope in makeìing it through the first corner without causing an accident (and not even after his banning from Monza has he shown to have learned the lesson) I’d seriously propose to have him start the next race (s) at the back of the grid duly following the Pace Car through the first lap. How’s that? I reckon that could be more effective. And safe…
Grosjean will either sink or swim – no penalties necessary. If he keeps on crashing and his team judge that it’s down to his own driving, not bad luck, then they’d be nuts not to do something, whatever his relationship to Boullier. It will sort itself out naturally. As far as I can see he’s never made malicious moves, just ill-judged ones, so natural selection (F1 style) will run its course. Were I sitting in a competing car or pit wall I’d be far more concerned about Maldo’s pre-race hothead moves against Ham and Perez at Spa ’11 and Monaco this year, respectively.
Alonso is going to the the result of bad management at Ferrari, and realize why F1 is about a team. He would be far more ahead in the WDC and Ferrari in the WCC if it weren’t for Massa. Every point a proper team mate would have gotten would be one less point for the competition. But, Alonso doesn’t like competitive team mates, so another season is slipping away to the now faster RBRs and McLarens.
Every Schumi needs his Rubens.
Yes Ray, but Massa is not taking points from Alonso either. Just as every Schumi needs a Rubens, every Lewis does NOT need a Button, and every Vettel does NOT need a Webber, every Prost does NOT need a Senna….and so on.
It just depends on which way you look at it.
I won’t be crying for any Ferrari driver because his second banana may be too slow sometimes……
Not entirely agree John. A good rear gunner is handy. Massa was usually so slow he couldnt be near Alonso taking points from others. Irvine and Rubens did that much better back in the day.
Also, I think the slow reacting Ferrari management is to blame. Look at 2010; at Melbourne and Malaysia they refused to give Massa team orders and slowed Alonso for at least 60 laps total. Then they finally reacted clumsy at Hockenheim and got a huge fine + public beating. Now, they have to deal with a Massa who just cannot perform. He was slow at Singapore qual and Suzuka too.
G’day Bill,
I sort of laboured my point that Ferrari have their own special style. For Ferrari, the rear gunner has to be very quick, even quicker than the exalted number one at times.
The rear gunner has to always remember the contract and not to develop any ambition (unless the exalted number one breaks a leg or something).
These rear gunners are not easy to find, keep and maintain. And that’s a good reason why Perez did the correct thing and went to McLaren where he will get a fair go. He should only go to Ferrari if they offer him the exalted number one position.
PS: Maybe Massa would be happy to be punted from Ferrari and find a seat where he may get equal treatment.
Correct, right on the spot John Read!
Well, as 2010 proved, I dont think Ferrari really has a clear number one driver anymore, at least not at the start of a season. With 2010 in mind I dont think there is any vision at all in Ferrari management. The only thinking entity there seems to be Alonso. Todt is sadly missed.
And Massa, well I think he earns twice the wages of Wayne Rooney at Ferrari, so hes perfectly happy doing whatever Ferrari wants him to do.
As for Perez having an honest shot at mclaren…I remember Ron Dennis saying Renault destroyed Kovalainen, and that Mclaren would rebuild him. Then made him a lap dog of Hamilton,so much, that it would make Irvine’s treatment at Ferrari seem very fair and equal. :)
I wish him best of luck though. Hope he can be succesful.
G’day Bill,
You may be correct, but my gut instinct is that Perez with towel Button up.