October 8, 2009

F1 - Sebastian Vettel Triumphs in Japan and gets a Chance to Fight for the Title

By Stephen Lars

After two years out of the Formula One world championship, the Japanese Grand Prix finally returned to the calendar. Its winner this year was Sebastian Vettel, a young German driver who stole the race from the beginning.

Vettel began the complicated Suzuka Circuit from pole, thrusting forward at full throttle to move away from his closest pursuers. The Red Bull racing team driver showed a skill that seemed difficult to match.

Driving smoothly in lap after lap without the slightest mistake, Vettel made a name for himself as he navigated the complex route, which presents a major challenge to even the most experienced driver. But the young German emitted a comfortable confidence, overshadowing the leaders of the championship, Jenson Button and Ruben Barrichello of Brawn GP, the first and second in the drivers’ standings, respectively.

Despite Button and Barrichello’s abilities, their cars could not exceed Vettel’s Renault RS27.

As the race leader, Vettel faced few major rivals that could break his concentration. In fact, the only driver to approach him was Lewis Hamilton, who overtook Jarno Trulli and hoped to challenge Vettel. However, Hamilton never posed a real threat to the 22-year-old.

Then Hamilton was distracted from his bid for the top by Trulli, who began creeping behind him from third. Hamilton was forced for face Trulli to prevent the Italian from passing him.

Hamilton seemed secure in second – until, that is, after the last stop by the pits area, when Trulli overtook him. The Englishman was unable to make the most of his KERS, and was left trying to keep up with the Italian from third.

Vettel, on the other hand, was firm in his position, pushing his car to the limit while using a very successful fuel-saving strategy that kept him steady on the track until he crossed the finish line and the checkered flag was waved.

The victory was Vetter’s third of the season and the fourth in his career. He gained another 10 points, placing him in third place in the drivers’ standings and 16 points away from the leader, Button. Vettel now has a chance to fight for the championship title, although such a feat will also depend on the performance of his closest opponents.

Button, on the other hand, seems to have fallen into a downhill slide; he finished eighth in Japan, gaining only 1 point. Even worse, his teammate and competitor, Barrichello, finished one place above him.

The next event is the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Brazilian competition is the penultimate event of the season and will take place on October 18. This may very well be the defining event of the competition; Button needs only a third place in order to secure for himself the championship title.

But Vettel is not giving up.

“It can still be done, it’s looking much better now,” Vettel said, discussing his chances at gaining the title. “It’s a shame there are only two races to go.

About the Author
Stephen Lars has been a prominent writer on Formula One races, sports news and the sports betting industry for many exceptional sports web sites. You may reprint this article in its full content, please note no modifications to it are accepted.