The 2011 Japanese GP Race Log - Vettel Weltmeister

Vettel plays the numbers game and takes the title

Jenson Button has won the Japanese GP ahead of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, who also became the 2011 World Champion. It was another frustrating day for Lewis Hamilton after a puncture early in the race and another incident with Felipe Massa. Mark Webber had a fairly quiet race to finish in fourth with Michael Schumacher in sixth and Felipe Massa in seventh. Sergio Perez, Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg were the other points scorers while Sebastian Buemi was the only retirement from the race.

Here is how the race unfolded:

Lap 1: At the start Jenson Button pulled alongside pole sitter Sebastian Vettel but was pushed wide nearly onto the grass - a move which the stewards decided to investigate, but no further action was taken. This move allowed Button’s team-mate, Lewis Hamilton to get into second. Local hero Kamui Kobayashi had a disappointing start from seventh on the grid, dropping to 12th, while Paul di Resta had a good start to go from 11th to eighth.

Lap 3: Vettel had pulled out a 1.7s lead over Hamilton.

Lap 5: Nico Rosberg, who had started 23rd on the grid after a problem in qualifying, had gained four places but was already 25s behind the leader.

Lap 6: Felipe Massa, who had out-qualified his team-mate, was passed by Fernando Alonso. Vitantonio Liuzzi took a trip into the gravel in his HRT but managed to get out on track again. Rubens Barrichello overtook Pastor Maldonado.

Lap 8: Button passed Hamilton who appeared to have some sort of problem. He pitted and it later transpired that he had had a slow puncture. His pit stop dropped him back to 11th. Adrian Sutil pitted.

Lap 9: Vettel reported to his team that he needed new rear tyres. Red Bull appeared to be slow out into the pits for him but he re-emerged back on track in sixth. Michael Schumacher pitted.

Lap 10: Button and Alonso pitted and came out just ahead of Hamilton. Webber also pitted. Kobayashi had a slow pit stop.

Lap 11: Massa had a short stint of leading the race before he pitted.

Lap 12: Buemi retired from the race when his front right tyre came off. This was covered by yellow flags with no safety car. Button set the fastest lap of the race. The top 4 were covered by 5.4s.

Lap 13: Paul di Resta was catching Maldonado.

Lap 15: Schumacher passed Petrov. He was then warned by his team to look after his front tyres after his first set had become blistered.
Lap 16: The top six were covered by 9.3s. Kobayashi passed Barrichello, who then locked up as he entered the pit-lane.

Lap 20: Vettel pitted and Webber, who was only 10s behind, also pitted. The team managed to get Vettel out again so they didn’t have to stack. Button pitted and came out ahead of Vettel. He had gained over a second on Vettel through the pit stops.

Lap 21: Alonso and Hamilton both pitted. Massa and Hamilton had another coming together this time causing Massa to lose part of his front wing. The stewards investigated the incident but decided that there was no need for any further action. Hamilton later said he had not seen Massa.

Lap 22: Massa pitted.

Lap 24: The safety car was deployed to allow stewards to pick up debris from the track. Schumacher, di Resta, d’Ambrosio, Rosberg, Barrichello and Kobayashi. Kobayashi and Rosberg were fighting for position coming out of the pit lane.

Lap 27: The safety car came in. There was a Virgin Racing car out of position between Webber and the top three but he, Massa and Hamilton soon got past. Button got a good re-start and already had a 1.2s gap after one lap.

Lap 28: Hamilton reported that he had “massive under steer” and suggested his front wing may be broken. The team reported that everything was fine and that the under steer must have been down to tyre pressure.

Lap 30: Sutil and Petrov were close with Rosberg just behind them. Button was setting fastest lap times. Rosberg got past Petrov.

Lap 33: Rob Smedley told Felipe Massa that he was “a little bit close with Hamilton”.

Lap 34: Vettel was the first to blink again as he pitted for the harder compound tyres and came out behind Rosberg. Webber pitted.

Lap 36: Vettel passed Sutil. Hamilton pitted and came out in 10th.

Lap 37: Button pitted and came out in 3rd.

Lap 39: Schumacher was yet to pit again so he briefly lead the race.

Lap 40: Rosberg was holding up Hamilton and Massa who were losing about a second and a half a lap.

Lap 41: Vettel was trying to pass Alonso. Hamilton finally got past Rosberg. Schumacher pitted.

Lap 45: Vettel showed his frustration after getting held up by a backmarker and waved his fist.

Lap 46: Sutil passed Kobayashi. Petrov passed di Resta as did Rosberg.

Lap 48: Webber was warned to take “no risks” as his team-mate had been warned to do with Alonso.

Lap 49: It appeared that the race was far from over when Alonso started closing the gap to Button

Lap 51: Alonso was only a second behind Button and therefore had DRS available. Button began to get faster setting the fastest lap of the race and creating a bigger gap between him and Alonso.

Lap 53: Button got a bit close for comfort while lapping Liuzzi but he held on to win the race ahead of Alonso. Vettel came third and secured the World Championship. He was clearly emotional as he told the team: 

“Thank you every single one of you. We took nothing for granted and we did it”.

McLaren managed to prevent Red Bull from taking the constructors’ championship just yet and the action continues next week in Korea.

Posted by Hannah Hough - Follow her on twitter @hannahhou.

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