The 2011 Singapore GP Race Log - Vettel 1 point from double World Championship

1 Finger, 1 Point Needed, 2 World Championships beckon

Sebastian Vettel has won the Singapore GP ahead of Jenson Button and Mark Webber. However, despite winning the race in a dominant fashion it was not enough for him to win the championship, but he now only needs one point to secure it. Lewis Hamilton had another dramatic race which lead to him visiting the pits five times but still finishing in fifth place. There were four retirements from the race and one safety car, meaning that the race was pushed close to the maximum two hour mark.

Here is how the race unfolded:

Lap 1: When the lights went out Lewis Hamilton looked to get a good start pulling up alongside Mark Webber. However, as the cars piled into Turn 1, he was squeezed out - losing out to Fernando Alonso, Webber, Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher. His team-mate, Jenson Button, got himself up to second place. Nico Rosberg was forced to take to the run off area and Alonso was close to hitting the wall.

Lap 2: Daniel Ricciardo had a broken front wing.

Lap 4: Hamilton took the opportunity to pass Schumacher as the Mercedes driver made a mistake. As soon as Hamilton was past he wasted no time in setting the fastest first sector of the race.

Lap 5: Hamilton closed on Rosberg and passed him at the same place he had got past Schumacher.

Lap 7: Vettel had already pulled out a seven second lead over Button. Alonso was informed over his team radio that the “safety car window was open”. Webber was catching Alonso.

Lap 9: Kamui Kobayashi, Sebastian Buemi and Bruno Senna were racing close together. Paul di Resta had started the race on the harder compound tyres, while everyone else in the top ten had started on the super softs, and was lapping around the same pace as his team-mate on soft tyres. Webber was closing on Alonso and Hamilton was closing on Massa.

Lap 10: Rosberg pitted. Webber pulled a move off on Alonso to take third place. Alonso pitted as his rear tyres appeared to have completely gone off and took on the harder compound tyres.

Lap 11: Timo Glock hit the wall around Turn 18 and pulled off down an escape road - the first retirement of the race. Hamilton and Massa both pitted with Massa staying ahead. They came back out on track behind Alonso and Rubens Barrichello.

Lap 12: As Hamilton tried to overtake Massa he tagged the rear of the Ferrari with his front wing. As a result Hamilton’s front wing was broken while Massa had a right rear puncture. Webber pitted as did Massa.

Lap 14: Hamilton hadn’t pitted straight away after his accident but soon did and took on another set of the harder compound tyres as well as a new nose. The incident was under investigation with the stewards. Schumacher and Kobayashi were racing close to each other.

Lap 15: Hamilton received a drive through penalty which he took straight away. Button and Vettel pitted while Schumacher overtook Kobayashi, followed by Sutil.

Lap 16: di Resta was running in third place, albeit yet to stop.

Lap 18: di Resta was not far off the pace of his team-mate.

Lap 19: Webber was closing on Alonso again. Alonso got past di Resta.

Lap 20: di Resta pitted.

Lap 21: Massa overtook Sebastian Buemi. While running down towards the back because of his drive through Hamilton was told by his team that he was still racing for points and that there would be a safety car at some point during the race.

Lap 22: Hamilton passed Kobayashi. Paul di Resta had switched to super soft tyres and was catching his team-mate. Rosberg pits.

Lap 24: Alonso locked up into the chicane.

Lap 25: Hamilton passed Massa. Massa pitted while Hamilton closed in on Barrichello.

Lap 26: Alonso pitted and Hamilton past Barrichello.

Lap 27: Sutil and di Resta were close and Sutil was soon passed by his team-mate.

Lap 29: Rosberg went wide and lost a place to Perez. Perez was forced to then cut the chicane which allowed Schumacher to close up behind him. Schumacher attempted to overtake Perez, but in an odd place, and as a result he hit the Sauber which launched his car into the air and he made a heavy impact with the wall. This accident brought out the safety car and Webber, di Resta, Sutil, Rosberg, Perez, Hamilton, d’Ambrosio, Senna and Ricciardo all pitted.

Lap 31: Vettel and Button pitted.

Lap 32: There were lapped cars, including Jarno Trulli and Vitantonio Liuzzi, out of position behind the safety car.

Lap 33: The Safety Car came in and Vettel pulled away. As his main rivals were still stuck behind backmarkers he was able to pull out quite a lead straight away.

Lap 34: Webber passed Alonso with an opportunistic move at Turn 10.
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Lap 35: Hamilton was right up behind Sutil, Rosberg and di Resta.

Lap 37: Hamilton past Sutil after the DRS zone.

Lap 38: Rosberg was passed by Hamilton. Kobayashi was under investigation for ignoring blue flags.

Lap 39: Hamilton had closed on di Resta and passed him in the DRS zone.

Lap 40: Kobayashi received a drive through penalty. The Rosberg and Perez incident was under investigation but the stewards decided that no further action needed to be taken.

Lap 42: Hamilton was warned to look after his tyres.

Lap 48: Webber pitted for super softs and came out behind Hamilton.

Lap 49: Button pitted. Hamilton appeared to have completely lost traction due to his tyres going off so he also pitted. He came out in ninth, back behind the di Resta, Rosberg, Sutil and Perez tussle. Vettel pitted. The Lotus team appeared to unsafely release Trulli into Vettel’s path. The incident will be investigated after the race. Alonso pitted and came out in fourth.

Lap 51: Hamilton past Sutil and Perez. Trulli retired from the race.

Lap 52: Hamilton past Rosberg and started chasing down di Resta - the gap was 4.5s.

Lap 54: Hamilton past di Resta.

Lap 56: Button was told to push because he might be able to catch Vettel.

Lap 58: Vettel had to navigate his way through traffic. Maldonado and Barrichello were involved in their own inter-team battle which cost Button time while lapping them.

Lap 60: Button lost two seconds in the traffic - the fight was over. Alguersuari’s car ended up in the same wall that Glock had ended his race against. This brought out yellow flags but no safety car

Lap 61: Massa past Perez while Vettel was lapping them. He eventually won the race ahead of Button and Webber. Alonso, Hamilton, di Resta (last man on the lead lap), Rosberg, Sutil, Massa and Perez were the other points scorers. The retirees from the race were Timo Glock, Michael Schumacher and Jarno Trulli.

The action continues in two weeks time in for the  Japanese Grand Prix. Vettel only needs one point more than Button to win the championship.

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

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