Button Wins Thrilling Japanese GP; Vettel Claims 2011 F1 Championship

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

 

 

The Grand Prix of Japan at Sukuza has often been a nexus point for the Formula 1 Drivers Championship thanks to its late season date. Thrilling with the famous deciding fight in the Prost/Senna battles of 1989 and 1990, the 2011 Formula 1 season's top driver Sebastian Vettel intends to celebrate clinching his second championship simply by scoring 1 point more than Jenson Button.

 

Starting Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, the reigning champion displayed he had no plans of playing it safe. In a last second qualifying run, Sebastian Vettel ripped off a flying fastest lap to claim pole position. Accustomed to the pace he has maintained all season in the Red Bull-Renault, Sebastian Vettel launched aggressively as the lights went out to start the Japanese Grand Prix. Racing against the front row-starting McLaren-Mercedes, Vettel feverishly held off the Jenson Button almost directing the second-place vehicle onto the grass. Button, requiring to slow down into turn 1, would also lose a position to teammate Lewis Hamilton as he exited turn 1 in 3rd place. Vettel earned some criticism from the McLaren team but was quickly defused as the race progressed.

 

With a race going textbook for Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull-Renault, the fight 2nd to 4th place would see Jenson Button reclaim his original spot from Lewis Hamilton on lap 8just before the 2008 World Champion pitted. Hamilton stopped his McLaren-Mercedes to the attention of crew early due to a recorded tire puncture. As the McLaren pit crew came to the aid of Hamilton, the race mechanics would be elevated to heroic. Pitting on lap 21, Jenson Button came to the attention of his crew members who performed a lightning fast pit stop compared to Vettel's Red Bull Racing mechanics. Gaining sizable track position, Button came out of the pits in front of the previously-pitted car of Sebastian Vettel. Exiting in 4th place overall at the lap 22 point in the Japanese Grand Prix, Jenson Button progressed to the lead.

 

With a safety car period slowing the Grand Prix of Japan as a result of debris (namely the carbon fiber pieces landing on track after Mark Webber's Red Bull-Renault made contact with the Mercedes GP car's Michael Schumacher in the 130R area of the Suzuka track. Off the restart, Jenson Button continued to pull away from Sebastian Vettel while the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso managed to fish around the Red Bull for an ultimate second place finish.

 

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

 

 

Jenson Button would hold on to win the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix for what was an big victory for the McLaren. Button had just signed a contract renewal with the McLaren Formula 1 team for several more season. The country of Japan has also been desribed as special to Jenson Button by post race comments. "It’s such an emotional victory for me: there’s so much history at this circuit, and the crowd here has been amazing, this is second only to a home victory for me." said Button. The British driver is personally connected to the country highlighted by a special race helmet he has worn at Monaco and again at this Japanese Grand Prix. That Jenson Button helmet will be auctioned off in the near future in support of the country of Japan currently rebuilding from the natural disaster earlier this year.

 

Michael Schumacher finished 6th in the Japanese Grand Prix but enjoyed one of the more momentous runs at Sukuza. In the latter 1/3 distance in the event, Schumacher's Mercedes GP MGP W02 race car led before a necessary pit stop. “I’m very happy with what we achieved in Suzuka today as we maximised our potential of the car, and managed to put in a good race." said 7-time Formula 1 champion Schumacher. While Michael Schumacher's teammate Nico Rosberg did not enjoy a front-running sprint in the grand prix, the young German did accomplish a hard-fought feat. Unable to log a lap in qualifying Saturday at Suzuka, Rosberg's Mercedes GP car was only granted a rear field starting spot after Formula 1 stewards permitted the team to run the Japanese Grand Prix. By lap 25, Nico Rosberg and his crew worked the car up to 13th place. At the end, a 10th place position and a single Formula 1 series point was earned by Rosberg.

 

After the race though, the man of the hour was the acclaimed 2011 Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Needing only a single point, Vettel displayed the same grand prix win-contending performance powerthe Red Bull-Renault driver plans in completing this near dream season. Finishing 3rd and on podium, Vettel was ecstatic about his 2nd straight championship by charging towards his Red Bull Racing crew members in celebration. Vettel clinches the Formula 1 championship with 4 races remaining in the 2011 season. Sebastian Vettel joins active drivers Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher as multiple time champions in Formula 1. 

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

Continuing with the late year Asian tour for the Formula 1 series, teams prepare for the Korean Grand Prix schedule in one week's time (October 16th).

 

2011 Formula 1

Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka Circuit

Race Results

 

1. 4 Jenson Button McLaren
2. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
3. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
4. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
5. 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
6. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
7. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
8. 17 Sergio Perez Sauber
9. 10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
10. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
11. 14 Adrian Sutil Force India
12. 15 Paul di Resta Force India
13. 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
14. 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
15. 19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
16. 9 Bruno Senna Lotus Renault GP
17. 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
18. 21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
19. 20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
20. 24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing
21. 25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
22. 22 Daniel Ricciardo HRT F1
23. 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1
24. 18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso

Vettel Makes Successful Last Minute Charge for Japanese GP Pole

Photo Credit: Nissan/Infiniti

After a season long dominance in grand prix qualifying, it appeared poised that the Red Bull-Renault could be defeated for the first time during the 2011 Formula 1 campaign. In a first set of runs for the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix, the McLaren-Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button had gained the provisional front row. Ahead of both Red Bull Racing cars of Mark Webber and 2011 Formula 1 championship contender Sebastian Vettel, the McLaren team was determined to present something other than Red Bull Racing colours on a Formula 1 pole position. Not since Williams took pole at the Brazilian Grand Prix has another Formula 1 team car claimed top spot in qualifying.

 

Unwilling to surrender, Red Bull Racing would not allow the McLaren Formula 1 team to gain this pole without a fight. With only seconds left in the Q3 session, Sebastian Vettel crossed the start/finish line securing one final lap in the final 10-minute session. In a show of last minute brilliance, the Red Bull-Renault was guided around the 18 turns of the 5.807 kilometer Suzuka track to a superior final run. Crossing the finish line with a 1 minute, 30.466 second lap time, Sebastian Vettel took pole for the third straight time at the Japanese Grand Prix.

 

Making a final effort, Jenson Button displayed near equal grace as Vettel in the very late stage of Japanese Grand Prix's Q3 session. Driving his McLaren-Mercedes, Button missed the pole position by an alarmingly tight 0.009 seconds. The McLaren team shows up at Suzuka with a rear wing specially designed for the Japan circuit and appears to be on an even playing field with the Red Bull Racing organization.

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Not withstanding the intensity of the final qualifying runs of Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button, action on the Suzuka track was actually quite humdrum during the day. Through Friday practice, Formula 1 teams have become increasingly concerned about tire wear of the Pirelli racing slicks on the Japanese track surface. Only six of the ten eligible drivers and cars in the final Q3 session actually recorded runs. Several teams chose to preserve their fresh, allotted tires rather than improve position in qualifying.

 

Starting 7th for tommorow's Japanese Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher was the leader of the four-car pack recording no times with a final qualifying run. However, in the case of Schumacher and the Mercedes GP team, the fact a run was not registered in qualifying was blamed on poor planning for the time to release themselves on track. Exiting the track behind Vettel, Button and Webber, Michael Schumacher would not cross the start/finish line before the 10-minute session clock clicked down to zero. A sluffu for one Mercedes GP car, the second car piloted by Nico Rosberg did not even participate in the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session to due a hydraulic issue with his car.

 

For this race weekend in Japan, the Suzuka is likely to play host to another championship in a long-running heritage for the circuit. Entering into the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel needs only to gain a single point in the Formula 1 standings to lock up the 2011 Drivers Championship. The second straight Formula 1 championship title for the young German driver will also be secured if closest points rival Jenson Button does not win the Japanese Grand Prix event.

 

Running during what is expected to be a wonderful sunny day, the 2011 Japanese Grand Prix will start at 3PM in Japan (translating to 2AM Eastern time.

 

 

2011 Formula 1
Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka
Qualifying Results

 

1. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing
2. 4 Jenson Button McLaren
3. 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren
4. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
5. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
6. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull Racing
7. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
8. 9 Bruno Senna Lotus Renault GP
9. 10 Vitaly Petrov Lotus Renault GP
10. 16 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber
11. 14 Adrian Sutil Force India
12. 15 Paul di Resta Force India
13. 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams F1
14. 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams F1
15. 18 Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso
16. 19 Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso
17. 17 Sergio Perez Sauber
18. 21 Heikki Kovalainen Team Lotus
19. 20 Jarno Trulli Team Lotus
20. 25 Jérôme D’Ambrosio Marussia Virgin Racing
21. 24 Timo Glock Marussia Virgin Racing
22. 22 Daniel Ricciardo HRT F1
23. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
24. 23 Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT F1

 

 

 

Super Soggy Suzuka Caps Saturday F1 Action: Qualifying to be held Sunday

Day 2 of the Japanese Grand Prix has amounted to a full wash-out due to heavy precipitation. Perhaps better identified as 'Wipeout Japan', an estimated daily accumulation totaling nearly 50 millimeters of rain made the Formula 1 cars stay garage-dwelling for the duration of Saturday. Even with full wet weather tires, the presence of standing water on the Suzuka Circuit made the conditions impossible to for those Bridgestone tires to obtain any grip.

Delayed as rain fell, Formula 1 officials were eventually faced with the only sensible solution was to postpone the qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix to Sunday morning. Though the precipitation is excepted to continue through Saturday night into race day, there is expectations that the rain will let up into the day.

Prior to choice to postpone qualifying, an early Saturday practice session proceeded with little participation. In the 3rd practice session, only two cars recorded lap times eager to get the names of their respective teams and drivers at the top of a Formula 1 speed chart in 2010. The Ferrari-powered Toro Rosso in the hands of Jaime Alguersuari tip-toed around the wet 3.609 mile Suzuka track with a 1 minute, 55.902 second lap time. Second-fastest (only fastest rather loosely) was the Virgin-Cosworth piloted by Timo Glock running almost 11.6 seconds below the pace of Alguersuari.

As qualifying will be scheduled just three hours before the start of the race, teams at the Japanese Grand Prix will be busy during a packed and likely still wet Sunday.

Day 1 for Japanese Grand Prix: Vettel Rumbles, Hamilton Stumbles

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

After a wild night Grand Prix of Singapore two weeks ago, world championship points leader Mark Webber and the Red Bull Racing team leads the 2010 Formula 1 pilots into Suzuka, Japan. Becoming a definite crunch time for the 2010 Formula 1 season, the driver and manufacturer's point races heading into Japan are so close into the final races that the standings can still be dramatically reshaped after a single event. Webber leads by an 11-point margin over recently red-hot Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso.

Known as a very technical and challenging track, the 3.609 mile Suzuka Circuit, the Honda-owned race complex has history for being a deciding event in the Formula 1 driver's championship. Still in contention 21 points behind his Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel showed in both Friday practices he was willing to meet the challenge in becoming a firm fighter for the 2010 title. The fastest in both sessions, the Red Bull-Renault's 1 minute, 32.585 second time in the first practice was bettered with an 1 minute, 31.465 second lap in the second afternoon session.

Backing up Vettel, Mark Webber timed laps competitive with his teammate as the 2nd fastest in the two practices. Showing the more elder teams of Ferrari and McLaren, Red Bull Racing is ready to end the year strong for what will be monumental acclaim.

Showing a consistent top-three in both sessions Friday, the Renault F1 Team's lead driver Robert Kubica was the 3rd fastest. With Kubica's expertise serving him well at the Suzuka circuit, his rookie teammate Vitaly Petrov approached the track as anew lesson. Having not raced on the Japanese race track prior to this grand prix weekend for Formula 1, Petrov rallied in the second practice session to a 7th overall time. Petrov's Renault was running softer Bridgestone optional tires for the run but nonetheless performed well on his first showing at Suzuka.

Also transitioning their way back from a unremarkable first practice effort, the Ferrari squad were without their blazing speed of recent grand prix weekends. With Brazilian Felipe Massa leading the team with an 11th quickest time in the early practice, the later practice saw Fernando Alonso leading a 4th and 5th fastest result.

Day 1 at the Suzuka Circuit became the setting for a multitude of missteps by Formula 1 drivers. Highlighting the action of first practice session, Lewis Hamilton Friday ended in turn 9 when his McLaren-Mercedes slid off track. Making hard contact with the retaining barrier, the McLaren's left side suspension sustained heavy damage in the impact. Though Hamilton was unhurt, his was sidelined through the rest of the first as well as into practice session two as the McLaren F1 team worked to repair the valuable open wheel race machine. Hamilton did return for 8 laps on the afternoon practice placing 13th fastest. Prior to his crash in the morning, Lewis Hamilton's car was 5th quickest.
In the second session, rapidly cooling track condition into the later part of the day robbed the Suzuka circuit of the more opportune grip of the first practice. several drivers experienced difficulty keeping their 300-plus kilometer per hour race cars on the track. Michael Schumacher, Robert Kubica and even fastest driver of the day Sebastian Vettel had moments of anxiety as they drifted off track.

A 3rd and final practice as well as Formula 1 qualifying are planned for Saturday within what is forecasted to be very wet weather.

Vettel To Lead Formula 1 field at Japanese Grand Prix

Since the last Japanese Grand Prix was held at Honda's Suzuka circuit in 2006, the Formula One grid along with Formula One as an entity is heavily altered. With the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix returning to Suzuka after a two season stint on Toyota's Fiji Speedway track, this race looks again to make a sizable impact the complexion of driver and manufacturer standing as it had years prior. Three races remaining and Jenson Button enjoying a 15 point lead over fellow Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello, the championship is well within mathematical reach for the veteran Brazilian to triumph over the determined Brit.

Saturday Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix in the dry was a departure from the weather of the previous day where remnants of storm system Ketsana soaked the Suzuka circuit. With the track conditions of Saturday being radically different than Friday, teams were desperate to get a handle on the faster track. Leading to three separate on track accidents. The most frightening as these incident occurred as Timo Glock sustained a heavy impact with 18th and final corner tire barriers on his first outlap. Conscious following the high-speed impact, Glock was taken to hospital as a precaution. Suffering only a cut on his left leg, the Toyota F1 team had test driver Kamui Kobayashi on standby before the Timo Glock's accident following concerns of a persistent illness Glock had on Friday in Japan. The safety and track crews at the Suzuka race course were busy all through the session which was complicated by several Formula One drivers who weren't addressing local yellow flags. While attempting to maintain what might have been their fastest laps in qualifying, the FIA reacted by handing down penalties demoting four drivers four positions down the grid. Receiving these penalties includes Adrian Sutil who had just set fastest time in the qualifying session. The Brawn GP pair of Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello as well as Fernando Alonso with Renault are the others. Torro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi and the McLaren-Mercedes of Heikki Kovalainen have also had their qualifying results modified with five spot deductions for other incidents.

When grid scoring for the Japanese Grand Prix was modified, Team Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel captured the top spot with homeland manufacturer Toyota piloted into second spot by Jarno Trulli. Reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton placed his McLaren-Mercedes in 3rd place while Nick Heidfeld rests in 4th driving the BMW Sauber. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen starts 5th in a difficult season for the Italian team. On the otherhand, Williams' 6th place in qualifying with Nico Rosberg is a great result for a team once the toast of Formula One Grand Prix racing.

A true of two fortunes, not registering times in the session was Vettel's teammate Mark Webber. Webber's Team Red Bull chassis was too damaged to compete in qualifying following a crash in a practice just prior. The 2009 German Grand Prix winner will have to start from the pit lane in his Renault-engined Red Bull car.

In the Eastern time zone, the Japanese Grand Prix is set to start at 1:00 am Sunday Morning.


2009 Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying Order


1. Sebastian Vettel- Red Bull
2. Jarno Trulli- Toyota
3. Lewis Hamilton- McLaren
4. Nick Heidfeld- BMW Sauber
5. Kimi Raikkonen- Ferrari
6. Nico Rosberg- Williams
7. Robert Kubica- BMW Sauber
8. Adrian Sutil- Force India
9. Rubens Barrichello- Brawn GP
10. Jaime Alguersuari- Toro Rosso
11. Jenson Button- Brawn GP
12. Heikki Kovalainen- McLaren
13. Giancarlo Fisichella- Ferrari
14. Sebastien Buemi- Toro Rosso
15. Kazuki Nakajima-
16. Romain Grosjean- Renault
17. Fernando Alonso- Renault
18. Vitantonio Liuzzi- Force India
19. Timo Glock- Toyota
20. Mark Webber- Red Bull