Vettel win leaves four in title hunt

FOR the first time in Formula One history, four drivers will go into the final race of the season with a chance of becoming world champion.

That is the scenario that has unfolded following yesterday’s Brazilian Grand Prix in which Sebastian Vettel claimed victory ahead of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, with Fernando Alonso third and Lewis Hamilton fourth.

Alonso remains the favourite as the Ferrari star has an eight-point cushion over Webber, with Vettel 15 points adrift of the Spaniard and Hamilton - now the clear outsider - 24 points down on his former team-mate.

Jenson Button, after the drama of being attacked by armed assailants on Saturday evening, came home fifth, the Briton effectively handing over his world title on the same track he claimed it just over a year ago.

Although the drivers’ title remains on the line, yesterday was a day of glory for Red Bull as they ultimately got what they came for coming into this race - they are the new constructors’ champions.

After taking the chequered flag, team principal Christian Horner exclaimed over the radio to Vettel: “Great drive, we’ve won the constructors’ world championship.”

Once the five red lights disappeared, it was no surprise to see Nico Hulkenberg relinquish the first pole of his career, and Williams' first for five and a half years, by the end of the first corner.

Vettel, starting alongside his compatriot on the front row, made an electric start and within seconds had scythed his way into a lead he never relinquished, bar one lap after stopping for tyres. Four corners later, it was Webber’s turn to manoeuvre his way past Hulkenberg into second from where he could make no further headway on Vettel - not even when safety car.

Before the race a sweep amongst the media had taken place as to where Hulkenberg would be by the end of the first lap. The smart money was on third, and so it proved as Hamilton and Alonso were embroiled in their own private battle on the first lap with the Spaniard hounding his English rival.

As they crossed the line Alonso had his nose in front, only for his former McLaren team-mate to sneak ahead again into the first turn, the Senna S. But as in Korea a fortnight ago, when Hamilton ran wide in the wet to relinquish the lead and the victory to Alonso, in the dry he again made another mistake to gift the 29-year-old fourth spot and a crucial advantage.

It was not until lap seven that Alonso powered past Hulkenberg, who then had Hamilton all over him for the next seven laps. However, there was no way past for the 25-year-old until the German stopped for new tyres.

As with Vettel and Webber, other than through the pit stops, they remained third and fourth, with Button trailing behind his McLaren team-mate despite another exceptional strategic call from the team. Button was called in early from 10th, and once all the stops had played out for the majority of the leaders, he had made up five places.

The other four title contenders were still ahead of him on track however, and so went his crown as he now finds himself 47 points adrift of Alonso and out of contention.

There was a spot of drama late on when Force India’s Vitantonio Liuzzi ploughed into a tyre wall at the Senna S. That resulted in the safety car on lap 51, which stayed on track for four laps as the debris was cleared.

But even that failed to disrupt the order of the top five, who were 15.5secs apart at the end of the 71 laps, and so we head into the title decider in Abu Dhabi in seven days’ time.

Following his fourth win of the season and ninth of his career, a smiling Vettel said: “An incredible day. Squeezing down the inside of Nico (Hulkenberg) was key for me at the start, and after that I was able to sail off into the distance and control the gaps.

“But it’s an incredible effort from the team. We’ve not had an easy season, but after what happened in Korea, the whole team has pulled on one string.

“To get the constructors’ championship one race before the end is fantastic and I’m very proud.”

As for the drivers’ championship, he added: “I don’t want to wish any bad on him (Alonso), but I would like to see some Ferrari smoke. But joking aside, in a week’s time we will know.”