Sebastian Vettel won last weekend's (October 14th) Korean Formula One Grand Prix, moving ahead in the drivers' championship standings for the first time since May.
He overtook Ferrari's Fernando Alonso by six points following his impressive victory in Korea, with the German double world champion taking the initiative in what has been a fast-paced and exciting season so far.
Having qualified second on the grid behind Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, much of the pre-race commentary was devoted to whether team orders would see Webber be told to allow Vettel to overtake at some point in order to boost his championship standing.
Thankfully, the situation never arose, as Vettel had a much faster start off the line and was able to move into first place at the first corner from the dirty side of the track – a position he held on to until the chequered flag.
Further down the field, Alonso achieved a creditable third position to keep his own championship hopes alive, while his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa put in an excellent drive to finish fourth.
However, the championship aspirations of McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton took a considerable hit in Korea, with Button being wiped out on the first lap by Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Hamilton did finish the race, but only down in tenth position – earning him a solitary championship point and effectively ending his charge for this year's title.
With just four races to go, the drivers' championship standings now have Vettel in pole position on 215 points, followed by Alonso on 209. Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus is the next-nearest challenger on 167, while Hamilton drops to fourth in the standings on 153. Mark Webber is presently fifth on 152 points.
Meanwhile, rumours have emerged today (October 15th) of a possible move for Vettel to Ferrari in 2014.
The Red Bull ace could join Alonso the season after next if the rumours are to be believed, although it remains unclear why Vettel would relinquish a drive at what has arguably been the best all-round performing constructor for the last few seasons.
If you need assistance insuring a sports, prestige or performance car, contact the expert team at Performance Direct. We insure hundreds of enthusiast drivers across the UK and can save you time and money.
Posted by Mark Thompson
For more articles like this, receive our weekly e-newsletter, including partner deals and all things motoring, register your email below.
Please note: You cannot subscribe to Smart-Motoring unless you put a tick in the checkbox below to indicate have read and agreed to our privacy policy.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.