Vettel leads Red Bull one-two in Japan 

Mark Webber P2, Fernando Alonso P3.

Written by David on October 10th, 2010 at 9:48 amLast Update: October 22nd, 2010 at 4:43 am

Sebastian VettelRed Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has won the 2010 edition of the Japanese Grand Prix held at the Suzuka circuit, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, securing another one-two finish in the season for the Milton Keynes based team.

Third place for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher, Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi, Nick Heidfeld, Williams’ Rubens Barrichello and Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi.

2010 Japanese Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Formation lap: Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position for the eighth time in the season ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Third place on the grid for Renault’s Robert Kubica, fourth for Fernando Alonso, fifth for reigning world champion Jenson Button in the McLaren, sixth for Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg and seventh for Williams’ Rubens Barrichello. Position eight for McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton after a five-place drop following a gearbox change penalty, nine for Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg and ten for Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher. Huge crash and heavy damage at the 130R turn for Virgin’s Lucas Di Grassi on his way to the grid: the Brazilian will definitely not take the start.

Race start: Green light at Suzuka! Into turn 1: Vettel, Kubica, Webber and Alonso. Safety car deployed. Petrov, Massa, Liuzzi and Hulkenberg all out.

Lap 2 of 53: Rosberg, Trulli, Glock and Senna pit. Replays show Petrov touching Hulkenberg, turning sharp left and hitting the barriers. Massa and Liuzzi crashed while entering Turn 1.

Lap 3 of 53: Vettel P1, Kubica P2, Webber P3, Alonso P4, Button P5, Hamilton P6.

Lap 4 of 53: Kubica is pulling off the track. The Pole lost his rear right wheel. He’s out. This is good news for Webber who regains P2.

Lap 5 of 53: Vettel P1 then Webber, Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Barrichello, Schumacher and Heidfeld.

Lap 6 of 53: Safety car in this lap.

Lap 7 of 53: The race restarts. Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Button.

Lap 8 of 53: Fastest lap for Vettel: 1:38.001. Schumacher overtakes Barrichello for P6.

Lap 9 of 53: Another fastest lap for Vettel: 1:37.527.

Lap 10 of 53: Heidfeld P8, Sutil P9, Alguersuari, Kobayashi, Buemi, Rosberg, Kovalainen, Yamamoto, Trulli, Glock and Senna.

Lap 12 of 53: Trulli pressuring Yamamoto for P15.

Lap 13 of 53: Kobayashi has passed Alguersuari for P10.

Lap 15 of 53: Trulli has passed Yamamoto for P15.

Lap 18 of 53: Kobayashi overtakes Sutil for P9.

Lap 19 of 53: Sutil and Heidfeld pit. Race control: Incident between Petrov-Hulkenberg and Liuzzi-Massa will be investigated at the end of the race.

Lap 21 of 53: Barrichello pits from P7.

Lap 22 of 53: Alguersuari pits from P9. He rejoins in P13.

Lap 23 of 53: Hamilton pits from P5 and rejoins in P7.

Lap 24 of 53: Schumacher pits. He rejoins in P9.

Lap 25 of 53: Alonso pits from the third place. Vettel pits from P1. Vettel rejoins in P3, Alonso in P4. Hamilton passes Kobayashi for P5.

Lap 26 of 53: Webber pits. Fastest lap for Hamilton: 1:35.675. Button now leading the Japanese Grand Prix, but has yet to stop.

Lap 27 of 53: Schumacher and Rosberg battling for P8.

Lap 29 of 53: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:35.452. Buemi pits from P7.

Lap 33 of 53: Yamamoto pits.

Lap 35 of 53: Button, Kobayashi and Kovalainen have yet to pit.

Lap 37 of 53: drivers out so far: Kubica, Hulkenberg, Massa, Petrov, Liuzzi and Di Grassi.

Lap 39 of 53: Button pits from the lead. He rejoins in P5. Kobayashi has pitted.

Lap 40 of 53: Team Radio for Hamilton: the Briton says he has lost third gear.

Lap 41 of 53: Fastest lap for Button: 1:34.205.

Lap 44 of 53: Button passes Hamilton for P4.

Lap 45 of 53: Smoke and oil coming off Sutil’s car at the 130R. The German spins, recovers, makes it to the pits and retires.

Lap 48 of 53: Rosberg has gone off at Turn 5. He’s out of the race. Kobayashi passes Barrichello and Heidfeld for P7.

Lap 52 of 53: Fastest lap for Vettel: 1:33.653.

Last lap: Fastest lap for Webber: 1:33.474. Sebastian Vettel leads another Red Bull one-two in the season ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Fernando Alonso finishes third, Jenson Button fourth, Lewis Hamilton fifth, Michael Schumacher sixth, Kamui Kobayashi seventh, Nick Heidfeld eighth, Rubens Barrichello ninth and Sebastien Buemi tenth.


2010 Japanese Grand Prix race results:

Pos. No Driver Team Laps Time Grid Points
1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 53 Winner 1 25
2 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 53 +0.9 secs 2 18
3 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 53 +2.7 secs 4 15
4 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 53 +13.5 secs 5 12
5 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 53 +39.5 secs 8 10
6 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 53 +59.9 secs 10 8
7 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 53 +64.0 secs 14 6
8 22 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari 53 +69.6 secs 11 4
9 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 53 +70.8 secs 7 2
10 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 53 +72.8 secs 18 1
11 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari +1 Lap 16
12 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth +1 Lap 20
13 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth +2 Lap 19
14 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth +2 Lap 22
15 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth +2 Lap 23
16 20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth +3 Lap 24
17 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP +6 Lap 6
Ret 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes +9 Lap 15
Ret 11 Robert Kubica Renault +51 Laps 3
Ret 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + secs 9
Ret 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari + secs 12
Ret 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault + secs 13
Ret 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes + secs 17
Ret 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth + secs 21

Images © Bridgestone

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