Vettel F1 Streak Continues
Germany's Sebastian Vettel takes fourth F1 World Championship to secure title crown
Sebastian Vettel has cemented his place in motor racing history by winning the Indian Grand Prix to secure his fourth consecutive Formula One World Championship.
The German overcame an adverse pit stop strategy to triumph for the third time at the Buddh International Circuit near New Delhi and ensure his championship points lead was insurmountable with three races left to go in the 2013 season.
"To join people like Prost, Fangio and Michael is unbelievable. I think this is one of the best days in my life so far," said Vettel after his fourth World Championship win .
Vettel joins the great Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher as the sport’s only four-time World Champions in its 63-year history.
When he secured pole position for Sunday’s race it was by no means an inevitable win, with fast-degrading tires presenting a major hurdle to his championship bid. Instead, it was teammate Mark Webber (starting the race fourth) who looked set for the win as he started the race on the slower – but more durable – "prime" Pirelli tires.
From the start though, Vettel was in control and made his first pit stop on a very early lap two. Contrary to popular expectation, he soon began blasting a way back through the slower runners who had yet to make a stop and put himself in the optimum position to seize the lead when Webber eventually called in for fresh rubber on lap 28.
From then it seemed the German was poised for the win. An alternator failure for Webber took him from second place to out of the race.
The Red Bull driver’s closest championship challenger, Fernando Alonso, was mired down in the pack at this point, having collided with both Webber and McLaren’s Jenson Button on the opening lap. A slow pit stop for repairs dropped him well down the order and despite his best efforts, he could get nowhere near the top two finishing position needed to prevent Vettel winning the title. Instead, he struggled to his first pointless race finish since Silverstone in July 2010.
Vettel made the end of the Grand Prix, and celebrated his triumph with a series of rubber-burning "donuts" in front of the ecstatic crowd on the start/finish straight – his task was complete. “To join people like Prost, Fangio and Michael is unbelievable. I think this is one of the best days in my life so far.”
“For us there was never the luxury of leaning back just because we might know how to win a title. For us every step, every race was important,” Vettel said after the flag had fallen. “Every single box has to be ticked like in the years before, whether it is my daily report or the briefing with the engineers. Also, we are pushing to the limit on the Friday’s to find the right setup. These are the little details that I believe make the difference.”
F1 returns with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix next weekend, before journeying to Austin's Circuit of the Americas for the US Grand Prix on Sunday, November 17.
One of the weekend's major talking points was the addition of the new Paddock Hospitality track at the top of Turn 1. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although he is not in contention for a repeat championship, Lando Norris remains a crowd favorite. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli led from the start, never losing placement as he claimed his ninth win of the season. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It was hard to get a moment with Paddock star the Ferrari Pope, who posed for pictures all weekend. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Kimi Antonelli greeted the Grandstand before boarding the trailer ahead of the Driver's Parade on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Lily Zneimer stopped for a quick portrait before heading into the McLaren garage to support her boyfriend, driver Oscar Piastri.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
McLaren CEO Zak Brown and Michael Dell made their way to the McLaren garage just before the qualifying round on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It takes a well-oiled machine of a team to win races. No drama, just fist bumps and good communication. Oh, and a fast car.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
COTA's new attraction is the theme park, aptly named COTALand. Clearly, the jury remains out on the spectacle. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's not uncommon to see fans lined up outside of the Paddock as they wait for their favorite drivers and teams to head out for the day. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Last year's US Grand Prix winner, Max Verstappen, finished third this year after starting second on the grid. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Alpine's pit crew got their warm-ups done shortly before race start on Sunday. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
"All we talk about are tires and batteries in this sport. (They're the) stars of the show," said Nic Cameron of Leeds, New York. Mercedes engineers stacked used tires from the qualifying session to send off for analysis.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Interior designer and Miss Jamaica Universe 1994 Angelie Spencer was on site to support her favorite team, Ferrari. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Having Cadillac driver and fan favorite Checo Perez back on the grid has been great for the US Grand Prix, as thousands of Mexicans come to Austin to watch their countryman race. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
It's no surprise who fashion influencer Aimee Kelly supports.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
Although Antonelli took home the winner’s trophy, he did not clinch the driver’s championship as some had hoped. He needed teammate George Russell to fall to 9th and ex-Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton to finish in 5th. Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The Mercedes garage was full of adrenaline as they waited for Antonelli to arrive at parc fermé and take the traditional plunge into the hands of his crew.Photo by Daniel Cavazos
The championship is all but Antonelli’s, with one hand firmly on the grip of the trophy. He is expected to complete his first-ever world championship this weekend in Mexico.Photo by Daniel Cavazos