Lap by lap coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix (Part 6)
With just 7 laps remaining in the Japanese Grand Prix, things were not looking so good for Lewis once again.
Button was really close to Hamilton. Heidfeld was eighth and held the gap at 2.6 seconds behind the Mercedes drivers, with Barrichello a further 1.1 seconds behind in ninth.
The inevitable came for Hamilton at the hairpin as Button breezed by to take fourth place. Kobayashi showed some real racing brains as he passed Alguersuari for 11th position with a great move as the Spaniard went to cover the inside. Sutil had big problems
in the Force India and spun on his own oil at the 130R, promoting Kobayashi into 10th.
Sutil came into the pits and retired later on in the 46th lap. Alguersuari also pitted after light contact with Kobayashi in that battle for position. Sutil's car dropped a lot of oil through the 130R corner and round the final chicane.
Meanwhile, Vettel led by a comfortable 2.2 seconds from Webber, with Alonso a similar distance back in third. Button scored the fastest lap this time on his reasonably fresh soft tyres but was 12 seconds behind Alonso and was set to finish in fourth place.
Alguersuari rejoined after that stop in the pits and now ran in 12th position behind team-mate Sebastian Buemi. Kobayashi's move on Alguersuari was really clever as he suspected that the Japanese driver would send a move up the inside at the hairpin, Alguersuari
moved from the left to protect the inside. He did not bank on as Kobayashi was playing a double bluff and trying to go round the outside. The pair made light side to side contact as they exited the left-hander, with the Sauber driver ahead.
Nico Rosberg suffered a huge accident in the S Curve. Kobayashi cleared Barrichello as the Japanese continued his sensational march through the field. Kobayashi tried his favourite move at the hairpin on team-mate Heidfeld and was now up to seventh. Recovery
was finally complete on Rosberg's Mercedes from the gravel trap at Dunlop. Replays showed an apparent failure at the rear of Rosberg's car, pitching him off into the barriers at high speed.
Kovalalinen was up to 12th in his Lotus and was set to secure a vital position to cement the 10th place in the constructors' championship.
Meanwhile up front, Vettel scored yet another fastest lap at a 1m33.653s and was two laps away from a fine victory in Japan. Vettel led Webber by 2.7 seconds with Alonso a further 1.7 seconds back in third. Button was now 15.9 seconds behind the leader in
fourth position with Hamilton nursing his ailing car in fifth.
Vettel crossed the line and began the last lap at Suzuka. Schumacher was now in sixth place following Rosberg's demise, with Kobayashi seventh and Heidfeld eighth. Vettel rounded the hairpin with just half a lap to go. He could already smell the victory
now.
The Red Bull driver came into the chicane for the last time for this weekend with his team-mate Webber behind him. It was a flawless drive from the young German with pole and the race win as he took 25 vital points for his championship chase.
Webber took second and extended his championship lead over Fernando Alonso, who came home a fighting third. Webber grabbed fastest lap from his team mate on the final tour. Button took home solid points for fourth, with Hamilton sure to be disappointed as
he tours in fifth with a problematic gearbox.
Vettel was delighted on the team radio, exclaiming “this is our circuit”.
After a dominating performance by Red Bull, Red Bull is now 45 points clear of McLaren and it seems that McLaren is in a lot of trouble after the Japanese Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso are tied at 206 points just 14 points behind the leader
Mark Webber with 220 points while Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are 28 and 31 points behind respectively.
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