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Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel made the Japanese GP his once again in his 35th win of his career as team mate Mark Webber was second.
Lotus' Romain Grosjean drove the race of his life and managed third while Vettel has not yet wrapped up the championship as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has done enough with fourth place to stay in the running.
Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen was fifth, Nico Hulkenberg sixth and Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez seventh - the Mexican's first points in the top 10. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was eighth, McLaren's Jenson Button ninth and Ferrari's Felipe Massa 10th.
TOUCHY START
Lotus’ Romain Grosjean had an excellent race start after he slipped past Red Bull’s front row of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton made contact with Vettel leaving him with a puncture on his right rear tyre and damage to Vettel’s front wing. Another incident saw Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde crash into the barrier on Turn 1 after making contact with William’s Valtteri Bottas. This saw both drivers out of the race.
While Vettel reported wing damage his team said “all clear” in the beginning but was told a few laps in on Lap 6 to drop back and save his tyres due to the wing damage. Same thing happened to Mark Webber in 2012.
Hamilton reported to his team on L6 that his car was “all over the place” after putting hard tyres on in the pits after his puncture.
Ferarri’s Felipe Massa was told on the radio “multi-function strategy A” from his team. His team mate Felipe Massa was fighting for his career for fifth L9. Lewis Hamilton eventually retired on L9 as data showed abnormal readings and the car’s rear brake temperatures were too high.
Webber made his first pit on lap 12 and saw Vettel leading on L13 with Alonso second and Grosjean down to third. Nico Rosberg had an unsafe release in the pits as Sergio Perez came in, leaving Rosberg with a drive-through penalty.
Sunset was two hours away on L17 with the sun hurting the drivers’ eyes on some corners. Lots of side-by-side racing and close contacts on L22 between Perez and Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez. On L23 Grosjean was in the lead, Webber in second and Vettel in third.
The German was told to give it horns and put pressure on Grosjean on L29 as the Lotus driver pitted on L30.
PENALTIES GALORE
Toro Rosso’s Daniel Riciardo got a drive-through penalty on L33 for leaving the track and gaining an advantage over Force India’s Paul di Resta.
Lap 35 P1 Vettel locks up in the hairpin, now 9.1sec ahead of team mate P2 Webber. Vettel also told “it’s not over yet” and to keep pushing, he pits on L38.
Kimi Raikkonen was pretty quick on L36 and was trying to catch Alonso in fifth. On L40 it looked like the battle would be between Red Bull team mates Webber and Vettel.
Alonso been fighting hard and has done enough to keep Vettel from taking his fourth consecutive title during this race as he maintained his fifth place. Vettel needed Alonso to finish ninth or worse to take the title. Vettel took back second from Grosjean on L41. Webber came in on L43 giving the lead back to Vettel with 10 laps to go.
Perez had a left rear tyre puncture as Rosberg's front wing made contact also on L43. McLaren's Jenson Button had been complaining about vibrations on first two sets of tyres and hence had a quiet race, sitting in 12th on L45.
Red Bull headed into a 1-2 finish as Webber overtook Grosjean on L51.
Result from the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1:26:49.301
2 Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault +00:07.129
3 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 00:09.910
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 00:45.605
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus - Renault 00:47.325
6 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 00:51.615
7 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 01:11.630
8 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 01:12.023
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 01:20.821
10 Felipe Mssa (Brazil) Ferrari 01:29.263
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India - Mercedes 01:38.572
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap
13 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap
15 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1 lap
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams - Renault 1 lap
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - Renault 1 lap
18 Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1 lap
19 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Cosworth 1 lap
Retired
Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 46 laps
Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Cosworth 53 laps
Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 53 laps
Fastest lap: Mark Webber, 1min34.587, lap 44.
Drivers' and Constructors' pointsafter the 2013 Japanese F1 GP
Drivers
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 297
2 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 207
3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 177
4 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 161
5 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 148
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 126
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 90
8 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 87
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 60
10 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 39
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 36
12 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 26
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 23
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 18
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 13
16 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 6
17 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1
18 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 0
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 0
20 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 0
21 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 0
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 0
Constructors
1 Red Bull - Renault 445
2 Ferrari 297
3 Mercedes 287
4 Lotus - Renault 264
5 McLaren 83
6 Force India - Mercedes 62
7 Sauber - Ferrari 45
8 Toro Rosso - Ferrari 31
9 Williams - Renault 1
10 Marussia - Cosworth 0
11 Caterham - Renault 0
Lotus' Romain Grosjean drove the race of his life and managed third while Vettel has not yet wrapped up the championship as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has done enough with fourth place to stay in the running.
Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen was fifth, Nico Hulkenberg sixth and Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez seventh - the Mexican's first points in the top 10. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was eighth, McLaren's Jenson Button ninth and Ferrari's Felipe Massa 10th.
TOUCHY START
Lotus’ Romain Grosjean had an excellent race start after he slipped past Red Bull’s front row of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton made contact with Vettel leaving him with a puncture on his right rear tyre and damage to Vettel’s front wing. Another incident saw Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde crash into the barrier on Turn 1 after making contact with William’s Valtteri Bottas. This saw both drivers out of the race.
While Vettel reported wing damage his team said “all clear” in the beginning but was told a few laps in on Lap 6 to drop back and save his tyres due to the wing damage. Same thing happened to Mark Webber in 2012.
Hamilton reported to his team on L6 that his car was “all over the place” after putting hard tyres on in the pits after his puncture.
Ferarri’s Felipe Massa was told on the radio “multi-function strategy A” from his team. His team mate Felipe Massa was fighting for his career for fifth L9. Lewis Hamilton eventually retired on L9 as data showed abnormal readings and the car’s rear brake temperatures were too high.
Webber made his first pit on lap 12 and saw Vettel leading on L13 with Alonso second and Grosjean down to third. Nico Rosberg had an unsafe release in the pits as Sergio Perez came in, leaving Rosberg with a drive-through penalty.
Sunset was two hours away on L17 with the sun hurting the drivers’ eyes on some corners. Lots of side-by-side racing and close contacts on L22 between Perez and Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez. On L23 Grosjean was in the lead, Webber in second and Vettel in third.
The German was told to give it horns and put pressure on Grosjean on L29 as the Lotus driver pitted on L30.
PENALTIES GALORE
Toro Rosso’s Daniel Riciardo got a drive-through penalty on L33 for leaving the track and gaining an advantage over Force India’s Paul di Resta.
Lap 35 P1 Vettel locks up in the hairpin, now 9.1sec ahead of team mate P2 Webber. Vettel also told “it’s not over yet” and to keep pushing, he pits on L38.
Kimi Raikkonen was pretty quick on L36 and was trying to catch Alonso in fifth. On L40 it looked like the battle would be between Red Bull team mates Webber and Vettel.
Alonso been fighting hard and has done enough to keep Vettel from taking his fourth consecutive title during this race as he maintained his fifth place. Vettel needed Alonso to finish ninth or worse to take the title. Vettel took back second from Grosjean on L41. Webber came in on L43 giving the lead back to Vettel with 10 laps to go.
Perez had a left rear tyre puncture as Rosberg's front wing made contact also on L43. McLaren's Jenson Button had been complaining about vibrations on first two sets of tyres and hence had a quiet race, sitting in 12th on L45.
Red Bull headed into a 1-2 finish as Webber overtook Grosjean on L51.
Result from the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) RedBull - Renault 1:26:49.301
2 Mark Webber (Australia) RedBull - Renault +00:07.129
3 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 00:09.910
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 00:45.605
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus - Renault 00:47.325
6 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 00:51.615
7 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 01:11.630
8 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 01:12.023
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 01:20.821
10 Felipe Mssa (Brazil) Ferrari 01:29.263
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India - Mercedes 01:38.572
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap
13 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso - Ferrari 1 lap
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap
15 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1 lap
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams - Renault 1 lap
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - Renault 1 lap
18 Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1 lap
19 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Cosworth 1 lap
Retired
Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 46 laps
Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Cosworth 53 laps
Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham - Renault 53 laps
Fastest lap: Mark Webber, 1min34.587, lap 44.
Drivers' and Constructors' pointsafter the 2013 Japanese F1 GP
Drivers
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 297
2 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 207
3 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 177
4 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 161
5 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 148
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 126
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 90
8 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 87
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 60
10 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 39
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 36
12 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 26
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 23
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 18
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 13
16 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 6
17 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1
18 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 0
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 0
20 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 0
21 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 0
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 0
Constructors
1 Red Bull - Renault 445
2 Ferrari 297
3 Mercedes 287
4 Lotus - Renault 264
5 McLaren 83
6 Force India - Mercedes 62
7 Sauber - Ferrari 45
8 Toro Rosso - Ferrari 31
9 Williams - Renault 1
10 Marussia - Cosworth 0
11 Caterham - Renault 0
