Incredible Sebastian Vettel untouchable at Indian Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel secured his fourth consecutive victory after no one could get anywhere near him at the Indian Grand Prix.

The back-to-back champion of the world is closing in on a third championship in a row, and his lead over Fernando Alonso is now 13 points, after Alonso finished second in the grand prix having started from fifth.

Vettel was the winner of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix 12 months ago, and once again, he took another lights-to-flag victory in his Red Bull.

Alonso- who has seen his championship lead disappear- couldn’t do anything to get near Vettel, and after the Spaniard began the race from fifth, the Ferrari man worked his way up the grid, and it was damage limitations for him.

Making it onto the podium as well was the other Red Bull of Mark Webber, who suffered a problem with KERS towards the end of the race, enabling Alonso to pass him for second. Luckily for the Australian, he was able to fend off Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps.

With all eyes on whether anyone could catch Vettel, it was Webber who made a great start off the line when the five red lights elapsed. However, Vettel maintained the lead heading into turn one, but there was plenty of wheel-to-wheel action going on behind him.

Alonso picked up an almighty slipstream to jump the duelling McLarens of Jenson Button and Hamilton, but, Hamilton was the bravest of the lot as at the end of the long straight he dived on the inside of Alonso. That allowed Button to get past the pair of them.

By the second lap the Red Bulls were disappearing into the distance, so Alonso needed to do something, and on lap four he got past Button down the straight via the help of DRS, and now he was beginning to hunt Webber.

Hamilton got past Button as well, but with a quarter of the race gone, Vettel was comfortably ahead of Webber.

Michael Schumacher and Sergio Perez suffered right-rear punctures after being struck by the Toro Rosso’s of Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo. Perez would retire later on.

Pitting once was the quickest way around the 60 laps of the Buddh International Circuit, and when the top guys came in for a fresh set of tyres, it was Alonso who was the happier on the harder compound, and he was all over the gearbox of Webber.

Vettel wasn’t going to be troubled, but all the problems came for Webber, who on lap 46 reported he had no KERS, and as soon as Ferrari heard that, Alonso upped his game, and overtook Webber on the straight.

Despite finishing second, Alonso was not as quick as Vettel, but he is doing his utmost to try and get his hands of the world championship trophy.

Vettel is coming good at just the right time, and it is the first time in his career that he has won four races on the spin.

More importantly, he’ll want to end the season with a third title on the spin.

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2012 Formula One page

Final race positions

İsmail Vedat

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