Vettel strolls to win

It was a win that consolidates Vettel’s comfortable lead in the world championship. The German driver, looking for fourth straight world title, pulled further clear of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, his only realistic title challenger, who finished sixth.

Starting from his sixth pole position of the season, Vettel swept into an immediate lead and was never headed save for his two scheduled pit stops. He finished four second up on Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen with team-mate Romain Grosjean, in the seond Lotus, a further half second adrift.

The race’s fastest lap completed Vettel’s full-house domination of the event.

“It was a typically interesting race here and I made it cleanly through the first corner, which was important,” Vettel said after his 34th career win. “Thereafter I faced a challenge from Lewis Hamilton but I was still able to control the race until the first safety car.”

Fourth place went to Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg after the lanky German again put in a superb performance for the underfunded team to finish ahead of Mercedes driver Hamilton and Alonso. After an attacking start to the race Hulkenberg, seventh on the grid, then had to defend stoutly against Hamilton and Alonso.

Nico Rosberg was next up after an unscheduled stop to replace his front wing after the component collapsed in a spectacular shower of sparks. Former world champion Jenson Button (McLaren), Felipe Massa (Ferrari) and Sergio Perez in the second McLaren completed the top 10.

The Mexican suffered a scare after a right front tyre exploded on lap 30, scattering debris across the circuit and narrowly missing Mark Webber in the second Red Bull, who started 13th after qualifying. The Australian qualified third but carried over a 10 place grid penalty after being reprimanded after the last race in Singapore for hitching a ride back to the pits with Alonso.

Race officials immediately deployed the safety car to enable the track to be cleared. No sooner had the safety car peeled off down the pit lane than it was almost immediately redeployed after Adrian Sutil lost control of his Force India after the restart.

The Force India car careered into Wbber’s red Bull which burst into flames. Although the field again closed up there was little change to the order which had Vettel leading Raikkonen and Grosjean with Hulkenberg further back.

The result means Vettel (272) now holds a 77 point lead over Alonso (195) after 14 of 19 races with 125 points still to play for over the remaining five rounds. Vettel could clinch the title at Suzuka if he wins and Alonso finishes eighth or lower.

Raikkonen lies third with 167 points with Hamilton a further six in arrears with Webber mathematically out of the running.

The Australian was critical of sole tyre supplier Pirelli’s strategy after Perez’s blowout, the latest in a long list of tyre failures.

“That’s how it is. The drivers aren’t super important, it’s what other people want,” said Webber. “The tyres are wearing a lot and they also explode a bit, but that is for Pirelli to sort out.

“Pirelli will put the Perez puncture down to a lock-up, but the reason the drivers are locking up is because there’s no tread left.”