NOIDA, India, (Reuters) – Red Bull’s double world champion Sebastian Vettel ran away with the inaugural Indian Formula One Grand Prix today for his 11th victory in 17 races this season.
On a dusty and bittersweet afternoon at the new Buddh International Circuit, the 24-year-old German led every lap of the race after starting from pole position. He also set the fastest lap right at the finish.
As if those landmarks were not enough, Vettel also set a record for the most laps led in a single season by any driver, leapfrogging Britain’s 1992 champion Nigel Mansell in the statisticians’ lists.
Both championships have already been won by Vettel and his team.
Britain’s Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, consolidated his grip on second place overall by finishing 8.4 seconds behind the German, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took third place a further 15.8 seconds adrift.
“Yes boys, we did it,” shouted Vettel after cricket great Sachin Tendulkar brought down the chequered flag. “First Indian Grand Prix, great job.”
Vettel now has 374 points with two races remaining, McLaren’s Button 240, Alonso 227 and Red Bull’s Australian Mark Webber — who finished fourth after starting on the front row — 221.
The champion celebrated on the podium by drinking champagne from the gleaming silver trophy after being joined in celebration by Red Bull technical head Adrian Newey but struck a more sombre mood afterwards.
The afternoon may not have been a thriller but, coming at the end of a grim month for motorsport with two high-profile race fatalities on successive weekends, that was almost a relief.
