World F1 champion Vettel wins Korean GP

Double world champion Sebastian Vettel won the Korean Grand Prix in crushing fashion Sunday to help his Red Bull team retain the Formula One constructors’ title after a dominant season. Just a week after cruising to third place in Japan, where Vettel confirmed himself as the 2011 drivers’ world champion, the 24-year-old German was uncatchable as he drove to his 10th win this year, and 20th of his career. Vettel started second on the grid, but took the lead from Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren on the opening lap to pull clear and produce a flawless drive to the chequered flag. He came home in a winning time of one hour, 38 minutes and 1.994 seconds, 12.019 ahead of Hamilton, who drove a splendidly controlled defensive race to stay ahead of Vettel’s Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber. The Australian finished third, ensuring Red Bull clinched their second successive team title, ahead of Briton Jenson Button in the second McLaren, and two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. Vettel delivered a final flourish with the fastest lap of the race on his last circuit as the top five were separated by just 15 seconds. Felipe Massa was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso, Nico Rosberg of Mercedes, Sebastian Buemi of Toro Rosso and British rookie Paul Di Resta, who grabbed a point for Force India team in 10th place. Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, 42, was forced into an early retirement after being his Mercedes car was damaged in a collision with Vitaly Petrov of Renault, for which the Russian apologised.