Brazilian GP 2013

NOVEMBER 24, 2013

Race Notes - Vettel takes ninth in a row in Sao Paulo

Sebastian Vettel, Brazilian GP 2013
© Active Pictures

 

Sebastian Vettel won the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos today with a flag-to-flag victory in his Red Bull-Renault, taking his ninth win in a row - winning all the races since the Belgian Grand Prix in August.

Vettel also ties the record with 13 wins in one season, with Michael Schumacher in 2004. It is Vettel's 39th career victory.

Mark Webber, in the second Red Bull, finishes his final race in his F1 career in second place, 10.4 seconds behind. Webber on the cool down lap takes off his helmet and acknowledges the crowd. Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari finishes third, 18.0 seconds behind the winner.

With his best finish of the season for McLaren-Mercedes, Jenson Button (37.3s) finishes in fourth place, followed by Nico Rosberg (39.0s) in the Mercedes GP in fifth, Sergio Perez (44.0s) in the second McLaren finished sixth, Felipe Massa (49.1s) in the Ferrari was seventh, Nico Hulkenberg (64.2s) in the Sauber-Ferrari was eighth, Lewis Hamilton (72.9s) in the Mercedes GP was ninth, and Daniel Ricciardo (1 lap) in the Toro Rosso-Ferrari took the final points position in tenth place.

In the World Drivers Championship Vettel finishes first, with 397 points taking his fourth consecutive championship. Alonso finishes second with 242 points. Webber jumps up two positions in the final race to finish third with 199 points, followed by Hamilton (189), Kimi Raikkonen (183), Rosberg (171), Romain Grosjean (132), Massa (112), Button (73), Hulkenberg (51), Perez (49), Paul di Resta (48), Adrian Sutil (29), Ricciardo (20). Jean-Eric Vergne (13), Esteban Gutierrez (6), Valtteri Bottas (4) and Pastor Maldonado with 1 point.

In the Constructors' Championship Red Bull-Renault dominated to take their fourth championship with 596 points, followed by Mercedes GP (360), Ferrari (354), Lotus-Renault (315), McLaren-Mercedes (122), Force India-Mercedes (77), Sauber-Ferrari (57), Toro Rosso-Ferrari (33), and Williams-Renault with 5 points. Marussia-Cosworth finishes with the all-important tenth spot, ahead of Caterham-Renault.

Rookie Max Chilton distinguished himself by completing every race of the season.

The weather was dry at the start, but there are some fears that rain will come during the race.

Most drivers starting on medium compound tyres. Button and Gutierrez starting on hard compound tyres,

At the start Rosberg made a good start and takes the inside line into the first corner and passes pole sitter Vettel, followed by Hamilton, Alonso and Webber. At the end of the first lap Vettel makes a run down the main straight and easily passes Rosberg.

On lap 2 Webber passes Hamilton on the outside into turn 6 for fourth place.

At the end of lap 4 Grosjean's Lotus-Renault blows it engine with a great deal of smoke - his day is done. Alonso passes Rosberg for second place.

On lap 5 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m17.806s.

On lap 7 Vettel has a 6.1 second lead over Alonso. Webber passes Rosberg on the outside into the first corner to take third place. Hamilton is closing on his team mate Rosberg.

On lap 8 Gutierrez passes Sutil for 11th - Perez follows him through and takes 12th from Sutil.

On lap 9 Button passes Ricciardo for eighth place. Rosberg is complaining about his rear tyres.

On lap 10 Perez passes Gutierrez for 11th.

On lap 11 Hamilton passes his struggling team mate for fourth. Vergne is the first driver to pit, switching to hard tyres. Webber is closing on Alonso in seconds place.

On lap 13 Webber passes Alonso into the first corner to take second place. Perez is chasing Bottas for tenth place, and passes the Finn for tenth place.

On lap 14 Button and Hulkenberg are battling, but Button gets past in turn 4 to take seventh place.

On lap 15 Ricciardo pits. Massa passes Rosberg for fifth place. Maldonado wants to pit, but the team tells him to stay out as showers are possible.

On lap 16 Heikki Kovalainen pits.

On lap 18 Bottas and Sutil both pit, Bottas switches to hard tyres, while Sutil stays on medium tyres. Sutil gets out ahead on the Finn.

On lap 20 Massa pits for more medium tyres, along with Perez. Teams reporting a few spots of rain are falling. Kovalainen passes Vergne for 17th place.

On lap 21 Button, Hulkenberg and Di Resta all put.

On lap 22 Alonso pits for hard tyres. Hamilton pits as well. Button passes Ricciardo for ninth place. Button later in the lap passes Gutierrez around the outside of turn 6.

On lap 23 Rosberg pits for hard tyres. Gutierrez pits.

On lap 24 Webber pits from second place for more medium tyres. Webber loses a position to Alonso, having just set fast lap at 1m16.966s.

On lap 25 Vettel pits from the lead for more medium tyres. Guido van der Garde pits. Webber closes on Alonso again.

At lap 25 Vettel leads Alonso by 10.3 seconds, followed by Webber (10.6s), Massa (14.3s). Hamilton (14.8s), Button (24.0s), Rosberg (26.5s), Perez (28.2s), Hulkenberg (29.6s) and Ricciardo (30.8s) in tenth place.

On lap 26 Webber sets fast lap and then passes Alonso into the first corner for second place. Alonso tries to fight back, but Webber keeps the position. Pic pits.

On lap 28 Chilton is the last to make his first pitstop. Hamilton closes in on Massa.

On lap 29 Webber sets fast lap at 1m16.774s. Vergne pits for his second stop. Massa is under investigation for closing the pit entry line.

On lap 31 Gutierrez passes Bottas into the first corner. Massa is handed a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the pit entry.

On lap 32 Hamilton and Massa are battling, locking up their tyres into the first corner.

Massa is very upset when he hears the news of his penalty.

On lap 34 Massa pits to serve his penalty.

At lap 35 Vettel leads Webber by 11.9 seconds, followed by Alonso (16.1s), Hamilton (23.0s), Button (32.5s), Button (32.5s), Rosberg (35.2s), Perez (36.7s), Massa (37.9s), Hulkenberg (43.1s) and Ricciardo (48.1s) in tenth place.

On lap 37 Maldonado passes his team mate Bottas for 14th place. Di Resta closes on Sutil.

On lap 38 Sutil pits from 11th place and takes on hard tyres.

On lap 40 Vettel continues to lead Webber by 11.9 seconds.

On lap 41 Gutierrez reports drops of rain. Rosberg is closing on Button in fifth place.

On lap 43 Bottas is passes by Sutil, and then pits. Hulkenberg reports rain at the first corner. Ricciardo makes his second pitstop.

Drops of rain can be seen on the onboard cameras.

On lap 44 Button pits for medium tyres. Massa pits and takes on hard tyres.

On lap 45 Maldonado, Rosberg and Perez all pit. Sutil on fresh passes Vettel and unlaps himself.

At lap 45 Vettel leads Webber by 12.7 seconds, followed by Alonso (18.2s), Hamilton (24.1s), Hulkenberg (54.2s), Button (55.6s), Rosberg (59.1s), Perez (60.2s), Massa (63.8s) and Di Resta (63.9s) in tenth place.

On lap 46 Massa passes Di Resta for ninth place down the main straight.

On lap 47 Ricciardo passes Vettel to unlap himself. Bottas and Hamilton touch approaching the first corner - Bottas' left rear tyre comes off and the Finn spins off the track, his day is done. Hamilton tyre is punctured and he limps back to the pits.

On lap 48 Vettel pits from the lead. As he comes into the pit the team scrambles to get his tyres ready. Meanwhile Webber pits as well, and is slightly held up waiting for Vettel's stop. Alonso pits as well and switches to medium tyres, making up ground on the Red Bulls. Hamilton reaches to pits and gets a fresh set of tyres.

On lap 51 Hamilton is handed a drive-through penalty for causing the collision with Bottas. The team tells Hamilton that his floor has some damage from the incident. Webber sets fast lap at 1m15.436.

On lap 53 Hamilton serves his penalty saying "but it wasn't my fault".

On lap 54 Van der Garde is given a drive-through penalty for ignoring blue flags.

At lap 55 Vettel leads Webber by 6.0 seconds, followed by Alonso (7.9s), Button (28.8s), Rosberg (32.3s), Perez (33.4s), Massa (36.8s), Hulkenberg (52.0s), Ricciardo (61.4s) and Hamilton (62.7s) in tenth place.

On lap 55 Vettel is warned of some rain on the track, but that it is very localised. Sutil pits. Perez is closing on Rosberg in fifth place.

On lap 56 more drops of rain are visible, but it is still very light.

On lap 58 Hamilton passes Ricciardo at turn 4 to take ninth place.

On lap 60 Perez is still chasing Rosberg.

On lap 61 Charles Pic pulls off the track with a broken right rear suspension.

On lap 63 Vergne is challenging Maldonado for 15th place.

On lap 64 Sutil passes Kovalainen for 13th place.

At lap 65 Vettel continues to lead Webber by 8.3 seconds, followed by Alonso (11.4s), Button (34,8s), Rosberg (37.1s), Perez (38.1s), Massa (43.3s), Hulkenberg (61.9s), Hamilton (69.3s) and Ricciardo (74.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 65 Vergne tries to pass Maldonado at the first corner, they touch and Maldonado spins, but continues.

On lap 67 Red Bull tells Vettel that the rain will get a bit harder in the last couple laps.

On lap 69 Chilton pits for a set of medium tyres.

Vettel holds on to win his ninth in a row. Webber takes fast lap in his final race. Alonso scores his first podium finish since the Singapore GP in September.

Both Vettel and Felipe Massa perform donuts on the cool down lap.