Korean GP 2013

OCTOBER 6, 2013

Race Notes - Vettel wins in Korea, taking four in a row

Sebastian Vettel, Korean GP 2013
© Active Pictures

Sebastian Vettel has taken his fourth consecutive victory in his Red Bull-Renault winning the Korean Grand Prix today over the Lotus-Renaults of Kimi Raikkonen, by 4.2 seconds, and Romain Grosjean 4.9 seconds behind the winner.

Vettel has now won the Korean Grand Prix for three straight years.

Nico Hulkenberg (24.1s) completed a strong drive under pressure for most of the race in his Sauber-Ferrari to finish fourth, followed by Lewis Hamilton (25.2s) in the Mercedes GP in fifth, Fernando Alonso (26.1s) in the Ferrari in sixth, Nico Rosberg (26.6s) in the second Mercedes in seventh, Jenson Button (32.2s) in McLaren-Mercedes was eighth, Felipe Massa (34.3s) in the second Ferrari was ninth and Sergio Perez (35.1) in the second McLaren finished in the final points position.

Before the start, Mark Webber, who qualified third, moves back to 13th on the grid due to his penalty for getting a ride back to the pits in Singapore.

Drivers have the choice of white sidewalled medium, and red sidewalled super soft compound tyres, with two-stops being expected.

Daniel Ricciardo in 12th is the only driver starting on medium tyres.

At the start polesitter Vettel rockets into the lead, Hamilton and Grosjean follow. At turn 3 Grosjean dives down the inside of Hamilton and takes second place. The Ferraris make contact and Massa spins.

At the end of the first lap Vettel has a 2.1 second lead over Grosjean, Hamilton, Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, and Pastor Maldonado.

On lap 2 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m46.3s. Adrian Sutil complains of a lack of downforce with front wing damage.

On lap 3 Webber passes Perez for 11th place. Button radios that he has front wing damage.

On lap 4 Raikkonen goes wheel-to-wheel with Ricciardo and takes seventh place.

On lap 5 Button pits for a new front wing as his brake temperatures were rising. He switches to medium compound tyres. Vettel holds a 2.7 second lead over Grosjean.

On lap 6 Webber passes Maldonado to take ninth. Button sets fast lap at 1m46.2s.

On lap 7 Sutil pits for a new front wing. Massa pits as well. Both switching to medium tyres.

On lap 8 Maldonado, Paul di Resta and Esteban Gutierrez all pit for medium tyres. Webber passes Ricciardo for eighth place. Guido van der Garde and Jules Bianchi are under investigation by the stewards. Vettel sets fast lap at 1m45.9s.

On lap 9 Raikkonen passes Alonso for sixth place.

On lap 10 Hamilton and Alonso both pit, switching to medium tyres. Van der Garde is given a drive-through penalty for forcing Bianchi off the track.

On lap 11 Grosjean pits from second place to switch to medium tyres, along with Rosberg and Hulkenberg. Grosjean comes back out just ahead of Hamilton.

On lap 12 Vettel pits from the lead and switches to medium compound tyres, he rejoins behind. Webber. Raikkonen pits as well.

Hamilton sets fast lap at 1m45.1s.

On lap 13 Perez and Di Resta touch as they go side-by-side, but continue. Webber pits.

Ricciardo, who started on medium tyres, is the over driver not to have pitted yet.

Alonso is pressuring Hulkenberg in sixth place.

Vettel sets fast lap at 1m44.5s.

At lap 15, Vettel leads Grosjean by 3.5 seconds, followed by Hamilton (6.3s), Ricciardo (13.5s), Rosberg (15.2s), Hulkenberg (19.3s), Alonso (19.8s), Raikkonen (20.6s) Webber (21.6s) and Button (30.9s) in tenth place.

On lap 16 Perez passes Maldonado for 11th place at the first corner.

On lap 18 Rosberg closes on Ricciardo and passes him for fourth place.

Red Bull tells Vettel to watch his tyre wear, as drivers are suffering right-front tyre graining.

On lap 19 Ricciardo makes his first pit stop, getting another set of medium tyres. The stewards announce that the incident between Perez and Di Resta will be investigated after the race.

Alonso is pushing Hulkenberg harder, as his right-front tyre graining has cleared.

On lap 21 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m44.4s. Ricciardo passes Di Resta for 12th place. Hulkenberg complains that his tyres are going off.

At lap 23 Button pits from 10th place, staying on medium tyres. Massa passes Gutierrez for 12th place.

Hamilton complains about his tyres, and Mercedes tells him to wait out the graining phase and his tyres should come back. Hamilton replies "it's been through the graining phase and it's dead."

On lap 25 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m43.9s.

On lap 26 Raikkonen makes his second pit stop. Hamilton's lap times are suffering. Di Resta spins and touches the barriers - his day is done.

On lap 26 Webber passes Alonso for sixth place. Hulkenberg pits from fifth.

On lap 28, Rosberg passes Hamilton. Rosberg front wing is sparking on the track, as it appears that the front wing has become detached. Rosberg pits at the end of the lap for repairs. Hamilton complains that he needs to pit. Alonso pits. Raikkonen sets fast lap at 1m42.8s.

On lap 30 Hamilton pits and gets another set of medium tyres.

At lap 30 Vettel leads Grossjean by 5.4 seconds, followed by Webber (34.7s), Perez (51.2s), Raikkonen (51.8s), Hamilton (54.1s), Hulkenberg (57.9s), Alonso (59.2s), Ricciardo (61.8s) and Button (68.1s) in tenth.

On lap 31 Webber pits from third place for another set of medium tyres. Perez tyre comes apart and there is debris on the track. The safety car is deployed. Vettel and Grosjean dive into the pits for new tyres.

Ricciardo, Webber, Gutierrez and Perez all pit. Webber was right behind Perez and pitted again as a precaution, and switches to super soft compound tyres, as he has run out of more medium tyres.

On lap 32, Vettel leads behind the safety car, followed by Grosjean, Raikkonen , Hamilton, Hulkenberg, Alonso, Button, Rosberg, Maldonado and Ricciardo in tenth. Webber runs 11th.

At the end of lap 36 the safety car comes in and the race resumes. At the first corner Sutil spins and collects Webber. Sutil continues and Webber is out. The Red Bull catches fire. Webber gets out of the car and the fire continues to increase.

Raikkonen passes Grosjean for second place, and Hulkenberg passes Hamilton for fourth at turn 3.

As the field comes back around the safety car deploys, but I local track car is out on track heading for Webber car, which continues to burn.

Sutil pits for a long stop with damage to the rear of his Force India.

On lap 40, behind the safety car Vettel leads Raikkonen, Grosjean, Hulkenberg, Hamilton, Alonso, Button, Rosberg, Maldonado and Ricciardo in tenth.

At the end of lap 40 the safety car comes in and the race resumes again.

Hamilton and Alonso battle over fifth place. Alonso passes Hamilton, but the British driver comes back and repasses.

Vettel sets fast lap at 1m42.1s.

On lap 41 Sutil is given a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits.

On lap 42 Vettel goes quicker at 1m41.9s, and leads Raikkonen by 2.0 seconds.

Hamilton closes on Hulkenberg in fourth place.

On lap 43 Vettel again goes faster at 1m41.7s, and then 1m41.6s the next lap.

On lap 45 Maldonado passes Gutierrez for tenth. Gutierrez repasses, while Massa passes the both, Maldonado losing four places.

On lap 46 Perez passes Gutierrez for 11th.

On lap 47 Hamilton attacks Hulkenberg in fourth, with Alonso lurking just behind.

On lap 48 Hamilton passes Hulkenberg, but is passed right back. Alonso then attacks Hamilton, but it unable to find a way by - Button joins the fight right behind Alonso. Hulkenberg continues to hold the followers off.

At lap 50 Vettel continues to lead Raikkonen by 4.2 seconds, followed by Grosjean (5.5s), Hulkenberg (20.4s), Hamilton (20.8s), Alonso (21.5s), Button (22.4s), Rosberg (23.0s), Ricciardo (27.9s) and Massa (29.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 51 Vettel sets fast lap once again at 1m41.6s. Hamilton tells the team that Hulkenberg's traction is "unreal".

On lap 52 Sutil pits once again.

On lap 53 Red Bull radios Vettel with a message "fail 22", the German continues and sets another fast lap at 1m41.3s. Rosberg passes Button for seventh.

On lap 54 Ricciardo is stranded at the side of the track with a mechanical problem, his team mate Jean-Eric Vergne pits.

Vettel wins his fourth consecutive Grand Prix over Raikkonen and Grosjean.