Race Notes - Vettel takes number eight

Sebastian Vettel won the United States Grand Prix in Austin today in his Red Bull-Renault. It is his 12th win of the 2013 season.

Vettel is now the only driver to win eight consecutive races in a season.

Romain Grosjean in the Lotus Renalt finished in second place 6.2 seconds behind. Mark Webber in the second Red Bull was third, 8.3 seconds behind Vettel.

Lewis Hamilton (27.3s) in the Mercedes GP finished in fourth, followed by Fernando Alonso (29.5s) in the Ferrari in fifth place, Nico Hulkenberg (30.4s) in the Sauber-Ferrari was sixth, Sergio Perez (46.6s) in the McLaren-Mercedes was seventh, Valtteri Bottas (54.5s) in the Williams-Renault finished in eighth place - scoring his first career points, Nico Rosberg (59.1s) in the Mercedes GP was ninth and Jenson Button (77.2s) in the second McLaren was the final points finisher in tenth place.

Before the start Button is demoted to 15th after receiving a three-place penalty from friday practice. Esteban Gutierrez starts 20th. Charles Pic will start last after a gearbox change and Max Chilton will have to make a drive-through penalty within the first 5 laps of the race.

There is no chance of rain on a hot afternoon in Texas.

At the start polesitter Vettal takes the lead from Grosjean, Hamilon, Webber, and Hulkenberg.

One the first lap, breaking for turn 12, Adrian Sutil touches wheels with Pastor Maldonado and then crashes into the wall and is out. the safety car is deployed.

Gutierrez pits.

Sutil's Force India is cleared from the track. At the end of lap 4 the safety car pulls in and the race resumes.

Vettel leads Grosjean, Hamilton ,Webber, Hulkenberg, Perez, Alonso, Bottas, Paul de Resta and Daniel Ricciardo.

On lap 5 Perez is pressuring Hulkenberg in fifth place. Chilton pits to serve his drive through penalty.

Vettel sets fast lap at 1m44.250 seconds, and again the next lap at 1m44.097s.

On lap 8 Maldonado is given a black flag as his front wing is askew from his prior contact. He pits and the team changes the wing.

On lap 10 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m43.812 seconds - others in the top 10 running 1m44 and 1m45s. Hamilton is complaining to his team that the front tyres are starting to go off. Alonso is closing on Perez in sixth place.

On Lap 13 Webber passes Hamilton under the DRS zone for third place. Button is closing on Felipe Massa in 13th

At lap 15, Vettel leads Grosjean by 5.6 seconds, followed by Webber (10.6s), Hamilton (14.1s), Hulkenberg (17.1s), Perez (18.2s), Alonso (21.1s), Bottas (22.0s), Di Resta (25.2s) and Ricciardo (26.8s) in tenth place.

Vettel sets fastest lap at 1m43.626 seconds, and then again at 1m43.347 on lap 17.

On lap 15 Maldonado passes Chilton for 20th.

On lap 18 Heikki Kovalainen pits and switches to hard compound tyres. Bottas is closing on Alonso in seventh place.

Red Bull looks to be trying for a one-stop tyre strategy.

On lap 20 Rosberg passes Ricciardo for 10th place.

On lap 21 Button pits and switches to hard compound tyres. Charles Pic also pits.

On lap 22 Massa pits and switches to hard tyres, coming out ahead of Button.

On lap 23 Perez pits along with Di Resta, Rosberg and Ricciardo.

On lap 24 Bottas pits from seventh place and switches to hard tyres. On lap 24 Webber sets fast lap at 1m42.787s.

At lap 25 Vettel leads Grosjean by 7.9 seconds, followed by Webber (12.8s), Hamilton (23.1s), Hulkenberg (25.2s), Alonso (28.9s), Gutierrez (47.0s), Jean-Eric Vergne (48.2s), Perez (48.7s) and Bottas (51.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 26 Hamilton pits from fourth place. Gutierrez passes Vergne for seventh place.

On lap 27 Perez passes Vergne as well. Alonso pits and switches to hard tyres.

On lap 28 Vettel pits from the lead and switches to hard tyres. Chilton pits as well.

Hulkenberg pits for hard tyres. Vergne pits and switches to medium tyres, the only man to start on the hard tyres. Webber pits and rejoins in third.

On lap 29 Alonso passes Gutierrez for sixth place. Grosjean pits from the lead. Vettel sets fast lap.

On lap 30 Webber sets fast lap at 1m42.458s.

On lap 31 Perez passes Gutierrez for seventh place. Di Resta passes Kovalainen for tenth.

On lap 32 the next lap Rosberg passes Kovalainen as well, the Finn's tyres older than the others.

On lap 33 Kovalainen pits, and switches back to medium tyres. The team also changes the front wing. Webber sets another fast lap at 1m42.166s.

On lap 34 Rosberg passes Di Resta for tenth place. Bottas passes Gutierrez for eighth place.

At lap 35 Vettel leads Grosjean by 10.7 seconds, followed by Webber (12.7s), Hamilton (23.7s), Hulkenberg (25.5s), Alonso (29.7s), Perez (32.5s), Bottas (42.0s), Gutierrez (44.0s) and Rosberg (52.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 36 Webber, who is dropping back from Grosjean, is complaining of vibrations in his brakes. Gutierrez pits from ninth place for medium tyres.

On lap 37 Webber is pushing harder again and sets fast lap at 1m41.683s.

On lap 39 Massa pits and changes back to medium tyres.

On lap 40 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m41.102 seconds. The team reports to Vettel about a possible issue with he car. Alonso is closing on Hulkenberg in fifth.

On lap 41 Ricciardo tries to pass Di Resta, but can't make it stick. Kovalainen goes off track, but continues.

On lap 42 Red Bull warns Vettel to watch after his tyres.

On lap 44 Ricciardo passes Di Resta for tenth place. Alonso passes Hulkenberg for fifth.

At lap 45 Vettel leads Grosjean by 10.4 seconds, followed by Webber (12.2s), Hamilton (25.1s), Alonso (27.0s), Hulkenberg (27.9s), Perez (33.6s), Bottas (51.0s), Rosberg (54.9s) and Ricciardo (64.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 45 Webber sets fast lap at 1m40.710s. Webber has closed on Grosjean in second place. Alonso closes to a second behind Hamilton in fourth.

On lap 47 Massa passes Maldonado for 15th place.

On lap 48 Webber is closing in on Grosjean.

On lap 50 Di Resta pits from 12th place and switches to medium tyres. Gutierrez chases Vergne for 13th.

On l;ap 51 Kovalainen passes Maldonad for 15th.

On lap 52 Webber continues to put pressure on Grosjean for second place. Pic serves a drive through for ignoring blue flags. Grosjean sets fast lap.

On lap 54 Vettel sets fast lap at 1m39.856s.

On lap 55 Alonso and Hulkenberg battle - Button and Ricciardo battle over tenth place.

On lap 56 Hulkenberg passes Alonso for fifth at the first corner, but the Spaniard fights back and repasses Hulkenberg. Vergne and Gutierrez make contact and the Mexican driver goes through the gravel but continues, losing a place to Massa.

Vettel crosses the line first and wins over Grosjean and Webber. Vettel completes a series of donuts on the cool-down lap.

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