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Sebastian Vettel is the new 2010 Formula 1 World Champion |
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The 23-year-old Red Bull driver was third in the standings but led from pole and saw other results go his way to become the youngest ever champion. Lewis Hamilton, who had a slim title chance, finished second and his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button was third. Ferrari’s championship leader Fernando Alonso came seventh, with Red Bull’s other title hope Mark Webber eighth. Alonso arrived at the Yas Marina Circuit as championship leader on 246 points, eight clear of Webber, 15 above Vettel and 24 ahead of of Hamilton. There are 25 points for a win, 18 for second, 15 for third, 12 for fourth, 10 for fifth, eight for sixth, six for seventh, four for eighth, two for ninth and one for 10th. Of all the permutations that could have seen any of the four contenders emerge triumphant, the most simplistic involved Alonso - who needed a top-two finish to guarantee the title or a top-four placing unless Webber won.
The Spaniard started from third on the grid, behind Vettel and Hamilton and in front of Jenson Button and Webber. A superb start from McLaren’s Button pushed Alonso down to fourth but he managed to keep Webber at bay before a nasty collision between Michael Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi at Turn Six meant four laps behind the safety car. Once the debris had been cleared Vettel set about using the open track to pull away from the field, while Hamilton and Button worked hard to respond and Alonso focused on staying ahead of Webber. The Australian was struggling for pace and shortly after scraping a barrier Turn 19 on lap eight, he pitted to switch from the softer option tyres to the harder prime variant. It was a huge gamble from Red Bull and it initially seemed to backfire as Webber emerged from the pits in 16th and got stuck behind the Torro Rosso of Jamie Alguersuari. Ferrari responded by calling Felipe Massa in for a tyre change of his own, hoping that he would come out of the pits in front of Webber and further delay the Red Bull driver. But he did not and Webber was able to accelerate. Clearly viewing Webber as their principle threat, Ferrari then decided to bring Alonso in for hard tyres and, despite almost ploughing into a wall before entering the pits, he managed to come out just ahead of Webber. But all the while Vettel was surging clear at the front and building an advantage - 28 seconds at one point - that would enable him to change tyres and regain the lead once his closest challengers had done likewise. The defining moment came when Red Bull called Vettel in on lap 24 and he managed to come out in second place; behind Button, who was yet to pit, and in front of Hamilton, who pitted on lap 23. Down in 11th, Alonso was leading Webber but could not get past Renault’s Vitaly Petrov. While the pair benefitted from a couple of others pitting, Petrov was unmoved. Vettel, meanwhile, was in the midst of a magnificent performance, setting fastest laps and gradually extending his advantage as the race drew to a close. |
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