Reigning champion Sebastian Vettel heads into the last four races of the season knowing the momentum is with him, and his fate in his own hands, after a commanding win in South Korea.
The Red Bull driver secured a third win on the trot on Sunday and in doing so leapfrogged Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at the top of the drivers’ standings, in what looks like a two-horse race now for the title.
The chasing McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button endured a dreadful weekend at Yeongam. Hamilton was 10th while his fellow Briton was dumped out of the race moments after the start by an apologetic Kamui Kobayashi.
Hamilton and Button, both former world champions, admitted afterwards that their assault on the crown was over. Kimi Raikkonen, of Lotus, is third in the championship but a hefty way behind the two at the top of the pack.
Vettel, who is going after a third title on the bounce, tops the charts with 215 points, the Spaniard Alonso is on 209 and Raikkonen back on 167.
The next grand prix is in India in two weeks.
“For many months it was something of a real roller-coaster ride, but we finally found our strength again and since Singapore it works,” said the German Vettel, after he and Mark Webber took a Red Bull one-two in South Korea.
Singapore last month began a sequence of imperious victories for Vettel that saw him close the gap on Alonso before usurping him Sunday. Alonso was third in the race, his team-mate Felipe Massa fourth.
But the 25-year-old Vettel said nobody at Red Bull was getting carried away.
“What I think is important is that we have to keep things simple. That means that we have to concentrate on ourselves because we cannot influence what others are doing, and starting mind games now about what others will do in the next races is a waste of energy,” he said.
Ferrari, who have now overtaken the fast-fading McLaren team in the constructors’ championship, refused to sound disheartened by Vettel’s fine run of form.
It is no secret that the Red Bulls are the quickest cars in the field, but in the 31-year-old Alonso the Italian outfit have a highly-skilled driver who has seen and done it all before. He has consistently got the most out of his inferior Ferrari.
“It’s true that Red Bull was quickest all weekend, but our aim was to be right behind them and we achieved that,” said Alonso.
“It’s also true that I am no longer leading the championship, but being six points down does not mean much, just as it didn’t mean much being four points up going into this race.”
The contenders
Drivers’ Championship
1. Vettel (Red Bull)215
2. Alonso (Ferrari) 209
3. Raikkonen (Lotus) 167
4. Hamilton (McLaren) 153
5. Webber (Red Bull) 152
6. Button (McLaren) 131
Constructors Title
1. Red Bull 367
2. Ferrari 290
3. McLaren 284
4. Lotus 255
Remaining Grands Prix
India October 28
Abu Dhabi November 4
USA November 18
Brazil November 25
Note: The winning driver at a F1 GP gets 25 points, the second place finisher 18 points, with 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 points for positions 3 through 10.