Sebastian Vettel

Korean GP: Vettel fastest in second practice

Yeongam: Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in Friday's practice for the Korean Grand Prix, edging Red Bull teammate Mark Webber and Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso. Vettel, who has won the previous two races to move within four points of Ferrari's Alonso in the drivers' standings, was 0.032 seconds faster than Webber at the Yeongam circuit. Alonso was 0.328 seconds off the pace. McLaren driver Jenson Button was...  

No change of tactics for Alonso at Korean GP

Yeongam: Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso sees no reason to change his attacking tactics at this weekend's Korean Grand Prix even though his lead in the Formula One drivers' championship has been reduced to just four points over defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull. Alonso has won three races this year but hasn't taken checkered flag since the German GP in July. His lead was slashed further when he crashed...  

F1 title race turning into Alonso v Vettel

Suzuka: The Formula One title battle is turning into a straight duel between Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel for the honour of becoming the youngest triple world champion. By winning Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after Alonso had spun off at the start, 25-year-old Vettel slashed the 31-year-old Spaniard's lead to four points with five races - a maximum 125 points - remaining. Finland's 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen...  

Red Bull's Vettel wins Japanese GP 2012

Suzuka: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix from pole on Sunday to close within four points of the top of the Formula One championship standings as leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari crashed out of the race at the first turn. Vettel, who also won the previous race in Singapore, is moving within sight of a third straight title " something only previously achieved by Juan-Manuel Fangio...  

Alonso crashes out of Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka: Ferrari's Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso crashed out of the Japanese Grand Prix seconds after the start on Sunday. The Spaniard, who led Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel by 29 points with five races remaining after Suzuka, had started in sixth place and was sent spinning into the gravel at the first corner after contact with Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus. Germany's Nico Rosberg also retired his Mercedes while Australian Mark...  

Alonso hoping for brighter Suzuka Sunday

Suzuka: Ferrari's Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso cursed his luck on Saturday after qualifying only sixth for the Japanese Grand Prix while closest title rival Sebastian Vettel put his Red Bull on pole. The Spaniard's final quick lap was wrecked after Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus spun off in the final seconds of qualifying to bring out the yellow warning flags. That forced everyone to slow and left Vettel the unchallenged...  

Sebastian Vettel takes pole in Japanese GP

Suzaka: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel claimed pole position for the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix by qualifying ahead of teammate Mark Webber on Saturday. Vettel, a two-time winner in Japan, secured his fourth consecutive pole at Suzuka and will be in a good position in Sunday's race to further erode the championship lead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. "We had a very smooth qualifying session, nearly perfect" Vettel said. "The...  

Red Bull dominate final Japanese GP practice

Suzuka: Double world champion Sebastian Vettel led a Red Bull one-two in the final practice for the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday. The German, who won his second title in Japan last year and will be chasing his fourth successive Suzuka pole later in the day, lapped the classic figure-of-eight circuit in a best time of 1 minute 32.136 seconds. Australian Mark Webber, who was fastest on Friday,...  

Special victory delights sluggish Sebastian Vettel

Singapore: Thankfully for world champion Sebastian Vettel the Singapore Grand Prix is a marathon and not a sprint as the German overcame a self-perceived lack of pace in his Red Bull to claim the two-hour night race. A poor final qualifying session meant Vettel started Sunday's race in third place, but he slipped past Pastor Maldonado's Williams by Turn 2 before benefiting from the gearbox failure of Lewis Hamilton's McLaren...  

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel wins Singapore GP

Singapore: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel positioned himself as the main challenger to Fernando Alonso's Formula One title chances by earning his second straight Singapore Grand Prix win on Sunday, jumping up to second place in the drivers' championship. Vettel inherited the lead from pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, who led the race until he suffered a gearbox failure on lap 23 of 59 and had to retire. It was...  

Singapore GP: Vettel fastest in final practice

Singapore: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel has set the fastest time in Saturday's pre-qualifying practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix, bettering McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by a third of a second. Vettel made it a sweep of all three practice sessions at Marina Bay to be well positioned to chase pole position later Saturday. Championship leader Fernando Alonso of Ferrari was third fastest, two thirds of a second behind Vettel,...  

Vettel fastest in Singapore GP practice

Singapore: Red Bull signalled it was ready to resume its fight for the Formula One title with a strong performance in Friday's practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel topped the time sheets in both sessions, while team-mate Mark Webber was fourth in the second practice. Neither driver had finished their previous race, the Italian Grand Prix on September 9. "Overall we can be happy with...  

Button takes pole position for Belgian GP

Spa, Belgium: British driver Jenson Button will start Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix in pole position after finishing fastest in Saturday's qualifying, with defending champion Sebastian Vettel in 11th. Button overcame balance problems to take his first pole of the season, the eighth of his career, and his first for McLaren. "It's been quite a long time since I got my last pole position, back in 2009 in Monaco. It's been...  

Mark Webber handed five-place penalty for Spa

Belgium: Formula One title contender Mark Webber will have a five-place penalty on the starting grid for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix after an unscheduled gearbox change, his Red Bull team said. The Australian is second overall in the championship and 40 points behind Ferrari's Fernando Alonso with nine races remaining. The penalty will be a boost for his Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel, the reigning champion who won from...  

Alonso terms Hamilton, Vettel as main rivals

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has termed McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel as his main rival for Driver's world championship this season. "Hamilton and Vettel are the drivers we have focused on since the beginning. They are the biggest challengers, but all of the teams are close," Alonso told Brazil's Totalrace. "Hopefully, they will fight among themselves and not one of them will dominate." Alonso also said the difference...  

Happy with my last four or five seasons: Alonso

Ferrari cannot afford to make any mistakes in the second half of the Formula One season, championship leader Fernando Alonso warned on Thursday. Despite being 34 points clear of Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber after three wins in the opening 10 races, the Spaniard told reporters at the Hungarian Grand Prix that there was still little between the top teams. Although he is certain to lead into the summer break...