Sebastian Vettel has all but sealed the 2011 Drivers’ crown by beating Jenson Button to victory in Singapore on Sunday night. The result of the night race mathematically confirms that Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – who finished third through fifth – can no longer seal the world title this season.

By celebrating Red Bull’s first win in Marina Bay, Vettel has placed himself just one point away from becoming Formula 1’s youngest ever back-to-back World Champion. He can now be stopped only by Button, who would have to win the remaining five races with Vettel out of the points on all occasions.

(more…)

McLaren’s Jenson Button emerged the fairy tale victor in his 200th Grand Prix, after a gripping Hungarian race had seen Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton take turns leading early on before the 2009 champion pushed irresistibly to the fore.

Vettel led the first four laps on a track made super-slippery by drizzle, but had no answer to the forceful Hamilton who pushed ahead on the fifth as the German ran wide in Turn Two. Button jumped Vettel when they switched to slicks on Laps 11 and 12. For the next 29 laps Hamilton seemed a shoe-in for the victory with Button riding shotgun and keeping Vettel under control.

But when Hamilton pitted on Lap 40 he took another set of super-soft tyres, whereas Button, and the Red Bull drivers (Mark Webber on Lap 39, Vettel on 41), went for the more durable softs and a better chance of making it to the finish without another stop.

(more…)

Jenson Button made sensational amends to McLaren, having inadvertently taken team mate Lewis Hamilton out of a chaotic Canadian Grand Prix on the eighth lap on Sunday, by snatching victory from Sebastian Vettel halfway round the final lap.

The disjointed race began behind the safety car due to heavy rain, started to dry, then got much worse as the rain returned and refused to abate.

Things went bad for McLaren by the second corner as Hamilton tapped Mark Webber into a spin and attracted the attention of the stewards yet again. But that was nothing compared to the bad news that lay ahead for McLaren…

(more…)