Japanese Grand Prix (2013) RESULT

With Sebastian Vettel on the front row and Alonso in eighth, can the German do enough in the Japanese Grand Prix to take the drivers championship?

With four more races left on the F1 calendar after the Japanese Grand Prix, can Sebastian Vettel take the drivers title in Suzuka?

That was the question on everyone’s lips this morning as the Japanese Grand Prix started, with Vettel in second on the grid alongside team mate Mark Webber on pole,. with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean lurking on row two to spoil the German’s party.

And from the start Hamilton showed his intent by trying to squeeze through between the two Red Bulls, an audacious move but one which led to Hamilton retiring from the race after he nudged in to Vettel’s left front wheel and punctured his own rear right.

He limped back to the pits to change his wheel, but on returning was well off the pace – due to a damaged floor – and retired after eight laps.

That left the two Red Bulls and Grosjean in the Lotus to fight it out, with Grosjean making the most of the tussle at the start to take the lead, and hold it for the first twelve laps.

But with Grosjean and Webber on a three stop strategy and Vettel on a two, it took until the closing stages for the race to play out, with Vettel’s patience – despite a few uncharacteristic lock-ups – giving him the lead as the race drew to a close.

Behind, Webber failed to get past Grosjean, despite fresh tyres, until the penultimate lap, taking from him any chance for the win over Vettel and eventually settling for second place, with Grosjean in third.

Behind the front three, Alonso managed to get in to fourth place – meaning Vettel couldn’t take the drivers title in Suzuka – with Kimmi Raikklonen in fifth in the Lotus and Hulkenberg sixth in the Sauber.

Gutierrez made it a good day for Sauber by following Hulkenberg home for seventh, Rosberg took eighth for Mercedes, Button ninth for McLaren and the final points scoring place went to Felipe Massa in the Ferrari.

Vettel may have failed to win the drivers title here in Suzuka, but it seems unlikely anything will stop him taking the title in India in two weeks time in India to take his fourth successive world title.