Suzuka, Japan (My Sportsbook) - Sebastian Vettel remained in contention for this year's Formula One world championship after the Red Bull Racing driver won Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix in dominating fashion.
Vettel started on the pole and led all 53 laps to capture his third victory of the season and the fourth in his F1 career. The 22-year-old German moved to within 16 points of current leader Jenson Button heading into the penultimate race of the season on October 18 in Brazil.
"Woo-hoo, It's our race, our race," Vettel screamed over his radio after crossing the finish line first.
Vettel held a sizeable lead over Toyota's Jarno Trulli before Jaime Alguersuari from Toro Rosso smashed into the tire wall with nine laps remaining. Debris from Alguersuari's car littered turn 15, forcing the deployment of the safety car. When the race resumed, Vettel easily pulled away from Trulli and beat him at the finish by 4.8 seconds.
"I think the last couple of races has been a little bit up and down," Vettel said. "Sometimes we had the pace, and sometimes we didn't. Finally we made it, so it's good to be back in first position on Sunday."
Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion and last week's winner in Singapore, took third for McLaren.
Button finished eighth, one spot behind his Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello, who reduced Button's lead by one point to 14.
"I have only lost one point to Rubens, so that is good, and I can't imagine us not picking up another point each," Button said.
Button's chances of clinching the title in Japan seemed impossible since the Briton was among four drivers slapped with a five-place grid penalty for ignoring a yellow flag in Saturday's chaotic qualifying for the Japanese GP, a session that featured five crashes and three red flags for track cleanup. Button started 10th, but advanced two positions early in the race when Adrian Sutil and Heikki Kovalainen made contact, putting Sutil into a spin.
Brawn all but wrapped up the constructors' title, as they hold a 36.5 point lead over Red Bull. Brawn is attempting to become the first team to claim the distinguished title in their debut season.
Timo Glock did not start in the Japanese GP after being involved in a high- speed crash during Saturday's qualifying session. Glock went off course and slammed hard into the tire barrier during the second segment. The German driver was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. He sustained a laceration on his lower left leg and complained of back pain, although x-rays showed no damage.
"Together with my physio I tried everything to be fit for the Japanese Grand Prix, but in the end, it is not possible for me to race," said Glock, who also sat out Friday's practice sessions while suffering flu-like symptoms. "It is a pity to miss Toyota's home race, and I'm annoyed that this happened."
Toyota requested that reserve driver Kamui Kobayashi, who participated in both Friday practice sessions, serve as replacement for Glock, but race stewards prohibited the change since an F1 rule requires a driver to participate in at least one practice session on the second day of the event if he is to race.
Glock is expected to be back in the car for Brazil.
