Sebastian Vettel brought everyone back to 2011 during the Formula One Korean Grand Prix: back to the days when every race started with the Red Bull driver opening a huge lead on the first lap and ended with the 25-year-old German hoisting a trophy on the podium.
Vettel started second, but made an amazing start, took the lead in the first corner, and never surrendered it as he drove to his fourth Grand Prix victory of the season—the only driver to win four. Vettel also took the lead in the drivers’ championship and gave Red Bull the lead in the constructors’ championship.
Team mate Mark Webber, not wanting to be outdone, brought his RB-8 home second, the first 1–2 finish for a team in 2012.
Red Bull’s designer Adrian Newey seems to have found the old magic; once again the Red Bull looks like the best chassis on the grid by a large margin.
Despite three wins in a row, Vettel wasn’t taking anything for granted. “It’s difficult to predict the next couple of races,” he told the post-race press conference on formula1.com. “The first 1-2 this year, I think it shows how difficult the season has been for everyone.
“Ferrari was extremely competitive today, probably more competitive than everyone expected in the race. We know their car works in all circumstances, so we have to stay on top of our game, focus on ourselves and do what we can.”
Webber started from the pole, Vettel from the supposedly “dirty” side of the track, but Vettel got the better launch. He beat Webber into Turn One, but his teammate was not done; Webber came back hard into Turn Three but couldn’t quite slow the car enough and overshot. From then on, all Vettel had to worry about was tire degradation.
Throughout the final stint Vettel’s radio crackled with messages from his team to slow down, save the tires, particularly the right front. Hard though it was Vettel finally eased off in the final ten laps.
Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa earned a 1–2 of sorts for Ferrari, finishing in third and fourth places. Massa, driving to secure a year’s contract extension at Ferrari, had to be told by the team not to pass Alonso. We will never know if Massa might have caught Webber.
McLaren had a perfectly rotten day. After dominating for five races, the team has apparently forgotten how to set up a car. Button didn’t make the last round of qualifying and Hamilton was off the pace all day.
