Sebastian Vettel
It took fewer races and more wins than his 2010 title, and while it wasn't the cliffhanger that we saw last year, Vettel still did it, also managing to become the youngest driver ever to win back-to-back titles.
After the race at the Suzuka Circuit, in which he finished third after lengthy battles with eventual winner Jenson Button of McLaren and second place getter Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, the 24-year old Red Bull Racing star thanked everyone in his team, from the post-room guy in Milton Keynes to his trackside engineers.
“It’s not just us here pushing very hard, it’s them as well--from the post office to the design office to the engineering office here at the track, their effort is just incredible,” he said.
Overcome with emotion, he later said, “to wrap up the Championship here is difficult to put into words--it’s more than fantastic.”
At the conclusion of the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel’s points tally extended to 324 points, and with only four more races in the 2011 season, there aren’t sufficient points available for any other driver to take the lead.
With his win, Button’s points tally extended to 210, with Alonso’s moving up to 202 points to round out the top three.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing was always going to be the clear leader, ending the race with 518 points, followed by McLaren on 388 points and Ferrari on 292 points.
Vettel and the rest of the Red Bull Racing team will now take a short but deserved break before preparing for the 2011 Formula 1 Korean Grand Prix in just one week’s time, as well as the 2012 title--here's to Vettel making it three in a row!
