F1 News
Date: 9/October/2011
Jenson Button won his third race of the 2011 F1 season at Suzuka in Japan on Sunday, but Sebastian Vettel more than made the point he needed to be crowned the youngest ever double world champion at the age of 24.
A harsh defence by pole sitter Vettel at the start dropped Button to third, before the Englishman recovered to claim his first dry race win as a McLaren driver by 1.1sec from Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
While Alonso reeled-in Button during the closing stages, Vettel likewise put pressure on the Spaniard before ultimately settling for third (two-seconds from Button) to wrap-up the title with four rounds still remaining.
"To win the championship here is fantastic," said Vettel. "I am just so thankful to everyone in the team.
"One person that really stands out is my trainer Tommi Parmakoski. He was the one not allowing me at any stage to lose the grip, or think about things that are not in our control.
"Congratulations to Jenson, congratulations to Fernando. They also know how to drive as well and are doing a fantastic job, but I think this year we have always been just this one step ahead."
In contrast to last season, when Vettel snatched the title at the very final round, the young German has totally dominated in 2011, winning nine of the 15 races to date.
"Some people will draw the wrong conclusion, to say that we had a very easy run this year," said Vettel. "Things like this happen for a reason, not because things were easy for us. We had a very, very good car, no doubt, but we had an even stronger team.
"I think the car this year was less dominant than the car last year.
"Last year we had so many races where sometimes you may say we were unlucky but we made stupid mistakes as well, which cost us a lot of points.
"A championship is not one race, it’s a lot of races pulled together and I think that’s where the difference came from this year."
Vettel takes the record of youngest ever double F1 world champion from Alonso, who claimed he wouldn’t miss the accolade. "Now we will see who is the youngest three time world champion," shrugged Alonso.
For Button, his fifth win in McLaren colours was the perfect way to mark the signing of a new multi-year contract extension.
"It was a very exciting race and it wasn’t just down to being quick over one lap as tyre wear was massive. You really had to think through the race," said Button, now a twelve-time F1 race winner.
"I really enjoyed it out there. It is always a very special place to race, Suzuka, a fast, flowing circuit and it is unforgiving, so one little mistake and it is game over. This is one of the most perfect circuits in grand prix racing and also with one of the most special crowds as well.
"The Japanese people here have been so supportive of us and it is great to see so many fans here supporting this weekend and hopefully we have planted a small, good memory in their heads as it has been a very difficult year for them.
"To get the win here is one of my most special victories as I don’t think I have ever won a race on such a high-speed circuit, so it means a lot to me."
An hour and a half earlier Button had far less composed, radioing his team to say "surely he will get a penalty" after Vettel's start-line swerve sent him onto the grass.
"I thought he was coming across more than I expected and didn’t give me any room and I was on the grass. Maybe when I watch it back on TV I will have a different opinion," said Button.
"But at that moment in time, yes, I felt that it was a little bit more than was needed. But it was obviously fair, as the stewards said it was fair, so that’s it."
Vettel insisted the move wasn't malicious.
"I didn’t really see him," he explained. "By the time I saw him, I realised that maybe I was a little bit too far to the right and by then he was backing off."
A later incident between Button's team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who once again made contact with Ferrari's Felipe Massa, also went unpunished.
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