Vettel Takes F1 GP in Korea

Current world champion cruises to his 10th victory of the 2011 season; Hamilton comes in second and Schumacher crashes out

The 2011 F1 Grand Prix held in Yeongam came to a successful end on Oct. 16 with Sebastian Vettel driving his Red Bull-Renault car first across the finish line in the grueling 55-lap race, the second one to be staged in Korea. "Yes, yes, 10 wins my friends," Vettel, the two-time world champion shouted over the team radio as he crossed the finish line.
His 10th victory in 16 races means he is still in contention to tie the all-time season record of 13 wins set by Michael Schumacher in 2004.
The 24-year-old German started second on the grid behind Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, but he soon took the lead and dominated the race to win the title in 1 hour, 38 minutes and 1.994 seconds.
Hamilton, who posed a serious threat to Vettel until the middle of race, finished second, 12.019 seconds behind.
Vettel's Red Bull-Renault teammate Mark Webber took an impressive third to help the team win its second straight Constructor's title.
McLaren's Jenson Button was fourth ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, the winner of last year's race, in fifth. Ferrari's second driver Felipe Massa was sixth, and Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso came in seventh.
Seven-time champion Schumacher of Mercedes was forced to retire after colliding with Vitaly Petrov of Renault.
On Oct. 16, Vettel clocked the race's fastest lap on his very last lap, delighting the more than 80,000 spectators at the 5.61-kilometer circuit.
"I think it's good to see the whole team keep pushing. In terms of preparation for this race, it wasn't ideal, because I think the whole team was a bit tipsy after last week's race," Vettel said after the race. "I felt I could've done better last week, and now I am very happy with how the race went today. It was a very good race from start to finish," he added.
Before his arrival here, many had worried whether Vettel, who secured last week the 2011 season title under his belt, would have an easy ride at the Korean Grand Prix.
The country's second Formula One Grand Prix ended on a high note, showing significant improvements over last year.
For this year's race[TS1], the Drag Reduction System (DRS) and the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) were introduced at the Yeongam event, the Organization Committee said. The drivers used the systems extensively during the race to overtake rival cars to the thrill of the spectators.
The inaugural Grand Prix in 2010 was a very wet race due to a torrential storm. The parking lots and the 5.61 kilometer circuit were flooded, making it difficult for both drivers and fans to enjoy. Last year's race saw nine drivers, including Vettel, retire early due to either accidents or car-related trouble. This year, only three dropped before the finish.
Despite misting rain before the start of the final on Sunday, the sky was clear and the sun was warm to create a great atmosphere. "It took hours to just get into the circuit last year, but this time it was much quicker," said Choi Hang-sub, a university professor from Seoul.
Choi said the frequent shuttle bus service, which runs from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the three-day event, was also good.
Last year, there was only one road leading to the circuit, but 12 months later the organizer had opened a temporary detour road and a shuttle bus-only lane for visitors. "The access is always a massive problem in every race, but the access roads are really fantastic here," said veteran F1 commentator Bob Constanduros."And I'm very pleased to see certain things really tidied up."
But still, some point out that more efforts and changes are needed to make it a more successful Grand Prix.
Formula One is all about on-track action, and the drivers get all the attention. But F1 is also a team sport with a crew of more than a hundred working for each team throughout the Grand Prix series. "Just be aware, keep your eyes open, because lots of people move in and out. And it gets extremely loud in here," said Tom Webb, PR officer of Team Lotus, standing in front of stacks of tires outside the team's garage.
An ear-piercing engine sound filled the air as soon as he finished the sentence.
"Obviously the cars are very noisy, so we all have our own set of headphones," he said while pointing at the multiple pairs of ear protection hung on the walls. "Absolutely no pictures are allowed here, as there is so much sensitive information," he warned as he led the way into the garage. nw

Race cars speed past the Grand Stand at the 2011 FI Korea Grand Prix on Oct. 16 at Yeongam Auto Race Park, in South Jeolla Province.
Photos on courtesy of 2011 FI Korea Grand Prix Organizing Committee

Sebastian Vettel of Germany is in celebration of his victory after driving his Red Bull-Renault car past the finishline first at the final of the 2011 F1 Grand Prix Korea on Oct. 16 at Yeongam Auto Race Park, in South Jeolla Province.