 | Alonso surrenders lead to Vettel
15 October 2012
|
| 
YEONGAM:
A peerless Sebastian Vettel leapfrogged Fernando Alonso at the top of the world championship yesterday as the Red Bull driver led from the first corner to win the Korean Grand Prix.
With four races to go starting in India in two weeks, Vettel, the reigning champion who is chasing a third drivers’ title in a row, sits atop the standings with 215 points. Alonso, who finished third, has 209.
It was the 25-year-old German’s third win in three races and he will now be the favourite to retain his crown, in what had been a highly unpredictable season until he took the championship by the scruff of the neck.
Second at a cool but sunny Yeongam was Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber, who started on pole. It was the first Red Bull one-two of
the season.
Alonso’s fellow Ferrari driver Felipe Massa, second at Suzuka seven days ago, continued his resurgence with a fourth-place finish. Lewis Hamilton, who still had title aspirations going in this grand prix, finished down at 10th.
Fifth was Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, followed by
Nico Hulkenberg in a Force India. Romain Grosjean (Lotus), Jean-Eric Vergne, Daniel Ricciardo (both Toro Rosso) and Hamilton rounded out the top 10.
“It was fantastic and I’m very happy,” Vettel told the crowd, having celebrated his 25th career victory by jumping on top of his Red Bull with his arms aloft. “It was a fantastic race. Towards the end I felt I had a bit more in the tyres,” added Vettel, whose front-right tyre in particular was badly worn by the end. He had been warned repeatedly by his team to ‘look after’ his tyres.
“I could’ve gone on a bit longer. We were all a bit worried about the front tyres.”
Alonso, also a double world champion, put a brave face on losing his lead in the standings. “We have to be happy with the performance today,” he said. “It was a good day for the team and for me.”
Jenson Button’s bad weekend finished almost as soon as the race began. His fine start from lowly 11th was wrecked when Kamui Kobayashi came flying down the inside, smashing into Button and destroying his suspension.
Vettel, the man in form after victories at the last two races in Singapore and then Japan last week, was in firm command. Webber – intentionally or not – was a buffer between the leader and the chasing pack.
Third in the championship is Raikkonen, on 167 points, followed by Hamilton (153) and Webber (152).
“I was just told by the team that we had a rear-suspension failure, but it was safe to drive so they kept me going,” said former world champion Hamilton, who also had some artificial turf stuck to his car for the last portion of the race. “It was tricky to even keep 10th place.” | | See Also in Sports News
|
|  We'll have to give Ajmal the respect he deserves: Kevin O'Brien
23 May 2013
KARACHI : While admitting that facing Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal will be “tricky”, Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien said that his team have no particular strategy planned out to tackle “one of the best spinners in the world”.
Speaking to PakPassion.net, Ireland’s vice-captain said that he and his team mates were looking forward to the two One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Pakistan to prove their mettle.
“It'll be a great chance for me personally and for the team to show what we can do again.
“I ... Full Story |  New Zealand's Watling out of second Test
23 May 2013
LEEDS: New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling was ruled out Wednesday of the second and final Test against England at Headingley starting Friday.
Watling injured his knee during New Zealand's 170-run first Test defeat at Lord's last week.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who deputised behind the stumps at Lord's, will keep at Headingley with Martin Guptill coming into the team to bat at number six, a Black Caps statement issued Wednesday said.
Meanwhile former captain Daniel Vettori, ... Full Story |  Dortmund’s Goetze ruled out of Wembley final
23 May 2013
BERLIN: A hamstring injury has ruled Borussia Dortmund’s Germany midfield star Mario Goetze out of Saturday’s Champions League final at Wembley against Bayern Munich — the club he will join next month after actioning a release clause in his contract.
Goezte, 20, tore his right hamstring in Dortmund’s semi-final return leg at Real Madrid on April 30 and the attacking midfielder only managed an hour of training with the Borussia team on Tuesday before suffering a reaction, which has ruled him ... Full Story | |
|
|
|
