With Sebastian Vettel edging McLaren’s Jenson Button by just nine-thousandths of a second on Saturday’s qualifying session at Suzuka; Red Bull extended its perfect streak of poles to all 15 races in the 2011 season. The team is expected to win the Constructor’s Championship this year also with Sebestien Vettel almost assured of winning the Driver’s Championship on Sunday itself to become the youngest two-title winner in the history of Formula One. McLaren-Mercedes are placed second at 353 points. Red Bull’s other driver Mark Webber finished 6th above Mercedes driver Michael Schumacher ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel wins Formula One drivers' championship
Red Bull racing has been having everything going its way for the past 2 years after finishing second in the 2009 season, winning in 2010 and occupying a dominant position in 2011. The team had its first ever win in the 2009 season as it tested its RB5 chassis for the first time in the Chinese Grand Prix with Vettel posting a single fastest lap in Q3 securing their first pole position and a subsequent victory. The team has never looked back since then. With Renault being its engine supplier, the RB6 chassis introduced in the 2010 season proved to be the best handling car on the grid, as it did and continues to do so, having a distinct advantage over McLaren and Ferrari.
The Austrian racing team has been a consistent performer since its inception in 2005 as it finished a creditable 7th in its debut season as its drivers stepped up to the plate amassing 34 points. Mark Webber was signed on to represent them in August, 2006 and has been with the team ever since coming desperately close to victory in the 2007 season at Japan. The team went from strength to strength finishing 5th in 2007, resolving reliability problems which it faced in the previous year and criticism that the Renault engines were letting them down but they persisted with it only to notch up excellent finishes. Sebastian Vettel represented them in 2009 and ended championship leader Jenson Button’s streak of 4 consecutive wins with a 1-2 finish for the team in the Brazilian Grand Prix with them finishing second in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ rankings.
2010 marked their overriding status in the racing domain as they won remarkably. This season saw heated racing by teammates Webber and Vettel as the two constantly tried to outpace each other only to end up doing Red Bull racing team a huge favour as it constantly ended up with podium finishes. Boss Christian Horner and the team insisted that “let your teammate pass” orders should not be given and both the drivers earned praise for conducting themselves in a well orderly and mannered fashion. 2011 has been even better as the side finished among the first 5 in all the races till now. “Whatever you think we will or will not do tomorrow, we still need to go out and focus on having a good race,” said Vettel ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix and it has indeed been the mantra of the unrelenting and spirited team as it is almost assured of both the Championships this year as well!
Tags: F1, Formula 1, Formula One, Japanese Grand Prix, McLaren, Motor Sports, Motorsports, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel, Suzuka
