Vettel pushed hard for ninth win of season at Japanese Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel triumphed at his favourite track Suzuka, to win the Japanese Grand Prix and move to within a race of his fourth consecutive World Drivers’ Championship.

The German started from second on the grid, behind Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, and was made to work for the race win, which was his fifth in as many attempts at the circuit.

He now sits 90 points ahead of nearest rival Fernando Alonso in the overall standings, with four races to go.

Vettel’s win was unusually in doubt for much of the race, as Romain Grosjean mustered the performance of his life to challenge the Red Bulls in his Lotus, before settling for third.

Straight line speed was the only drawback for the downforce-heavy Lotus, but it didn’t stop the Frenchman from leading for large periods of the race, starting from the opening lap.

He made a sizzling start to proceedings, firing ahead of the Red Bulls and squeezing out Vettel into third.

The German suffered contact with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton at the frenetic start, with the British driver slipping down the order as a result.

And it got worse, as the former world champion was forced into retirement following a puncture and damage to the rear bodywork.

Vettel appeared relatively unfazed by the minor wing damage to his car, but still he and Webber were unable to make up sufficient ground on Grosjean early on.

Marussia's Jules Bianchi and Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde took each other off the track at turn one, ending their respective races at the earliest opportunity.

Grosjean maintained his four second lead over the Red Bulls through the first round of pit stops, and was the first man to go under 1:38 in the 16th lap.

Nico Rosberg served a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release in the pits on lap 18, which effectively ended the German's hopes of a top five finish.

And it was in the middle laps that Grosjean's star began to wane, as both Webber and Vettel- whom had since passed his team-mate- cut the Frenchman's lead to under two seconds by lap 29.

It was on this lap that Grosjean made his second stop, with Vettel opting to stay out for another eight laps, before re-emerging similarly placed.

By lap 40 Grosjean had been caught and passed by Vettel, with the writing on the wall over the shift of power in the race, as Webber went in for a faster set of medium tyres.

The choice may have paid off and allowed the Australian to challenge his team-mate for the win if not for some silky defensive driving from Grosjean, that effectively held him back.

Webber finally did pass on lap 52 of 53 but it was too little, too late, as Vettel rode home for his fifth consecutive race win of the season.

Outside the podium places, Alonso wrenched his Ferrari to fourth, under immense late pressure from future team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who secured fifth.

The Saubers of Nico Hulkenburg and rookie Esteban Gutierrez- gaining the first points finish of his career- were in fine fettle to bag sixth and seventh respectively, with Rosberg, Jenson Button and Felipe Massa rounding off the top ten.

Daniel Ricciardo suffered as a result of tyre wear and strategy, as he had been going at a pace worthy of a points finish, before finishing a disappointing 13th, as Paul di Resta managed to complete a race for the first time since the German GP in July, finishing a gutsy 11th.

As the sun went down on Suzuka, Vettel’s Red Bull remained aglow, as the rest of the field once again fell into the shadow of the soon-to-be four-time world champion.

A top five finish in the Indian Grand Prix will wrap up the title for Vettel, as it has now become a case of when, not if, the German confirms his fourth title on the bounce.

Race Results (Starting Grid)

1. (2) S. Vettel (GER)    2. (1) M. Webber (AUS)    3. (4) R. Grosjean (FRA )

4. (8) F. Alonso (ESP)    5. (9) K. Raikkonen (FIN)    6. (7) N. Hulkenburg (GER)

7. (14) E. Gutierrez (MEX)   8. (6) N. Rosberg (GER)   9. (10) J. Button (GBR)

10. (5) F. Massa (BRA)   11. (12) P. di Resta (GBR)   12. (17) J.E Vergne (FRA)

13. (16) D. Ricciardo (AUS)   14. (22) A. Sutil (GER)   15. (11) S. Perez (MEX)

16. (15) P. Maldonado (VEN)   17. (13) V. Bottas (FIN)   18. (20) C. Pic (FRA)   19. (18) M. Chilton (GBR)

DNF (3) L. Hamilton (GBR)   DNF (19) G. van der Garde (NED)   DNF (21) Jules Bianchi (FRA)

Championship Standings: