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The unstoppable Sebastian Vettel

2011-05-12 16:53

What: Turkish Grand Prix 2011
Where: Istanbul Park Circuit
When: 8 May 2011

The German national anthem rang out yet again as Sebastian Vettel cruised to his latest win in this season's Formula 1 with consummate ease. It was the World Champion's fourth podium place since 27 March in Australia, and his third at the top of it. Although the 23-year-old encountered no pressure in the race itself, his victory was also a personal relief in the wake of a crash in Friday's rainy practice session (see below)



The hard work was left to his team-mate Mark Webber to battle for second place against Ferrari's Fernando Alonso in a thrilling Turkish Grand Prix, a place which he eventually took in a great overtaking manoeuvre in lap 51 of 58.

In a re-run of the Monaco Grand Prix result last year, Red Bull Racing achieved the coveted double - first and second place, with very little trouble. This was an unusual race in many ways, not least because of the numerous pit stops (to ensure compliance with the new F1 rules governing tyre-changes) and the allowed but controversial use of the DRS, or drag reduction system, which saw some impressive results but seemed to take some of the action out of the race.

The two British drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, World Champions in 2008 and 2009 respectively, were denied podium places, the former partly due to a disastrous final pit-stop, while the latter simply could not make up ground, beaten into sixth place by Nico Rosberg.

Between now and the Monaco Grand Prix on 29 May, constructors and drivers will be keen to work out how exactly they are going to beat Red Bull and their champion drivers. At the moment, Vettel tops the drivers' leaderboard at 93 from Hamilton's 59; Red Bull similarly lead by 148  to 105 over McLaren in the constructors' championship.