Vettel roars in Singapore

Red Bull driver powers home as Hamilton retires

World champion Sebastian Vettel won an incident-packed Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to strengthen his chances of claiming a third successive Formula One title.

Vettel inherited the lead from McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who retired on the 23rd lap with a gearbox failure, and withstood the challenge of Jenson Button through two safety car periods on the way to repeating his victory at the same circuit a year ago.

Championship leader Fernando Alonso took third spot at the floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit in his Ferrari but his advantage over Vettel was reduced to 29 points with six rounds remaining.

“You’re back in this championship, well done,” Red Bull team principal told German Vettel over the team radio.

After Narain Karthikeyan crashed on lap 33, the safety car was deployed for a first time and it returned to the track a lap after coming in when Michael Schumacher slammed into the back of Jean Eric Vergne’s Toro Rosso.

The delays shortened the race by two laps to 59 but Vettel was never threatened by McLaren’s Button and cruised to his second consecutive victory in Singapore and second win of the season.

Nico Rosberg took fifth place for Mercedes with Kimi Raikkonen maintaining his championship challenge with a sixth place finish in his Lotus, although the Finn is now a distant 45 points behind Alonso.

The race got off to a smooth start with pole-sitter Hamilton pulling clear of Pastor Maldonado, who had qualified second in his Williams, before the Venezuelan was swamped by both Vettel and Button by Turn 2 in a frantic first few corners.

The first round of pitstops between the eighth and 11th laps did little to alter proceedings with all the leaders rejoining the race in the same position they held before their stops.  Hamilton already appeared to have the measure of Vettel until he suffered mishap on the start of the 23rd lap, the Briton unable to find a gear after he slipped into neutral, forcing him to pull off into a runoff area as the German raced past.

Di Resta sparkles
Paul di Resta recorded his career-best result as he picked up 12 points for Sahara Force India with a fourth-place finish even as his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg returned empty-handed after finishing 14th.

With this result, Force India have consolidated their seventh position in the constructors’ championship as they have extended their lead over Williams by 21 points.

India’s Narain Karthikeyan retired after crashing into the walls in the tunnel under the Grand Stand in lap 34 and was one of the six drivers who did not finish the race.