Vettel wins 4th F1 world title

On a hazy afternoon at the Buddh International Circuit on Sunday, Sebastian Vettel created history, becoming the youngest driver in Formula One to claim four drivers’ championships.

The 26-year-old also joined an elite list that includes Juan Manuel Fangio, Michael Schumacher and Alain Prost who have won four or more titles with another superb performance.

The victory from pole position was Vettel's sixth in a row and completed a hat trick in India ever since the track made its debut in 2011. Vettel thus took his points tally to 322, and in the process, his team Red Bull took home the constructors’ title as well,
with 470 points.

Records, though, were hardly a matter to consider when the race kicked off at
3 pm. Vettel had a lot of heat on his tail at the beginning of the race in form of Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton.

However, he surprised many by pulling into the pits at the end of the first lap. Positioned at 17th upon returning from the pit, it looked like Fernando Alonso would manage to extend Vettel’s wait to bag his record fourth title but that was not to be.

Vettel climbed his way up the order and past team-mate Mark Webber to find himself leading the pack by the 33rd lap of the race. With no one in front, Vettel clocked one fastest-lap after another to eventually arrive at the chequered flag— waved by India’s premier boxer MC Mary Kom—with nothing left to do but climb the podium.

That would have been the case on any other race day but given that this was a special occasion at a “special place,” Vettel chose to entertain the crowd.
From spinning out a “doughnut” to kissing the nose of the car to throwing his gloves to the crowd, Vettel did it all. 

He was reprimanded and his team was fined for his act but he wouldn’t mind it one bit. And the crowd lapped it all up and cheered the champion before leaving the venue with the possibility of never again getting a chance to witness anything quite as grand at the venue quite as spectacular.