For the second successive year, Sebastian Vettel
of Red Bull wowed the spectators at the Buddh International Circuit
here on Sunday afternoon as he registered a stupendous victory in the
Indian Grand Prix. He finished nearly 10 seconds ahead of Fernando
Alonso, who pushed his Ferrari past the line in 1:31:20.181s. Mark
Webber, Vettel’s teammate, came in third (1:31:23.961s).
Vettel now leads the championship race with 240 points, 13 clear of Alonso.
Last year, Vettel showed the Indian audience why he is the most feared
competitor in Formula One with his amazing driving skills on a virgin
track that most drivers certified as the most challenging after Spa
Francorchamps (Belgium). And on Sunday afternoon, he demonstrated in no
uncertain terms that he is only a few steps away from becoming a legend.
Vettel’s fifth victory of the season and 26th of his six-year-old career
meant that the Red Bull driver has almost got his foot in the door in
his bid to win the 2012 World Championship. Three races remain in the
season and, given the form that Vettel and his team are in, it’s
difficult to imagine another driver laying his hands on the world crown.
Alonso , who finished second, however, maintained that he fancied his
chances of winning the 2012 world title. “Yeah, of course, I think I can
win the championship. We have races in Abu Dhabi, Austin (U.S.) and
Brazil to come, which means 75 points to play for. We have our chances,”
the Spaniard said.