Sebastian Vettel capped off the 2013 season in style, leading his retiring teammate Mark Webber to a Red Bull 1-2 at the checkered flag of a dry Brazilian Grand Prix and equalling two F1 records.
His 13th win of the season matched Michael Schumacher's tally of 2004. A consecutive ninth also elevated him to Alberto Ascari's level.
Despite a slow start, pole-sitter Vettel ran away in his usual style. Webber and pursuer Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) only caught a break on lap 47, when Vettel lost time with a slow pit stop, but could not take advantage of it. In a couple of laps only, the gap with the German was growing again.
As he leaves for sports car racing, the Australian had to settle for one last podium, ahead of Alonso.
Jenson Button (McLaren) came home a season-best fourth, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes). Sergio Perez (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) finished sixth and seventh in their last race for their respective teams.
After crashing into Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) served a drive-through penalty and clawed his way back to ninth, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso).
Mercedes edged Ferrari in the constructors' championship by 14 points, while Lotus settles for fourth after Romain Grosjean's retirement and Heikki Kovalainen's 14th place finish in Brazil.
Race results* – Brazilian Grand Prix (Sao Paulo)
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 71 laps 1.32'36"300
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 10"452
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 18"913
4 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 37"360
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 39"048
6 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 44"051
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 49"110
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'04"252
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'12"903
10 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
11 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1 lap
12 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1 lap
13 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1 lap
14 - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1 lap
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1 lap
17 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 2 laps
18 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps
19 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Fastest lap of the race: 1'15"436 by Mark Webber
Retirements
Lap 3 - Romain Grosjean
Lap 46 - Valtteri Bottas
Lap 59 - Charles Pic
Drivers' championship
1.Vettel 397; 2.Alonso 242; 3.Webber 199; 4.Hamilton 189; 5.Raikkonen 183; 6.Rosberg 171; 7.Grosjean 132; 8.Massa 112; 9.Button 73; 10.Hulkenberg 51; 11.Perez 49; 12.Di Resta 48; 13.Sutil 29; 14.Ricciardo 20; 15.Vergne 13; 16.Gutierrez 6; 17.Bottas 4; 18.Maldonado 1.
Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 596; 2.Mercedes 360; 3.Ferrari 354; 4.Lotus-Renault 315; 5.McLaren-Mercedes 122; 6.Force India-Mercedes 77; 7.Sauber-Ferrari 57; 8.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 33; 9.Williams-Renault 5.
*Unofficial results
His 13th win of the season matched Michael Schumacher's tally of 2004. A consecutive ninth also elevated him to Alberto Ascari's level.
Despite a slow start, pole-sitter Vettel ran away in his usual style. Webber and pursuer Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) only caught a break on lap 47, when Vettel lost time with a slow pit stop, but could not take advantage of it. In a couple of laps only, the gap with the German was growing again.
As he leaves for sports car racing, the Australian had to settle for one last podium, ahead of Alonso.
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| Celebration in the parc ferme (Photo: GEPA pictures) |
Jenson Button (McLaren) came home a season-best fourth, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes). Sergio Perez (McLaren) and Felipe Massa (Ferrari) finished sixth and seventh in their last race for their respective teams.
After crashing into Valtteri Bottas (Williams), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) served a drive-through penalty and clawed his way back to ninth, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso).
Mercedes edged Ferrari in the constructors' championship by 14 points, while Lotus settles for fourth after Romain Grosjean's retirement and Heikki Kovalainen's 14th place finish in Brazil.
Race results* – Brazilian Grand Prix (Sao Paulo)
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 71 laps 1.32'36"300
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 10"452
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 18"913
4 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 37"360
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 39"048
6 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 44"051
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 49"110
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'04"252
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'12"903
10 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
11 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1 lap
12 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1 lap
13 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1 lap
14 - Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1 lap
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1 lap
17 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 2 laps
18 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps
19 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 2 laps
Fastest lap of the race: 1'15"436 by Mark Webber
Retirements
Lap 3 - Romain Grosjean
Lap 46 - Valtteri Bottas
Lap 59 - Charles Pic
Drivers' championship
1.Vettel 397; 2.Alonso 242; 3.Webber 199; 4.Hamilton 189; 5.Raikkonen 183; 6.Rosberg 171; 7.Grosjean 132; 8.Massa 112; 9.Button 73; 10.Hulkenberg 51; 11.Perez 49; 12.Di Resta 48; 13.Sutil 29; 14.Ricciardo 20; 15.Vergne 13; 16.Gutierrez 6; 17.Bottas 4; 18.Maldonado 1.
Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 596; 2.Mercedes 360; 3.Ferrari 354; 4.Lotus-Renault 315; 5.McLaren-Mercedes 122; 6.Force India-Mercedes 77; 7.Sauber-Ferrari 57; 8.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 33; 9.Williams-Renault 5.
*Unofficial results