2013 Korean GP: Sebastian Vettel untouctable again to close on world title Hulkenberg stars, Perez's tyre blows, Webber's RB9 meets fiery end Sebastian Vettel has moved potentially just one more victory away from his fourth straight World Championship after his unerringly imperious title defence continued with a fourth consecutive 2013 win at the Korean GP. Although the German's margin of superiority over the rest was not as pronounced as it had been last time out in Singapore - his winning margin over second-placed Kimi Raikkonen a relatively mere four seconds - and he had to survive the tension of two mid-race Safety Car periods in quick succession, the stark reality yet again was that Vettel had the 55-lap race under control from start to finish. With chief championship challenger Fernando Alonso enduring a frustrating afternoon unable to pass rivals, the Spaniard unusually even finishing one place lower than where he qualified in sixth, Vettel now has a 77-point title lead and could clinch his latest crown as early as next week's Japanese GP if he wins for the eighth time this year and Alonso finishes ninth or lower. While such an early correlation may be long shot, there is now little doubt - if any remained - that Vettel is poised to become just the fourth man in history to become a quadruple F1 title winner. But while the identity of the winner's trophy was never seriously in doubt from the moment Vettel comfortably converted his latest pole into the race lead, behind the action was gripping - and often chaotic - as the increasingly supporting 2013 cast put on an exciting show. For much of the 55 laps the impressive Romain Grosjean, having passed Lewis Hamilton for second place inside three corners on lap one, had run Vettel closest yet the Frenchman, not for the first time, was ultimately overhauled for second by Lotus team-mate Raikkonen. As in Singapore, Raikkonen made light of a poor qualifying session to stealthily jump up to the podium positions over the more testing longer distance, the Ferrari-bound driver jumping 2014 team-mate Alonso in the second round of stops and then incisively passing Grosjean at the first re-start. Raikkonen may be out of sorts on Saturdays, but his sixth runner-up finish of the year continues to mark him out as one of F1's brightest stars. One man who many believe should have the chance to prove he belongs in such exulted company at the front of the grid is Nico Hulkenberg and the German put himself firmly in the shop window for at least Raikkonen's soon-to-be-vacated Lotus seat with a brilliant career-best drive to fourth. Moving ahead of the two Ferraris on the opening lap, Hulkenberg successfully stayed ahead of both Alonso and Raikkonen through the opening two stints despite struggling with tyre graining on his C32. Fifth then became fourth when he passed Hamilton at the first restart, and despite a renewed push from the faster Mercedes in the closing laps, Hulkenberg brilliantly held out to compound what had already been a frustrating day for his British rival. Although Hamilton had lost position to Grosjean on the opening lap, he had kept in relative touch with the top two through the opening stint but mid-way through his medium-tyre stint Mercedes' age-old Achilles' heel of tyre degradation resurfaced in quite dramatic fashion. Despite repeatedly urging his Mercedes team to bring his second stop forward - and even restoring to using an expletive to describe the state of his rubber - Mercedes kept Hamilton out to avoid a slower three-stop strategy and he fell into the clutches of team-mate Nico Rosberg, who up until that point had run in relative anonymity. However, in the first of what proved several dramatic incidents in quick succession, as Rosberg passed the ailing Hamilton down the backstraight the German's frontwing started scraping against the floor and sparking to dramatic effect. With the nose having come loose, Rosberg immediately pitted. He eventually recovered to seventh. Jenson Button, despite an early stop for a front-wing change, finished eighth ahead of Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez. While there was again no doubting the identity of the race winner almost from the moment he comfortably converted pole into the race lead, behind there was plenty of action - no more so than on the opening lap when a spinning Felipe Massa forced team-mate Alonso to take avoiding action at turn three. While the Brazilian, who dropped to the back, eventually recovered to tenth place, another man who had started out of sequence - Mark Webber - saw his promising recovery drive ruined in quick succesion.

• published: 06 Oct 2013
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