2011 Korean Grand Prix

Lore & Background

The 55-lap race was won by Sebastian Vettel, after starting from second on the grid. Lewis Hamilton finished in second place for McLaren, and Mark Webber completed the podium in third position. As a consequence of the race, podium finishes for both Vettel and Webber ensured that Red Bull Racing defended their World Constructors' Championship title, extending their lead to 140 points over McLaren, with only 129 points available at the final three races. Polesitter Hamilton broke Red Bull's streak of pole positions, which had started at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and continued for another 15 races. Prior to this race, the last time Red Bull failed to take pole was at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix, when Nico Hülkenberg, driving for Williams, was the polesitter.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights of Yeongam cast long shadows across the tarmac as night fell over South Korea. Inside the cockpit of the RB7, Sebastian Vettel felt the familiar hum of the Renault engine vibrating through the chassis. The track was slick with evening dew, a treacherous mix for the final laps. He glanced at his dashboard; the margin to Alonso was slipping away, but the car beneath him was a weapon of precision. With every apex conquered and straightaway accelerated, the weight of the championship lifted, replaced by the pure adrenaline of victory.

Reader's Guide

The race started with contact at the back, between a Sauber and the Toro Rosso of Sébastien Buemi. Vettel passed Hamilton for the lead at Turn 4. On lap 17, a crash between Petrov and Schumacher caused both cars to retire and the safety car to be deployed. Vettel took his tenth victory of the season, ahead of Hamilton and Webber, the latter's result ensuring that Red Bull Racing became 2011 Constructors' World Champion with three races remaining.

Did You Know?

• The Grand Prix was the 700th in which the McLaren team competed.
• A single DRS Zone was used, with the activation point halfway between turn 2 and 3.
• Pirelli brought yellow-banded soft compound as the prime and red-banded super-soft as the option.
• Buemi scored his last career points and the last for a Swiss driver in Formula One.