Vettel clinches second title as Button triumphs in Japan

Oct 9, 2011, 8:34 GMT

Suzuka, Japan - Germany's Sebastian Vettel won the Formula One championship for a second successive year Sunday as Jenson Button won the Japanese Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Red Bull driver made sure of the title by finishing third at Suzuka behind McLaren's Button and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Vettel has won the title with four races still to go of the season and becomes the youngest two-time world champion in F1 history.

'We took nothing for granted and we did,' said an emotional-sounding Vettel over team radio.

Vettel needed just a point going into the race, or for Button to fail to win. The Briton, who regards Japan as his second home, impressively did his part to keep the championship open, but Vettel took no chances to get the finish he needed.

Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber was fourth, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton fifth and Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes sixth.

Ferrari's Felipa Massa, Sauber's Sergio Perez, Renault's Vitaly Petrov and Schumacher's team-mate Nico Rosberg brought up the remaining top 10 places.

Vettel escaped a penalty after edging Button onto the grass from the start when the McLaren driver also fell behind team-mate Hamilton. Button told his team over the radio he felt Vettel should have been penalized, but the stewards took no action.

A slow puncture forced Hamilton to pit early and Button was able to take the race lead when he emerged in front of Vettel after a second change of tyres on the 21st lap, a lap after the German.

Button appeared able to conserve his tyres better than his rivals and set a series of fastest laps following a safety car phase to remove debris from the track around the half-way mark.

The debris had included part of Felipe Massa's front wing after a slight collision with Hamilton which led to an investigation - but no further action - by the stewards.

Vettel emerged behind Alonso after a third round of pits stops, while Button looked in comfortable in front.

Alonso briefly cut a lead of more than five seconds down to under two but Button was conserving his tyres and set a fastest lap on the penultimate lap to keep the Spaniard in check.

He took the chequered flag 1.160 seconds ahead of Alonso, with a jubilant Vettel crossing the line 2.006 seconds behind Button, who captured his third Grand Prix win of the season.