2011 Japan F1 Grand Prix Race Report & Results

Event: Japanese Grand Prix
Track: Suzuka Circuit

Weather: dry, warm, sunny

Jenson BUTTON won his 12th F1 World Championship race at the 2011 Japan F1 GP, but the story was Sebastian Vettels third place that clinched his second consecutive F1 world championship at 24 years old. The McLaren driver started second and won at Suzuka by 1.160 seconds from Fernando Alonso for Ferrari. It was McLarens 170th F1 win.

Vettel pole by 0.009, Button pushed to the grass

Suzuka on 9 October 2011 saw Vettel take pole by the narrowest margin of the season with a 1:30.466 lap, Button second by 0.009, Hamilton third for McLaren, Massa fourth. Vettel needed just a single point for the title.

Race day: Vettel squeezes Button, Button wins, Vettel champion

Vettel squeezed Button to the grass off the line in a move race director Charlie Whiting later warned him about but did not penalise. Button held second, then took the lead when Vettel pitted first. From there Button controlled the run home. Alonso salvaged second for Ferrari, Vettel third for the point that made him a two-time world champion at 24 years and 98 days, the youngest double champion in F1 history. Webber fourth for Red Bull, Hamilton fifth after another difficult afternoon, Schumacher a fine sixth for Mercedes GP. Button set the fastest lap on lap 52 at 1:36.568.

Championship: Vettel 324 champion, Button 210, Alonso 202

Vettel became double world champion at Suzuka, one year and 55 days after his first title in Abu Dhabi 2010. Korea in two weeks would be the next round.

Classification 2011 Japan F1 GP

Pos	#	Driver	Constructor	Car & Engine	Grid	Laps	Led	Time	Pts
1	4	JensonButton	McLaren	McLaren MP4/26Mercedes FO 108	2	53	30	1:30:53.427	25
2	5	FernandoAlonso	Ferrari	Ferrari F150Ferrari 056	5	53	2	1:30:54.587+1.160s	18
3	1	SebastianVettel	Red Bull	Red Bull RB7Renault RS27	1	53	16	1:30:55.433+2.006s	15
4	2	MarkWebber	Red Bull	Red Bull RB7Renault RS27	6	53		1:31:01.498+8.071s	12
5	3	LewisHamilton	McLaren	McLaren MP4/26Mercedes FO 108	3	53		1:31:17.695+24.268s	10
6	7	MichaelSchumacher	Mercedes	Mercedes W02Mercedes FO 108	8	53	3	1:31:20.547+27.120s	8
7	6	FelipeMassa	Ferrari	Ferrari F150Ferrari 056	4	53	2	1:31:21.667+28.240s	6
8	17	SergioPérez	Sauber	Sauber C30Ferrari 056	17	53		1:31:32.804+39.377s	4
9	10	VitalyPetrov	Renault	Lotus R31Renault RS27	10	53		1:31:36.034+42.607s	2
10	8	NicoRosberg	Mercedes	Mercedes W02Mercedes FO 108	23	53		1:31:37.749+44.322s	1
11	14	AdrianSutil	Force India	Force India VJM04Mercedes FO 108	11	53		1:31:47.874+54.447s
12	15	Pauldi Resta	Force India	Force India VJM04Mercedes FO 108	12	53		1:31:55.753+1:02.326
13	16	KamuiKobayashi	Sauber	Sauber C30Ferrari 056	7	53		1:31:57.132+1:03.705
14	12	PastorMaldonado	Williams	Williams FW33Cosworth CA2010	14	53		1:31:57.621+1:04.194
15	19	JaimeAlguersuari	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR6Ferrari 056	16	53		1:32:00.050+1:06.623
16	9	BrunoSenna	Renault	Lotus R31Renault RS27	9	53		1:32:06.055+1:12.628
17	11	RubensBarrichello	Williams	Williams FW33Cosworth CA2010	13	53		1:32:07.618+1:14.191
18	20	HeikkiKovalainen	Caterham	Lotus T128Renault RS27	18	53		1:32:21.251+1:27.824
19	21	JarnoTrulli	Caterham	Lotus T128Renault RS27	19	53		1:32:29.567+1:36.140
20	24	TimoGlock	Virgin Racing	Marussia MVR-02Cosworth CA2010	21	51		+2 laps
21	25	Jérômed'Ambrosio	Virgin Racing	Marussia MVR-02Cosworth CA2010	20	51		+2 laps
22	22	DanielRicciardo	HRT	HRT F111Cosworth CA2010	22	51		+2 laps
23	23	VitantonioLiuzzi	HRT	HRT F111Cosworth CA2010	24	50		+3 laps
DNF	18	SébastienBuemi	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR6Ferrari 056	15	11		Wheel

Fastest lap: 1:36.568 min. by Jenson Button

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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