Vettel takes unprecedented eighth season win

Sebastian Vettel took his eighth victory in succession with an easy win in Texas. His win at the United States Grand Prix today means Vettel is the first driver to win eight consecutive grands prix in a single season.

Once the world champion cemented his pole position into a race lead, he maintained a six to ten second lead for most of the race. From the start, Red Bull team mate Mark Webber dropped from second to fourth. 

By lap 13 Webber had overhauled Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and closed in on the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, but by the final stages Webber’s tyres passed their best and he followed the Lotus home in third.

Hamilton improved his qualifying position of fifth by a single place, despite a fierce challenge from Fernando Alonso. Alonso, who started sixth passed Sergio Perez during his pit stop and Nico Hulkenberg on track. Sauber’s Hulkenberg tried to retake the place at the beginning of the final lap, but Alonso successfully defended his spot.

The Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas scored the first points of his F1 career with an excellent drive securing eighth. He held off Nico Rosberg several times as the Mercedes driver tried to improve on his disappointing qualifying result.

Jenson Button took the final point from Daniel Ricciardo in the closing stages of the race. Felipe Massa split Jean-Eric Vergne and Esteban Gutierrez who collided on the last lap.

Despite taking eighth on the grid, Heikki Kovalainen had a poor first few laps, having to pit to replace a front wing and suffering from KERS problems.

The Circuit of the Americas yielded a single retirement: Adrian Sutil clashed with Pastor Maldonado on the opening lap. The collision prompted the deployment of the safety car.

Provisional results

1. Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1h39;17.148

2. Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, +6.2

3. Webber, Red Bull-Renault, +8.3

4. Hamilton, Mercedes, +27.3

5. Alonso, Ferrari, +29.5

6. Hulkenberg, Sauber-Ferrari, +30.4

7. Perez, McLaren-Mercedes, +46.6

8. Bottas, Williams-Renault, +54.5

9. Rosberg, Mercedes, +59.1