Vettel wins

Sebastian Vettel wins the Grand Prix of Japan.

Jarno Trulli brings home another podium for Toyota.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton grabs the final step.

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time
 1.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault      (B)  1h28:20.443
 2.  Trulli        Toyota                (B)  +     4.877
 3.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +     6.472
 4.  Raikkonen     Ferrari               (B)  +     7.940
 5.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota       (B)  +     8.793
 6.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber            (B)  +     9.509
 7.  Barrichello   Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  +    10.641
 8.  Button        Brawn-Mercedes        (B)  +    11.474
 9.  Kubica        BMW Sauber            (B)  +    11.777
10.  Alonso        Renault               (B)  +    13.065
11.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes      (B)  +    13.735
12.  Fisichella    Ferrari               (B)  +    14.596
13.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes  (B)  +    14.959
14.  Liuzzi        Force India-Mercedes  (B)  +    15.734
15.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota       (B)  +    17.973
16.  Grosjean      Renault               (B)  +     1 lap
17.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault      (B)  +    2 laps

Nummer einz, baby! Sebastian Vettel of Germany grabs pole position in a chaotic final qualifying session for Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Fifth career and fourth of the season pole for the youngest Grand Prix and pole winner in Formula 1 history.

Delighting the local crowd was Toyota driver Italian Jarno Trulli who will share the front row with Vettel.

Reigning world champion from England Lewis Hamilton starts third in his McLaren. His compatriot and likely championship successor Jenson Button and Brawn teammate, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, both made it to Q3 but their final grid position will be determined by the stewards.

Barrichello out qualified Button but both may be penalized five grid positions for not slowing down after Sebastien Buemi’s crash in the final minute of qualifying.

Only three races, Japan, Brazil and Abu Dhabi remain in the 2009 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. Title tussle is between Button, Barrichello and Vettel.

Suzuka track is owned by Honda and was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholtz who was also involved in the design of Zandvoort in his native country and Jarama in Spain.

he first Japanese Grand Prix was held in 1963 for sports cars and was won by Peter Warr, who later went on to become Colin Chapman’s right hand man and team manager at Lotus.

Webber. Marks a new career as team owner. The new for 2010 season GP3 series, from the minds of Bruno Michel, Briatore and Bernie, announced the ten teams that will prepare drivers for GP2 and the final frontier, F1.

Among the teams selected is MW Arden. Red Bull driver Mark Webber is joining forces with team manager Christian Horner to help other Aussies in their European campaign.

The spec series will feature cars from Dallara powered by a turbo-charged Renault engine on Pirelli tires.

Leaning Lorenzo: Man from Mallorca, Jorge Lorenzo, is making all the right moves to stay in the championship hunt with his Yamaha teammate, the determined Doctor, Valentino Rossi.

Lorenzo won the Portuguese Moto GP race last year and this year starts from pole position, his fifth of the season.

Rossi is second on the grid with Casey Stoner third. The Australian Ducati rider surprised many upon his return to competition after missing some races from a mysterious illness.

The race takes place at Estoril, home of Ayrton Senna’s first F1 victory in serious Portuguese downpour in 1985.

— Nasir Hameed