Formula 1: podium success for Alonso
Thanks to third place at the Korean Grand Prix Fernando Alonso continues to have good chances in the battle for the Formula 1 World Championship. The Spaniard whose Ferrari is fitted with dampers by ZF Friedrichshafen AG quickly advanced by one position from fourth on the grid. As the runner up in the drivers’ championship, he is trailing race winner and championship leader Sebastian Vettel by merely six points. Thanks to a strong performance by his team-mate Felipe Massa, who finishd fourth behind Alonso, the Scuderia equalled their second-best team result in the current season and captured second place in the constructors’ championship.
Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo can be very pleased with their performance as well. The two drivers whose Toro Rosso Ferrari cars use dampers and clutches from ZF Friedrichshafen AG advanced from grid positions 16 (Vergne) and 21 (Ricciardo) to positions eight and nine. The team thus equalled its best performance this season. The Sauber-Ferrari drivers Kamui Kobayashi (retired) and Sergio Pérez (11th place), who also rely on high-tech from Schweinfurt, finished out of the points this time.
Result GP Korea (KOR), 16. round, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 12.10.-14.10.2012:
1. Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault, 1h 36m 28.651s
2. Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, + 8.231s
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, + 13.944s ZF
4. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, + 20.168s ZF
5. Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus-Renault, + 36.739s
6. Nico Hülkenberg, Force India-Mercedes, + 45.301s
7. Romain Grosjean, Lotus-Renault, + 54.812s
8. Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, + 1m 09.589s ZF
9. Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, + 1m 11.787s ZF
10. Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, + 1m 19.692s
Drivers’ World Championship standings:
1. S. Vettel, 215 points; 2. F. Alonso, 209; 3. K. Räikkönen, 167; 4. L. Hamilton, 153; 5. M. Webber, 152; 6. J. Button, 131; 7. N. Rosberg, 93; 8. R. Grosjean, 88; 9. F. Massa, 81; 10. S. Pérez, 66.
Manufacturers’ World Championship standings:
1. Red Bull-Renault, 367 points; 2. Ferrari, 290; 3. McLaren-Mercedes, 284; 4. Lotus-Renault, 255; 5. Mercedes, 136; 6. Sauber-Ferrari, 116; 7. Force India-Mercedes, 89; 8. Williams-Renault, 58; 9. Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 21.