MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher started Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka, Japan in eighth place and made up two places to finish in sixth place and score 8 points. Nico Rosberg worked his way up from 23rd on the grid to finish the race in tenth place scoring him 1 point.
Though Jenson Button was the winner of the Japanese Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel clinched enough points to become world champion for the second straight year. As a result, Vettel has earned the title of the youngest ever back-to-back winner. “To win the world championship here is fantastic, and there are so many things I want to say in this moment but it’s hard to remember all of them,” he said.
“I am so thankful to everyone in the team, both here at the track and at Milton Keynes, to be able to fight for the championship and find ourselves in a very strong position. It was great to achieve the goal we set ourselves already, with four races left.”
Vettel has 324 points to Button’s 210, Alonso has 202, Webber 194 and Hamilton’s in fifth with 178. Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher are in seventh and eight place with 63 and 60 points.
Red Bull Racing-Renault have 518 points while McLaren trailes with 388 points in the constructors’ standings, with both teams still in the running for that title. Mercedes is currently in fourth with 123 points.
- Michael completed a three-stop strategy this afternoon, running option/option/option/prime
- Nico also completed three stops from his P23 starting position, running prime/option/option/option
- Of 65 total pit stops today, just nine were under 21 seconds – and five of those were by MERCEDES GP PETRONAS
- In a race with only one retirement, Michael and Nico gained a total of 15 places from their grid positions
- Today’s race was the fourth consecutive Grand Prix which has featured a Safety Car deployment
| Drivers | Car No. | Chassis No. | Race Result / Fastest Lap |
| Michael Schumacher | 7 | MGP W02 / 09 | P6 1:37.916 |
| Nico Rosberg | 8 | MGP W02 / 07 | P10 1:36.614 |
| Weather | Warm and sunny | |
| Temperatures | Air: 23-24°C | Track: 25-35°C |
Michael Schumacher
“I’m very happy with what we achieved in Suzuka today as we maximised our potential of the car, and managed to put in a good race. The team did a great job the whole weekend in finding performance and transforming it into the race. I think there was not more to expect and achieve. The pit stops were perfectly timed and everything worked out according to plan. I would like to congratulate Sebastian and his team who have been exceptional the whole year. It is extremely emotional to see him win the Championship again – I am very happy for him and even a little bit proud.”
Nico Rosberg
“I’m pleased to score a point today and had fun out there with a few nice overtaking manoeuvres. This is definitely one of the toughest tracks for overtaking so starting from the back of the grid meant that I had a pretty tough job. Before the race, I hoped to achieve between eighth and 10th places and, whilst it would have been nice to be a bit higher, it’s still a decent result. Thanks to the team for a good strategy and great pit stops today. After this complicated weekend, I hope to have a more normal weekend in Korea and fight in our usual position. And finally, Sebastian, congratulations: you deserve the title.”
Ross Brawn
“We made the absolute most of the car and opportunities we had at our disposal today. The car performed well throughout the race, our strategies were right for both cars, and the pit crew produced fantastic stops – we have performed strongly all year in the pits, and today our stops won us places, particularly for Nico during the Safety Car period when he jumped two cars. Michael and Nico both delivered great performances in the cockpit, passing cleanly when they needed to and defending strongly. Overall, I think it was a very exciting race and a fitting Grand Prix in which to crown a new World Champion. Congratulations to Sebastian and Red Bull Racing on his second World Championship – he has driven impeccably all year, and together they have set the standards we must now aim for and exceed.”
Norbert Haug
“Michael and Nico both delivered strong races this afternoon and quite competitive lap times. Michael raced and finished among the top three teams, leading laps during the pit stop cycles, and Nico drove strongly through the field into the points, as we believed he could after qualifying yesterday, even starting from P23. Compliments to our pit stop and strategy crew as well, who played a key role in our team result this afternoon. Congratulations to Jenson Button and McLaren-Mercedes on their victory over the World Champion but, most of all, we take our hats off to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing – not just for winning the title, but also for defending it with an exceptional level of performance throughout the season.”
