Vettel narrows F1 deficit to 4 points

Sebastian Vettel slashed the race for the world drivers championship to just a four-point margin yesterday as he stormed to victory in the Japanese Grand Prix after championship leader Fernando Alonso spun out on the first turn.

Red Bull's double defending world champion escaped a chaotic start and sped away to win by more than 20 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and home favourite Kamui Kobayashi, whose first podium received huge roars from the capacity crowd.

Vettel, 25, who also won in Singapore two weeks ago, threw the championship wide open as he became the only man this year with back-to-back victories. With five races left, he trails Alonso 194 points to 190.

Alonso, of Ferrari, was eliminated when he was hit by Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus at the first corner and suffered a puncture, kicking up plumes of dust as he skidded into the dirt.

As carnage ensued behind him, Vettel was left out in front, and he raced to the 24th triumph of his career, a feat that drew him level with legendary Argentinian Juan-Manuel Fangio in the record books.

"I saw the safety car at the beginning, but I had a very good start, and that was very important. I knew behind me there was a crash and I saw a Ferrari was out, but wasn't sure which one," Vettel said. "Halfway through I was looking to see the others and I saw their [Ferrari] car still racing. It was Felipe; I didn't know what happened to Fernando."

Only once in the previous 17 years has the winner of the Japanese race not won the Formula One title - Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello in 2003, the season when Michael Schumacher won a fourth successive drivers' title.