Japanese Grand Prix 2011 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Jenson Button produced a brilliant performance to win the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, denying Sebastian Vettel the opportunity to clinch his second World Championship on the iconic figure-eight circuit. The British driver delivered a masterclass in racecraft and tire management to beat Fernando Alonso and Vettel himself, providing one of the season's few genuinely competitive races and delaying the championship celebrations by one week.

Vettel started from pole position with a lap of 1:30.466 around the legendary Suzuka circuit, needing only to finish ahead of Button to secure the title with three races remaining. However, Button had other plans. Starting from second on the grid, the 2009 World Champion produced an aggressive opening stint and superior tire management to work his way into the lead. The McLaren MP4-26 showed excellent race pace on Suzuka's combination of high-speed corners and challenging esses, with Button demonstrating supreme car control through the 130R and Spoon corners. He also set the fastest lap of 1:36.568, completing a dominant weekend performance.

Alonso drove another exceptional race to claim second place for Ferrari, once again extracting maximum performance from the inferior F150 Italia to beat Vettel for the runner-up spot. The Spaniard's consistency and racecraft kept him in the championship hunt, though realistically the title was beyond reach. Vettel settled for third place, unable to match the pace of Button and Alonso, but needing only to finish the next race in the points to seal the championship. Mark Webber finished fourth, while Lewis Hamilton endured another difficult weekend. Button's third victory of the season - following Canada and Hungary - proved he remained a match for anyone on his day and gave McLaren fans hope that 2012 could bring a genuine title challenge. For Vettel, the championship celebration would have to wait one more week.