Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates winning the championship after finishing third in the Japanese F1 GP Sunday. — Reuters SUZUKA, Japan — Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel roared into the record books as Formula One's youngest double world champion Sunday after finishing third in a Japanese Grand Prix won by McLaren rival Jenson Button. The boyish 24-year-old German, who had started from pole position for the 12th time this season, had needed only a point at Suzuka to clinch his second successive crown with four races to spare. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the previous youngest double world champion when he won for Renault aged 25 in 2006, was a close second to Button on a beautiful sunlit afternoon at the Honda-owned circuit. “Thank you so much, every single one,” said Vettel, his voice trembling with emotion as he choked back the tears behind his visor, over the team radio after being told he was the 2011 world champion. “We took nothing for granted and we did it.” There was to be no trademark raised digit as race winner but he was number one again anyway, only the ninth driver to take back-to-back championships and on the podium for the 14th time in 15 races this year. Vettel, congratulated by both Button and Alonso afterwards, now has 324 points to Button's 210 and Alonso's 202. He had vowed to retain the title in style and his aggression and determination was evident from the start as he cut across Button and forced the Briton onto the grass. The German pulled away initially at a second a lap but 2009 champion Button reined him in and took the lead at his second pitstop when he emerged just ahead of the German in a race dictated by tire wear. A safety car incident triggered by another coming together between McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, as well as a contact between Red Bull's Mark Webber and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, bunched up the field for three laps while marshals retrieved debris. Button kept his lead and took the checkered flag for what he considers a second home race just 1.1 seconds over Alonso. Hamilton finished fifth. Australian Mark Webber, still without a win this year, was fourth for Red Bull. Schumacher was sixth and Massa seventh, Mexican Sergio Perez was seventh ahead of Renault's Russian Vitaly Petrov.
