In the Grand Chelem of things

Champion…Again

With 23 poles and 16 wins in his last 36 races, it had been coming. And after seizing the drivers’ championship at Suzuka and the constructors’ championship at Yeongham, Vettel enlivened the 2011 inaugural Indian Grand Prix, winning the Grand Chelem – the Grand Slam in F1 – adding another feather to his cap for the season. The Grand Chelem is a rare event in F1, occuring only 5 times prior to this in its 60 years of existence. Moreover, it has only been achieved by two (now three) drivers in the 21st century – Schumacher had three during his dominant 2002 & 2004 seasons at Ferrari and Alonso managed one at the Singapore Grand Prix last year.

A hat trick in F1, a far more common occurence, comprises winning the pole position, having the fastest lap and winning the race. Add to that the condition that every lap of the race should be led as well and you have the Grand Chelem. Not surprising then, that in the refuelling era, the Grand Chelem has been very hard to come by. Sebastien Vettel, however, with his dominant performances in 2011, with his 13th pole position was knocking on the door.

Truly dominant

Vettel had scored a hat trick at the European Grand Prix in 2011, but a Grand Chelem means complete dominance from start to finish. At the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this year, Vettel looked set to be the youngest driver to score a Grand Chelem but Button spoiled the party, racing to the fastest lap in the final minutes of the race. It would seem then that Vettel was destined for heartbreak (if one can be cruel enough to call it that) yet again when his Red Bull teammate, Mark Webber, seized the fastest lap in the penultimate lap of the race. However, this time it was not to be as Vettel snatched the fastest lap right back in the last lap of the race to dethrone Ayrton Senna as the youngest driver to win a Grand Chelem and add his name to another section in the record books.

If the RB7 continues to dominate – as it has – then Vettel will be sure to add a few more Grand Chelems to his tally but for now, it’s only a short step towards chasing Jim Clark‘s record of 8. And no one looks to be standing in his way.