Germany's Sebastian Vettel became Formula One's youngest double world champion on Sunday after finishing third in a Japanese Grand Prix won by British rival Jenson Button.
Ferrari title rival Sebastian Vettel qualified only ninth.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel will go into Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix as a heavy favourite, buoyed by a comprehensive season-opening victory in Melbourne a fortnight ago to kick off his world title defence.
The German teenager showed he is ready to come of age in Formula One by shining in free practice for his race debut in Sunday's US GP.
The 31-year-old German fell 30 points behind race-winner Hamilton after a collision with the Briton left him struggling to finish fourth in Monza last time out, one of several races where Vettel has frittered away a position of authority.
From the very first moment he arrived in Formula One as a curly-haired teenager, new world champion Sebastian Vettel was a young man in a hurry.
Renault rushed to fix a problem with their new Formula One power unit on Wednesday after Red Bull's world champion Sebastian Vettel wrapped up his first pre-season test early with barely any laps completed.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton won the floodlit Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday after Red Bull's double Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel suffered his first race retirement in more than a year.
The German, winner of the season's first two races, had been second before coming in for a fresh set of tyres while Hamilton won with one stop from pole position.
Sebastian Vettel gave Red Bull their fourth pole position in four races with a searing late lap in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix on Saturday.
Selecting the right set of tyres at the Buddh International Circuit might hold the key to success in Sunday's Indian Grand Prix, but defending champion Sebastian Vettel feels the 60-lap race is long enough for a team to adjust its strategies.
Sebastian Vettel will have to be the best of the best if he is to join Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to have won three successive Formula One titles.
In a thrilling race with two safety car periods, reigning champion Hamilton went from pole position to the rear of the field before finishing second for Mercedes in a superb fightback. Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen was third.
Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday in a Red Bull one-two with Mark Webber, who stretched his Formula One championship lead to 14 points.
'The team is developing and closer together year by year so I hope that this year we get to have a lot of fun -- fun means win a lot of races and then ultimately you are fighting for the championship'
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel could see his hopes of a fifth Formula One world title fading with the Sochi sunset on Sunday after falling 50 points behind Mercedes rival Lewis Hamilton with five races remaining.
German rookie Sebastian Vettel said ending a turbulent week with fourth place in the Chinese Grand Prix ranked as one of the highlights of his life.
A US-based sports website has placed India's prolific batsman Cheteshwar Pujara in its latest list of potentially good top ten investment options in sports, putting the Saurashtra player alongside the likes of Brazilian soccer star Neymar and Formula One ace Sebastian Vettel.
'I think the team has obviously done a really, really great job, a lot of hard work, commitment and... things start to click'
Germany's Sebastian Vettel ran away with the British Grand Prix in a Red Bull one-two while championship leader Jenson Button struggled home in sixth place on Sunday. Australian Mark Webber finished runner-up, 15.1 seconds behind the 21-year-old, with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in third place for Brawn GP.
The Mercedes driver told reporters he would seek a clarification from race director Charlie Whiting ahead of the next race in Spain.
Vettel, 17 points behind Hamilton after a commanding win in Belgium last Sunday, has previously triumphed at Monza with Toro Rosso and Red Bull and will fancy his chances of the hat-trick at the super-fast track outside Milan.
Vettel, who won from pole position last year in Canada to revive Ferrari's title hopes, will be hoping for the same on Sunday with world championship leader Hamilton, chasing a record equalling seventh win in Montreal, starting alongside him.
Sebastian Vettel stormed to victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, leading home a Red Bull one-two ahead of Mark Webber with Nico Rosberg completing the podium for Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso indicated his Formula One future was in his own hands despite Red Bull announcing on Saturday that four time world champion Sebastian Vettel was leaving to join Ferrari.
Formula One World champion Sebastian Vettel drove his new Red Bull for the first time on Thursday with the team saying they were on course to tick all the right boxes in pre-season testing at Jerez.
Lewis Hamilton did 94 laps of Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on the soft C2 compound in a sunny afternoon session
Lewis Hamilton can clinch his fifth Formula One world championship at Sunday's US Grand Prix.
The German's hopes of winning a fifth Formula One title this season moved away from slim and closer to non-existent at Suzuka.
Sunday's explosive Azerbaijan Grand Prix more than made up for last year's dull race in Baku, bursting the budding 'bromance' and replacing it with something much more heavyweight.
Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel pumped in a stunning late lap to snatch pole position from team mate Kimi Raikkonen as Ferrari dominated Chinese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
The German was joined on the front row of the grid by reigning world champion and closest rival Lewis Hamilton, in a Mercedes.
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel was first and last in Austrian Grand Prix practice on a Friday that team principal Maurizio Arrivabene will not forget in a hurry after nearly being run over by Felipe Massa.
Sebastian Vettel may need to rely on a stroke of luck at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday if the German wants to keep alive his diminishing hopes of claiming a fifth Formula One title.
Hamilton, Bottas's team mate, started in eighth place after a grid penalty triggered by an unscheduled gearbox change and finished fourth.
Sebastian Vettel led a Red Bull one-two in Friday's first free practice for an Indian Grand Prix that looks sure to secure the German a fourth successive Formula One title.
'Every great Formula One season is marked by a great rivalry. Last year it was our internal battle between Lewis and Nico and this year it seems that the fight is on between Ferrari and Mercedes and Lewis and Sebastian'
Four times Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel decided to leave Red Bull because he needed new motivation after a frustrating season, team consultant Helmut Marko said.
F1 has had only male drivers on the starting grid since 1976 but has made a push for diversity
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel, McLaren's Fernando Alonso and Williams' Valtteri Bottas have all been highlighted in media speculation but 22-year-old German reserve driver Pascal Wehrlein remains the bookmakers' favourite.