F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Vettel dominates as Alonso and Raikkonen fight into top three

Defending Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel piloted his Red Bull Racing RB9 to a lights to flag win at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus F1.

The German opened his championship advantage to 60 points ahead of Alonso after winning a race that saw a brief safety car period due to Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo crashing on lap 24 of the 61 lap race.

Vettel was briefly challenged for the lead at the first corner following the start by Mercedes AMG's Nico Rosberg before Rosberg ran wide at the corner's exit allowing the Red Bull Racing driver right back through. The three-time F1 champion then stretched out a comfortable gap over Rosberg.

The gap then stretched out even further when the Mercedes driver started to lose time due to his front wing's effectiveness being compromised by rubber that filled in the gaps between the elements on it.

Second place in the race eventually went to Alonso who leaped to third after the first corner from his seventh place on the starting grid.

Arguably the drive of the race was put in by Raikkonen, however, who turned a woeful 13th place on the starting grid into a podium position. The departing Lotus F1 driver, along with McLaren's Jenson Button was helped to an extent due to the safety car period when the two former world champions decided to go further on their tyres.

Button's McLaren started to wear out its rear tyres which gave Raikkonen the opportunity to get past after which he was given a reprieve when the charging Red Bull of Mark Webber developed gearbox trouble that caused a late retirement.

With a maximum of 150 points on offer from the six remaining rounds in the F1 season, Vettel's gap of 60 points to Alonso is mathematically not safe but current form makes it difficult to bet against the German winning his fourth straight world championship.