SINGAPORE, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Sebastian Vettel drove a masterful race Sunday in winning the Singapore Grand Prix for his seventh Formula One victory this year.
It was the third consecutive victory -- and fourth win in five races -- for Vettel, who drives for Red Bull Racing-Renault . He has 33 Grand Prix wins in his career, which is fourth most all-time. Sunday's finish allowed him to break a tie with Fernando Alonso, who has 32 wins.
It was also the third straight year's Vettel has won in Singapore. He started the race on the pole but Nico Rosberg slipped past him at the start. Vettel, however, quickly regained the lead and was in front the rest of the way.
Vettel completed the 61 laps around the 3.15-mile Marina Bay Street Circuit in 1 hour, 59 minutes, 13 seconds. Alonso, in a Ferrari, was second, but 32.6 seconds back of Vettel with Lotus-Renault's Kimi Raikkonen third another 11.6 seconds behind.
Rosberg was fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth. They both drive for Mercedes.
Vetlel, going for a fourth consecutive drivers' title, leads the standings with 247 points, 60 more than Alonso, who is in second, with six races left in the 2013 Formula One season. Hamilton sits in third with 151 points with Raikkonen (149) fourth and Mark Webber, Vettelk's Red Bull termmate, (130) fifth.
The next Formula One race is the Korean Grand Prix Oct. 6.
