Vettel takes F1 title

The victory, coupled with Fernando Alonso finishing outside the top four, was enough for the German to make it a double championship season for Red Bull who had already claimed the teams' title at the penultimate race in Brazil.

Spain's double world champion finished seventh ahead of Vettel's team-mate Mark Webber, with both title hopefuls enduring a frustrating evening of racing in the twilight then floodlit darkness of the marina circuit.

The other contender, Lewis Hamilton, had only a slight chance of claiming a second crown - and like his two unsuccessful rivals had to contend with an impressive Renault ahead of him for the majority of the race. Vitaly Petrov it was who held off Alonso and Webber, while the French marque's other driver Robert Kubica frustrated Hamilton.

Vettel is 23 years and 106 days old, while previous youngest champion Hamilton was 23 years and 301 days old when he won his title in 2008.

Hamilton and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, who is superseded as champion, finished on the podium.

Vettel was away well from pole with Hamilton following closely; they almost touched at the first corner which gave the Briton concerns about his front wing which proved unfounded.

Button passed Alonso for third with Webber behind the Ferrari, and fans awaited an entertaining battle with the Red Bull expected to challenge for position.

Any hopes of immediately commencing that fight, with Webber in need of a high finish unless disaster befell his rivals, were dashed on the first lap by the only crash of the race.

Michael Schumacher's disappointing comeback season ended in spectacular fashion when he spun out after racing wheel-to-wheel with Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg; Vitantonio Liuzzi could not evade him on the corner and his Force India mounted the Mercedes.

The safety car led the field around the following five laps of Yas Marina while the debris was cleared, with several drivers further down the field using the opportunity to get rid of their unreliable super-soft rubber as soon as possible.

When racing began again, Webber seemed to have problems and was unable to get close to Alonso, touching the barrier at one point as he ran dangerously wide. He was caught in a Ferrari sandwich, with Felipe Massa following, that saw him lapping 1.6s seconds slower than his team-mate.

He came in after only 11 laps to change over to the harder-compound tyres and try to throw Alonso, who responded a few laps later by pitting himself.

The moves proved disastrous as the duo, in the same order but now 13th and 14th, were held up throughout the remainder of the race by an excellent performance from Petrov in the Renault.

Following the chequered flag Alonso pulled alongside the Russian to wag a finger, blaming him for his faded title hopes - an unfair appraisal that spoke volumes regarding the Ferrari driver's frustration.

Twenty-three-year-old German Vettel was de facto race leader from start to finish and did not put a foot wrong, while a pitstop 0.6s quicker than that of Hamilton ensured he would not be challenged for the win.

The Briton, who initially had to negotiate the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, fought in vain for a way past Kubica, but the Pole had hard-compound tyres on his Renault from the start and stayed out until lap 47 before changing to the mandatory option rubber.

Button was among the last drivers to pit and, having lost substantial time as 'race leader', found himself way back from the still-to-pit Kubica and Hamilton when he resumed with 15 laps remaining.

When Kubica finally came in he rejoined in front of Petrov, further dashing Alonso's title dream, while Adrian Sutil pitted from fifth to give the top order its final appearance.

At the front Vettel had disappeared up the road from Hamilton to claim a deserved first world title - although watching nervous team principal Christian Horner on the pit wall, you would not think it quite so comfortable as it seemed.

Rosberg finished fourth ahead of Kubica, Petrov, Alonso and Webber, with Jaime Alguersuari of Toro Rosso and Massa completing the points.

Timo Glock was the only driver to retire other than Schumacher and Liuzzi.