It seemed very likely that Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel would be able to wrap up the 2011 Driver Championship at the Suzuka circuit, but that made it no less emotional for the German when he finally crossed the line to pick up the necessary point. Jenson Button won the race, but Vettel's third place meant he became the youngest double world champion ever.

Speaking after the podium ceremony, but before the real team celebrations began, Vettel was keen to thank everyone involved in the season: "Obviously, a lot of people have been quite confident on that, but I think one of the important things was that we didn't allow us to drift away with that thought on too much. We really stayed present and concentrated on every single step. Incredible. Everything we did this year, everything we achieved, we achieved as a team. It's not just us pushing on track, it's the guys in the factory as well. Every single one, it's incredible."