Sebastian Vettel Could Clinch 4th Consecutive Formula 1 Championship on NBCSN, 10/13

At the age of 26, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) can clinch his fourth consecutive Formula One World Championship on Sunday at the Japanese Grand Prix, highlighting 15 hours of motorsports coverage this weekend on NBCSN.

Vettel can clinch his fourth consecutive F1 title with a win this weekend, coupled with a finish of ninth or worse by Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), who trails Vettel by 77 points in the F1 points standings with five races remaining. Vettel is a three-time winner at the Japanese Grand Prix, earning victories in three of the last four seasons at Suzuka International Racing Course, while Alonso has won the Japanese Grand Prix twice. Vettel clinched his second World Championship in 2011 at the Japanese Grand Prix with a third-place finish.

Vettel enters the Japanese Grand Prix following back-to-back "Grand Slams" at the Singapore and Korean Grand Prixes, where he won the pole position, led every lap, and recorded the fastest lap en route to victory. It was only the third time ever a driver has achieved a Grand Slam in consecutive F1 races, and the first time in 50 years.

With a fourth consecutive World Championship, Vettel would tie Alain Prost (4) and trail only Juan Manuel Fangio (5) and Michael Schumacher (7) for the most career F1 World Championships. Vettel's resume currently includes numerous F1 records, including youngest polesitter, youngest race winner, and youngest world champion.

Live coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix begins with practice on Friday at 1 a.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by qualifying on NBCSN on Saturday at 1 a.m. ET. Live race coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix begins on Sunday at 1:30 a.m. ET. NBCSN will also air an encore presentation of the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. F1 Extra, NBC Sports Group's half-hour post-race show, will air immediately following the conclusion of NBCSN's Japanese Grand Prix coverage.

Live coverage of practice, qualifying, and the Japanese Grand Prix can also be seen on NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets.

NBCSN will also air episodes of Translogic as part of NBC Sports Group's motorsports coverage.

Date Coverage Network Time (ET)
Fri., F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Practice NBCSN 1 a.m.
October
11
TRANSLOGIC NBCSN 2:30 a.m.
TRANSLOGIC NBCSN 11:30 p.m.
Sat., F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying NBCSN 1 a.m.
October
12
TRANSLOGIC NBCSN 2:30 a.m.
TRANSLOGIC NBCSN 10:30 p.m.
Sun., Translogic NBCSN 1 a.m.
October
13
F1 Japanese Grand Prix NBCSN 1:30 a.m.
F1 Extra NBCSN 4 a.m.
F1 Japanese Grand Prix - Qualifying (Encore) NBCSN 11:30 a.m.
F1 Japanese Grand Prix (Encore) NBCSN 1 p.m.
F1 Extra (Encore) NBCSN 3:30 p.m.
Mon., IndyCar Grand Prix of Houston - Race 1 (Encore) NBCSN 1 a.m.
October
14

COMMENTATORS: Lead F1 announcer Leigh Diffey will call the Japanese Grand Prix and will be joined by veteran analyst and former racecar driver David Hobbs, and analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett. F1 insider Will Buxton will serve as the team's on-site reporter from the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan.

Following are quotes from Hobbs on Vettel:

Hobbs on what sets Vettel apart: "He has a genius feel for the car - how it grips going into the corner. He has an unmatched ability to get the maximum amount out of the car on the first lap, which is incredibly hard to do."

Hobbs comparing Vettel and Michael Schumacher: "We said when Michael Schumacher was around that it would never happen again. Well, now we're seeing it again...I'm in total awe of him."

Hobbs on historical context of Vettel's performance: "We are watching something that has never happened in 60 years of grand prix racing. With his age and the team he's driving for, the possibility of him winning seven World Championships and reaching Schumacher is very likely."

FORMULA ONE ON NBC SPORTS LIVE EXTRA: NBC Sports Live Extra - NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, and tablets - will provide live comprehensive streaming coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix, as well as practice and qualifying in the days preceding the race . Coverage will be streamed via "TV Everywhere," the media industry's effort to make quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of home and on multiple platforms.

For desktops, NBC Sports Live Extra can be accessed at NBCSports.com/liveextra (http://stream.nbcsports.com/liveextra/). The NBC Sports Live Extra app for mobile devices and tablets is available at the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and on select Android handset and tablet devices within Google Play.

Coverage airing on NBCSN will live stream to PCs, mobile devices and tablets through NBC Sports Live Extra, and to the digital platforms of participating cable, satellite, and telco services, via "TV Everywhere," which is available on an authenticated basis to subscribers of participating MVPDs.

Click here for the participating cable/satellite/telco companies offering NBC Sports Live Extra:
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2013/08/16/nbc-sports-live-extra-providers/

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To explore the site, please visit MotorSportsTalk.com.nbcsports.com (http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/) or www.NBCSports.com.

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