Author: Natalie

F1 2013: Japanese GP Review – Seb Rules Suzuka

Demanding or easy, big or small Sebastian Vettel will win them all. The Red Bull driver has increased his tally of victories for the 2013 season to nine with another fine victory in Japan.

Saturday qualifying delivered a first pole of the season for Mark Webber but the Australian couldn’t quite manage to seal the deal on Sunday. However, AussieGrit gave it a good go in a race defined by strategy and patience.

Neither of the front row starting Red Bulls covered themselves in glory as the red lights extinguished. Instead they fell prey to the fast starting Romain Grosjean. The Lotus driver blitzed both Red Bulls and sensationally snatched the lead of the race.

The merest of touches between third placed Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race completely wrecked the Brit’s afternoon. A trip into to the pits with a right rear puncture only postponed the inevitable as Hamilton pulled his Silver Arrow into the garage only a few laps later.

The factor that added to and made the show in Japan was the unknown. For the better part of 53 laps there was no definitive certainty who the eventual victor of the race would be. Romain Grosjean had the lead of the race right off the bat and appeared to have the pace to beat Red Bull. But he is after all in the cockpit of a Lotus and though he got heartbreakingly close beating a Red Bull, much less two, is nigh impossible. Mark Webber’s three stop strategy nearly gave him enough of an undercut to take the victory from Vettel but he ran out of laps before he was able to fully exploit his astute plan. The final stint of the race on fresh medium tyres did however reward Webber with second place at the chequered flag.

There was a third driver in this mix too. Sebastian Vettel patiently waited for his chance to make his own strategy talk. Electing to pit later than his two rivals in the first round of stops meant he would have to stick to a two stopper if victory was to be on the cards. Vettel’s unfailing ability to reel off quick laps paid dividends in the end as he took over the lead of the race from Webber.

Finger boy, selfish, lucky – whatever you want to call Sebastian Vettel he revealed a bit more of what makes him so unbeatable in this race. Beneath that quirky, sort of cheeky, grin there is more talent and skill than we have even begun to glimpse. The regularity with which he is able to set fast laps isn’t in the repertoire of someone who is lucky, that is a skill of a champion.

Further down the field Fernando Alonso played second fiddle for a big part of the race to teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso failed on more than one occasion to overtake the Brazilian; surprising given Alonso’s performances relative to his departing teammate throughout the years. Nevertheless, Alonso managed to get the better of Massa eventually but could not advance much further through the field. “We weren’t as quick as the Red Bulls or Grosjean so fourth was the maximum. We recovered some of the pace we didn’t have earlier in the weekend, but the top three were too strong for us even without traffic,” Alonso concluded.

The traffic Alonso referred to came in the form Daniel Ricciardo. The Toro Rosso driver started his race on the orange side walled hard tyres enabling him to run a good deal further into the race than those immediately around him. The Aussie was lapping three seconds off the front running pace and drivers stuck in the Ricciardo-train included both Ferrari’s and Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn ultimately finished fifth ahead of Sauber pairing Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is the first of the 2013 rookies this season to score points and aptly on the weekend of Peter Sauber’s 70^th birthday. Nico Rosberg’s race was dealt a blow when the pit crew released him into the path of Sergio Perez; the McLaren driver had to take avoiding action and Rosberg incurred a drive through penalty but was still able to salvage eighth place. Jenson Button said a late set-up change made his McLaren quite difficult to drive and that ninth was the maximum. Felipe Massa scored the final point on offer.

Notwithstanding Red Bull’s dominance of the season it has taken until the fifteenth race of the year for any of the rookies to score a point. Add to this that points are awarded all the way down to tenth place, as opposed to sixth in the past; it is an indication that competition for those elusive points is a closely fought affair and more importantly that Formula 1 is healthy and highly competitive.

It will take at least two more weeks for Sebastian Vettel to become a four times world champion. Fifth place is all the German will need to clinch the title in India. If the Japanese GP showed anything it solidified that Seb Vettel is entirely unruffled and that very little is going to keep him from making Formula 1 history, again.

October 13, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Qualifying Report – Webber Snatches Suzuka Pole

Mark Webber has secured pole position for the 2013 Japanese grand prix.

The Australian eased his way through qualifying and pounced on his first run on the final ten minute session. Webber did slightly improve his time in his second run but it was ultimately not required. Sebastian Vettel lines up second for Sunday’s race as the German miraculously managed to secure a spot on the front row of the grid despite losing the kers in the final part of qualifying. Lewis Hamilton secured third in the Mercedes and said, post-qualifying, that tyre management will be the most important factor in the race.

The first part of qualifying ended in a fiery mess for Toro Rosso’s Jean-Eric Vergne. The Frenchman brought his car to a stop as both rear brakes caught fire after being stuck open. The red flag was momentarily out as the marshals cleared the Toro Rosso; the session resumed with just about three minutes remaining. Adrian Sutil was the biggest loser as the Force India driver failed to advance to the second part of qualifying. Sutil has also incurred a five place grid penalty for changing a gearbox.

Max Chilton optimised conditions perfectly as out-qualified both Caterham drivers and teammate Jules Bianchi. Perfect timing for Chilton who is yet to confirm his future in Formula 1.

Despite their best efforts Sergio Perez, Valterri Bottas, Esteban Gutierrez, Pastor Maldonado and Daniel Ricciardo were cut at the end of the second session. Though also being caught in the drop zone in Q2 Force India’s Paul di Resta was upbeat after his qualifying performance. The Scot praised the effort made by the team especially considering the fact that new updates have not been brought to the car this weekend. Lotus’ Romain Grosjean set the fastest time in the second part of qualifying, seemingly preparing himself for a duel with the Red Bull duo of Webber and Vettel.

Ultimately, Grosjean could only muster a time quick enough for fourth but has saved a brand new set of the medium compound tyres for the race. Felipe Massa was able to slot his Ferrari into fifth ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes in sixth. Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg continued to impress as he set the seventh fastest time. Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen’s lacklustre runs in qualifying continued with eighth and ninth respectively. Raikkonen should be slightly upset given that his pace throughout the weekend suggested a better position was possible. Jenson Button rounded out the top ten in his McLaren.

Although the qualifying session at Suzuka demanded the utmost concentration thoughts about former Marussia test driver Maria de Villota was not far from the driver’s minds. Several drivers were seen sporting Villota’s trademark star on their crash helmets as a show of support.

Mark Webber had earmarked the qualifying session for the Japanese GP as the one his most looked forward to earlier this year. By taking first pole position of the season he has certainly achieved half his goal of leaving this majestic circuit with the best memories possible. This seventh pole of the season for Red Bull also marks a historical moment in Renault’s participation in Formula 1 as the French engine manufacturer has now secured more pole positions than Ferrari.

Sunday’s race holds great potential for cracking grand prix. The challenge could come from Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes but the form this weekend also suggests that Lotus may yet have a thing or two to say about who stands where on those three podium steps.

October 12, 2013
F1 2013: Free Practice 1 Report – Japanese GP

The first free practice session for the 2013 Japanese grand prix was topped by Lewis Hamilton.

The notoriously difficult Suzuka circuit didn’t take long to snare its first victim as Marussia’s Jules Bianchi ended his first session in the tyre barrier of the Degner 2. It was later reported that Bianchi had gotten his elbow stuck between the steering wheel and the chassis and was unable to reduce the steering wheel lock which resulted in the crash. The Frenchman was seen icing his forearm in the Marussia motorhome. Bianchi completed only eight laps in the first free practice session.

The track looked in great nick for the session with slightly overcast conditions doing nothing to hamper the pace set by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton set the quickest time for the session on the orange side-walled Pirelli tyres, a 1:34:178. The standings had a familiar look about them towards the closing stages of the session as Nico Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber occupied second through fourth on the sheets.

Two separate incidents for Williams’ Pastor Maldonado and Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde brought out several yellow flags. The first incident involved Maldonado running wide at the Spoon curve and losing his left right wheel. The tyre bounced into the gravel trap around the edge of the circuit and was quickly recovered by the Japanese marshals. At the same time van der Garde parked his Caterham in the barriers of Degner 2, thankfully without too much damage to the car. The famous Degners have already claimed two victims and there is sure to be a few more this weekend.

The level of tyre degradation seemed minimal however the long runs completed by some drivers lasted on a handful of laps. A clearer picture should emerge in the second free practice session. The news coming into the Japanese GP this weekend was about the possible retirement of Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn. However, during an interview with the BBC Brawn was adamant that nothing had been decided and that no discussions had taken place between himself and Honda nor McLaren. In fact, Brawn made it quite clear that negotiations are on the go with Mercedes for 2014.

Over at McLaren Martin Whitmarsh neither confirmed nor denied the rumour about Fernando Alonso rejoining the Woking based team. Whitmarsh also declined to reveal details about Sergio Perez’ future with McLaren. Rumours suggest that Alonso wants to make the move to McLaren in 2014; however this is pure speculation at this stage.

Jenson Button has long since considered the Japanese GP as his second home race of the season and is sporting quite a nifty new helmet design for the weekend. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

Sebastian Vettel considers every race weekend a special occasion and is also sporting a new lid design. (Photo: www.twitter.com)

October 11, 2013
F1 2013: Japanese GP Preview – Spectacular Suzuka

There are few things that are greater than the sport Formula 1. But if there was ever a possibility of it being transcended, of something being greater than the sport that so is beloved then Japan’s Suzuka circuit would be that mystical exception.

The circuit lap record is held by Kimi Raikkonen, set during the exceptionally memorable 2005 Japanese GP. Suzuka made its debut on the Formula 1 calendar in 1987 and this race, where Raikkonen blasted his way through the field from seventeenth to first, is highly regarded as one of the best Japanese GP in F1 history.

The history of this circuit is saturated with some of the sport’s most unforgettable moments. One of the most grandiose and infamous moments between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, the rivals who defined F1 in the 90s, transpired here. Both in contention for the 1990 world title Senna’s cunning plan was set into motion the moment the lights turned to luminous green. As Prost turned his Ferrari into turn 1 Senna held station in his McLaren resulting in a collision that sent both into the turn 1 gravel trap. Both retired from the race and Senna was crowned champion ensuring not only one the most memorable moments in Japan but in all of Formula 1.

Aside from its history, drivers are unanimous in their praise of Suzuka calling “one of the best tracks in the world.” The circuit’s old school, classic, layout and limited run-off area is reminiscent of traditional F1 tracks that required intense concentration and precision. The 5.807 km long lap is uncompromising and ready to punish the slightest lapse in discipline. “If you touch the grass at any point, it’s going to spin you off into the wall, so it’s a much more demanding circuit in terms of precision, positioning and turning points for each corner,” said Lewis Hamilton.

The adrenaline charged layout is a combination of medium to high-speed with first sector of the lap characterised by the flowing Esses, more commonly known as the Snake. Spoon curve, a double apex left-hander in sector two, is taken at fairly high-speed and is crucial for a good end to the lap as it leads directly onto the back straight. The figure-of-eight layout adds the element of elevation changes to the mix along with hairpins, Esses, 130R and a chicane, Suzuka is the perfect blend of a prodigious racing track.

A good front-end, a descent amount of drag and few mistakes should translate into a good result at the end of the 53 lap Japanese GP on Sunday. Both Lotus drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, showed good pace in Korea and could be a threat this weekend. As throughout the year the Lotus has shown adequate long run pace in comparison to its one lap speed; at least in the case of Raikkonen. A better run in qualifying should put Raikkonen in prime position to challenge for race victory; assuming that a certain Mr. Vettel isn’t able to unleash his Singapore-style pace.

Of late, Ferrari’s challenge seems to have faded and not even Fernando Alonso’s Samurai inspired tweets have been enough to enthuse his championship bid. Given that the Suzuka circuit is similar, in terms of corner speed, to Silverstone it may be yet another uphill battle for the Italian squad.

It’s all over bar the singing as Sebastian Vettel’s run of recent victories has led to the possibility that he could clinch his fourth consecutive title in Japan. Four world championships crowns in a row has only been achieved twice in the history of F1; first by Juan Manuel Fangio and secondly, by Michael Schumacher who racked up five consecutive titles between 2001 – 2004. Should Sebastian Vettel find himself first to the chequered flag this weekend, and closest rival Fernando Alonso finishes ninth or lower, the German will secure a fourth driver’s world title at the Japanese GP.

There appears to be no a definite challenge to the all-conquering dominance of Sebastian Vettel. But perhaps the splendour and palpable history is a combination great enough to conjure a Japanese GP to remember.

October 10, 2013
2013 Korean GP: Flawless Vettel Wins

The Korean grand prix is not well attended by fans, it’s situated in the middle of nowhere and its place on the F1 calendar is in doubt. Despite this the Yeongam circuit was riddled with brilliant battles and delivered one of the most electrifying races of the season.

Sebastian Vettel led away from yet another pole position but the Red Bull driver’s advantage wasn’t the dominantly supreme pace of two weeks ago in Singapore. He was however in complete control even with the moderate threat from Romain Grosjean. The Lotus driver had managed to get ahead of second place starter Lewis Hamilton and make a slight impression on Vettel.

Fernando Alonso, despondent about the Ferrari’s pace throughout the weekend, could not make much headway at the start of the race. In fact, the Spaniard was lucky to avoid being taken out by spinning teammate Felipe Massa. Alonso found himself tucked up behind the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg and Kimi Raikkonen bearing down on his gearbox. Raikkonen was able to overtake his future teammate before the first round of pitstops commenced.

Lewis Hamilton’s afternoon didn’t go to plan as tyre degradation severely limited the pace of the Mercedes. The Brit was on the radio, several times, bemoaning the Pirelli’s lack of grip. The team remained adamant and stuck to their original strategy and advised Hamilton to remain out on circuit. The driver though seemed fed up with the situation and appealed to the team to call him in. “You need to call me in now, these tyres are ******,” implored Hamilton.

To add insult to Hamilton’s injury a spectacular failure of Nico Rosberg’s front-wing meant his teammate was called into the pits ahead of him. Mercedes’ strategy calling from the wall left a lot to be desired in this race.

The first of two safety cars was deployed on lap 31 as McLaren’s Sergio Perez suffered a complete delamination of his front-right tyre. A stint of twenty plus lap and a severe flat spot was the perfect was the reason given by Pirelli for Perez throwing the tread off the tyre. Mark Webber was a casualty of the debris from the McLaren and was forced into the pitlane with a slow puncture. Webber commented after the race that Pirelli’s official reason for the failure may not be spot on. “The reason drivers are locking up [the tyres] is because there’s no tread left [on the tyre].”

The deployment of the safety car resulted in a rash of pitstops. The Mercedes team escaped their bad strategy call with Hamilton and allowed Rosberg to recover to a points paying position. The restart of the race had Kimi Raikkonen capitalising on a minute mistake by teammate Grosjean and the Finn snatched second place from the Frenchman who was not too pleased with the “situation.”

Grosjean reportedly voiced his irritation on having been overtaken by Raikkonen and according the teamboss Eric Boullier “he was begging some team orders to let him past.” Grosjean was not able to retake the position with fresher tyres nor was it handed to him by the team. He was told by Lotus’ Director of Trackside Operations, Alan Permane, “We’ll talk about this later, but big ******* smile on the podium, big smile on the podium.” Permane went on to praise Grosjean’s “incredibly strong driving” and Raikkonen’s “luck.”

The race was just about settled down when Adrian Sutil’s spinning Force India smacked into the side of Mark Webber’s Red Bull on lap 38. Webber’s car caught fire and with slow responding marshals erupted into quite a blaze. It later emerged that the fire was caused by a burst oil radiator. The drama intensified as a fire vehicle took to the track ahead of the leaders; prompting the second appearance of the safety car. The FIA said after the race that they had called for the fire vehicle but expected it to come from the Turn 3 marshalling post and not Turn 1.

As the race resumed Vettel was able to move clear of Raikkonen and win the race by four seconds. And while Romain Grosjean complained about not being let through Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg drove the race of his life to hold off Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Hulkenberg withstood immense pressure from Hamilton lap after lap and undoubtedly boosted his shares in driver market. The difference between Grosjean and Hulkenberg is subtle. Although the Frenchman has matured as a driver it’s Hulkenberg who showed that he is a true racer. These two could be an interesting match-up if the rumours of Hulkenberg to Lotus in 2014 have any authenticity.

Several fights throughout the field spiced up the Korean GP enough to declare it a thoroughly entertaining race. Sebastian Vettel however was completely oblivious to the majority of it. Calm and controlled at the head of the race the German delivered yet another faultless drive and the rest as they say is record breaking history.

October 6, 2013
Post Qualifying Report: Korean GP – Vettel Continues Domination

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel has secured pole position ahead of the Korean grand prix.

The qualifying session for the Korean GP got underway under blue skies with the threat of rain having completely sub-sided. The first session saw the elimation of both the Marussia and Caterham teams and suprisingly both the Williams’ drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valterri Bottas failed to advance beyond the first part of qualifying.

The elimination of both Williams drivers was somewhat surprising given the relative pace both drivers were able to show throughout the free practice sessions. The Williams team has also brought several upgrades to the car including a new front-wing on Maldonado’s car.

The second session of qualifying seemed to follow the two-by-two elimination process as both Force India’s, both Toro Rosso’s and both McLaren’s didn’t make the cut. Jenson Button and Force India’s Paul di Resta complained about traffic towards the end of their laps. The biggest improvement was shown by the Sauber duo of Esteban Gutierrez and Nico Hulkenberg as both drivers advanced to the final part of qualifying.

The final top ten shoot-out was expected to a be close fight between Mercedes’ s Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. While Vettel did not annihilate Hamilton in terms of pace it decidedly comfortable for the three time champ. margin of two tenths ultimately secured pole position for Vettel. Mark Webber set the third quickest time in the session but slide back to thirteenth as a result a ten place grid penalty.

Romain Grosjean recorded the fourth fastest time but will move onto the second row of the grid at the expence of Webber. Nico Rosberg quietly slotted into fifth ahead of Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez was quick enough for 8th and ninth as Kimi Raikkonen bailed out of his final qualifying run after making a mistake on his one and only set of new supersport tyres.

Sebastian Vettel continues his domination with yet another pole position and the rest as they say is record breaking history.

October 5, 2013
Driver Announcement: Bianchi to Remain at Marussia

The Marussia team has announced that Jules Bianchi will remain with the team in 2014.

The Frenchman has delivered solid performances for Marussia since making his debut in Australia at the beginning of the season. The move to retain Bianchi, a Ferrari Academy protegé, comes as no surprise as he has had the better of teammate Max Chilton for the better part of the season.

Bianchi was full of praise for the Marussia team. “I couldn’t have wished for a more supportive environment in which to make my F1 debut and from the very beginning I have always felt completely at home with the team,” said Bianchi.

Team Principal John Booth echoed his sentiment and said that consistently is vital part of making a success of the 2014 season.

October 3, 2013
F1 2013: Korean GP Preview: F1 knuckles down in Korea

Speed, glamour and exotic locations are everyday associations with Formula 1. But F1 is also considered as the most advanced racing series in the world. These advances include revolutionary technological innovation and taking the sport to all corners of the globe.

There is no genuinely substantial connection between South Korea and motorsport however it did not detract from the construction of a world class racing venue. The Yeongam International Circuit has proven to be a diamond in the rough.

The circuit layout is a perfect blend of medium to high-speed corners with a distinct street track feel to the barrier lined final sector. “It’s a somewhat technical course, one that rewards precision more than it does commitment, so the main challenge comes from dialing the car into the track, which is satisfying when you get it right because there’s a lot of time to be had from running a well-balanced car,” said McLaren’s Sergio Perez.

The first sector of the lap is typified by long straights which translate to opportunities for overtaking. The entries to turns One and Three are the best prospects for overtaking at this weekend’s Korean GP before the tight and twisting nature of the rest of the lap dictates far fewer chances.

The race will be run over 55 laps under usually changeable conditions. When the rain comes down around these parts it has been known to reach monsoon levels. The inaugural race in 2010 was red flagged after only a handful of laps behind the safety car.

Sebastian Vettel has won the last two Korean GP and would have made it a hat trick had his Red Bull not given up the ghost in 2010. There is very little to suggest that the German will not be ahead of the pack this weekend. Team Principal Christian Horner has tried to play down Vettel’s dominant display in Singapore as a “once off” but it is hard to believe that Red Bull will suddenly have to fight tooth and nail for victory. Nevertheless, the Yeongam circuit does have attributes to it that has not suited Red Bull in the past – long straights.

Ferrari and Fernando Alonso will need a bit of luck on their side if they are to make inroads into the gigantic lead held by Sebastian Vettel. Alonso will want to beat his fierce rival in a straight out fight but something extraordinary has to happen if the Spaniard is going to truly be in contention for the title. That something extraordinary could be Red Bull’s less than stellar reliability this season. Mark Webber suffered a mechanical failure in Singapore and both cars were nursed to the finish of the Italian GP.

Mark Webber will start this weekend on the back foot after incurring a ten place grid penalty in Singapore for running onto the circuit during the cool down lap and hitching a ride back to the pits with Alonso. Kimi Raikkonen also heads to the Korean GP with question marks around his fitness. Raikkonen was hampered by back pain in Singapore and will use the first free practice session of Friday to assess the issue.

The possible appearance of Typhoon Fitow has cast some doubt whether the race will be run as scheduled. However, accurately predicting the weather pattern remains a dark and mysterious art that few seem able to master. The only guaranteed prediction is that Super-storm Seb will undoubtedly be thundering around the Yeongam circuit more voraciously than ever.

Photo Credits

Sergio Perez – Photo by McLarenF1.com

Alonso/Webber lift – F1 Madness screengrab

October 3, 2013
F1 2013: Singapore GP Review – Invincible Vettel Shatters Competitors

It has been a well-known fact for a number of years now that Red Bull cars have a leg up on the competition. However, Sebastian Vettel’s complete domination of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend will strike fear in the most resolute of hearts.

Nico Rosberg flew out of the blocks and momentarily snatched the lead of the race. However, the Mercedes driver ran slightly wide into turn one allowing Vettel the opportunity to re-take the lead of the race. Master-of-the-starts Fernando Alonso started seventh but scythed his way into third ensuring that Ferrari’s afternoon wouldn’t be as glum as previously expected.

Nevertheless, by the end of the first lap Vettel had scampered nearly two seconds clear of Rosberg and continued to pull dramatically away from the field. It looked set to be an afternoon of which Vettel would be firmly in control but a rare driver error from Daniel Ricciardo brought out the safety car mid-way through the race on lap 24. As several drivers dove into the pits the deployment of the safety car was expected to add some spice to the race at the front. Nothing could have been more unlikely.

Sebastian Vettel was able to turn a scintillating pace at the start of the 61 lap race. But as the safety car pulled into the pitlane at the end of the 31st the pace that Vettel churned was so ludicrously quick it bordered on the nigh impossible. To conclusively prove that there was no one near the level of Vettel this weekend the three-time champ pulled out a mind-boggling twenty seconds in nine laps over second placed Nico Rosberg.

Overtaking manoeuvres on a street track are usually at a premium and Singapore was no exception. Nevertheless, Kimi Raikkonen managed to pull off some audacious moves regardless. Despite back pain, which required a cortisone injection before the race, Raikkonen delivered an amazing drive from thirteenth on the grid to third. Teammate Romain Grosjean was on for a decent haul of points but an air consumption issue brought an end to his race.

Only Vettel, Webber, the two Mercedes and Grosjean elected not to pit with the deployment of the safety car. This left Fernando Alonso in second, Raikkonen battling with Button for third and Perez, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Gutierrez on course for some championship points. Alonso and Raikkonen were able to nurse their medium compound tyres to the end but the McLarens and Saubers were struggling for grip towards the closing stages of the race.

It was Raikkonen who opened the overtaking floodgates with a brilliant move around the outside of turn 14 on Jenson Button. Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, all on much fresher rubber, made short work of the McLarens and Saubers and Felipe Massa fought his way into sixth behind the Mercedes duo.

Webber looked on course for a potential podium finish but was forced into retirement on the final lap with a gearbox issue. The Australian hitched a ride back to the pits with friend Alonso but with hindsight may have elected to take a stroll back to the garage. Webber has been given a ten place grid penalty as this is his third reprimand. Ultimately, the penalty is a bit harsh considering that it provided the fans with a moment worth remembering.

Jenson Button came close to the scoring McLaren’s first podium of the season but ultimately came home in seventh ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in eight. Nico Hulkenberg earned a welcome two points for Sauber with a ninth place finish ahead of Force India’s Adrian Sutil in tenth. Paul di Resta had been in the fight for the minor points but crashed his Force India six laps from the chequer.

Many criticize Sebastian Vettel and declare that the only explanation for his success is the Red Bull. His pace defies logic; many drivers in the fastest cars on the grid couldn’t deliver the same stunning pace. Sebastian Vettel was not in a class of his own this weekend; he was on a whole different planet. To lap nearly two and a half seconds per lap faster is mind-blowing and reminiscent of greats like Senna and Schumacher. That is class.

Red Bull sent a deafening, crystal-clear, message to their competitors – there is not even the slightest of hints that they will be relaxing their grip on this title fight. The pace of Sebastian Vettel this weekend was truly stupendous and at this stage of the game, with a 60 point lead, it is becoming more and more difficult to imagine anyone other than him grasping the world championship trophy at the end of the season.

September 22, 2013
F1 Singapore Qualifying – Sebastian Vettel takes pole

Sebastian Vettel has secured pole position for the Singapore GP.

The stars seemed aligned for Vettel even before the qualifying session had gotten underway. Although the German secured the coveted pole position the fight was decidedly closer than expected.

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg got to within a tenth of snatching the first slot on the grid & Lotus’ Romain Grosjean was a further three tenths back in third. Significantly closer than the second gap Vettel enjoyed in the third free practice session.

The biggest casualty of the session was Kimi Raikkonen. The Finn failed to advance to the top ten shoot-out and will start the race in 13th position. It was reported that Raikkonen was suffering from back pain sustained as a result of his seat not being fastened correctly in the cockpit of his Lotus.

The stand-out driver of qualifying was Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez. The Mexican put in a mega lap to advance to the top ten and in the process out-qualified his highly rated teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Mark Webber set a time only quick enough for fourth and Lewis Hamilton won’t be too pleased down in fifth and three tenths off his teammate.

Perhaps there was some truth in Felipe Massa’s statement that he would be racing for himself from this point onward. The Brazilian out-qualified teammate Fernando Alonso albeit by just about a tenth of a second. The two Ferrari drivers will start sixth and seventh respectively. Jenson Button, Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Gutierrez round out the top ten.

Full qualifying time sheet below.

Due to technical difficulties with a certain ISP, this report was compiled using an instant messenger, an iPhone 5, some duct tape and a Canadian squirrel.

September 21, 2013