F1 Mid-season Driver Ratings 2014

With the F1 fraternity enjoying the last week of its summer break before returning to action at Spa-Francorchamps next weekend, it's time to reveal my mid-season driver ratings in what has so far been a spectacular season of racing:

Lewis Hamilton (GB, Mercedes) 2nd in Championship, 5 wins, 4 poles, 191pts              
Rating: A-

Had this post been written just after the Spanish Grand Prix, where Hamilton took a fourth successive win after another tight battle with Nico Rosberg, it would be hard to award the Briton anything other than full marks. But, since that infamous qualifying session in Monaco, it's the German who has gained the upper hand between the two Mercedes team-mates.

One particularly illuminating stat is that every time Hamilton hasn't been on pole, he has been outqualified by Rosberg - a poor reflection on a driver whose single lap pace is often regarded as his strongest suit. Admittedly, car troubles at Hockenheim and the Hungaroring have played their part, but then again so have crucial errors at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.

Hamilton was fortunate that gearbox failure for Rosberg at Silverstone allowed him to claw back precious ground in the championship, but his recovery drives at the following two races were both masterclasses in damage limitation. Beating his title adversary at Hungary despite his pitlane start in particular will have given the 2008 champion a vital psychological boost going into the latter half of the year.

Nico Rosberg (D, Mercedes) 1st in Championship, 4 wins, 6 poles, 202 pts
Rating: A 

After the Spanish Grand Prix, where Rosberg was beaten by Hamilton for a fourth time in succession, many were beginning to question whether the destiny of the title was already decided; whether the German could possibly mount a fight-back from such a position of weakness. But, since then, Rosberg has lived up to the title favourite billing with which many observers had assigned him pre-season.

Whatever your thoughts on the events of qualifying at Monaco, it was Rosberg who had set the quicker first run in Q3 - going on to outqualify Hamilton in the next three races. The points leader was also unfortunate to lose potential victories in both Canada and Britain to mechanical woes, while the timing of the safety car in Hungary was also unfortunate, though that doesn't fully excuse Rosberg from ultimately finishing behind his team-mate.

It's unlikely that Rosberg is going to have a better opportunity to win the title than the one he has this season, and so far he has proven he has both the speed and the mental fortitude to get the job done. Unreliability has had a part in tilting the scales in Nico's favour, but his sheer consistency and coolness in the face of adversity have played an equally important role.

Sebastian Vettel (D, Red Bull) 6th in Championship, 2 podiums, 88pts
Rating: B 

A combination of Mercedes supremacy and the loss of the exhaust-blown diffuser meant that Vettel was always going to be in for a harder time in 2014 than he had become accustomed to in his championship years. But, few could have predicted the struggle the four-time champion has endured in his bid to get on top of the new regulations, as well as his ultra-quick new team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

Indeed, on just one occasion when both Red Bull cars have finished has Vettel beaten Ricciardo, on home turf at Hockenheim, where the latter lost time avoiding the Massa-Magnussen collision, while the German has been soundly beaten in qualifying 7-4. That's not to say that Vettel has driven poorly, but he has clearly failed to extract the most from the RB10 this year.

Daniel Ricciardo (AU, Red Bull) 3rd in Championship, 2 wins, 131pts
Rating: A+ 

The only man not blessed with a Mercedes to have tasted victory this season, Ricciardo has started to deliver on the promise shown in his junior career and his two years at Toro Rosso, becoming a bona fide part of the sport's elite crop of drivers. In fact, he's been the revelation of the season, making his far more illustrious team-mate Vettel look rather average by comparison.

Finishing second in front of his home fans prior to his disqualification at Melbourne set the tone for a season that has been full of great drives, Ricciardo shaking off his previous reputation of being a strong qualifier but a mediocre racer. Both of his wins in Canada and Hungary may have owed something to good fortune, but on each occasion the Aussie made the most of the golden opportunity presented to him.

Fernando Alonso (E, Ferrari) 4th in Championship, 2 podiums, 115pts
Rating: A+

Despite the enormous frustration of Ferrari being yet again unable to provide him with a title contending car in 2014, Alonso has done nothing to dissuade his supporters of their view that he remains the best driver in the business. Indeed, while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen has finished inside the top six just once, the Spaniard has managed to finish in at least that position at every race bar one - at Bahrain, where he sarcastically celebrated a ninth place finish at a track where the F14 T's deficiencies were ruthlessly exposed.

The highlight undoubtedly came in Hungary, where a gamble on tyre strategy very nearly yielded the unlikeliest of victories. It was nevertheless refreshing to see Alonso back in the spotlight having finished a superb second, after so many races where similar heroics have gone rather unnoticed amid a backdrop of Mercedes domination.

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN, Ferrari) 12th in Championship, 27pts
Rating: D

Unquestionably the disappointment of the season, Raikkonen has for much of 2014 seemed a shadow of his former self, struggling to adapt to the handling characteristics of this year's new breed of machinery. Beating Alonso was always going to be a tall order, but nobody was expecting the Finn to be trounced quite so soundly by the two-time champion heading into the season.

The statistics in this regard speak for themselves: just twice this season has Raikkonen out-qualified Alonso in 11 races, while the Finn hasn't finished ahead once. The fact he was denied a likely podium by a collision with backmarker Max Chilton at Monaco - the one circuit where Raikkonen looked to truly have the measure of Alonso - just about summed up his year so far. Will it be his last in the sport? 

Jenson Button (GB, McLaren) 8th in Championship, 1 podium, 60pts
Rating: B+ 

Casual observers would be forgiven for thinking that, considering all the speculation surrounding his future, Button has suffered a rather mediocre season thus far. But, the reality is that the Brit has performed consistently well given the limitations of his machinery, responding positively to the threat of new team-mate Kevin Magnussen after the shock of being beaten first time out at Melbourne.

The qualifying battle between the pair stands at 6-5 in Button's favour, fourth places at Montreal and Silverstone ranking as the 34-year-old's best performances of the season. But, while he has had the measure of Magnussen at the vast majority of races this year, anything less would have been considered disastrous - you still can't help but wonder whether Button is the right man to lead McLaren going forward. 

Kevin Magnussen (DK, McLaren) 10th in Championship, 1 podium, 37pts
Rating: B

Hopes were already high for Magnussen when he arrived as the sport's new kid on the block at Melbourne, and after a phenomenal drive to second at the curtain-raiser, comparisons with Hamilton, the last rookie McLaren took a chance on, were being bandied about with eyebrow-raising frequency. That pressure might explain why Magnussen's subsequent performances were slightly more fraught, notwithstanding his machinery's competitive slump.

That he has the speed to challenge team-mate Button isn't in doubt; but his inexperience at stringing together complete race weekends had been evident. More recently however, Magnussen has begun to mature into a more consistent performer, his seventh place finish at Austria standing out as his most impressive post-Australia result. Expect him to give \Button a harder time from now until the end of the year.

Felipe Massa (BR, Williams) 9th in Championship, 1 pole, 40pts
Rating: B-

If Massa knew deep down during his time at Ferrari that matching the standard set by Alonso would be nigh-on impossible, he must have arrived at Williams this season confident of putting upstart team-mate Valtteri Bottas in his place. But, far from stamping his authority over the far less experienced Finn, the veteran Brazilian has been outscored by a ratio of two-to-one and outqualified 7-4.

True enough, plenty of points have gone begging thanks to incidents that weren't his fault and team blunders early in the year, but Massa hasn't made enough of the pace of the Williams when things have gone his way - Austria, where he took pole but lost out to Bottas to come home fourth, being a prime example. His self-inflicted retirement at Hockenheim was also inexcusable for a driver of Massa's experience.

Valtteri Bottas (FIN, Williams) 5th in Championship, 3 podiums, 95pts
Rating: A 

If Ricciardo has been the stand-out young driver of 2014 so far, then Bottas has to come a close second, spearheading this year's Williams renaissance and convincingly shading stablemate Massa. The only major error the Finn has made all season was at Melbourne, where he threw away a likely second place, but he has atoned for that more recently with three consecutive podium visits.

The first of these came at Austria, Bottas beating polesitting teammate Massa in a straight fight to clinch the final podium spot behind the two Mercedes. His charge from 14th on the grid to second at Silverstone was one of the drives of the season, while holding off Hamilton to repeat the result two weeks later at Hockenheim was another measured performance by a driver who seems destined for big things.

Nico Hulkenberg (D, Force India), 7th in Championship, 69pts
Rating: B+ 

Returning to Force India after a season at Sauber, Hulkenberg has proven solid rather than spectacular this year so far. Where team-mate Sergio Perez took the team's most eye-catching result with third at Bahrain, Hulkenberg hasn't finished higher than fifth - though he has done so on four occasions, scoring the lion's share of Force India's constructors' points as a result.

The German has also outqualified his younger team-mate 9-2, and, prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix, he shared the honour with Alonso of being the only driver to have scored points in every race. His ill-judged overtaking move on Perez nonetheless left the Ferrari driver in a class of one in that respect, but that has been the sole blot on an otherwise very neat copybook.

Sergio Perez (MEX, Force India), 11th in Championship, 1 podium, 29pts
Rating: B-

While Perez was massively unlucky to join McLaren last season at the team's lowest ebb in over 30 years, the Mexican has equally proved fortunate to have arrived at Force India just as the Silverstone-based team has got itself in a position to fight for its best ever constructors' finish. Indeed, a superb podium finish at Bahrain by Perez immediately bettered his best finish of fifth achieved last season.

But, since then, things have been decidedly up-and-down for the 24-year-old. He cost himself potential strong finishes at both Monaco and Canada, where, in hindsight, Perez should have been more circumspect defending from Massa given his car's brake problems. A storming drive to sixth at Austria followed, but Perez needs to find more consistency if he's ever to put himself back in contention for a top-line drive.

The Rest

It would be fair to say that Jean-Eric Vergne (B) faced an impossible task this season this season having missed out on the promotion to Red Bull to Ricciardo, but it's one he has performed admirably in spite of Toro Rosso's poor reliability, picking up four points finishes and out-qualifying his team-mate 6-5.

Vergne's only problem is that his team-mate is Daniil Kvyat (B+), who became the sport's youngest ever points-scorer at Melbourne and has belied his inexperience with his consistent pace since. The Russian is already shaping up nicely as Red Bull's next star to slot alongside Ricciardo when Vettel decides to leave, leaving Vergne in a rather tricky situation.

Romain Grosjean (B)  has had to endure a trying season with Lotus after his heroics in the second half of 2013, squeezing just eight points out of what has been the worst car to come out of Enstone in more than a decade. Qualifying fifth at Spain was a particular highlight for the Frenchman, who has done more than enough to warrant better machinery for next year.

Indeed, Grosjean has hammered team-mate Pastor Maldonado (E), who despite now being in his fourth season in F1 continues to make errors that would be barely excusable for a novice. Worse still, he's been outqualified 10-1 by Grosjean - and qualifying is meant to be the Venezuelan's forté. He must be breathing a sigh of relief that his PDVSA backing has bought him at least one more season with Lotus.

Adrian Sutil (C) is hardly one to outperform the machinery at his disposal, so it shouldn't come as any real surprise that he's yet to get on the scoreboard in this year's dismal Sauber, a pair of 11th places standing as the German's best results. Whether he keeps his seat for next year will largely depend on money, though this year has arguably proved that the 31-year-old is past his sell-by date at this level.

The fate of Esteban Gutierrez (D) will also be determined primarily by what cash is available, but on merit the young Mexican has done little to suggest he deserves a third season at Sauber. He has outqualified Sutil 6-5, but his race performances have largely been scrappy, with his mistake at Monaco costing the Hinwil-based team its only realistic shot at points this season so far.

Jules Bianchi (A-) on the other hand was superb at Monaco, his reward being the first two points of his career and Marussia's existence. The Frenchman, who has also made two Q2 visits in the least three races, has predictably had the measure of team-mate Max Chilton (C-) and is surely set for greener pastures next year while the Brit's F1 career looks to be heading nowhere fast.

It's been a difficult return to the sport for Caterham's Kamui Kobayashi (C+), who has done about as well as could be expected, even making Q2 in Melbourne, but is nonetheless far from certain to see out the year. Marcus Ericsson (D) meanwhile has been singularly unspectacular, never qualifying higher than 20th; the Swede needs to do more relative to his team-mate if he ever wants to shake off his 'pay driver' tag.

The 2014 Silly Season Gets Underway

Speculation over which drivers are heading where for the following season seems to begin earlier and earlier each year in Formula One, and this year's silly season now appears to have kicked off in earnest following comments from McLaren boss Ron Dennis in the run-up to last weekend's British Grand Prix that Jenson Button needs to "try harder".

The Briton responded to this jibe in the best possible way at Silverstone, taking his best result since the season opener at Melbourne and coming within a second of breaking his podium duck at his home circuit, but it appears to be accepted wisdom that McLaren have been knocking on the door of potential replacements for Button in the form of both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

While it would take a peculiar set of circumstances indeed to compel the latter to re-join the very team he spurned at the end of 2014 to join the now-dominant Mercedes outfit, a return to McLaren for Alonso is a somewhat more viable prospect, albeit not the near-certainty it seemed six months ago prior to Dennis' return to prominence at Woking.

Prior to his dismissal as McLaren team principal, Martin Whitmarsh is understood to have been angling for Alonso to return, travelling to Madrid late last year in a bid to arrange a pre-agreement of sorts with the Spaniard - who himself told the media last year that any lingering resentments towards the team over his tempestuous 2007 season were because of "one man", in whose absence he would have no problem returning.

The man to which Alonso was referring is of course Dennis, but if the two-time champion was to arrive at the conclusion that McLaren and Honda are more likely to provide him with a title-winning car than Ferrari, any personal disagreements would surely be cast aside; equally, it's difficult to see Dennis taking issue to welcoming back to his team the man that many still rate as the very best on the grid.

With Alonso staring down the barrel of his first win-free season since he joined Ferrari, the possibility of jumping ship at the end of the year must surely have crossed his mind on more than one occasion - but with Mercedes and Red Bull all but certain to retain their existing driver line-ups, returning to McLaren is the only other viable option besides staying put at the Scuderia.

But, it's a risky choice: Honda's past success is by no means a guarantee that the Japanese firm's 2015 engine will be of similar quality to their offerings of the late 1980s, while McLaren, despite the vast resources at their disposal, as of late seem to have forgotten how to produce a chassis worthy of contending for the title.

It may thus be a case of better the devil you know for Alonso, who would be well-advised to give Ferrari, now under the stewardship of Marco Mattiacci, one final chance to deliver the goods next season whilst simultaneously keeping a close eye on the progress of the renewed McLaren-Honda alliance as well investigating the possibilities of any vacancies arising at either Mercedes or Red Bull.

Such a scenario gives Button one final chance to end his career on a high note after two seasons saddled with substandard machinery. Coming into this season, it seemed conceivable that this season may have proven the last in the sport for the 34-year-old, but the way he has responded to the challenge of fending off young Kevin Magnussen in the other side of the garage has been admirable.

But, if the second most senior driver on the grid looks to have done enough to prolong his career, things look a great deal less certain for the elder statesman. Kimi Raikkonen has endured an utterly torrid season, having been out-qualified 7-2 by teammate Alonso so far this year and having finished no higher than seventh place. The Finn languishes down in 12th in the drivers' standings on 19 points, versus 87 for the Spaniard.

On only two occasions this year has Raikkonen appeared even vaguely like the driver who won Ferrari's last drivers' title back in 2007 - at Spain, where he out-qualified Alonso and kept the home favourite at bay until the dying stages of the race, and at Monaco, where a likely podium finish went begging after Max Chilton contrived to give him a puncture during a Safety Car period.

Clearly, this isn't what Ferrari had in mind when they selected Raikkonen to replace Felipe Massa, much less when they agreed to remunerate the Iceman to the tune of a reputed $14m per year. Raikkonen's return to Ferrari was supposed to serve as a reminder to Alonso that no one man is bigger than the team; if he can't regularly challenge the Spaniard, what purpose does his presence at the team serve?

Then there's the question of motivation. Only Kimi himself knows exactly how motivated he is at this late stage in his career, though the fact he has recently gone on record to say that he will probably retire from the sport at the end of his existing contract with Ferrari, which expires at the end of 2015, is hardly the sign of somebody desperate to add a second world title to his resumé.

So, is history destined to repeat itself? Will Raikkonen and Ferrari once again agree to part ways with a year still to run on their contract? The reason the Finn was forced out of the picture last time around in 2010 was because of Ferrari's eagerness to begin their partnership with Alonso, but there appears to be no equivalent on the scene this time around as long as Mercedes and Red Bull maintain their current line-ups.

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The likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Romain Grosjean would be available; both are ready to step up to a top team and would probably push Alonso harder than an out-of-sorts Raikkonen. But the real question is whether Ferrari are sufficiently desperate to get a younger, hungrier driver in their second car to atone for the embarrassment of effectively announcing that they were wrong to re-sign Kimi in the first place.

Assuming Raikkonen wishes to continue for one more year, therefore, there is likely to be a place for him at Ferrari, all the more so because the team have a ready-made replacement in the form of Ferrari Academy member Jules Bianchi ready to fill the breach in 2016 - who could be stationed at a midfield outfit next year to serve the final year of his apprenticeship after two assured seasons at Marussia.

In the event Raikkonen does decide to hang up his helmet come November, Ferrari could decide to fast-track Bianchi to the seat alongside Alonso next year, which would have the benefit of providing continuity heading into 2016 should Fernando indeed opt to depart Maranello at that stage. Alternatively, the Scuderia could sign either Hulkenberg or Grosjean on a one-year deal before re-assessing their options for 2016.

Elsewhere, Williams and Force India are likely to retain their existing line-ups, although Bianchi, the team's third driver in 2012, would be the obvious option to fill the void at the latter team left by Hulkenberg were the German to be given the call-up by Ferrari. Bianchi could also end up at Lotus in place of compatriot Grosjean if the Franco-Swiss was selected to replace Raikkonen.

Grosjean has expressed his desire to step up to a regular race-winning outfit next year, but Ferrari isn't the only potential destination in that regard. Eric Boullier's appointment by McLaren at the start of the year sparked rumours that Grosjean could be destined for a drive at Woking in 2015, and such a move remains a possibility. But, of the team's existing drivers, it would probably be Magnussen who would have to make way.

That may seem harsh given that the young Dane has done a solid job in a less-than-competitive car this year, but having such an inexperienced driver on board has clearly hindered development of the recalcitrant MP4-29. Loaning Magnussen out to a rival outfit before bringing him back to the fold a couple of years down the line, when the team has returned to winning ways, is an option, much as Williams did with Button in spite of a strong debut season back in 2000.

Either way, it looks as if Grosjean's time at Lotus is coming to an end now that the Enstone outfit have announced a switch to Mercedes power for 2015, which is almost certain to herald the departure of fuel company Total, Grosjean's main backer. Should no vacancies emerge at either Ferrari or McLaren, Force India may be able to offer refuge to the 28-year-old.

Pastor Maldonado, meanwhile, seems certain to remain on board at Lotus as long as his PDVSA cash doesn't dry up - although the Venezuelan state oil concern, in this writer's opinion, should look carefully at the possibility of switching their backing to promising GP2 racer Johnny Cecotto Jr. in the wake of what has been an unacceptably scrappy first half of the season for Maldonado.

One driver set to make his F1 debut next season is Carlos Sainz Jr., championship leader in Formula Renault 3.5, who would replace Jean-Eric Vergne alongside Daniil Kvyat at Toro Rosso. The Russian now has to be regarded as odds-on favourite to ultimately step up to Red Bull ahead of Vergne, which leaves no place for the Frenchman at a team whose raison d'être is to prepare young talents for the senior squad; a third driver role at Red Bull for Vergne could beckon.

Things are looking more fluid over at the cash-strapped Sauber team. The Swiss outfit will be reluctant to drop Adrian Sutil after a single season, but key to the German's fate - along with the somewhat underwhelming Esteban Gutierrez - will be money. Ex-Caterham driver Giedo van der Garde, the team's third driver, could well make his race return next year at Hinwil on that basis, while Sergey Sirotkin and Simona de Silvestro are also options for the team, albeit much riskier ones.

It's a similar story at Marussia, where there is set to be at least one seat up for grabs as Bianchi moves up the pecking order. Chilton could yet remain for a third season depending on the state of his finances, with last year's GP2 champion Fabio Leimer a prime contender to join the Banbury outfit. Jolyon Palmer, who currently leads the points in the official feeder series, could also be in contention if the requisite money can be found.

It's unclear whether Caterham will be on the grid next year, let alone who will be driving for the team recently sold by a disillusioned Tony Fernandes. Colin Kolles' involvement in the beleaguered squad's sale to a group of Arab investors has also raised questions of whether the squad will be merged with the Romanian-backed Forza Rossa outfit, which has been granted an entry by the FIA for 2015.

Assuming there is an 11th team, Marcus Ericsson is likely to stick around, although he could take his cash to Marussia if the Leafield-based team don't resurface next year. On the other hand, Kamui Kobayashi surely doesn't have the money to remain on board for a second year and would probably be replaced by a well-funded GP2 racer; Julian Leal and Rio Haryanto have driven for the team in testing, while Nathanael Berthon has recently been announced as a junior driver for the squad.

Concluding thoughts on 2013

If I were to sum up the 2013 Formula One season in one word, it would probably be "disappointing". Off the back of 2012, most fans were expecting another ultra-close contest, but, in the event, however, nobody could truly compete with the irresistible combination of Sebastian Vettel and the Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull RB9.

It took until Pirelli's mid-season revision of its tyres, prompted by the spectacular series of tyre failures that threatened to reduce the British Grand Prix to a level of farce comparable to the 2005 United States Grand Prix, before the Red Bull could truly stretch its legs. The fact the tyres were made more durable allowed Vettel to fully express the superiority of the package beneath him which had previously been disguised to a degree by the rapid tyre degradation that characterised many of the early races.

The key to Red Bull's success was their relentless rate of development. Every modification they brought to the track made a tangible difference to their car's pace, whilst certain other teams - notably Ferrari - struggled to consistently make forward steps. The Italian team's technical director Pat Fry admitted that the title began to slip from Fernando Alonso's grasp around the time of the Canadian Grand Prix, when a major update package failed to deliver the expected progress.

The tyre changes didn't help either, rendering moot the Ferrari's best characteristic, its tendency to preserve its rubber during the race. But, even by the time the revised tyres were introduced in earnest in Hungary, Alonso was already all but out of the running for the title. The fact he still managed to finish a clear second in the championship despite having only the fourth best car by season's end is testament to the Spaniard's uncanny ability to maximise his (often limited) scoring opportunities at virtually every race.

The debate as to whether Vettel or Alonso is the better driver rages on, the 2013 season doing little to provide a conclusive judgement one way or the other. Whilst I rated the former as the best driver of the season in my recent top 10, that largely boils down to his ostensibly unrivaled ability to adapt his driving technique to the rigours of the Coanda-assisted cars. Put the pair in a midfield car, and I would expect Alonso to perhaps squeeze out a couple more points than Vettel over the course of a season.

The contention that Vettel must prove himself with a team other than Red Bull in order to cement his place among the greats is nonetheless a somewhat churlish one. After all, Ayrton Senna's failure to win titles for any team besides McLaren is not counted against him, whilst had Michael Schumacher won all seven of his titles at Ferrari, it's doubtful, looking back, fans would think any the less of him for it. Jim Clark, meanwhile, never even drove for any team besides Lotus, let alone win titles for a rival outfit.

That said, sooner or later, Vettel will have to accept not having the best car in the field at his disposal - perhaps as soon as next year if the widespread prediction that Mercedes have produced the best power-train proves correct. But, chances are, should Red Bull experience a fall from grace, it won't take long for Vettel to re-align himself with whichever team are setting the standard. Schumacher's record of seven titles, it must be said, looks vulnerable at this stage.

The realisation that Vettel won't be around forever is what informed Red Bull's decision to recruit Daniel Ricciardo as Mark Webber's replacement off the back of an assured second season at Toro Rosso. Whilst the wide-smiling Aussie is hardly likely to deprive his new teammate of much sleep next season, he has the chance to establish himself as the team's main hope if and when Vettel decides the time is right to forsake the organisation that has helped him to so much success.

When that day arrives, my money would be firmly on Daniil Kvyat, who will be making his F1 debut in place of Ricciardo at Toro Rosso next season, making the step up to the senior Red Bull team. Whilst the young Russian could probably have used a season of Friday test sessions, his rate of improvement in GP3 - of which he was the undisputed king for the final three race weekends - suggests he should be able to find his feet at the highest level quickly. Jean-Eric Vergne best have his wits about him next season.

In a year of disappointments, Mercedes' performance this season was one of the few positive surprises. Vaulting from fifth in the constructors' standings in 2012 to second this year, the W04 was the only car over a single lap that could hold a candle to the Red Bull. Though it almost invariably chewed its tyres during the races, three race wins and eight pole positions is a level of achievement few would have foreseen the Silver Arrows reaching before the start of the year after three largely average seasons beforehand.

Indeed, for what was supposed to be an interim season, Lewis Hamilton must be delighted with his decision to jump ship from McLaren this year, especially after the extent of his former team's troubles became clear. Nico Rosberg also gave his teammate a harder time than many had anticipated, to the extent that many are now tipping the German as next year's title favourite ahead of Hamilton. Whether he can live up to this new-found level of expectation remains to be seen, however.

As for McLaren, nothing could have prepared them for the catastrophe they endured in 2013, the first season during which the Woking-based team failed to secure a podium since 1980. That was the final year of the ancien regime led by Teddy Mayer at McLaren before Ron Dennis took over at the behest of sponsors Marlboro, and there have been reports lately that Dennis could be looking to make a comeback as team principal in the wake of their dreadful performances this year.

Martin Whitmarsh meanwhile has made a bold decision indeed by signing young Danish talent Kevin Magnussen, who will be making his F1 bow next year alongside Jenson Button. The decision to drop Sergio Perez after a single, solid - if not spectacular - season was undeniably harsh, but it indicates no shortage of faith in Magnussen's talent, McLaren being unable to find the young Dane a suitable apprenticeship further down the grid. Perhaps, though, it was Button who should have made way.

This may seem an odd contention, but bear with me. 2014 will be an interim season for McLaren before they join forces once more with Honda the following year, and Whitmarsh has made little secret of his desire to lure Alonso into the fold in 2015 - even going so far as to travelling to the opening of the Spaniard's personal museum in Madrid a few weeks ago. Assuming such a move comes off, next year could have acted as a shootout between two, hungry young guns to partner Alonso at the dawn of McLaren's new era.

Instead, Button doesn't just have to prove himself against Magnussen, he has to prove to McLaren that he can still spearhead future title assaults - but the fact that Whitmarsh is so hungry to have Alonso on board suggests that the 33-year-old has a lot of work ahead to prove that is the case. What's more, if Magnussen comes out of the blocks and beats his teammate in year one, it would be fair to assume that would bring down the curtain on the Brit's long and distinguished F1 career.

Whilst things look as if they can only get better for McLaren, Lotus is one team who could be set for something of a slump when you consider their precarious financial situation. The long-running saga of the elusive investment deal from Quantum Motorsports ultimately failed to come to fruition, leaving the team little choice other than to accept the millions on offer from Pastor Maldonado and his native Venezuela's state oil concern PDVSA to fill the cockpit vacated by the Ferrari-bound Kimi Raikkonen.

2013 proved the "Iceman" can still compete with the best of them when the car beneath him is working well and he is fully committed to the cause, but, as was the case during his Ferrari days, his performances wane at an alarming rate if the above criteria are not satisfied. This was the case after the summer break, as the Lotus dropped further behind the Red Bull and speculation over Raikkonen's future intensified. Missing the final two races was arguably nothing short of expected given the circumstances.

Raikkonen's tendency to go off the boil was what allowed Romain Grosjean to build his confidence and assert himself as Vettel's most consistent rival in the latter half of the year. The Frenchman was unlucky to miss out on a maiden win at Germany, but that first trip to the top step of the podium will come in due course. Whether it's with Lotus is another matter; perhaps Grosjean will need to one day leave the comfortable surroundings of Enstone in order to fully thrive as a Grand Prix driver.

The question is now whether Lotus can do to Maldonado what they did with Grosjean - turn a fast driver with a propensity to make frequent errors into a consistently convincing performer. That win at Catalunya last year offered a glimpse into what the erratic Venezuelan can do when everything's going his way, but a final season with Williams marked by over-driving and petulance suggests Maldonado may struggle if Lotus do indeed take a backwards step.

Considering the two teams behind them in this year's constructors' battle, McLaren and Force India, will be using the seemingly favoured Mercedes engine next year, as well as the fact that Lotus have effectively had to almost bankrupt themselves in order to be a front-running outfit for the past two seasons, it's more than possible that the black-and-gold cars could frequently be mired in the midfield ruck next season - hardly conditions in which Maldonado is likely to thrive.

While the consensus in the paddock was that Nico Hulkenberg deserved the vacant seat at Lotus, it could be that Force India transpires to be the better bet in 2014 thanks to its Mercedes powerplant; based on his sparkling form in the Sauber this season, early season podiums for the lanky German next year are a distinct possibility. Having been turned down by Ferrari this year, one would expect Hulkenberg to be in pole position to slot into any vacancy that may have arisen at Maranello this time next year.

Similarly, landing a Force India seat is about the best outcome Perez may have hoped for once it became clear that McLaren would be dispensing of his services, but beating Hulkenberg over the course of a season will be extremely tough. That is precisely what the Mexican will have to do if he harbours ambitions of returning to a top-line drive, however, whilst competition from the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Jules Bianchi for such seats in the coming seasons will be stern.

At the end of 1997, predictions that McLaren would start the following year, which saw a whole raft of technical rule changes, as the pace-setters proved bang on the money, whilst the dominant force of the past few seasons, Williams, suffered a nose-dive in form. It doesn't require too much imagination to foresee a similar scenario unfolding next year, with Mercedes coming out of the traps fastest and Red Bull being demoted a couple of positions in the competitive pecking order.

In fact, the first half of next year could well see the performances of the teams fluctuating wildly as they learn how to get the best from their all-new packages at differing rates, whilst unreliability is likely to prove a decisive factor early in the season. This unpredictability is precisely what F1 needs after an exceptionally dull second half of last year, when viewers knew well in advance that, barring catastrophe, they would be hearing the Deutschlandlied and seeing that famous index finger at the end of each race.

This will be my last blog post until my 2014 season preview in March, so all that remains for me to do is to extend my gratitude to everyone who has read my scribblings this year. I will of course be back to cover all of next year's on-track and off-track action next year, but in the meantime, you can keep up to date with all the F1 news that matters by following @KleinonF1 on Twitter and by reading my ramblings on the soon-to-launch sports website sportontap.com. Until then, have a great Christmas and see you in the new year!

The Top 10 Drivers of 2013

Now the 2013 season has come to a close, it's time to cast our eyes back over the events of the past eight months and pick out the ten most outstanding Formula One drivers of the year.

The 2013 season may have been dominated by a certain German driver behind the wheel of a blue and purple car, but many other drivers have caught the eye at various stages throughout the year. It was extremely difficult to pick an order, especially for the lower half, but after much careful consideration, this is the list I have come up with:

10. Jenson Button 
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 9th in Championship (0 wins, 0 poles, 73pts) - Down 5

With Hamilton moving on from what was a highly competitive McLaren at the back end of 2012 to Mercedes for the 2013 season, Button would have had every reason to be feeling confident back in March. But, it didn't take long before it became obvious that the Woking outfit's design gamble was not going to pay dividends, Button becoming increasingly resigned to scrapping for the minor positions. A solid drive to fifth place in China stood as the Briton's best result until the end of the season at Brazil, where Button stormed his way from 14th on the grid to take fourth, making amends for a string of poor results in the preceding three races.

Whilst Button is hardly renowned for being a one-lap specialist, he will have been disappointed at losing out to teammate Perez in the qualifying stakes, and perhaps, considering his world champion status, that there wasn't more daylight between he and the Mexican in terms of race pace. That said, Button was the more consistent across the course of the year of the two McLaren drivers; the fact he failed to score only five times all year in a car often flirting with the fringes of the top 10 is certainly no mean feat. If the team are able to bounce back in 2014, there's still time for Button to add to his tally of 15 race victories yet.

9. Daniel Ricciardo
Scuderia Toro Rosso, 14th in Championship (0 wins, 0 poles, 20pts) - New Entry

Webber's advancing years meant that there was an awful lot at stake in 2013 for Ricciardo and his teammate Jean-Eric Vergne, both of whom stood a strong chance of promotion to Red Bull if they managed establish superiority over the other at Toro Rosso. Though there was one stage at which it appeared the latter may have been starting to get the better of Ricciardo, the gregarious Aussie upped the ante at precisely the right time, booking his seat at Red Bull with a series of convincing qualifying and race performances as Vergne faded into anonymity in the latter half of the year.

Indeed, Ricciardo was out-qualified by Vergne only four times all year, and made seven appearances in the points versus just three for the Frenchman - including a pair of superb seventh place finishes at China and Italy. However, street circuits proved something of an Achilles' heel for the 24-year-old, retiring from both Monaco (where he was thoroughly eclipsed by Vergne before being rear-ended by Grosjean) and Singapore, whilst poor starts, like his fellow countryman Webber, also occasionally served to undo his hard work during qualifying. These are weaknesses he'll have to eradicate to have any hope of matching up to Vettel at Red Bull next season.

8. Mark Webber
Infiniti Red Bull Racing, 3rd in Championship (0 wins, 2 poles, 199pts) - Down 2

Regrettably for Webber, his final season in F1 has inevitably been defined by events at Malaysia, where Vettel ignored the instruction issued by Red Bull to remain behind his teammate, instead snatching away what most perceived to be Webber's rightful victory. Even more disappointing was the fact that the Australian thereafter failed to register a win all year, whilst his German teammate proceeded to sweep all before him. Two late pole positions demonstrated the one-lap pace was still there, but Webber's apparent inability to adapt his driving style to the demands of the modern breed of Coanda effect-assisted cars proved his undoing.

Nevertheless, there were some fine drivers by Webber over the course of the year, such as at Silverstone, where he lost out on what would have been a fitting retribution for "Multi 21" by the narrowest of a margins to Rosberg. The Red Bull driver was also plagued by bad luck throughout the year, most notably at India, where an alternator problem denied him what would have been a straightforward second place; without such misfortune, he would probably have clinched the runner-up spot in the championship his machinery warranted. Webber's final year in F1 hasn't been his best by a long shot, but nonetheless marks a solid end to a distinguished career at the highest level.

7. Nico Hulkenberg
Sauber F1 Team, 10th in Championship (0 wins, 0 poles, 51pts) - Up 1

During the first half of the season, prior to Pirelli's decision to make its tyres more durable after the fiasco that was the British Grand Prix, it looked as if Hulkenberg had made the wrong decision to jump ship from Force India to Sauber, having racked up only half a dozen points by that stage versus 36 for his former teammate Paul Di Resta. But, as the Force India suffered a competitive nosedive in the advent of the revised tyres, Sauber's improving fortunes allowed Hulkenberg to really begin to shine and cement his reputation as a star of the future.

Monza, where Hulkenberg made full use of the Sauber's strong straight-line speed to qualify a superb third, was the start of this late season flourish, more than doubling his points tally for the year at a stroke by finishing in fifth. After that, the mild-mannered German was never out of the points, save for two occasions when he was not at fault; his drive to fourth at Korea, where he held off the advances of Hamilton for a significant chunk of the race, stood out in particular. Hulkenberg may have been unfortunate to lose out on a seat at the cash-strapped Lotus team for next season, but, with Mercedes engines, it could be that Force India, where he is set to return in 2014, could turn out to be a better bet regardless.

6. Nico Rosberg
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, 6th in Championship (2 wins, 3 poles, 171pts) - Re-Entry

It may have been the first time that Rosberg has been out-scored by a teammate in F1 since his maiden season in 2006, but it's also been the first time the German has been partnered with a teammate as well regarded as Hamilton. And, few would have anticipated back in March that Rosberg would end the season quite so close to the former champion in the drivers' standings, with just 18 points separating the pair when the dust settled on the season. Out-qualifying Hamilton, regarded by some as the best qualifier in the business, eight times over the course of the year, including taking a hat-trick of pole positions, is another achievement by Rosberg that few would have foreseen.

Whilst Rosberg was able to rack up two race victories at Monaco and Silverstone this year to Hamilton's sole triumph at Hungary, it's worth remembering that the second of those wins was somewhat fortuitous, the 28-year-old benefiting from a puncture for Hamilton and a gearbox failure for Vettel. And, whilst Rosberg's only non-appearances in the points can be pinned on mechanical maladies of one sort or another, there were perhaps a couple too many occasions where he was simply out-raced by Hamilton - a man he will have to overcome more regularly to put himself in genuine contention for the title next year, as some have tipped him to.

5. Kimi Raikkonen
Lotus F1 Team, 5th in Championship (1 win, 0 poles, 183pts) - Down 1

It's fair to say that Raikkonen's second season of his comeback for Lotus peaked rather too soon - at the very first race, where he took a convincing victory at Melbourne, in fact. The car was undoubtedly capable of more, remaining competitive even after the mid-season revision of the Pirelli tyres, and there were quite a few subsequent near misses for "The Iceman" in his quest to add to his Australian win. Indeed, Raikkonen featured on the second step of the podium more often than anyone else all year, with Bahrain and Hungary standing out as occasions where a lacklustre qualifying performances held the Finn back.

As the second half of the year progressed, and the severity of Lotus's financial woes became clear, Raikkonen's performances appeared to decline accordingly as teammate Grosjean increasingly took over from Kimi as the team's "go-to guy". From Spa onwards, he was out-done by the Franco-Swiss at every race (the Safety Car played an instrumental role in allowing Raikkonen to beat Grosjean at Korea), but perhaps his motivation to perform was flagging once his move to Ferrari for next season was sealed. If this was the case, he'll need to show a far sterner resolve if he's going to get on terms with Alonso at the political hot-house that is the Scuderia.

4. Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, 4th in Championship (1 win, 5 poles, 189pts) - Down 2

Considering McLaren's woes this season, it didn't take long for Hamilton to convince the doubters that his move to Mercedes was the right one. Up to the summer break, with the sole exception of an inexplicably poor showing in Spain, the Brit was a constant presence in the top five, and was unfortunate to lose a potential victory at Silverstone to tyre failure. A first win with his new employers finally came with an imperious drive in the sweltering heat of Hungary, after which many observers believed Hamilton may have been on the cusp of launching some kind of title challenge.

This was not to be however, and Hamilton losing out to Vettel along the Kemmel Straight at Spa on the first lap perfectly symbolised the point at which the hopes of everyone else were dashed. Hamilton was not quite as convincing from the next race at Monza onwards - though how much of this was down to cracks in the former champion's chassis, which weren't spotted until after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, isn't clear. But, five pole positions and as many trips to the podium certainly constitutes a record Hamilton can look back upon with satisfaction as he readies himself for what ought to be his best shot at the title since he made history back in 2008.

3. Romain Grosjean
Lotus F1 Team, 7th in Championship (0 wins, 0 poles, 132pts) - New Entry

From "first-lap nutcase" to one of the undoubted class acts of the season,  the last 12 months have seen quite a turnaround for Grosjean. Warned that his drive may be at risk following a dismal weekend at Monaco, where he briefly reverted to type after taking out Ricciardo mid-race, you can't give the Frenchman enough credit for the way he knuckled down and found a way to cut out the errors that had so far held back his career. Whether it was down to the change in mentality that comes with being a father, or simply overcoming a set-up hurdle in optimising his brake balance, something undoubtedly clicked for Grosjean in the summer.

Germany, where a Safety Car cost him a very realistic shot at a maiden victory, proved the springboard to a phenomenal second half of the year during which Grosjean was often Vettel's strongest adversary, and as Raikkonen progressively went off the boil as speculation over his future intensified, the man from Geneva was always in the podium mix once the second flyaway leg of the calendar got underway. Leading the first stint at Suzuka and his defence of second from a hard-charging Webber at Austin were both feats worthy of the champion-in-waiting status that some pundits have now begun to attribute to Grosjean; only time will tell if he can live up to this new tag.

2. Fernando Alonso
Scuderia Ferrari, 2nd in Championship (2 wins, 0 poles, 242pts) - Down 1

If there was a nagging feeling that, perhaps, the wrong person came out on top of last year's championship battle, Alonso's heroics behind the wheel of a largely recalcitrant Ferrari have done nothing to alter a perception which exists among many F1 fans that the two-time champion remains the cream of the crop. Five podiums, including two convincing victories in the first eight races before Pirelli revamped their tyres, laid what appeared to be a solid foundation for another title tilt, even if numerous points went begging for reasons both within and outside of Alonso's control. In the second half of the year however, with Ferrari one of the worst affected teams by the tyre changes, Alonso's performances became all the more impressive.

In particular, three successive second place finishes at Spa, Monza and Singapore kept the title fight alive longer than otherwise would have been the case, and, though the Spaniard was out-qualified by Massa eight times, there was only one occasion all year, India, where Alonso failed to finish ahead of his team-mate, excluding his retirement at Malaysia. In fact, the Brazilian was the only driver among the top five teams to score less than half of his teammate's points, reflecting the overwhelming degree to which Alonso was able to out-perform his car once again. Ferrari owe their star driver nothing less than the near-perfection he has delivered for the past four seasons in 2014.

1. Sebastian Vettel
Infiniti Red Bull Racing, World Champion (13 wins, 9 poles, 397pts) - Up 2

Even if Vettel's record-matching achievements this year have failed to convince you that he is the best driver in the field, this year proved beyond doubt that he is head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to getting the most out of the modern breed of Formula One car. Save for when he didn't run in Q3 at China, the German was never out of the top three in qualifying, and was rarely off the podium in races - only missing out after a gearbox failure robbed him of victory at Silverstone and during two of the early season tyre wear bonanzas at China and Spain (incidentally, both races Alonso won). And, unlike the case for all of his rivals, there wasn't a single event all year you could describe as an "off-race" for the irrepressible Vettel.

His actions at Malaysia, whilst perhaps questionable from a standpoint of sporting ethics, unveiled the same ruthless streak and sheer determination to win that have elevated Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher to such legendary status, and now that Vettel has sealed a fourth title on the trot, it seems hard to believe that he won't be held in similar esteem by the time he decides to hang up his helmet in eight or 10 years' time. The only solace for the 26-year-old's competitors is the promise of a major shuffle in the competitive order that's likely to come with next year's regulation changes - but if Vettel remains on top, then expect the few remaining records he is yet to clinch to tumble sooner or later.

Honourable Mentions

Sergio Perez's season may look fairly lacklustre on paper, but the decision on the part of McLaren to drop him after a single season is extremely harsh. Though errors were certainly more common for the Mexican than for his vastly more experienced teammate Button, Perez was a broad match for the Brit's pace during the races - his drive to fifth place at India and to sixth at Brazil standing out as particular highlights - and out-qualified Button more often than not. Kevin Magnussen has a tough job on his hands if he is to avoid the same fate as Perez, particularly as McLaren continue to court Alonso for 2015.

Valtteri Bottas did a fine job carving out a reputation for himself in his debut season at the wheel of a dreadful Williams car, often shading teammate Pastor Maldonado, whose frustration with the team at failing to build on the progress of 2012 led to far too many cases of over-driving by the fiery Venezuelan. Meanwhile, Bottas kept his head, and when the opportunities to impress came along, namely at Canada in qualifying and at Austin in the race, he seized them perfectly. Ironically, it will be his new teammate Felipe Massa who will have to prove himself against Bottas next year, not vice versa.

Jules Bianchi was the other outstanding rookie of the year, his 13th place at the Malaysian Grand Prix proving sufficient for Marussia to overhaul arch-rivals Caterham in the constructors' standings in the final reckoning. Despite having far less time to acclimatise himself to the car during pre-season testing, Bianchi was rarely troubled by fellow debutant and teammate Max Chilton in both qualifying and the races, and, despite the limitations of the Marussia, successfully translated the potential he has shown in the junior formulae into some solid promise for a bright future in F1. It's just a shame that he won't be able to ply his trade with a more competitive car next year.

To see my list from last season, click here.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2013 - Preview

Sebastian Vettel may have wrapped up his fourth successive world title with three races to spare, but there's still plenty at stake for teams and drivers alike as this year's Formula One campaign nears its conclusion.

This weekend's race takes place at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, yet another of Hermann Tilke's creations. Though it's fair to say that the track layout has hardly inspired the drivers, its spectacular backdrop, eclipsed only by Monaco, and unique status as a 'twilight' Grand Prix lends the place a certain aura absent from the majority of the sport's Eastern venues.

Not only that, Abu Dhabi has thrown up some memorable races in its relatively brief history since it hosted its first Grand Prix back in 2009. Chief among those is that unforgettable evening that saw Vettel clinch his first title - which seems far longer ago than three years - and last year's first post-comeback race win for a certain Kimi Raikkonen.

The circuit itself demands strong top speed, featuring two mammoth straights, and good traction out of the many slow and medium-speed corners the drivers are faced with. Two DRS zones along the aforementioned straights make overtaking straightforward at Abu Dhabi, whilst the medium and soft compound tyres seen at India will be making their return with wear expected to be less of an issue this weekend given the lower temperatures of an evening race.

Sebastian Vettel may now have put the championship out of reach of his rivals, but anybody hoping that this means the German will lift his foot from the throttle pedal will be severely disappointed. The Red Bull driver is an aficionado for statistics, and will match two important records if he's able to win the remaining three races of the year.

The first would be to match his compatriot Michael Schumacher's amazing record of winning 13 Grands Prix in a season. Admittedly, the Ferrari driver had one less race during the 2004 season in which to achieve this, but matching it would nonetheless be symbolic of Vettel's relentless ascendancy in the F1 record books.

The second would be to match a far older record, that of Alberto Ascari's nine successive Grand Prix victories set back in 1953. Vettel currently stands on six wins on the trot, enough to put him joint third in the list alongside the great Jim Clark and one behind Schumacher, who won seven in a row in 2004.

Given how dominant the Red Bull has become in this latter half of the season, you'd have to be brave indeed to bet against Vettel winning the final three races and matching both of the above.

On the evidence of the Indian Grand Prix, the man most likely to stop Vettel is his own teammate Mark Webber, who is still in search of that elusive first victory of the year. Qualifying fourth on prime tyres at India seemed to put Webber in a strong position to challenge for honours, but a poor start compromised his strategy before alternator failure denied him what would have been second place.

Seeing the Australian stand atop an F1 podium one more time before he switches to endurance racing would surely be something nearly every fan would love to see, but you get the feeling Vettel would have to hit some kind of misfortune between now and the chequered flag at Interlagos in order for it to happen.

As for the rest, chasing victory is hardly likely to be on their minds, with the battle for second in the constructors' standings paramount.

Following a strong second place for Nico Rosberg and sixth for Lewis Hamilton at India, Mercedes have surpassed Ferrari and look to have a good chance of consolidating their position this weekend despite the distraction of speculation over team principal Ross Brawn's future. Hamilton tends to go well at Abu Dhabi, having won in 2011 and retiring from the lead in both 2009 and 2012, whilst the character of the circuit ought to suit the Silver Arrows better than most venues.

Ferrari meanwhile are on the back foot after a bruising race for Fernando Alonso at India, Felipe Massa's fourth place preventing them from losing too much ground to Mercedes. Given that the team have not looked like finishing on the podium in the last three races, the Scuderia will need a hefty dose of luck to get them back ahead of their rivals at Brackley this weekend.

Lotus have also had their fair share of the headlines in recent days as the team's relationship with the outgoing Raikkonen deteriorated following events at India, where the Finn was sworn at for not letting faster teammate Romain Grosjean by. Having missed the media day on Thursday, Raikkonen did turn up on Friday to compete in practice, but his presence at the final two Grands Prix is hardly guaranteed.

Grosjean, who topped first practice this morning, will doubtless be eyeing up a fourth straight podium finish after somehow pulling third place out of the bag at India having started way down in 17th (the largest position gain for any driver all year), whilst Raikkonen will be looking to put another disappointing weekend behind him and get himself back on terms with the ascending star that is his teammate.

Sergio Perez did much to silence his critics with a fine drive to fifth at India, and given that McLaren are now comfortable top-ten contenders, the Mexican will be aiming for another decent haul of points to try and secure his drive at the Woking-based team for next year.

Someone else whose future is still undecided is Nico Hulkenberg, who is still without a drive for next year despite the miraculous run of form he has enjoyed since Monza. The latest reports suggest that, with the investment funds from the Quantum Motorsports group not forthcoming, 'Hulk' could be set to lose out to Pastor Maldonado in his bid to bag a Lotus drive.

The rest of the driver market looks to be on hold until Lotus finally reach a decision over who will partner Grosjean next season, with Force India, Sauber and Williams as well as Caterham and Marussia all ostensibly waiting to see who will be available before finalising their respective line-ups.

The latest rumours point towards Max Chilton potentially moving to Force India alongside Adrian Sutil, with Formula Renault 3.5 champion Kevin Magnussen slotting in the Brit's place at Marussia. This would leave Paul Di Resta in the cold, meaning the Scot has to prove to his team that his talent is sufficient to outweigh the lure of Chilton's cash.

Qualifying Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Hamilton, 3. Webber, 4. Grosjean, 5. Rosberg, 6. Alonso, 7. Raikkonen, 8. Hulkenberg, 9. Massa, 10. Perez

Race Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Webber, 3. Grosjean, 4. Hamilton, 5. Rosberg, 6. Alonso, 7. Hulkenberg, 8. Perez, 9. Button, 10. Sutil

Another prediction, another Vettel victory - don't give me that look! Webber will be a (not so) close second, with Grosjean making another appearance on the podium and replicating the top three of Suzuka. Hamilton will be in the mix but ultimately unable to fend off the Lotus, Rosberg making it two Mercedes cars in the top five.

Alonso will manage no more than sixth, Ferrari losing further ground in the battle with Mercedes, with Hulkenberg taking the result he ought to have at India before he was sidelined by mechanical failure. Perez will beat teammate Button once more, the ever-dependable Adrian Sutil rounding out the points-scorers in tenth place.

Indian Grand Prix 2013 - Preview

What looks likely to be the last Indian Grand Prix for the forseeable future is poised to hold the distinction of setting the scene for Sebastian Vettel claiming his fourth successive Formula One title.

It's fair to say that, despite a promising start when the Buddh International circuit hosted India's inaugural in 2011, that F1 has failed to establish a foothold in the subcontinent. Attendances have been in decline, and the Indian government's apparent indifference towards the Grand Prix has perhaps come as a shock to a sport accustomed to being welcomed with open arms in other parts of the globe.

Despite the official reasons stated for India's omission from next year's calendar, it's obvious that the Indian government's classification of F1 as 'entertainment' rather than 'sport', and the ensuing tax ramifications, is at the heart of why the race has been axed. The race is supposedly set to re-appear in 2015, but this appears doubtful unless the Indian government's attitude towards F1 changes.

Indeed, there had been some uncertainty as to whether this weekend's race was going to go ahead at all amid a backdrop of a legal challenge over unpaid taxes on the part of the race promoter. Whilst a delay to this hearing has averted any threat of the race being cancelled, the uncertainty epitomised the uneasy relationship between India and F1.

The track itself is another of Hermann Tilke's creations, and is notable for its very long back straight, unique wide hairpin bends and its meandering middle sector which overwhelmingly favours the characteristics of the Red Bull. It's little co-incidence, therefore, that Vettel has taken two pole positions and two wins from two visits to the circuit, and that the odds of him making it a hat-trick are as short as 1/4 at the time of writing.

Should the German do exactly that, the title will be his - Vettel has a lead of 90 points heading into this weekend's encounter, meaning he needs to only finish fifth or higher to seal the deal regardless of what any of his competitors do.

When you bear in mind that Vettel has failed to finish lower than fourth all season (with the exception of his retirement at the British Grand Prix due to a rare gearbox failure), it would take something very much out of the ordinary to keep the title fight alive beyond this weekend.

Red Bull are also within touching distance of the constructors' crown, but the fight for second is hotting up nicely in light of the Lotus team's recent competitive upswing.

Just 33 points now separate Ferrari, Mercedes and Lotus in the standings; considering the Enstone-based have had at least one car on the podium at the last three races, their chances of overhauling their better-funded rivals seem strong, especially when you bear in mind that development of this year's cars has all but ceased.

That in turn means that this weekend's race is likely to follow a broadly similar pattern to the previous couple in terms of the competitive order, making Lotus the only team capable of challenging Red Bull hegemony this weekend.

Romain Grosjean's race pace may not have been good enough to realistically challenge for victory despite his scintillating start at Suzuka, but the fact that tyre wear is likely to play a greater role this time around - with the soft compound tyre in use this weekend alongside the medium - could give the Frenchman a better chance of overcoming the all-conquering RB9s than in previous races.

Kimi Raikkonen can also not be ruled out of contention either, but his lacklustre performances in qualifying in recent races have constrained his ability to fight at the front. It's worth noting also that Lotus have been recently forced to deny rumours of the Finn being de-motivated during the closing part of this season in light of Vettel's domination.

Elsewhere, the chances are that the Mercedes drivers meanwhile will qualify well only to fade during the race, whilst Fernando Alonso will make his customarily incisive progress through the field having started disappointingly low down the order. Watch out for Nico Hulkenberg to take another solid haul of points as well, which could prove instrumental in Sauber's quest to overhaul Force India in the constructors' standings before the year is out.

Understandably, most people have turned their attentions towards next season, and the midfield driver market is looking very fluid indeed. Recent speculation points strongly towards Felipe Massa landing a seat at Williams next year alongside Valtteri Bottas and the disillusioned Pastor Maldonado leaving the Grove-based outfit and taking his PDVSA cash elsewhere, possibly to Force India if Nico Hulkenberg is confirmed at Lotus as expected.

That in turn would mean one of Paul Di Resta or Adrian Sutil would be forced out, though the latter has been linked to a seat with Sauber alongside Russian youngster Sergey Sirotkin. It emerged yesterday however that Vitaly Petrov has now amassed 30 million euros worth of backing from Gazprom, and also been in talks with Sauber. There have also been suggestions that Esteban Gutierrez could yet remain at the Swiss team, too.

One team that has settled its line-up on the other hand is Toro Rosso, who shocked the paddock by announcing that GP3 driver Daniil Kvyat is to step up to the team to join Jean-Eric Vergne. The 19-year-old Russian was considered to be more promising than fellow Red Bull juniors Antonio Felix da Costa and Carlos Sainz Jr., both of whom are more experienced.

It will nonetheless be an incredibly tough learning curve for Kvyat, who like compatriot Sirotkin, would surely have benefitted enormously from a season of Friday practice sessions combined with another year's competition in the junior formulae. Let's just hope that Red Bull's decision to fast-track Kvyat into F1 at such an early age doesn't result in his potential being squandered.

Qualifying Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Webber, 3. Hamilton, 4. Grosjean, 5. Rosberg, 6. Raikkonen, 7. Alonso, 8. Massa, 9. Button, 10. Hulkenberg

Race Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Grosjean, 3. Webber, 4. Raikkonen, 5. Alonso, 6. Hamilton, 7. Hulkenberg, 8. Massa, 9. Button, 10. Ricciardo

Unfortunately, it's hard to see how Vettel will be thwarted this weekend, though Grosjean will provide some respite by getting his Lotus cat among the Red Bull pigeons with another standout drive. Raikkonen will be outclassed by his teammate once more due to a sub-par qualifying, with Alonso and Hamilton rounding out the top half-dozen.

Hulkenberg will make it five points-scoring finishes in a row with seventh place, with Massa, Button and Ricciardo rounding out the points in what I predict to be largely a rather dull race. After qualifying up in fifth, Rosberg will be on the receiving end of some misfortune this weekend that will prevent him scoring.

Japanese Grand Prix 2013 - Report

Yesterday's Japanese Grand Prix was perhaps the best demonstration we've seen this year of precisely why Sebastian Vettel is firmly on course for a fourth successive Formula One title.

The difference between the champion-elect's run of victories from Spa to Korea and his latest victory at the Suzuka circuit is that, on this occasion, instead of leading the way from the beginning, Vettel was forced to come from behind in order to snatch the silverware.

Almost from the outset, the race was a three-horse race between Vettel, his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, the Australian taking pole position on his final trip to Suzuka as an F1 driver (aided by KERS problems for Vettel, it should be added), and Romain Grosjean, who, from fourth on the grid, jumped the pair of them heading into the first corner.

The second half of this season has seen Grosjean emerge as a credible candidate to lead the Lotus team into its post-Raikkonen era, and as the Frenchman seized the lead at the first corner, it seemed Grosjean could well be headed for the first win for a Frenchman in F1 since Olivier Panis stood atop the Monaco podium in 1996.

Another driver to make a good start was Lewis Hamilton, who started third. But, the Brit's race was to prove an exceptionally brief one - his Mercedes suffered an instantaneous puncture as his right-rear wheel made contact with the end-plate of Vettel's front wing as Hamilton tried to sweep across the reigning champion's bows.

Hamilton managed to coax his car back to the pit-lane, but the damage done to the floor and rear suspension in the process was sufficient to warrant his retirement a few laps later. Interestingly, had Hamilton successfully demoted Vettel to fourth place, it could have totally changed the complexion of the race.

As it was however, Vettel clung on to third place behind Grosjean and Webber, with Nico Rosberg running fourth in the sole remaining Mercedes ahead of Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso and an ever-impressive Nico Hulkenberg.

Such was the pace advantage of the Red Bulls and Lotuses - something Mercedes believes is in large part thanks to clever engine mapping by Renault - that Grosjean, Webber and Vettel were able to escape the following pack at a rate of around a second per lap, Rosberg 10 seconds down on Vettel after as many laps.

The leading trio on the other hand were separated by little more than four seconds by the time Webber made his first pit-stop at the end of lap 11, swapping his options for a fresh set of primes. Grosjean followed suit the following lap, but crucially Vettel was able to stretch his opening stint to 14 laps before pitting.

Though Vettel resumed in third place behind Grosjean and Webber, the fact he had nursed his rubber more effectively up to this stage laid a rock-solid foundation on which he would build his ultimately irresistible challenge for victory.

Conversely, Webber was struggling with tyre wear, and as such was forced to switch to a theoretically slower three-stop strategy. There have been some who suggested after the race that this decision was a deliberate act of conspiracy on the part of Red Bull, but, with Vettel already so close to the title, what would the team have gained in hobbling Webber's bid for a first win of the season?

Webber made his second trip to the pits on lap 25, and it was at this stage that Lotus arguably sacrificed any slim chance Grosjean had of taking his first win. The Enstone team seemed not to realise that they were in fact racing Vettel, rather than Webber, for victory, and as such brought in Grosjean on lap 29 - far too early to give their driver any chance of holding off Vettel in the final stint.

Aided by his longer first stint, Vettel was able to go all the way until lap 37 before his second stop, after which he re-joined the track right behind Grosjean. With the black-and-gold machine's tyres already eight laps old by this stage, it took just three laps for Vettel to close down the two second advantage of Grosjean.

The inevitable pass for second place - Webber having re-taken the lead after Grosjean and Vettel's respective second stops - came at the first corner on lap 41, the Frenchman simply unable to respond to his rival's superior pace with his more used rubber.

One lap later, Webber came in for his third stop, and within a matter of laps was sat right on Grosjean's gearbox. An issue with his DRS prevented him from clearing Grosjean anywhere near as quickly as Vettel could, having to wait all the way until the first corner of the penultimate lap to do so. By this stage, Vettel had established an unassailable lead of nine seconds.

This meant there was no stopping Vettel taking a ninth win of the season - the 35th of his astonishing career - and extending his championship lead to a mammoth 90 points. With 100 now left to play for, the odds strongly favour Vettel sealing his fourth straight title crown in two weeks time at India - he needs just a fifth place finish, regardless of what any other driver achieves.

Behind Webber and Grosjean, Alonso made his way up to fourth place to keep himself in mathematical (if not actual) title contention. This involved a customary good start from a poor grid slot of eighth, followed by passes on teammate Massa during the second stint and Hulkenberg, who had jumped ahead in the first round of pit-stops, in the closing stages.

Hulkenberg was also demoted by Raikkonen with two laps to go, the Finn's race following a broadly similar trajectory to that of Alonso after starting one place behind the Ferrari driver on the grid. Sixth place for Hulkenberg marks the fourth top ten result in a row for the Sauber driver, who, if the paddock rumours are to be believed, has now signed a deal to join Lotus next season.

Coming home seventh was Esteban Gutierrez, who made a great start to climb immediately up to ninth and thereafter put in an assured performance behind the wheel of the second Sauber. It has taken a while for the Mexican to find his feet in F1, but since the summer break, Gutierrez has shown a marked upturn in form. Whether this will be enough to keep him in his seat for next season is an entirely different matter, however.

Having run in fourth early on, Rosberg ended up in eighth place after a drive-through penalty picked up at the first round of pit-stops as his Mercedes pit-crew released him into the path of Sergio Perez's McLaren. Rosberg was able to claw back some ground thereafter, but was unable to find a way by Gutierrez, behind whom he was stuck for the last half a dozen laps.

Another driver to pick up a drive-through penalty, albeit for pit-lane speeding, was Massa, who was forced to be content with a solitary point for tenth place; one position ahead of the Brazilian was McLaren's Jenson Button, who endured a fairly anonymous race en route to ninth.

Button's teammate Perez on the other hand had a far more eventful afternoon. Having run a creditable eighth early on, he lost time in the pits as a result of the near miss with Rosberg before becoming embroiled in an on-track skirmish with the German. Perez sustained a puncture in a clumsy attempt to defend his position from Rosberg at the Casio Triangle, dropping him to 15th at the chequered flag.

Eleventh place fell to Paul Di Resta in another tough race for Force India, who will now be looking over their shoulder at Sauber in the constructors' standings. Adrian Sutil meanwhile had to start from the very back of the grid following a penalty for a gearbox change, making his way up to 14th place by the finish.

Separating the two Force Indias were the Toro Rosso pair, Jean-Eric Vergne leading Daniel Ricciardo on this occasion. The latter started the race on the hard compound tyre, running as high as fourth before his first stop - holding up a pack of faster cars in the process. Any chance of Ricciardo scoring points nonetheless was blown out the water when he picked up a drive-through penalty for passing Di Resta by leaving the circuit.

Pastor Maldonado finished 16th, one place behind Perez, after a fairly brutal move on Williams teammate Valtteri Bottas at the Casio Triangle on the very last lap of the race. Rounding out the finishers were Charles Pic and Max Chilton, their respective teammates Giedo van der Garde and Jules Bianchi becoming early casualties after tangling at the very first corner of the race.

It's one thing to start a race from pole and simply sprint away into the distance, but it's quite another to have to read a race to perfection in order to come from behind and grab the upper hand over your competitors, which is precisely what Vettel did at Suzuka - if his performance doesn't make the naysayers who claim that he cannot race think otherwise, it's doubtful anything the soon-to-be quadruple champion does will.

Japanese Grand Prix 2013 - Preview

Following a crushing streak of dominance since Formula One action resumed after the summer break, this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka marks the first occasion that Sebastian Vettel has the chance of closing out his fourth successive title.

By far the oldest and the most loved of the Asian flyaway rounds, Suzuka has been a fixture on the F1 calendar since 1987 - with the exception of a brief, two-year hiatus, when the rival Fuji Speedway took over the mantle. What's more, the fact that the owners of the venue, Honda, are making their return in 2015 as an engine supplier to McLaren should ensure the circuit remains on the calendar even after its recently extended deal expires after 2018.

The fact that Suzuka has always fallen near (or, for many years, at) the end of the season has lent itself to frequently hosting the title-deciding race, most recently with Vettel's second championship two years ago. It also rarely throws up a surprise winner; the last time a driver won there without finishing first or second in that year's championship was 2003, with Rubens Barrichello benefiting from his Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher's problems in qualifying and the early part of the race.

The track itself is among the longest and most demanding of the year. Driver and car are put through a rigourous test lap after lap, the flowing first sector in particular notable for showing up those cars whose front-end grip is lacking. Suzuka is also one of the more narrow circuits, with 'old school' gravel run-offs still present at many corners which leave very little margin for error.

The tyre allocation for the weekend consists of the medium and hard compounds, the latter last seen at Monza, while the single DRS zone (Suzuka being the only track besides Monaco to feature only one) can be found, as per last year, along the main start/finish straight on the approach to 'First Curve'.

Vettel's championship lead over Fernando Alonso stands at 77 points, which he will have to increase to 100 in order to seal the title this weekend. In order for this to happen, Vettel has to win the race, with Alonso finishing no better than ninth. Given that the Spaniard has finished at least eighth at every race this year, with the exception of his Malaysia retirement, this looks to be something of a tall ask.

On recent form however, it's more than likely Vettel would be able to put the title beyond the reach of his rivals at India in two weeks' time - all he has to do is ensure that his points lead is at least 75 by then, which, unless anything out of the ordinary occurs, is a virtual certainty.

Suzuka has been kind to Vettel in the past, the Red Bull driver having won three of the last four races at the Japanese circuit, and given that the track could have been designed specifically to flatter the Red Bull, it's difficult to look anywhere else for the race victory this weekend. Were Vettel indeed to notch up a fifth win in a row, he would be only the sixth driver to do so in history after Alberto Ascari, Jack Brabham, Jim Clark, Nigel Mansell and, of course, Michael Schumacher.

As for the contenders for the remaining podium spots, Mark Webber must surely be among them, if only for the simple reason that he is driving the same Suzuka-friendly car as Vettel. It's easy to forget that the Australian was firmly on course to finish fourth in Singapore before his car gave out, whilst a podium position would have been a strong probability had he been able to start the Korean race from third rather than 13th.

The new long wheelbase E21 had about as successful a debut race as Lotus could have hoped for, even if the Safety Car was instrumental in catapulting Kimi Raikkonen into podium contention. Romain Grosjean's strong showing at Korea may have been slightly overshadowed by Nico Hulkenberg's heroics one place behind, but the Frenchman has unquestionably come along considerably since he was branded a "first lap nutcase" by Webber a year ago.

Ferrari was woefully off the pace at Korea, Alonso unable to finish higher than sixth place, and given the team are no longer updating this year's car, it could prove a challenge for the Scuderia to hang on to second place in the constructors' standings from their rivals at Mercedes. The Silver Arrows showed a handy turn of pace at Korea, particularly over one lap, meaning that neither Lewis Hamilton nor Nico Rosberg can be ruled out of a top-three result this weekend.

Hulkenberg will no doubt be buoyed by memories of Kamui Kobayashi's sensational third place finish for Sauber at Suzuka last year as he seeks to impress potential employers (i.e. Lotus) for next season, while Sergio Perez will be anxious to avoid a repeat of his self-inflicted retirement at the Japanese venue last year with his McLaren future still not entirely secure.

Another driver who needs a strong result is Paul Di Resta. Force India look to be spoiled for choice as far as drivers are concerned in 2014, with Nico Hulkenberg, Felipe Massa and McLaren junior Kevin Magnussen all potential options, in addition to the two incumbents, depending on what Lotus decide. With this in mind, Di Resta needs a strong result in Japan to banish memories of the last three races as decision time looms ever closer.

Qualifying Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Hamilton, 3. Webber, 4. Grosjean, 5. Rosberg, 6. Raikkonen, 7. Alonso, 8. Hulkenberg, 9. Massa, 10. Ricciardo

Race Prediction
1. Vettel, 2. Webber, 3. Grosjean, 4. Hamilton, 5. Alonso, 6. Rosberg, 7. Button, 8. Hulkenberg, 9. Ricciardo, 10. Perez

It will be a fifth successive win for Vettel, but not quite a fourth successive title - thanks to Alonso's fifth place, the German's inevitable coronation will have to be delayed for two weeks. Webber will finally have a clean weekend after his recent mishaps to make it the first Red Bull one-two since Malaysia, with Grosjean making it two podium appearances in a row thanks to the superior race pace of his Lotus in comparison with Hamilton's Mercedes.

Rosberg will bring home the second Brackley-built car in sixth, just behind Alonso, with Jenson Button enjoying a steady run to seventh place. The ever-impressive Hulkenberg will make it four points-scoring races on the bounce with eighth place, followed by Daniel Ricciardo - who will take the ninth place finish he deserved in Korea - and Perez. Having been the major beneficiary of the Safety Car last time out, Raikkonen is my pick to experience some misfortune on Sunday, along with Massa.

Korean Grand Prix 2013 - Report

After the display of utter brilliance that was Singapore, Sebastian Vettel went about imposing himself on the rest of the field in a slightly more subtle manner at Korea.

Instead of galloping away at a vast rate of knots, Vettel seemed to be playing the percentages far more this weekend. Perhaps this was because of the fragility of the Pirelli tyres, which returned to being a major talking point of the weekend after several races out of the spotlight.

There was more criticism leveled at the Italian rubber after Sergio Perez suffered a tyre blowout not dissimilar to those seen at Silverstone, most notably from Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber. Regrettably, Pirelli's response to these comments was a rather petulant one, with Paul Hembery suggesting that Alonso take advice from a certain soon-to-be four-time world champion on tyre preservation.

Looking after the tyres appeared to be the main issue for Lewis Hamilton, the only man who looked to have the pace to really take the fight to Vettel. The Mercedes driver missed out on pole position by just two tenths of a second and dropped behind Romain Grosjean's Lotus at the start of the race while Vettel made a clean getaway to lead the pack.

Whilst the Franco-Swiss wasn't left behind by Vettel in the same way Nico Rosberg was two weeks ago, it soon became clear that Grosjean could not provide any real challenge to the runaway championship leader, who after quickly opening a lead of around three seconds appeared to back off and hold his ground.

Behind, on the first lap, Massa's spin on the apex of turn three shuffled the order as some drivers had to take significant evasive action to avoid the stricken Ferrari. Rosberg maintained fourth place behind his teammate, but Alonso, who had started fifth, fell behind the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg thanks to Massa's error. 

With virtually the entire field starting on option tyres, the first phase of pit-stops commenced in earnest on lap nine, when Hamilton and Alonso both pitted for primes. Grosjean, Rosberg and Hulkenberg all followed suit the next lap, with Vettel making his first stop at the end of lap 11.

The Red Bull driver managed to extend his lead over Grosjean to around six seconds during the second stint, during which Hamilton struggled badly with tyre wear and consequently began to fall away from Grosjean and towards teammate Rosberg. 

In the meantime, Hulkenberg now had a queue forming in his wake consisting of Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and Webber, who had made progress from his lowly starting position of 13th (courtesy of a ten-place grid penalty he picked up for his actions during the slowing-down lap at Singapore) since the start.

Haemorrhaging time relative to the leaders, Raikkonen opted to make his second stop relatively early, on lap 25, in a bid to jump his rivals. This decision proved to be a tactical masterstroke, as, just six laps later, the Safety Car was deployed in response to Perez's exploding front-right tyre, which was no doubt aided by a particularly nasty lock-up a couple of corners beforehand. 

The perennially unlucky Webber, running just behind the McLaren driver at the time having made his second stop, ran over the ensuing debris and was forced to pit for a third time, though this soon proved inconsequential.

Vettel and Grosjean both headed to the pits at the end of lap 31 for fresh primes, resuming first and second, but Raikkonen, having been released into clean air after his stop, leapt up from seventh to third. This demoted Hamilton to fourth, ahead of Hulkenberg, Alonso, Jenson Button and Rosberg, who lost ground after a lengthy pit-stop to replace a broken nose section.

Rosberg was fortunate not to have more damage done to his car as, along the lengthy back straight on lap 28, whilst he was coming up to overtake Hamilton, the German's nose section suddenly drooped. This caused the front wing to drag along the tarmac, creating a spectacular shower of sparks for the better part of a lap.

It didn't take long for the Safety Car to re-emerge after the race restarted on lap 37, as Adrian Sutil misjudged his braking for turn three and clouted the side of Webber's car. Whilst the Force India was able to continue, the impact burst the Red Bull's oil radiator, causing car #2 to burst into flames for the second time in as many races.

Force India ultimately chose to retire Sutil with a few laps remaining, any chance of scoring points having gone up in smoke along with Webber's car when the German picked up a drive-through penalty for pit-lane speeding, rounding off a dismal afternoon for the team during which Paul Di Resta retired with yet another driving error. The Scot held his hands up to his mistake on this occasion, but his F1 career could be in grave danger if he suffers any more slips like this in the remaining races.

Between the Safety Car periods, Raikkonen set about challenging Grosjean for second place. The Finn was able to dive underneath his Lotus teammate at the first corner on lap 38, but, once the race got back underway in earnest, Vettel quickly began to pull clear.

Indeed, there was nothing Raikkonen could do to prevent Vettel from reeling off the remaining laps and sealing his 34th career victory in typically dominant style. His championship lead now stands at 77 points, meaning the German has a chance of wrapping things up next time out at Japan if his closest rival Alonso fails to score at least three points.

Raikkonen and Grosjean held on for second and third places, the third time this season that the Lotus duo have completed the podium behind Vettel. After being passed, Grosjean closed in on his teammate in the closing laps, and admitted to being disappointed that the team didn't order Raikkonen aside. Still, it was another assured drive from Grosjean, who now looks to be well-placed to lead Lotus next year in Kimi's absence.

With any luck, lining up alongside Grosjean in 2014 will be Hulkenberg, who was undoubtedly driver of the race in fourth place. The Sauber driver moved ahead of the ailing Hamilton just after the first restart with a decisive pass at the unlikely location of turn 15, and held on thereafter to match his best finish in F1.

Hulkenberg's traction out of the first corner and impressive top speed were enough to keep Hamilton frustrated, meaning the Englishman was forced to be content with fifth place ahead of Alonso, Rosberg and Button, who fell behind the second Mercedes with two laps remaining.

Daniel Ricciardo was on course to finish a fine ninth place, but suffered brake problems just two laps from home and was obliged to park his Toro Rosso. The same problem also halted the progress of team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne, though the Frenchman was never in the frame for a points finish.

That meant that the points finishers were completed by Massa and Perez, both of whom did well to recover from their earlier dramas. Just missing out on his first points finish in 11th, following another Q3 appearance on Saturday, was Esteban Gutierrez in the second Sauber, whose inexperience showed during a wheel-to-wheel battle with his fellow Latin Americans late in the race.

Next home were the Williams duo of Valtteri Bottas and Pastor Maldonado, who were off the pace as ever even if the latter was able to drag his car as high as ninth place in the opening laps thanks to a scintillating start. Charles Pic came home in 14th, just one place shy of the magic 13th position that would see his Caterham team re-take tenth in the constructors' standings ahead of Marussia.

It was certainly an eventful, if not hugely exciting race at Korea, yet one which many paddock insiders expect to be the last. Should this transpire to be the case, the Yeongam circuit will be remembered predominantly for Vettel's sheer brilliance at the venue - hardly a trait which is likely to mean that it is missed by the vast majority of F1 fans.