Sebastien Vettel capped a championship winning season in style by winning the final race of the 2013 Formula 1 season. Things did not go to plan at the start of the race for the German as a slow getaway allowed Rosberg to take the lead of the race during the first lap. However, it only took until the second lap for Vettel to claim back first place and from then on the German never looked back. Mark Webber ended his Formula 1 career in second place which was well received amongst the motor racing community. Fernando Alonso held onto third place and took the final spot on the podium to end a tough year for himself and Ferrari.
My Opinion:
Red Bull: Vettel (winner), Webber (2nd). It turned out to be a great and dominant season from Red Bull. Vettel became the runaway champion during the second half of the season whilst Webber proved to be a strong second driver for the team. It will be interesting to see how the team does with the rule and engine changes next year. Additionally, I am sad to see Webber leave the sport and he will be missed amongst the fans.
Mercedes: Rosberg (5th), Hamilton (9th). Mercedes held onto second place by six points in the constructors championship after both drivers scored vital points in the last race. The team were a strong force but were never close enough to the Red Bulls to mount a competitive challenge. Hamilton will feel justified with his move to the team whilst Rosberg proved his credentials.
Ferrari: Alonso (3rd), Massa (7th). Not the season Ferrari were hoping for but third place amongst the teams is still a good achievement. Ultimately, poor qualifying sessions throughout the season were to blame for the lack of success but Alonso showed guts and determination to fight his way to the top of the grid on multiple occasions. Massa was a decent second fiddle driver for the team and his commitment to the team will be hugely valued.
Lotus: Kovalainen (14th), Grosjean (DNF). Lotus should be pleased with their efforts this year although a sour taste will be left after the fiasco with Raikkonen. Grosjean showed glimpses of his potential to finish on the podium whilst Raikkonen was back to his best earlier in the season.
Mclaren: Button (4th), Perez (6th). Mclaren had a really disappointing season. As a fan of the team I was really gutted that the team couldn't challenge for podium positions this year. Button achieved the teams highest finish this season with 4th but that is not what the team set out to achieve. Perez can feel upset about losing his drive for the team next year as he did a decent job with the car he had. Hopefully, next season will be more prosperous for Mclaren.
Force India: Di Resta (11th), Sutil (13th). Force India's season was summed up well with the their result in this race. They were always near the points but often came up short. Di Resta had a difficult season with a number of retirements whilst Sutil coped in a satisfactory fashion.
Sauber: Hulkenberg (8th), Gutierrez (12th). It was an up and down season for Sauber. There were some very promising results but there were also some races to forget. Hulkenberg proved he was a strong driver whilst Gutierrez often had an average day.
Toro Rosso: Ricciardo (10th), Vergne (15th). Toro Rosso's triumphs came during the qualifying sessions where they were often competing in the top ten shootout. However, they may have had a fast car during qualifying but it was often not the case during the race where they frequently fell down the order. One shining light for the team was Ricciardo who managed to provide the team with valuable points on multiple occasions and rightly deserves his place alongside Vettel next season.
Williams: Maldonado (16th), Bottas (DNF). Williams endured a tortuous season. Nothing went well for the team and they will be glad to see the back of the season. There ended up being a nasty rift with Maldonado which will now come to an end but Bottas managed to provide some points for the team along the way.
Caterham: Van Der Garde (18th), Pic (DNF). Caterham were the faster of the two slowest teams on the grid. Although they didn't achieve a single point, they can take pride in the fact that they did their best with the limited funds available to them.
Marussia: Bianchi (17th), Chilton (19th). Marussia were the slowest team on the grid but will have learnt vast amounts of knowledge from their experience throughout the season. It was good to see another Brit on the grid and I hope Chilton gets a seat for next year too.
Race Guide and Key Moments:
Start: Rosberg (up 1), Vettel (down 1), Hamilton (up 2), Alonso (down 1), Webber (down 1), Massa (up 3), Grosjean (down 1), Hulkenberg (up 2), Ricciardo (down 2), Bottas (up 3).
Lap 2: Vettel takes the lead after passing Rosberg. Alonso into 3rd after passing Hamilton. Webber into 4th after passing Hamilton.
Lap 3: Button into 10th after passing Bottas. Grosjean OUT after engine bursts into flames.
Lap 4: Alonso into 2nd after passing Rosberg.
Lap 7: Webber into 3rd after passing Rosberg. Gutierrez into 11th and Perez into 12th after both passing Sutil. Button into 8th after passing Ricciardo.
Lap 11: Hamilton into 4th after passing Rosberg.
Lap 13: Webber into 2nd after passing Alonso. Perez into 10th after passing Bottas. Button into 7th after passing Hulkenberg.
Lap 15: Massa into 4th after passing Rosberg.
Lap 19: Kovalainen into 18th after passing Bottas.
Lap 20: Kovalainen into 17th after passing Vergne.
Lap 22: Button into 7th after passing Ricciardo. Button into 6th after passing Gutierrez.
Lap 24: Vettel makes a pit stop and retains the lead.
Lap 26: Webber into 2nd after passing Alonso.
Lap 32: Massa receives a drive through penalty after crossing the line at pit entry.
Lap 37: Maldonado into 14th after passing Bottas.
Lap 42: Sutil into 14th after passing Kovalainen.
Lap 46: Massa into 9th after passing Di Resta.
Lap 47: Bottas OUT after contact with Hamilton causes him to spin off track due to a rear tyre puncture but Hamilton manages to make it back to the pits.
Lap 48: Vettel makes a pit stop and regains the lead.
Lap 51: Drive through penalty for Hamilton for causing contact with Bottas.
Lap 54: Drive through penalty for Van Der Garde for ignoring blue flags.
Lap 58: Hamilton into 9th after passing Ricciardo.
Lap 61: Pic OUT after suspension damage.
Lap 64: Sutil into 13th after passing Kovalainen.
Lap 71: Vettel wins the Brazilian Grand Prix. Webber finishes second whilst Alonso claims third.
Brazilian Grand Prix Result:
1. Vettel (Red Bull) 1.32.36.300
2. Webber (Red Bull)
3. Alonso (Ferrari)
4. Button (Mclaren)
5. Rosberg (Mercedes)
6. Perez (Mclaren)
7. Massa (Ferrari)
8. Hulkenberg (Sauber)
9. Hamilton (Mercedes)
10. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
Fastest Lap: Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1.15.436
Driver Standings:
1. Vettel (Red Bull) 397pts
2. Alonso (Ferrari) 242
3. Webber (Red Bull) 199
4. Hamilton (Mercedes) 189
5. Raikkonen (Red Bull) 183
Constructor Standings:
1. Red Bull 596pts
2. Mercedes 360
3. Ferrari 354
4. Lotus 315
5. Mclaren 122
Performance of the Day: Jenson Button (Mclaren) pulled off a great race to climb 10 places from his starting grid position to finish in Mclaren's highest spot of the year in 4th.
Most Overtakes of the Day: Jenson Button (Mclaren) with 9.
Shock of the Day: Mclaren's incredible performance.
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