Kunal can’t fathom all the Vettel bashing off late. As he sees it, all the other teams would give anything to emulate Vettel and RBR.
'I told you so,’ would be the most appropriate way to start my column. For those who recollect reading my two bits in the month of July would remember that I had made five bold predictions. And guess what, most of them have come true. And for those that haven’t, yes, Pirelli holds the blame!
First and foremost, Sebastian Vettel clinching his 4th successive Drivers’ Championship in 2013 – the youngest ever to do so. There are plenty of other records he’s created, and most of them come with the ‘youngest’ tag. And for those who believe that his win is more car than driver, should look at the other side of the garage (Webber).You would agree that the German has managed to squeeze consistent pace that the Australian has struggled to match so far this season.
The over-rated Multi-21 (Malaysian GP), and the mid-race tyre strategy swap (Japanese GP) episodes aside, I don’t think Vettel has snatched wins (or results) away from Webber. And there has been little need to do so, as their pace difference has been significantly larger than it’s been in the previous seasons. Is is because Webber is retiring at the end of this season, and his interest in Formula1 is waning?
Much like his compatriot, idol, and Race of Champions partner, Michael Schumacher, Vettel has been accused of being lethal, ruthless, and a cheater plenty of times in his short career. The most recent episode being one where a former team owner alleged that Vettel and Red Bull Racing were running a ‘hidden’ traction control system, or have found a way to use KERS to offer better traction. While conspiracy theorists and anti-Vettel fans have taken these allegations seriously, what I fail to understand is why Vettel is being hated for doing what every team and driver dream of doing in the sport.
Technical precision, shrewd tyre strategy, followed by absolute domination on the race track is what Formula1 teams spend millions of dollars on. Yes, the fans prefer wheel-to-wheel action with the action going down to the wire, but if it were up to the teams, they would all prefer to win races and championships the Red Bull Racing way. With this in mind, I think it’s high time (or probably even past high time) that Formula1 fans (anti-Vettel ones especially) give respect where it is due. Vettel’s worked hard to achieve what he has at a very young age, and while his wins have been extremely dominant, they certainly haven’t been a fluke.
And while comparisons with Schumacher will always be made, Vettel has made his own mark on the sport – and even broken away from the Schumacher shadow. His five consecutive race wins (Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Korea and Japan) were on tracks where his Red Bull wasn’t supposed to be the strongest, and the win in Japan is the most outstanding – as he drove to perfection on his pit strategy to jump Webber and Grosjean for the win.
With new regulations and cars expected next season, the Formula1 fraternity is already wondering if Vettel-Red Bull Racing will yet again be the combo to beat, or will there be a resurgence amidst the manufacturer teams. But, let’s leave aside 2014, and applaud Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing for their near-perfect effort in 2013.Bravo!
Back to my predictions now – I had made one each regarding Massa and Raikkonen. While in my wildest dreams I wouldn’t have imagined an Alonso-Raikkonen pairing, that is what Ferrari has chosen for next season. This means that Raikkonen leaving Lotus, and Massa being replaced at Ferrari did come true.
The Mercedes duo of Rosberg and Hamilton have fought hard and fair all of 2013, with the only unfair part being that most of the team’s bad luck has been inflicted upon Rosberg. And I haven’t had a look at the data, but it seems that the switch back to the 2012 tyres has affected Rosberg’s speed in comparison to Hamilton – and hence his championship standing. The German was leading till mid-way of the season, only to lose ground after the summer break. This means that Hamilton will finish yet another season unbeaten by his team-mate, but will this be the case in 2014 as well?
And, last but not least, the one prediction that I really wanted to come true was that of Sahara Force India finishing ahead of McLaren. The Indian owned Formula1 team was ahead of the multiple World Championship team till mid-season. However, the switch to 2012 Pirelli rubber compounds saw the team struggle to match its early pace. The result has been the loss of 5th place to McLaren, and a tough fight to hold onto 6th place from a late, but fast charging, Sauber.
All told, though, what would my self-assessment be ofmy predictions, and their success rate? Well, I would like to think that I just did a Vettel!
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