16/11/2010
FEATURE BY JIM CASEY
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So Red Bull and Vettel responded to the disaster in Korea like the champions they are. Two poles, two wins, and both championships secured in the most dramatic fashion in the last two races. First, all hail Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel.
At times I have wondered if the young man had the patience and judgment to be champion, and he proved he does with these last two performances under the harshest pressure. He was the man to beat in all of the practice and qualifying sessions at Yas Marina, and the man who would not be beaten in the race.
Circumstances, and Ferrari's pit strategy, certainly helped, along with solid drives by both Renault drivers, but Vettel had to win to have a chance at the title, and his victory at Abu Dhabi never seemed in doubt. Should Ferrari have pitted Alonso during the early safety car period when others came in and got their tyre change done for the day? Was it discussed over the radio, and, ultimately, who decided to leave Fernando out? There will be much recrimination and gnashing of teeth in Maranello, as there already is in the Italian sporting press. Losing a championship that seemed to be all but wrapped up is difficult for any team and driver, but nowhere is the scrutiny like it is in Italy for Ferrari.
As to the specifics of the race itself, Vettel led from the start, with the contenders all leery of crashing in the first corner, and giving more room than they might under other circumstances. The only aggressive move made there was by Button, who dropped Alonso to 4th from his 3rd place grid position. After Liuzzi collected Schumi just before the hairpin, the safety car was deployed for several laps, and the decision by various drivers to pit or not pit at that point proved decisive for all the contenders. After Webber came in for tyres on lap 14, Ferrari decided to cover that by bringing Alonso in for his tyres two laps later, but as Alonso exited the pit lane to re-enter the track, he found himself staring at the back of Vitaly Petrov's Renault, a view that would not change for the rest of the day. Webber's chances fell away as he was stuck behind Alguersuari for a few crucial which kept him behind Alonso for the rest of the race. Vettel's pit stop timing also proved crucial, as he was able to exit just ahead of the dynamic Kobayashi, saving him the precious time that it might have taken to get by the young Japanese driver. Button led for many laps, but it was all for show, as Vettel was too close behind for Jenson to hold his lead after his stop. So Vettel inherited the lead and drove the car home smoothly and forcefully, with the two McLaren drivers joining him on the podium. It was a nice scene, with the two most recent champions dumping sparkling cider on the newest, and youngest champion.
For now, congratulations to Vettel and Red Bull on well-deserved championships for driver and car. I'm sure that long-term employees of the Milton Keynes team, who were there in the Jaguar days, and perhaps before, are finding the taste of this hard-earned victory especially sweet.