I’ve seen some reports and comments calling the German race
a thrilling and eventful race, but I’m not inclined to agree. There were some
moments of good racing, some good and bad strategy, but other than the first
few laps, and the last ten, it was nothing to write home about – except Jules
Bianchi’s car insisting on going racing without a driver! That was quite
amusing – but very dangerous.
Red Bull back on top?
What we saw this time around was almost a return to Vettel’s
dominant championship win. There some reasonably exciting moments but it by no
means a thriller that some reports called it. Having passed Lewis Hamilton on
the first lap, it was almost plain sailing for the Red Bull driver, but by a
much smaller margin than we’ve seen previously, granted. This could be a
pattern for the rest of the season but I hope not – I want to see a fight on
the track!
Mercedes and Ferrari falling back
Hamilton and Alonso have both come out and said improvements
need to happen, and quickly. Hamilton knew what he was getting into, but Alonso
will remember the time since his last championship, and what to do if Ferrari
can’t deliver. The future of his teammate, Felipe Massa, is under continued
scrutiny. His drives are sometimes brilliant but there is too much
inconsistency to really make him reliable to any championship effort.
McLaren’s strong weekend
Finally! Finally, finally, finally I have something positive
to say about McLaren! I am a fan of the team from when I was younger, and like
many people, it’s not been fun seeing them so far back. They had a good weekend
this time around, compared to the rest of the year. It’s not their best result
but with both cars in the points and improved performances, it’s a good step
forward that will help for next year.
The Lotus – Red Bull – Kimi triangle
Webber’s replacement is also going to be a hot topic for the
rest of the year. Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo are favourites for the
seat and I have a feeling the latter will get it. He has really grown recently
and is improving all the time, but I just don’t think Raikkonen will do it.
Yes, he wants to win, and have the best car, but he has seen
how Vettel treats teammates and Raikkonen wouldn’t settle for that. He wouldn’t
have the full support for a future championship assault, no matter what Red
Bull say. They have a number one and two driver, they just won’t admit it. If
Lotus can show they have what it takes, they have a good chance of keeping him,
but there aren’t many other options right now.
Safety is still the most important thing
A cameraman was hit by Webber’s escaping tyre. It’s more
safety concerns, and still with tyres, but of a different nature. It was
unfortunate but it could have happened to anyone around him and the most
important thing is he’s okay! How this affects broadcasting shots and
journalists in the long-term remains to be seen but there is an immediate ban
on the media in the pit lane for the next race.
Summary
You’ve got to give it to Vettel, the guy is a great driver
and his achievements just keep adding up. He’s now won his home grand prix and
is still leading the championship. It wasn’t a great showing from his rivals
this time out and whether you blame tyres or anything else, it is easy to see
that Vettel, and Red Bull, have the strongest grip on the 2013 WDC and WCC. We’re
almost halfway there but there’s plenty more to come.
Results
1 – S. Vettel (Red Bull)
2 – K. Raikkonen (Lotus)
3 – R. Grosjean (Lotus)
4 – F. Alonso (Ferrari)
5 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)
6 – J. Button (McLaren)
7 – M. Webber (Red Bull)
8 – S. Perez (McLaren)
9 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)
10 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)
11 – P. Di Resta (Force India)
12 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
13 – A. Sutil (Force India)
14 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)
15 – P. Maldonado (Williams)
16 – V. Bottas (Williams)
17 – C. Pic (Caterham)
18 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)
19 – M. Chilton (Marussia)
20 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso) – DNF
21 – J. Bianchi (Marussia) – DNF
22 – F. Massa (Ferrari) – DNF
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