Brazilian Grand Prix (Review): Red Bulls Wins Constructors with A Vettel Win (As Alonso Looms in Abu Dhabi)

Monday, 08 November 2010 16:37

Written by Long John Silver

As tired mechanics packed late into the night for a trip across to the Middle East immediately, it would be fair to say that Red Bull mechanics were the least tired in the paddock. Not because they worked any less than others in the paddock, quite the contrary – but because success alleviates tired legs and wearier minds.

The constructor’s championship could not have gone to a more deserving team. To achieve such kind of success within the first seven years of their arrival in formula one is staggering, only accentuated by the fact that Red Bull defeated F-1 veterans such as Ferrari and McLaren this year.

All through this year they have had the fastest car on the grid most of the time, with one trophy neatly tucked away in the Christian Horner collection cabinet, one remains – and for all practical purposes only one out of the three drivers can win it the Yas Marina circuit in a week’s time. Remarkable effort from what is really an energy drink company with a Renault powered motor car.

The fact that Red Bull has had the fastest car most of the year only highlights Fernando Alonso’s grit and sheer class as a world class racing driver. Hamilton had made two mistakes the past two races; quite simply put Alonso does not make mistakes. Time and again he has picked up the pieces after the two RB6’s have galloped into the distance, and sometimes he has stolen race wins right under their nose when he had no business to be on the top step of the podium (Singapore). He is your vintage championship driver, he can easily go wheel to wheel with the best of them but perhaps more importantly, he makes the best out of the bad days (damage control).

A foiled carjack plot on Button does not do any favors to the safety concerns of the global audience for the soccer world cup in 2014. But besides an unsavory Saturday, Button found himself out the reckoning for the world championship by the end of Sunday.

With Vettel jumping Hulkenberg at the start, Webber followed suit with a rope a dope before turn three. He sold a dummy to Hulkenberg making him think he was going to go around the outside, forced him to brake late only to decelerate before and tuck in neatly, to take the lead on the inside. As the two Red Bull’s sailed into the distance, Alonso found himself in that familiar role of damage limitation again. Hamilton made a mistake to let Alonso through to P3, similar to how he let Alonso to P2 in Korea. Hamilton mathematically has a chance to win the world championship still, but mathematically I too have an opportunity to take Natascha McElhone or Eva Mendes out for dinner.

Before and after the safety car, Webber got close to Vettel. But it was too significant a risk for Red Bull to ask Vettel to move over, a collision between Alonso and Webber withstanding in Abu Dhabi. Webber had to nurse his engine in the latter half of the race, and he brought it home before Alonso. Reliability and engines hold the key to the WDC as this point, as all the teams are operating at close to 100% capacity factor.

As we venture into yet another counter-clockwise circuit in Yas Marina circuit next week, Alonso finds himself with a cushion of eight (invaluable) points. The permutation is simple: if Webber wins, Alonso needs to finish second, on the contrary if Vettel wins Alonso needs to finish at least fifth. In the unenviable situation where if Vettel leads Webber from Alonso with two odd laps to go – the true litmus test of Red Bull’s egalitarian principle will be put to the sword. If Vettel swaps place with Webber, then it becomes a case of team orders again, for which Ferrari has been chastised for earlier this year.

Given the fact it’s a new circuit, Alonso’s unparalleled pedigree as a driver does lend him a marginal edge. As much as Red Bull emotionally roots for Vettel, F-1 would absolutely love for Webber to be a world champion as well. A romantic would stack his chips on a Vettel championship victory, and to a lesser extent on Webber. Dare I say, a realist would probably stack his chips on the Spaniard.

Lack of team orders once again would probably see the third party steal the WDC through the back door:

Raikkonen 2007: Alonso 2010?