Red Bull Charge Finishes Spanish Matador

It's 16 weeks until the 2011 Formula One season kicks off, but to fill that chasm of time there's plenty of analysis to be done of what must go down as one of the sport's greatest ever sagas, won yesterday by 23 year-old German Sebastian Vettel. Finally able to convert his qualifying prowess into undisputed race victory, his masterclass in Abu Dhabi was undoubtedly worthy of a champion, and a credit to the meteoric rise to success of Red Bull F1. Yet again, investment in young driver talent (cite Hamilton, Rosberg etc) has paid dividends, not just in titles but the double prize money netted by the team for attaining the constructors' and drivers' crowns.

It was a fairlytale end to an inconsistent season for Vettel, and as with every good story, there was of course a dastardly villain, who lived up to his billing yesterday and further demonised himself in the eyes of the sporting media and audience. Why Fernando Alonso deems himself worthy of having the right to pull alongside a rival yet compatriot driver after the race, and gesture angrily at him for not letting his supposedly superior machine (and its driver) past is anyone's guess, but it remains extremely poor form for him to lose so arrogantly and blame Renault's Vitaly Petrov. It's the old Cristiano Ronaldo scenario; talented, wealthy, adored sportsman with much potential ruins his reputation unneccessarily with childish behaviour and sore losing. It did add to the spectacle nevertheless, and made the Red Bull's victory just that little sweeter. With the ghastly blot of 'Ferrari World' opening last week just a stone's throw from the Abu Dhabi circuit, snatching Ferrari's flagship title from Alonso's dominant grasp has created an embarrassment that no amount of Prancing Horse branded aftershave and baseball caps can smooth over for some time.

Even better though, is the stage set for 2011. Luca de Montezemolo, success hungry President of Ferrari, will demand  revenge, and dominance. Alonso has a thirst to go one better. Massa needs to emerge from no man's land and justify the most revered driving seat in the world. Meanwhile the Red Bulls will invest and want to capitalise on such a whitewash, while the all-Brit team of previous champions at Mclaren will be ready to add to their trophy haul and cement their status. Throw into the mix an even longer season, a possibly resurgent Michael Schumacher and Niko Rosberg at Mercedes, together with the usual threateners of Kubica, Barrichello, and the venerable age/desire time bomb that ticks within Mark Webber, plus the fact that all teams will be supplied with thus untested Pirelli tyres, and Formula One next year looks set to be another landmark vintage.