Red Bull: Gives You Wins

Ironically, Sebastian Vettel managed to not win the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend. That honour went to McLaren's Jenson Button, the only man who stood a chance of foiling Vettel's title hopes in the latter stages of this year.

Win F1 title. Receive free trainers. That's the life.

Button may have gallantly done everything he needed to do, playing his part in getting the win, and getting one over Vettel for the contentious barge he received off the line, but it was a hollow victory, a case of winning the Suzuka battle, but losing the championship war.

So how do we analyse Seb's record back-to-back world titles, aged just 24? Taking nothing away from the chap himself, who has proved vastly more mature and consistent than last year, the season has been rendered something of an anticlimax.

To Vettel's side of the Red Bull garage, that matters not one iota. Their best-case scenario is to put the championship to bed as soon as possible. Having seen off the pesky McLaren, Red Bull can pour resources into next year's car, allowing aero deity Adrian Newey to knuckle down way in advance of the winter break, and set about manipulating air to do his bidding in a way that no other team seems to have a hope of replicating. The smart money must be on Red Bull to make it a hat trick next year. Mine is.

But has the season been an anti-climax for fans? In part yes, as it's been wrapped up with 4 rounds still to go, just like in the bad old days when Schumacher was a dot on the horizon and television audiences were leaving in their droves. And in truth, the result hasn't really been in doubt since late spring, such has been the dominance of the young German, able in 2011 to convert scintillating qualifying pace into race wins, an absent trait which was very nearly his downfall in 2010.

We've been spoiled in recent years with photo finishes for the driver's title. Hamilton taking it from a celebratory Massa on the penultimate corner, of the final lap, of the final race, of 2008. Button doing just enough to get Brawn past the post, also at Interlagos, in 2009. And then Vettel coolly taken his maiden world title under the lights of Abu Dhabi less than 12 months ago.

Lewis imagines facing Felipe in a boxing ring...

So, (he said bitterly) we've been robbed of a Hollywood conclusion to what has been a fine season, but therein lies the real point.

...and that's the most overtaking a HRT has done this year.

Despite one German leading the rest of the field on a merry chase like the Pied Piper, this has still been a great spectator's season for the viewer. Hamilton's shares in bodywork repair, ill-advised Sasha Baron Cohen quotes in interviews, Massa and Maldonado's pantomime dislike of the aforementioned, some spectacular accidents, KERS, and DRS; every race, with the possible exception of the European GP at the god-awful Valencia circuit, has had intrigue, controversy, and entertainment. For that, Formula One should be proud.

(It should also bloody well stay on BBC, but that's another can of energy drink entirely...)

Therefore, let's not begrudge Vettel his one fingered salute to being the best of the best. I may have preferred one of the chaps in the silver Woking machines to swipe it from under his nose, just as Button did so brilliantly in Canada, but Sebastian Vettel is undeniably a fabulous driving talent, a sporting gentleman, a mature young man, a credit to the sport, and a bright (and rather terrifying) prospect for the future. Well done Mr Vettel.

Give 'Kinky Kylie' a kiss from Tyre Roar.

There'll be a full F1 in 2011 review, with the best funnies from year, up on Tyre Roar once the season is over, so stay tuned for that...

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