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Maybe it's just a way to bring attention to an increasingly boring circus. Or perhaps the leader of the World Drivers' Championship is not likable even to the Circus owner. Bernie Ecclestone warns:
"The dominance of Sebastian Vettel will end soon, maybe as early as 2014".
The German driver, with a 60-point advantage over Alonso with six races to go, is on track for his fourth consecutive world title. However, according to Ecclestone, the story will change as early as next year:
"We will have new cars, new engines, new rules. It will be an opportunity for Ferrari and Mercedes to catch up with Vettel. It might not be the best driver but the best car winning the title".
Meanwhile, the end of the 2013 season looks boring. Vettel has won seven races, the last three consecutively, and is not used to making calculations. He has been booed in Monza and Singapore, not only by Ferrari fans.
"He is a dominator, leaving nothing to his opponents, not even a chance for Alonso and Hamilton. It's like Senna or Schumacher in certain periods".
A busy day for Fernando Alonso at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello: on Monday, September 30, 2013, the Spanish champion, after receiving visits from cyclists Peter Sagan and Joaquim Rodriguez, had a meeting with Ferrari President Luca Montezemolo. The Spanish driver and the Ferrari president discussed the future in the short and medium term, on the eve of Alonso's departure for the Asian races, starting in Yeongam, South Korea, that weekend. With a 60-point gap from Sebastian Vettel, Alonso was asked to give his best: while catching up with the German seems almost impossible, there is still a desire to perform well in Ferrari. In the remaining six races, there are still significant milestones to achieve and many opportunities to gather important information for 2014, a year with many technical changes expected in the cars. For Alonso and Montezemolo, it was their first meeting in almost a month. They hadn't seen each other since the Saturday of the Italian Grand Prix qualifying at Monza. On Wednesday, October 2, 2013, in South Korea, Fernando Alonso dispelled doubts about possible irregularities from the unbeatable Anglo-Austrian team, given the strange sound coming from the RB9 in the Singapore race.
"The Red Bull passes all the checks, so there is nothing to discuss. The fact that it sounds different is not evidence. They certainly use something different from other teams but within the rules. I have no strange sensations".
The doubt arose after Gian Carlo Minardi had been a spectator at the Singapore Grand Prix and had the opportunity to observe the track from a suite at the end of the pit straight.
"I don't want to take anything away from Sebastian Vettel, who interprets his Red Bull at its best, and I don't want to point fingers at anyone, but I've been wondering for days how the German managed to turn 2.5 seconds faster per lap than everyone else in the first laps and at the restart of the Safety car, given that the gap from Grosjean (in FP3) and Rosberg (in qualifying) was only a few tenths. On Saturday, the German may have played, but something doesn't add up anyway".
And he continued:
"From my suite, I could compare the driving styles among various drivers, and I had taken fixed reference points on the track, like the panettones inside the curve that leads to Republic Boulevard, placed there to prevent cutting the curb. At that point, Vettel's extremely clean driving impressed me. He could cover that entire stretch of track without making any corrections, unlike his opponents, including his teammate. In short, looking at the times, the German made a big difference precisely in T3, the most driven sector of the track".
So far, nothing strange: what did the former Italian team manager notice as anomalous?
"Sebastian could open the throttle fifty meters before everyone else, including Webber. While all the drivers accelerated at the same point, Vettel managed to anticipate them by a lot. And in those moments, I was struck by the sound of the Renault engine, which was completely different from all the other French engines. It reminded me of the cut of cylinders of the Traction Control, which is now forbidden".
And the peculiar noise only occurred during the laps when Sebastian was required to deliver extraordinary performances, disappearing when he limited himself to driving at the pace of others.
"So, obvious questions arise for which I would like someone to give an answer, considering Vettel's clean driving; that the German could open the throttle 50 meters before everyone else, and only when an abnormal noise came from the Renault V8. These were the laps that coincided with the more than two seconds he cut off from all his opponents in the race. I don't want to accuse anyone, but I would like to delve into these aspects".
But it's simply a driving system that Mark Webber can't use, while Sebastian Vettel can, maximizing the competitiveness of his Red Bull Racing. The Anglo-Austrian team, through a judicious use of engine electronics and the assistance of the gearbox, as well as the clutch, produces a kind of traction control effect that is perfectly legal, as the FIA has fully approved it. Both the ignition delay and some shift functions are exploited. In fact, after careful listening trackside and from the camera car, you can see that Vettel's gear changes from the lower to the higher ratio occurred extremely quickly compared to other drivers. Speaking of the race in Yeongam, Fernando Alonso clarifies:
"The goal is to try to stay ahead of Vettel and reduce the gap, even if logic says it's not possible. Singapore was an extreme case, for many reasons. We must be realistic; we don't have the pace to beat them under normal conditions. We won't give up until the title is mathematically impossible to reach. In theory, anything can still happen, a bit like in the America's Cup. We saw that the American team was 8-1 down and eventually won 9-8. Things can change quickly. Of course, we need a lot of luck. If we have it, rest assured we will use it".
Closing with a joke about the future and the meeting with President Montezemolo in Maranello:
"We updated each other on many things. I asked him for news about the technicians who will arrive and the changes to the wind tunnel, which is a crucial point for next season. In 2014, everything will be different: I am optimistic that Ferrari can recover against rivals".
Ending his long adventure at the wheel of Ferrari in the best possible way is Felipe Massa's imperative. Even after the announcement of his departure from Ferrari after the end of the World Championship, he prefers to focus on the last commitments of the 2013 season, without thinking for now about the future away from Maranello.
"I am still focusing on the last races; I don't think it's the right time to talk about my future. I believe there will be good opportunities, but it's better to wait and say it at the right time. I feel good, I feel comfortable in the car, I managed to score some points in the last races, which is important for me and for the team. I am trying to concentrate and continue like this in the last races, trying to achieve some more podiums and even better results from now on. I think the qualifying is going well too, so let's try to do everything possible to bring home good results and finish well with Ferrari in this long and important story together".
However, Massa cannot completely dodge questions about the future. He still sees himself in Formula 1.
"I am quite optimistic about the possibility of finding a good solution. As I said, I won't change my way of thinking. If I have a car that can allow me to be competitive, fine, but I don't want a car that has no chance of fighting. I like this track and I like driving here, but regarding the calendar, I think there is a lot to reflect on because it is not comfortable for us drivers or even for the teams".
He dreamed of a better season, but it didn't go as he hoped.
"There are many small details that didn't work as I expected, at least to fight for the championship. We need to talk about the overall teamwork. If you look at the recent races, his pace in qualifying and the race, and if we look at those few teams that have had small updates, he could get another win because his pace has definitely improved. In all tracks, especially in Singapore, Red Bull always shows extraordinary performances. I hope it won't be like that, but I believe he has the chance to win more races from now on".
Meanwhile, Ferrari will test new aspects for 2014 on Friday.
"I think it won't be so easy to try things for next year on Friday because everything will start from scratch. But if there are new pieces, I hope to be able to try them," concludes Massa".
On the eve of the South Korean race, Kimi Raikkonen, his successor at the Maranello team, also speaks. In Singapore, the Lotus Finn had risked missing the qualifiers due to back pain but finished the race with an excellent third place after starting from the thirteenth position on the grid.
"If I couldn't race, I wouldn't be here. Obviously, we'll know more tomorrow, but for now, it's okay. It's always difficult to say until you get behind the wheel, but I think everything should go well. As I said on the occasion of the last race, it's not the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last. It's a problem I've been living with for a long time".
Raikkonen also sends reassuring signals to Ferrari regarding his return next season.
"I have always been fine; obviously, every passing year, physical problems increase, but I am sure I can live with these things".
He doesn't have great memories of the Yeongam circuit, 400 km south of Seoul, but Lewis Hamilton has good feelings and his usual ambitions.
"I don't remember any of the races, to be honest. I remember qualifying ahead; I think I did some good practices, but there's nothing special to remember. It depends on the understanding of my car, which is growing. I am understanding how to get the most out of it. Let's hope this weekend goes even better, and we can improve compared to the last Grand Prix. There are some aspects where we can improve, especially in communication. I was quite surprised that the car performed well everywhere. It was really fortunate, so I look forward to seeing if in this Grand Prix, we can keep up with Red Bull, at least try to get ahead of the guys in red".
Hamilton also talks about the South Korean circuit and the twenty-two races next year.
"It's a beautiful track; they did a great job, and it's enjoyable to drive here. Not many people watch it; it's far from the city, but we have seen how suggestive the scenery is. In terms of the calendar, I agree with Massa. The year will be very long, the season demanding. The problem is that there will be very distant races. You can do many, but you have to organize them better".
On Friday, October 4, 2013, Lewis Hamilton dominated the first two free practice sessions on the Yeongam track. The Mercedes driver was the fastest both with Medium tires in the first session and with Supersoft tires in the second session, putting himself behind World Champion Sebastian Vettel. Nico Rosberg followed in third place. Mark Webber was fourth with the second Red Bull Racing, with a gap from Hamilton of 0.171 seconds. Felipe Massa of Ferrari set the fifth-best time with a lap time of 1'39"114, followed by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean and Fernando Alonso in seventh. Eighth time for Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus, who had a non-consequential incident in the first session, followed by Jenson Button's McLaren and Adrian Sutil's Force India.
"The feelings are those of Friday, and to say something more, we certainly need to wait until tomorrow and see how the qualifications will go. Also on this track, aerodynamics make the difference, and for this reason, compared to the last Grand Prix, I don't expect big surprises. The ranking follows an order that continues to be more or less the same as in previous weekends, and most likely, we can expect another comeback race. Now we have to try to get the most out of what we have available and give it our all both tomorrow and in the race".
More than an Oracle, a Miracle is needed. The Americans' great feat cannot be a model, even if Alonso, trailing by 60 points to Vettel with six races to go, clings to it to give faint hope to Ferrari fans.
"But it would take blatant misfortune, a couple of retirements from Vettel, because under normal conditions, my Ferrari is not able to counter his Red Bull. It would take a miracle because logic says every discussion is closed".
Alonso doesn't want to join the clan of suspicious and Vettel's enemies, those who, perhaps out of envy, accuse Red Bull Racing of cheating with a masked traction control (forbidden by regulations).
"The car is regular; it would have passed a thousand technical checks, the FIA would have noticed. The strange sound? It has always had that particular noise. They have something different from others, but it will certainly be within the regulations".
Alonso prefers to look at his own team.
"They were better than us in development; when they bring new things, they work immediately, while at Ferrari, it doesn't always happen. And then, they maximized the in-race tire change. In 2014, we won't be able to have these hesitations anymore".
In reality, not everyone inside the Maranello factory agrees to blame the Pirelli tires, the main culprits, according to Alonso, for another debacle. Vettel's superiority in Singapore was disarming. Lewis Hamilton claims:
"At the exit of the corner, he started accelerating 20 meters before us; it was since the traction control days that I hadn't seen anything like it".
Said like this, it resembles pouring gasoline on the fire; in reality, Lewis clarifies that he doesn't think of Red Bull Racing as irregular. The fact is that poisons spread, and Vettel is left with irony.
"In Singapore, the traction control worked great; it should work even better in Korea. In reality, our triumphs are the result of extreme work, and opponents should take note".
On Friday, as he said in Singapore, we stay at the circuit until night, and we don't go to put balls in the pool. A statement that provoked Nico Rosberg's reply:
"I think about my balls on my own. Stop it because you will lose the respect of everyone".
Something that, for too many victories, he has already dissipated in many fans, who continue to boo him on the podium.
"I understand them; it hurts to lose all the time. And someone reacts like that".
While he seems to fear nothing. Not even the typhoon approaching Mokpo, which could bring very strong winds and rain on Sunday. On Saturday, October 5, 2013, Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in the third and final practice session. The German precedes his teammate Mark Webber by 0.137 seconds. Lewis Hamilton, who had been the fastest on Friday, finishes in fourth place, failing to take advantage of the lap with Supersoft tires. Sebastian Vettel leaves nothing on the table. The Red Bull Racing German also takes pole position in the Korean Grand Prix, the sixth of the season and the 42nd of his career: only Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher have done more than him. The World Champion is the fastest in the third qualifying session, preceding the Mercedes of Englishman Lewis Hamilton. The third row for the two Ferraris: Alonso will start from fifth place, Massa from sixth. Twenty-six years old and already 42 pole positions in his career: within a few years, the German can surpass two sacred monsters like Schumacher (68 poles) and Senna (65). But the German brakes:
"Let's not talk about records and numbers, please; I don't have to do that. I love Formula 1 and its history; I like to think about some drivers and say that it's crazy to find oneself behind people like Senna or Schumacher".
Sebastian Vettel prefers to focus on the present. The Korean Grand Prix could bring him closer to his fourth world title:
"We are doing our best. I am very happy with this time because we managed to improve the car compared to yesterday, otherwise, Hamilton would still be ahead. I am sure that Lewis, just as he pushed today, will push tomorrow in the race".
With a time of 1'37"202, the German from Red Bull Racing preceded the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton, who lapped in 1'37''420.
Australian Mark Webber, at the wheel of the other Red Bull Racing, set the third time but will be relegated ten positions after receiving the third warning of the season in the Singapore Grand Prix two weeks ago. In the second row, then, will be the Lotus of Frenchman Romain Grosjean and the Mercedes of German Nico Rosberg. Behind them are the two Ferraris of Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Brazilian Felipe Massa. Behind the two Ferraris will be the Saubers of German Nico Hulkenberg and Mexican Esteban Gutierrez. Only the fifth row for the Lotus of Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who will have the McLaren of Mexican Sergio Perez alongside him at the start, eliminated in the second session like his teammate, Englishman Jenson Button. Fernando Alonso expresses himself after the qualifying session of the Korean Grand Prix:
"I am not surprised by the outcome of this qualification because in terms of pure performance, Saturdays are always difficult for us and will continue to be until the end of the championship. On Sundays, things usually improve, and our goal is always to get on the podium, as happened in the last races. This weekend seems harder than usual because while we have always had a good race pace so far, both yesterday and today, we suffered in the long run, and this means that for tomorrow, we absolutely have to improve. We have some problems with the tires that we can't manage like others: there is a lot of graining, and if you push in the first sector, you almost risk not completing the lap. We will have to find a good compromise to make them survive the number of laps that our technicians will determine because the ideal strategy remains the two stops. As we go on dry, rain could shuffle the cards; in the end, we have nothing to lose, and even if there is little time to adapt, we must be ready for this possibility".
Between Alonso and Pirelli, it's now an open war. The latest chapter of a very troubled seasonal relationship unfolds in Korea, at the end of the usual disappointing qualifying, another Saturday of passion that sees Alonso in sixth place while Vettel celebrates with the usual emphasis the 42nd pole position of his career, the fourth consecutive one after Belgium, Italy, and Singapore. The Spaniard, annoyed by the negative performance, once again attacks the tires. The subsequent clarification is of little use:
"Good or bad, we are 0.8 seconds behind the best, the untouchable Red Bull and Mercedes".
What matters is the initial attack:
"However, these tires are not good. They are of poor quality. They can't even last five kilometers, the space of a lap. Both Massa and I could only push to the maximum in the first sector; in the second and third, our tires were already gone. There is enormous degradation; bubbles appear immediately. Perhaps it will be our fault that we can't manage them like others, exploit their potential; the fact remains that whether the tires are good or bad will change little, but at least with the good ones, you can compete. Now, to maintain the ideal strategy, that of the two pit stops, we will have to do somersaults: resist as much as possible to make the minimum laps with the softer compound tires that our engineers will dictate".
An obvious jab at those who produce those tires, not the first since the beginning of the season. Problems that turn into a real dispute, because this time Pirelli responds harshly with its head, Paul Hembery.
"I am disappointed by Alonso's comment, well below the level of an experienced and listened-to champion like him. If he has doubts about our tires, he should ask someone who will soon be a four-time consecutive world champion how to exploit them to the fullest. No one questions his talent; he is one of the greatest drivers in today's Formula 1, but certain accusations are unacceptable".
To make the managers of the Italian company jump on their chairs was the definition of poor quality. Complaining about adaptability is one thing, saying, and Alonso has often done so, that the return to the 2012 Pirellis favored Red Bull Racing (but chief designer Tombazis, for the debacle of the Maranello team, points more to the wind tunnel and the bad development of the car, arguing that blaming only the tires is superficial), another is talking about poor quality, an accusation that involves any product of the Italian company and therefore also the one used for road cars. Pirelli cannot accept such invective from one of its clients, albeit prestigious, and for this reason, it has decided to respond in kind, mixing irritation and irony in its retort. It is noted that Hamilton spoke of okay tires, and Alonso is thrown in his face the continuous triumphs of rival Vettel. However, Ferrari does not remain silent either, which in the war takes the defense of its driver and to Hembery produces a response full of venom:
"With certain phrases, he missed an opportunity to keep quiet".
On Sunday, October 6, 2013, at the start of the Korean Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel made a good start from pole position, as did Lewis Hamilton, who started alongside him, while Nico Rosberg and Romain Grosjean overtook the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa: the two used the KERS to draw level with Rosberg, but the Brazilian made a braking mistake at the third turn and spun, risking involving the other Ferrari. Alonso is forced to go wide, and he is passed by Rosberg and also by Nico Hülkenberg's Sauber, finding himself in sixth position. Massa closes the first lap in P21. While the German driver of the Red Bull Racing is set for a solitary race in the lead, behind him, a battle ensues: Kimi Räikkönen stands out, overtaking Daniel Ricciardo on lap 4 and Alonso on lap 9, thus securing the sixth position. The Spaniard immediately pits for the first pit stop, replacing the Supersoft tires with the Medium ones; Lewis Hamilton will do the same. During the following lap, Romain Grosjean, Nico Rosberg, and Nico Hülkenberg also make their tire changes; Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, on the other hand, wait until lap 11: however, the Finn loses time in the pits and rejoins the track behind Fernando Alonso, with Mark Webber right behind. Daniel Ricciardo, who has not yet pitted, is in fourth place and seems to take advantage, but around lap 17, he encounters tire problems: Nico Rosberg overtakes him in the middle of the next lap, and the Australian decides to return to the pits. Meanwhile, a battle for the fifth position heats up between Nico Hülkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, and Mark Webber, who currently proceed in this order: during lap 25, the Lotus driver returns to the pits, leaving the way clear for the second Red Bull Racing driver, who shortly after overtakes the Spaniard.
Hamilton suffers from tire wear and begins to lose three seconds per lap compared to the leaders and his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who is getting closer. During lap 28, Fernando Alonso pits for a tire change, and in the same lap, Nico Rosberg is forced to return to the pits because, at the moment of overtaking Lewis Hamilton, the front wing of his Mercedes collapses. Anticipating the tire change, Kimi Räikkönen climbs back to the third position. However, during lap 31, the right front tire on Sergio Pérez's car, who had just been overtaken by the Finn, explodes. Due to the debris on the track, the Safety car is deployed. Mark Webber suffers a puncture due to debris and is forced to change the tires again, but since he has run out of sets of Medium tires, he must necessarily switch to Supersofts. The order now sees Vettel still in the lead, followed by Grosjean, Räikkönen, Hamilton, Hülkenberg, Alonso, Button, and Rosberg. Five laps pass before the Safety car returns to the pits. Shortly after, Adrian Sutil spins and hits the Red Bull Racing of the Australian, forcing him to retire. The car catches fire, prompting a fire brigade vehicle to intervene on the track, forcing the race direction to bring the Safety car back onto the track. Meanwhile, Raikkonen overtakes Grosjean, and Hülkenberg overtakes Hamilton. When the Safety car exits, the standings see Sebastian Vettel still in the first position, followed by the two Lotuses of Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Hülkenberg, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso, who engage in constant duels but ultimately finish in this order. Noteworthy at lap 53 is Rosberg's overtaking of Button for the seventh position. Therefore, the defending champion wins, and starting from the next Japanese Grand Prix, he will have the opportunity to mathematically secure the world title.
Sebastian Vettel, with his dominant performance at the Korean Grand Prix, is now very close to his fourth consecutive F1 world title. Once again, the German has staged one of his classic races: a perfect start from pole and then, with record laps, towards the checkered flag. The podium also features the two fast Lotus drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean, while further behind at the finish line are Nico Hulkenberg with Sauber, ahead of Lewis Hamilton with Mercedes, who started from the second position. Fernando Alonso's Ferrari finishes in sixth place, far from the winner's times. Following are Rosberg, Button, and Massa. Sergio Perez completes the Top ten. In short, a race without much excitement, despite multiple entries of the Safety car that could have leveled the playing field but instead always left Vettel in the lead. Speaking of which, a zero rating for the organization of the Korean Grand Prix: the track marshals wasted a lot of time cleaning debris from Perez's blown tire, they let Mark Webber's Red Bull Racing burn without intervening (this time, it wasn't a reliability issue; the Australian's car was hit by Sutil), and then - unbelievably - they sent a Jeep onto the track while the Safety car was still in the pits. Vettel found it in front of him, slammed the brakes, and fortunately, there were no consequences. And Ferrari? Things went bad from the start (but they could have been much worse) when Massa lost control of the car at the start, spun in the midst of the pack, and hit Alonso's Ferrari with the left rear tire. The Spaniard widened the trajectory, lost some positions, but then returned to the track. A challenging race for Massa, who ultimately finished ninth, and Alonso, who finished sixth after a good duel with Hulkenberg and Hamilton but always far from the podium, which belonged to Vettel and the two fast Lotuses. A sixth place for Alonso that also hurts in the championship standings because now Sebastian Vettel, with the victory in Korea, the third consecutive in this Grand Prix, extends his lead towards the title and sees the fourth consecutive triumph as imminent. The Red Bull driver has reached 272 points, a whopping 77 more than his direct rival Fernando Alonso, who, with today's poor placement, is at 195 points. Goodbye to the world title; it's official now. Sebastian Vettel feels closer and closer to his fourth consecutive world title. And now, this is also evident from his words:
"I am really happy, an excellent job by the team. Raikkonen and Grosjean were very competitive today and probably did a better job with the tires than we did. It was positive that the first Safety Car came out just a couple of turns before the pit entry. I am enjoying this fantastic moment. On this track, I knew that the front tires are put to the test; the team's radio communication was crucial".
In a week, the Japanese Grand Prix will take place, and Sebastian Vettel is looking forward to racing and continuing to be a protagonist:
"I believe it is the most beautiful track in the world; I can't wait to go there, the fans are very warm with us. It's one of the most beautiful moments of the season".
Kimi Raikkonen secures an excellent second place after starting from the ninth position. The Lotus driver finishes ahead of his teammate.
"It went well. From the beginning, I gained some positions, already from the first lap. I was fast on the straight, had a bit of understeer, but then I tried to manage the front tire. I got a bit stuck in traffic after the pit stop. The Safety Car helped us, but we still had good speed, but I think we would have made it to the podium anyway. Overtaking Grosjean? He moved to the left, maybe made a mistake at the penultimate turn, and I tried; I knew he couldn't overtake me with DRS, and I managed to pass him".
A great podium for Romain Grosjean, who has now overcome the problems of the previous season. The Frenchman finishes just behind his teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
"It was a good fight with Lewis at the beginning; I waited for the opposite straight and used the KERS to overtake him. Good start after the pit stop; it was hard work, but for us, it's very positive to be so close to Red Bull. The Safety Car, then, came out at the right moment. During Kimi's overtaking, I made a small mistake, and he took advantage to pass. It's nice to be on the podium, and it's positive for the team".
On the most beautiful track, a suggestive definition given that already on Tuesday, October 7, 2013, he will be in Japan, the strongest driver and the fastest car could definitively close the deal and win the fourth consecutive world title, after Vettel completed a poker in consecutive victories, securing his eighth win of the season, and bringing his career total to 34 victories. Korea, which was supposed to breathe life into Alonso's aspirations or at least keep the hope alive, instead said that this year, too, there's no chance; he always wins, the blond with little glamour but immense substance, the driver always alone in the lead, who never loses his composure, not even when in front, there isn't an opponent with wings, but a calm firefighter running with the truck to tame the fire on Webber's car. In the incredible ride of the German, in an episode that has a touch of the grotesque but could have turned into a tragedy, this also happened, a sudden stop because there was a car ahead that had nothing to do with it, leading the group but wasn't a Safety car. That had just come out and had to return to the track hastily, sent in by Charlie Whiting, the safety supervisor, to reset everyone's insane speed and avert the worst. The jeep, commendable on a normal road, was rushing to provide assistance since the flames were getting higher, but it had received clearance only from the organizers, not from the race director, geniuses who, when they saw it on the monitors, were tearing their hair out. Vettel joked about it after the race. First, he made a hilarious mistake:
"It seemed like a BMW to me. Or rather, no, like a Hyundai or an SUV, well, I don't know the brand. But it had a different license plate number than the safety car, and I thought it was better to avoid it".
He succeeded, everyone did. Where the German is unparalleled is in speed on the track, in race management, in constant composure, in the absolute absence of errors. He started ahead of everyone and finished ahead at the finish line, fearing only the Lotuses a bit, with Raikkonen in second and Grosjean in third, who, in his words, managed the tires better in this race. More comfortable with the tires, but not enough to dent his dominance. Vettel also attributes merit to luck.
"The safety car came out at the right time; having two allowed us to save tires and finish the race without problems. Otherwise, the ending would have been a lottery".
However, he cannot refrain from saying that the team continues to do fantastic work.
"I have a blast on the track. I push and win".
He always gives his best, perhaps too much. Like when (front right wheel problems) they tell him to ease off, and he pretends not to hear. The fact is that now, at Suzuka, the first match point is played. If he wins (likely) and Alonso doesn't finish at least eighth, the virtual game over becomes official even arithmetically. He claims not to have preferences.
"I care about winning the title, where doesn't matter much".
But doing it in Japan (as in 2011) wouldn't displease him. After all, he is not World Buster for no reason. The world title catchers march fast. And haste is almost a synonym. On the other side, there is peace of mind in the furious Alonso. A truce in the morning, with Pirelli and its director Paul Hembery, a clarifying meeting, to explain and put an end to a resentment that turned personal. But farewell to arms also in the afternoon, tranquility that on the track translates into a surrender without a fight, the Spanish driver in sixth, helpless, with a struggling Ferrari while Vettel flies towards the fourth world title, and in the mind, goodbye to aspirations.
"It's useless to delude ourselves; Vettel always gives us 30 seconds every time, there's nothing to be done. For fourteen races, we did everything to keep the dream alive, but it was a half-miracle. Now we'll try to keep the game open, but it seems like a desperate task. They are faster, and here in Korea, at times, even the Lotuses and even the Sauber were faster. Being behind in qualifying doesn't surprise me anymore, but in this finale, we'll have to regain the right form in the race, something we've lost a bit".
He admits all his frustration for a sixth place that cannot satisfy him.
"For the World Championship, if I had been able to overtake Hamilton or Hulkenberg, it wouldn't have changed anything; it only changed for the constructor's standings. The problem is that I couldn't overtake them. I was behind the Sauber for several laps, without ever being able to attack it. I didn't have the right speed, and Hulkenberg didn't make the slightest mistake. Congratulations on his race; he deserves this fourth place".
The performance of the Spanish driver is not to be delivered to history, however.
"But it wasn't my worst race, at Silverstone, we were even less competitive. Fifth row in qualifying, not exciting in the race, that third place was a way to go beyond our limits. And the second in Singapore was also miraculous. Even there, we were in bad shape; it was the result of a masterpiece strategy. Here, however, as rhythm, we weren't far from the others; I didn't struggle, for example, to keep Raikkonen behind. But we must tell the truth: the last three second places didn't paint a good picture, they were goals beyond our capabilities".
The World Championship is over, as Domenicali recognizes, who already has his mind set on the 2014 revolution.
"We must close with dignity, without collapses; we must defend the second place in the constructors (one point ahead of Mercedes)".
But the conviction is more in the words of circumstance than in facts. Ferrari struggled, and Massa, also disastrous at times, does not hide the bitter reality.
"As a performance, we were the fifth car, behind Red Bull, Lotus, Mercedes, and Sauber".
The Brazilian also contributed with a daring start.
"I delayed the braking; I hoped to overtake everyone, and instead, I spun. But I didn't hit Alonso or ruin his race".
The Spaniard let it go. As for the meeting with Hembery, he says:
"We apologized to each other".
But reiterating that these tires don't even last five kilometers, they caused trouble for Perez and filled the track with debris. Domenicali is strict on the fire truck:
"I understand it's not easy to find 300 stewards up to the task. But F1 is a high-tech sport; we must stop relying solely on volunteers".
Changing the subject, it seems that Ross Brawn, team principal of Mercedes-AMG in Formula 1, will leave his position at the end of the season. But the news has been denied by Niki Lauda, president (non-executive) of the German team. Brawn would have informed Lauda himself of his decision during the Korean Grand Prix in Yeongam.
"I don't know where this information comes from; it's not true. We are still in negotiations. Certainly, there will be no decisions before the end of the current season. I would like to continue working with him, but that will depend on his choice. Ross is still motivated".
Ross Brawn, 59 years old, a historical figure in the F1 paddock, has Irishman Paddy Lowe as his deputy, a former technical director of McLaren who joined Mercedes midway through the year. Brawn is reportedly in negotiations with Honda, which is preparing to return to F1 in 2015, supplying engines to McLaren, as was the case during the titles won by Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost (1988-1992).