Although the race was a bit anti-climatic, it certainly didn’t lack for drama, but more about that later; as I found ‘Wee Willie Buxom’s (Will Buxton) comments at the opening of Friday’s FP2 on SPEED priceless...
Our intrepid SPEED Pitlane reporter noted how Master ‘Zebb (Vettel) wasn’t sporting a new paint scheme helmet this weekend after having ordered a Felix Baumgartner replica motif - to which Will said the painters had come back with a Zsolt Baumgartner motif instead! Which had me rolling in laughter; as for those of you unaware of this mostly forgotten Gran Primo Piloto, he’s the only Hungarian to date to race in F1. Having first filled in for the injured Ralph Firman at Jordan
Buxton then followed this up with another zinger saying when asking the Iceman (Raikkonen) how he liked the food in India , Kimi replied in his now ‘legendous Icelandic Kimi-ease: “It tastes just like it does in Europe ;” Hooha! Thus its good news that Lotus has just confirmed thee ‘Kimster’s return for the 2013 season, while we await Romain Grosjean’s confirmation...
And it all seems like a blur now, yet perhaps part of the reason I couldn’t see squat for the three days of recorded coverage was partially due to what I believe Bob Varsha noted as heavy smog/pollution which was increased by the relatively high humidity. As I spent the three dazes of starin’ at the Telescreen wondering if the sunshine was overly bright or if my ‘Telie wasn’t working correctly?
As let’s face it, Sebastian Vettel seems like he’s on a different planet right now! Snatching his 35th Pole position - third most poles overall in F1 history, as I was more amused over the reportedly terse radio conversations Rob Smedley was having with his charge Felipe Massa in order to press him to ring the F2012’s neck and scrape into ‘Q3, as the top ten was a bit Noah’s arkish with the two Red Bulls on top once again, followed by the two McLarens and both Ferrari’s, before the remaining front row places were taken by a Lotus, Sauber, Williams and Mercedes apiece.
And while Vettel rocketed off into the distance in his trademark fashion from pole with the rest of the field in his wake, “Fredrico Suave” (Alonso) displayed more of his masterful driving with a brilliant pass on the two McLarens ahead of him. As I’m loathe to admit I’m becoming more & more impressed by Alonso’s driving Clinique’s - ringing speed & performance out of la Scuderia’s F2012 which necessarily aren’t in hand, as I shudder at the thought of Fernando in a Red Bull!
And there was lots of great dicking about for the grid placings of fifth on-back, while ‘Ol Handlebarz (Webber) put in another Yeoman-like drive having to try defending second place against Alonso and then the podium’s final step against “Louise ‘JAGUAR” Hamilton without KERS.
Yet I found Hamilton
And although I think McLaren will always be a stalwart team at the front end of the grid, I’m starting to think that perhaps Lewis’s move to Mercedes night not be as bad as I first thought it would be, as McLaren sure seems to have its share of mechanical maladies...
Meanwhile Vettel summarily cruised to his fourth consecutive victory - first time in his career whilst further stamping his name into the record books by becoming the first driver to win three races flag-to-flag since some cat named Ayrton Senna did so in 1989! And the young German now seems to have the title firmly by the throat after moving within BLOODY ‘NIGE’s record of leading 232-consecutive laps in Formula 1, having passed some dude named Jimmy Clark for fifth place, as Sebastian has led the last 205-laps and is just one win shy of tying the ‘Wee Scot, aka Jackie Stewart’s victory total of 27-Grand Prix wins, which once was unassailable, albeit I watched via the Telie “the Professor” (Alain Prost) claim his 28th Grand Prix victory ‘Way-back in 1987...
Thus Vettel now holds a 13-point lead over Alonso with three races remaining; as I’m truly hoping ‘Zebb is crowned world champion in Austin, Texas - site of his 100th Grand Prix start - with numbers fairly equal or better than Sir Jackie, who retired after 99-starts...
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