18-11-2013, 23:33
While we're praising Vettel, we have to leave some over for Fernando Alonso, who secured second place in the championship on Sunday with a race to go.
That is a significant achievement which continues to underline Alonso's enduring quality.
It was another strong race from Alonso in Austin, including some really smart moves in wheel-to-wheel battles.
The best of those was at the start of the last lap. Alonso's rear tyres had gone and Nico Hulkenberg had caught him, and the Sauber passed the Ferrari into Turn One.
But Alonso let him go on the entry, tucked inside and got a better exit to re-take the place.
To finish second in the championship is an exceptional result in the circumstances, which are that he has the fourth fastest car.
I've written in previous columns this season that there are maybe four guys in that elite group - Vettel, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and, perhaps, Kimi Raikkonen.
It's debatable whether Raikkonen achieves that level of performance every weekend - we'll find that out next year when he goes up against Alonso at Ferrari.
Even with Hamilton it is difficult to know for sure because he tends to be a bit emotional from time to time, although he put in a very solid drive in Austin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24990882
That is a significant achievement which continues to underline Alonso's enduring quality.
It was another strong race from Alonso in Austin, including some really smart moves in wheel-to-wheel battles.
The best of those was at the start of the last lap. Alonso's rear tyres had gone and Nico Hulkenberg had caught him, and the Sauber passed the Ferrari into Turn One.
But Alonso let him go on the entry, tucked inside and got a better exit to re-take the place.
To finish second in the championship is an exceptional result in the circumstances, which are that he has the fourth fastest car.
I've written in previous columns this season that there are maybe four guys in that elite group - Vettel, Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and, perhaps, Kimi Raikkonen.
It's debatable whether Raikkonen achieves that level of performance every weekend - we'll find that out next year when he goes up against Alonso at Ferrari.
Even with Hamilton it is difficult to know for sure because he tends to be a bit emotional from time to time, although he put in a very solid drive in Austin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/24990882
Fernando es de otro planeta