Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Abu Dhabi finally received what it paid $1 billion for - a spectacular end to the F1 season at the glittering Yas Marina Circuit.
Having been denied the championship decider last season when Jenson Button claimed the title in Brazil (the fifth time in successive years that the winner was decided at the Interlagos circuit), the UAE hosted a final denouement that had an unprecedented four contenders able to lift the crown.
This seems a fitting finale to a season that has been filled with intrigue and politics, although, unusually for F1, more of the former and less of the latter.
The season started with a new points scoring system that placed a greater emphasis on securing race victories and more technical changes limiting the number of engines each team could use throughout the championship and tyre choices during the race. The cars were also redesigned as refuelling was banned.
It was this latter element that perhaps provided an advantage to the less competitive teams from the 2009 season as they were able to start focusing their attention on the new design sooner. In pre-season testing the talk was about the new McLaren adjustable rear-wing. On track it was the return of Michael Schumacher for the victorious Brawn team, re-branded as Mercedes, that was the talking point, although this quickly diminished as he failed to out-perform his teammate Nico Rosberg. The rumour mills quickly adjusted to whether he would retire before the end of the season.
Five drivers and three teams swapped pole and podiums as they chased the title with the focus remaining on team orders or the lack of them. Initially there was the fallout from the Turkish Grand Prix when Red Bull lost a 1-2 finish when Vettel and Webber crashed, with the team itself pinning the blame on the experienced Australian when most of those watching felt it was the younger, brash German who was at fault.
Webber was quick to complain about favouritism from his team towards his teammate; the race at Silverstone did nothing to quash his fears when a new and faster developmental front wing was taken off his car and put onto Vettel's after the latter crashed in practice.
As this debate rumbled on, Ferrari provided an alternate view, issuing a poorly coded instruction to Felipe Massa to move aside and allow Alonso the victory at Hockenheim, gaining the Spaniard an additional seven points and re-igniting his season. As Ferrari were summoned to an FIA disciplinary hearing, the title rivals suggested that the penalty should be a point deduction. That they received a paltry $100,000 fine, the size of which certainly did not match the financial rewards for the gain in points, perhaps reflects a belief within the FIA that team orders should be permitted within the sport.
However, would the FIA prefer to see each team back a single driver, or develop a team where both drivers remain in contention at the end of the season? I suggest that this season would not have been as exciting had Red Bull backed a single driver (although Webber may contend that they have). The Red Bull car, developed by F1 maestro Adrian Newey, has been clearly the most consistent and successful performer, as demonstrated by them comfortably wrapping up the constructor's title in Brazil.
Bahrain-owned McLaren have proven themselves competitive as a team, backing both drivers equally, albeit defending world champion Jenson Button has had less time to adapt to his new car than the man he replaced at the pinnacle of motorsport, Lewis Hamilton. The achievement of Red Bull in defeating their main rivals after only six seasons is remarkable, fittingly with a dominant 1-2 finish in Brazil. The financial rewards will be immense, as will the enhancement of their reputation.
The arrival of Alonso and Massa to launch the rollercoaster at Ferrari World could not have been better scripted as a simile for their season, particularly in this final race. A botched attempt to pit Massa and bring him out in front of Webber brought Alonso in to 'shadow' his main rival, although traffic in the form of the sluggish Renault of Petrov, prevented him from advancing.
The team with which Alonso won his two championships, Renault, also played their part further up the field, with Kubica slowing Hamilton, pitting for the first time in only the 47th lap. After his departure Hamilton set fastest lap after fastest lap in a vain attempt to overtake Vettel, a manoeuvre that would have changed the destination of the world championship.
As it was, Vettel becomes the youngest world champion in history, eclipsing Hamilton by a matter of months. As one German rose to the pinnacle of the sport, another watched from the pit lane, his race cut short as early as Turn 6 of the first lap; Schumacher's race ending when Vitantonio Liuzzi's Force India spectacularly mounted his car.
Personally I'm pleased that Red Bull won as I believe they have produced two consistently fast cars. However, I would have preferred the winner to be Webber - for me he has produced the best performance of all drivers, particularly when he has effectively been racing as a No. 2 driver. He has led Vettel for most of the season despite the obstacles his own team has put in his way. Yet Vettel took the lead when it mattered most!
Looking ahead to next season it's no longer a one- or two-horse race. Will Webber still race for Red Bull next season? If not, where will he go and who will replace him? Will Schumacher still be around next season and will an extra year developing the car to his preference make a difference to his performance? How well will Button perform against Hamilton once he has been afforded the same opportunity?
I can't wait for Bahrain testing to start in earnest. Roll on March!
