British Grand Prix, 30th June 2013 "Rosberg Takes Over in Silverstone Chaos" https://www.vavel.com/en/formula1/246608-rosberg-takes-over-in-silverstones-chaos.html
Talk following the British Grand Prix centred around the controversial tyre delaminations that arguably cost Lewis Hamilton the chance to convert pole position into victory on home soil.
The Mercedes man was quick around Silverstone and began pulling away from the rest of the field until lap eight, when disaster struck. His tyre failure dropped him down the field, but he valiantly battled back up to finish fourth.
Similar Pirelli problems were also experienced by Felipe Massa, Jean-Eric Vergne and Sergio Perez, meanwhile Sebastian Vettel suffered his only retirement of the season.
A gearbox issue forced the Red Bull driver out of the race on lap 42 when he was in control of the Grand Prix. It was cruelly poetic that the German slowly halted to a stop in front of a jeering main grandstand in arguably the low point of his season.
Nico Rosberg took full advantage to claim his second win in three rounds following on from his historic Monaco victory a month prior.
Championship standings after round eight: 1) Sebastian Vettel (132) 2) Fernando Alonso (111) 3) Kimi Raikkonen (98) 4) Lewis Hamilton (89) 5) Mark Webber (87)
German Grand Prix, 7th July 2013 "Vettel Storms to Victory at Home" https://www.vavel.com/en/formula1/248161-vettel-storms-to-victory-at-home.html
Sebastian Vettel has won many races in his young career, but the Nurburgring was the venue where he finally achieved a Grand Prix victory on home soil. It was a day of firsts for the German, who also claimed his first ever Formula One win in the month of July.
Admittedly, it was Kimi Raikkonen who looked quicker on race day, but a late pit-stop for the Finn meant that he had to make a late charge to reclaim the lead.
On the option compound he flew past teammate Romain Grosjean, but fell a second short of Vettel at the chequered flag.
Fernando Alonso trailed behind Vettel and the Lotus duo and took fourth place, having started 8th on the grid. It was a performance that typified the Spaniard’s season – a gritty Sunday where he tried his best to salvage all he could from a disappointing qualifying result.
It's fair to say he mustered all he could from his erratic car.
Championship standings after race nine: 1) Sebastian Vettel (157) 2) Fernando Alonso (123) 3) Kimi Raikkonen (116) 4) Lewis Hamilton (99) 5) Mark Webber (93)
Hungarian Grand Prix, 28th July 2013
The final weekend before the summer break was utterly dominated by Lewis Hamilton, who managed to finally get his first win with Mercedes, having seen similarly impressive team-mate Nico Rosberg already claim two victories in the opening half of the campaign.
From pole position, Hamilton’s only real contender looked to be Sebastian Vettel.
However, the aftermath of the first set of pit-stops was a key stage of the afternoon. Hamilton managed to quickly pass former teammate Jenson Button, whilst his German rival struggled to overtake the McLaren.
As a result, the Mercedes pulled further away, and was untroubled for the rest of the Grand Prix.
Further down the field, Pastor Maldonado managed to score his – and Williams’ – first points of the season with a 10th place finish, courtesy of a late Rosberg retirement.
It was a hollow victory for such a legendary old team to be celebrating a solitary point at the half-way point of the season, but given the torrid season they had, it must have felt like goldust.
Championship standings after race ten: 1) Sebastian Vettel (172) 2) Kimi Raikkonen (134) 3) Fernando Alonso (133) 4) Lewis Hamilton (124) 5) Mark Webber (105)
Belgian Grand Prix, 25th August 2013 "Vettel Comfortably Triumphs in Belgian Grand Prix" https://www.vavel.com/en/formula1/259233.html
Sebastian Vettel began the second half of the season as he meant to go on. His victory at Spa was the first of nine consecutive Grands Prix that would culminate with the German on the top step of the podium overall.
Fernando Alonso followed him home in second place, again from the lowly grid slot, back on the fifth row.
However, the deficit in the driver’s standings was increased to 46 points, with the Spaniard - in spite of his inferior car - again acting as the triple-world champion’s closest challenger.
Whilst Vettel was just embarking on a record run, Kimi Raikkonen had one coming to an end. The Finn’s retirement in Belgium - his first since his 2012 comeback - ended a run of 38 consecutive finishes, and left him even further behind in the championship standings.
By this point, it had begun resembling a one horse race.
Championship standings after race eleven: 1) Sebastian Vettel (197) 2) Fernando Alonso (151) 3) Lewis Hamilton (139) 4) Kimi Raikkonen (134) 5) Mark Webber (115)
