1. Australian Grand Prix, 17th March 2013. "The Iceman Rides Again"
In hindsight, it was a minor shock that Sebastian Vettel failed to win the opening race of 2013.
The German was pole-sitter for the first GP of the year, with Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber also on the front row of the grid. But it would be neither man who would take the win, in a rare disappointing outing for Vettel.
Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen returned to Formula 1 at the same race in 2012 after a two-year absence and secured a stunning victory from 7th here, ahead of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso (2) and defending Champion Vettel (3). The Finn - one of three former World Champions on the podium - was the beneficiary of his rivals being held up by slower cars ahead, whilst producing pace reminiscent of his 2007 glory days, to romp to victory. Lewis Hamilton made a strong debut for Mercedes - finishing 5th behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa - but far improved on former team McLaren, who could only muster 9th place for Jenson Button and 11th for Sergio Perez. This would be a sign of things to come for the Woking-based team, with plenty more disappointing drives in store. Many who had dismissed Raikkonen's chances of any sustained success in a car not perceived as Championship-worthy were forced to sit up and take notice after this result, which was a statement of intent that Lotus were not to be taken lightly in the Constructors' Championship. Championship standings after race one: 1) K. Raikkonen (25) 2) F. Alonso (18) 3) S. Vettel (15) 4) F. Massa (12) 4) L. Hamilton (10) The most controversial race of 2013 by far, Sebastian Vettel snatched victory from under the nose of his team-mate Mark Webber, disobeying Red Bull team orders to clinch his maiden win of the season. The German had been 2nd to Webber until the late stages of the race, when Vettel - despite contrary instructions from team principal Christian Horner - overtook his incredulous stable-mate to steal victory, in ruthless fashion. Whether Vettel's actions were selfish or utilitarian is still up for debate, but what is beyond question is that the German's fortitude ensured Webber lost his zip for the remainder of the year, with Vettel going from strength to strength. Behind his first win - with Webber a fuming 2nd - Vettel ably outpaced Lewis Hamilton (3), who again impressed in the unfancied Mercedes, with his own team-mate Nico Rosberg claiming an equally impressive 4th place. It was disappointment for Fernando Alonso, with the title challenger spinning off after wing damage early on, with fellow Ferrari man Felipe Massa enjoying 5th, ahead of Lotus pair Romain Grosjean (6) and Kimi Raikkonen (7). More disappointment also followed for McLaren, with Jenson Button retiring after 63 laps and Sergio Perez only good enough for 9th place. Championship standings after race two: 1) S. Vettel (40) 2) K. Raikkonen (31) 3) M. Webber (26) 4) L. Hamilton (25) 5) F. Massa (22) Following the controversy of Malaysia, Karma appeared to have bitten Sebastian Vettel when the German was unable to register a lap in Q3 due to a braking problem, forcing him to start from 9th on the grid. Similarly, Mark Webber was made to start from 22nd after running out of fuel during qualifying, the Australian ultimately retiring from the race after just 15 laps due to a wheel problem. No doubt about it, it was Fernando Alonso - so disappointing in his retirement in Malaysia - who was the biggest winner in Shanghai, claiming his fist race win of the season, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton, who was really turning heads at his new team, Mercedes. The early pace of Ross Brawn's men was formidable, with Hamilton starting on pole for the race, and their modd was only dampened by Nico Rosberg's suspension-related retirement on lap 21. Alonso scored his 31st grand prix victory - on his 200th grand prix start - 10 seconds ahead of Räikkönen, while Hamilton managed to hold off Vettel for third place, after an exciting duel. Jenson Button finally found some form to finish fifth, with Massa sixth ahead of Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo, who drove an outstanding race to finish seventh, his best ever Formula One result. The final points positions were taken by Paul Di Resta, Romain Grosjean and Nico Hülkenberg. Championship standings after race three: 1) S. Vettel (52) 2) K. Raikkonen (49) 3) F. Alonso (43) 4) L. Hamilton (40) 5) F. Massa (30) Protests - in opposition to Bahrain's questionable human rights record - overshadowed the fourth race weekend of the season, with serious doubt at one stage whether the GP would even go ahead. It did, and Lotus's fine start to the season continued in earnest at the sandy surroundings of the Sakhir circuit, the team boasting both drivers on the podium for the first time in 2013. Neither were able to top Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, the German seeing off a resurgence in the second half of the race from Raikkonen to claim his second win of the season. Performance of the weekend was arguably Force India's Paul Di Resta, who not only claimed an inspired 5th place in qualifying, but followed that up with a 4th placed finish on Sunday. This result moved Di Resta's squad ahead of McLaren in the Constructors' Championship after four races, with many already highlighting the vast underachievement of the Woking team. More McLaren drama followed here, with both Sergio Perez - tepid thus far in his new drive - and Jenson Button clashing over racing too aggressively. The feisty Mexican drove to an impressive 6th, in spite of his under-performing car, with Button only able to record 10th. Worrying times beckoned for the uncompetitive McLaren. Mercedes were still faring well, with Nico Rosberg qualifying fastest overall - yet falling only to 9th in the race - and Lewis Hamilton taking a gutsy 5th. Ferrari had a torrid time in Bahrain, particularly Felipe Massa, who - after qualifying 4th fastest - slumped to 15th after two brake failures. This, coupled with Fernando Alonso's DRS-related 8th, marked a weekend to forget for 'The Prancing Horse'. Championship standings after race four: 1) S. Vettel (77) 2) K. Raikkonen (67) 3) L. Hamilton (50) 4) F. Alonso (47) 5) M. Webber (32) It was written that the star of the Spanish Grand Prix would be the country's favourite racing son, Fernando Alonso. Ferrari's number one's key to victory was passing Kimi Raikkonen (2) - with the Finn on far older tyres - in the middle stages, leaving his route to victory largely clear. Their race pace looked more formidable here than it did all season, with Felipe Massa finishing just behind the Finn in 3rd. Red Bull - whisper it - appeared to be experiencing a mini-blip here, as Sebastian Vettel had his championship lead cut to just four points by Raikkonen, his uncompetitive car carrying him only as far as 4th, with Red Bull stable-mate Mark Webber a place behind. Once again Mercedes produced a sublime qualifying performance, locking out the front of the grid. However Nico Rosberg's pole and Lewis Hamilton's 2nd placed start only got the pair so far. On the Sunday, both men toiled in Barcelona, falling to 6th and 12th respectively, demonstrating that race pace was the biggest weakness the drivers had to overcome. Toro Rosso's early season indifferent form continued, as the Red Bull junior team suffered their third retirement in the first five races.To date in 2013, Jean-Eric Vergne had retired twice and claimed just one championship point, with Daniel Ricciardo toiling to a 10th placed finish in Spain, following his 7th in China. Meanwhile, Force India once again trumped McLaren, with golden boy Paul Di Resta collecting 7th ahead of Jenson Button (8) and Sergio Perez (9). Championship standings after race five: 1) S. Vettel (89) 2) K. Raikkonen (85) 3) F. Alonso (72) 4) L. Hamilton (50) 5) F. Massa (45) A frenzied Monaco Grand Prix - which boasted two safety cars and a red flag restart - saw Nico Rosberg becoming the first son of a former Monte Carlo winner to taste victory at the street circuit himself. It was 1983 when Rosberg's dad Keke claimed the win in Monte Carlo, and exactly thirty years later the son was to replicate the father's achievement. At the frenetic circuit, Mercedes' race pace shortcomings were masked amongst the carnage, with the German besting both Red Bulls and team-mate Lewis Hamilton to take his first win of the season. Felipe Massa - having crashed in Saturday's costless practice - replicated the same feat on lap 30, throwing the race into turmoil, before a red flag stoppage was enforced after Pastor Maldonado's heavy crash. Rosberg was lucky to stay ahead of Sebastian Vettel (2) and Mark Webber (3), instructed to tace harder than team-mate Hamilton (4) and benefited from poor drives from title contenders Kimi Raikkonen (10) and Fernando Alonso (7). The one positive to come of the Finn's race was that he maintained his streak of consecutive points finishes, and bested Lotus team-mate Romain Grosjean, who managed to crash four times over the weekend. Giedo van der Garde made it into Q2 for Caterham for the first time, the Dutchman carrying the minor team to 15th in the race. This was still beaten by rival team Marussia, however, with British rookie Max Chilton evading the carnage to take 14th. Championship standings after race six: 1) S. Vettel (106) 2) K. Raikkonen (86) 3) F. Alonso (78) 4) L. Hamilton (62) 5) M. Webber (57) The event was marred by the death of track marshal Mark Robinson, who was run over by a recovery vehicle which was removing the Sauber of Esteban Gutiérrez, after the Mexican had spun off during the closing stages of the race. Robinson died later in hospital, becoming the first trackside death in Formula One since fellow marshal Graham Beveridge at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. On the track, Sebastian Vettel produced his best performance of the season to date to take one of the few career race victories that had previously eluded him, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The German stretched his lead to 36 points with his third race win of the season. Hamilton's unexpected early season form for Mercedes had made him a bona-fide title challenger by June, and his 3rd place here did his cause no harm. The Brit's upturn in form was mirrored by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, and coincided with Lotus's slight loss of pace, meaning Kimi Raikkonen dropped to 3rd in the overall standings, after his 9th place at Canada. Sauber - moderately impressive thus far in the season - had a nightmare weekend, with both Nico Hulkenburg and rookie Esteban Gutierrez retiring, allowing Force India to have both drivers in the top ten for the first time in 2013. Paul Di Resta's 7th was backed up by Adrian Sutil's 10th, as the pair once again triumphed over McLaren's Sergio Perez (10) and Jenson Button (11). The decline of Williams racing team was clear for all to see, with Valtteri Bottas taking a sterling 3rd in qualifying, only to slump to a measly 14th in the race itself. Sir Frank's squad hadn't amassed a single championship point by this stage, and would only take two top ten placings all year. Championship standings after race seven: 1) S. Vettel (132) 2) F. Alonso (96) 3) K. Raikkonen (88) 4) L. Hamilton (77) 5) M. Webber (69) 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) 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) 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) 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. 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) Round 12 of the 2013 F1 Championship was to be the moment that Sebastian Vettel asserted his dominance on the rest of the field. As for the Tifosi - Ferrari’s dedicated fan base - they were desperately hoping that Fernando Alonso’s prancing horse could somehow gain their first win on home soil since 2010. Many hoped Lewis Hamilton - who had secured four straight pole positions, whilst driving to victory in round 10 at Hungary - would provide some sort of competition to stop Vettel’s inevitable march to a fourth successive title. The British driver though made a mistake at the Curva Parabolica, forcing an early exit in Q2, and it would be the last time the Silver Arrows challenged at the front of the grid. That would leave the door open for Vettel to secure pole position ahead of his teammate Mark Webber. The race would see Vettel lead from start to finish, rarely looking troubled, comfortably gapping Alonso’s Ferrari, much to the frustration of the Tifosi. Webber’s rotten luck would continue as gearbox problems saw him limp home in third place. Nico Hulkenberg would continue his fine season by bringing home his Sauber in fifth place, his best result of the season to date. As for the Mercedes, Hamilton’s 2013 campaign effectively ended after another Pirelli tyre failure, as it would leave him 81 points adrift of Vettel. After the race an angry Hamilton said: "Obviously that's that for the championship." Quite the concession of defeat. Off the track, Red Bull announced that Daniel Ricciardo would replace the retiring Webber in 2014. Ferrari also announced that Felipe Massa - after an inconsistent eight seasons - would be replaced by Lotus driver Kimi Räikkönen, making his return to the team where he won the 2007 World Drivers' Championship. Championship standings after race twelve: 1) Sebastian Vettel (222) 2) Fernando Alonso (169) 3) Lewis Hamilton (141) 4) Kimi Raikkonen (134) 5) Mark Webber (130) Under the bright lights of the Marina Bay circuit, Sebastian Vettel would once again stroll to victory, winning by a devastating 32 seconds. Behind the German, the GP produced some of the best excitement of the season as differing tyre strategy resulted in some pulsating racing. Qualifying would see Vettel secure his second straight pole, with Mercedes Nico Rosberg alongside him on the front row of the grid. The biggest surprise of qualifying was Kimi Räikkönen missing out on Q3, a trapped nerve in his back hampering severely his performance. Rosberg would have the better start off the line but he ran wide into the first corner, it allowed Vettel to regain a lead that he never relinquished. Fernando Alonso again got off to a fine start, moving up from seventh on the grid to third place. The turning point of the race would come when Daniel Ricciardo put his Toro Rosso into the barriers, leading to a safety ca periodr. At this critical juncture Alonso, Räikkönen and Button pitted for a fresh set of Pirellis. Lewis Hamilton, Rosberg and Mark Webber opted to stay out so that they could come in closer to the finish, in order to have newer tyres at the end of the race. This would lead to a frenetic finish, as the cars on newer tyres tried to get past drivers on old Pirellis, with overtaking very difficult on Singapore’s narrow street circuit. In the end it would be Alonso and Räikkönen who would win the tactical battle and round off the podium. Championship standings after race thirteen: 1) Sebastian Vettel (247) 2) Fernando Alonso (187) 3) Lewis Hamilton (151) 4) Kimi Raikkonen (149) 5) Mark Webber (130) The build up to the Korean GP was dominated by the poor infrastructure and track condition at the Yeongnam circuit. After the conclusion of the season it would be confirmed that F1 would not return to Korea for the 2014 season due to the fan and team unpopularity of the track. The race itself saw Vettel again streak off into the distance, only for his lead to be curtailed by a late safety car. Behind the Red Bull, the duo of Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean rounded off the podium for the impressive Lotus, a team which operates with one of the smallest budgets amongst the top teams yet enjoyed a truly vintage year. A sixth place finish for Fernando Alonso all but ended his slim title hopes, and again the luckless Mark Webber would retire with an engine failure. Championship standings after race fourteen: 1) Sebastian Vettel (272) 2) Fernando Alonso (195) 3) Kimi Raikkonen (167) 4) Lewis Hamilton (161) 5) Mark Webber (130) Sebastian Vettel triumphed once again at Suzuka, but was pushed hard by Mark Webber and Romain Grosjean. Qualifying would see Webber achieve his first pole of the season, edging out Vettel who suffered from KERS related issues. The race itself was an exciting battle out front between the two Red Bulls and the lone Lotus of the ever-improving Grosjean. For once, Vettel was caught out at the start, and a charging Grosjean would blast into second place, with Webber out front searching for a romantic win to bring down the curtain on a fine F1 career. To make matters worse for Vettel, a tangle with Lewis Hamiton on the opening lap damaged his car, affecting the overall downforce. It left Vettel to bide his time, waiting until lap 41 to sweep past Grosjean with the help of DRS. Red Bull surprisingly switched Webber to a three stop strategy mid-race, leaving him having to pass both Grosjean and Vettel, albeit with fresher tyres. Although he closed quickly to the Lotus, he lost valuable time trying to overtake him. When he finally made the move, there were simply not enough laps left for Webber to overtake Vettel and win the race, so it was yet another frustrating end for the Australian. Further down the field Fernando Alonso came home in 4th place, enough to keep the Championship alive heading into the Indian GP. Championship standings after race fifteen: 1) Sebastian Vettel (297) 2) Fernando Alonso (207) 3) Kimi Raikkonen (177) 4) Lewis Hamilton (161) 5) Mark Webber (148) As for the race, again Vettel would cruise home to a sixth successive victory, as Red Bull's rivals failed to put up any real competition. Only Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber provided any sort of threat, yet when his alternator failed on lap 39, it left the path clear for the German to romp home. Behind the rampant Vettel, Nico Rosberg scored a much needed podium for Mercedes, whose 2013 capitulated after initially looking like they might be able to provide some competition for Red Bull. Grosjean again provided hope that the future for Lotus might be bright without the outgoing Kimi Räikkönen, going all the way from 17th on the grid to finish on the bottom step of the podium, managing a mammoth 41 laps on one set of tyres. But this was Vettel’s day, leading to wild celebrations in the Red Bull garage and out on track, as a jubilant Vettel performed donuts on the home straight. Championship standings after race sixteen: 1) Sebastian Vettel (322) 2) Fernando Alonso (207) 3) Kimi Raikkonen (183) 4) Lewis Hamilton (169) 5) Mark Webber (148) Amidst a backdrop of a solar eclipse, Sebastian Vettel was eclipsed by team-mate Mark Webber for the final time in the Middle East. His lead lasted all of one straight as the imperious German, already champion by this point, seared past along with compatriot Nico Rosberg. Kimi Raikkonen, starting at the back of the grid thanks to a failed post-qualifying floor deflection test, had to immediately retire following a collision with a Caterham. This would be his last action in a Lotus, a very underwhelming finale to a short era of greatness for the Finn and the team. As Webber and Romain Grosjean fought their way back through the field following early pitstops, Vettel scampered away, posting a fastest lap of 1:46.0 on lap 17 – an incredible 1.6 seconds quicker than anybody else at the time. Nobody else was having such a comfortable time - particularly Lewis Hamilton - who nearly bore the brunt of some questionable weaving from Esteban Gutierrez as Vettel put himself half a minute clear by Lap 32. Further down the field, the Ferraris - whom Hamilton had since passed - had to endure a bumpy ride in passing Jean-Eric Vergne, with Fernando Alonso fortunate to escape a penalty for his move on the Frenchman. Vettel stormed to a seventh successive victory - equalling Michael Schumacher's record of wins in a single season - with nearest challenger Webber following 30 seconds back to make it podium finish number 100 for Red Bull. Rosberg was disappointed with the final podium spot, but it was ahead of both Ferraris and Grosjean, to give Mercedes a boost in the battle for second in the Constructors' Championship. Abu Dhabi also saw a fine drive to sixth from Paul di Resta, whom had endured s torrid run of retirements in mid-season. Championship standings after race seventeen. 1) S. Vettel (347) 2) F. Alonso (217) 3) K. Raikkonen (183) 4) L. Hamilton (175) 5) M. Webber (166) Heikki Kovalainen replaced fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen at Lotus for the final two races as the Enstone squad looked to give themselves the best possible chance of snatching second place from under the noses of Ferrari and Mercedes. Further in front, there was predictably to be no change, as Sebastian Vettel took his eighth pole of the season ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. In Webber only appeared to look in his rear view mirrors for most of 2013’s starts, and another poor getaway saw him fall behind in-form Romain Grosjean and Lewis Hamilton. An exemplary drive from the front saw Vettel comfortably maintain his lead, but Austin was a scene of frustration for Lewis Hamilton, who was receiving mixed messages from his crew regarding tyre preservation, as well as being caught rapidly by the Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg. With little to report in terms of action, the race’s outstanding moment arguably occurred in the pits, where Webber was stationary in his Red Bull garage for all of 2.3 seconds. Lightning speed from the Milton Keynes pit crew and a new world record stop. Kovalainen, meanwhile, was trying to maximise his opportunity to thrust himself into the 2014 shop window, but a lack of knowledge of his machinery was proving evident as he only mustered 14th. Despite the outstanding driving of Romain Grosjean, Raikkonen’s acrimonious exit appeared to have cost Lotus any chance of second in the championship. Webber was given the all-clear to attack Grosjean for second but - despite pressure - the Frenchman clung on, as the pair came home ahead of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. Hulkenberg had to settle for sixth, with Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas taking deserved points finishes behind him. Closing out the points were Rosberg and 10th placed Jenson Button – far from the ideal way for the Somerset star to equal David Coulthard’s record of 246 GPs raced by a British driver. Undoubtedly, the day belonged to Vettel once more as he took his eighth consecutive win, surpassing Michael Schumacher’s record. His 12th win of the season also put him on course to equal his idol’s record of 13 victories in a single season, with one race remaining. Championship standings after race nineteen: 1) S. Vettel (372) 2) F. Alonso (227) 3) L. Hamilton (187) 4) K. Raikkonen (183) 5) M. Webber (181) It was pole again for Sebastian Vettel as the German set himself the perfect platform to take his ninth win on the spin. Mercedes had other ideas, however, and Nico Rosberg had usurped his compatriot early following Vettel’s efforts to hold off Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton also made a great start, jumping to third behind Vettel and ahead of Alonso. Rosberg’s time in the spotlight was short-lived, however – only a lap later and Vettel had breezed past him as if he were a mere pedestrian. Hamilton, too, had fallen back behind Alonso and Mark Webber, who was competing in his 215th and final grand prix. Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean’s fabulous end to the season was curtailed by engine failure, effectively ending Lotus’ slim hopes of snatching second in the constructors’ championship. There was more British pride amongst the grid as Marussia’s Max Chilton, though running at the very back for the majority of the season, finished every race of 2013 - something no rookie has achieved since Tiago Monteiro, in 2005. Valtteri Bottas, so impressive in the previous race in Austin, was the unfortunate victim of a collision with Hamilton, which forced his retirement - with the Brit punished with a drive-through penalty - whilst the incident caused mayhem in the Red Bull garage, where a late call to bring Vettel in resulted in a slow stop. This glimmer of hope offered to Webber was nothing more, however, as the four-time champion stretched his legs in the final few laps to comfortably hold the Australian off and take his 39th career victory. Fernando Alonso claimed the final podium place, while McLaren’s miserable season was at eased by Button’s brilliant drive to a season-best fourth. Sergio Perez capped off the best race of the year for the Woking squad with sixth behind Rosberg, and Hamilton recovered sufficiently from his penalty to rescue ninth, ahead of Red Bull-bound Daniel Ricciardo. Webber’s second place meant he took third place in the drivers’ championship ahead of Hamilton, whilst Mercedes clung to second place in the constructors', over Ferrari. But 2013 belonged to Vettel, who admittedly faces uncertain times ahead of rule changes in 2014, but given his undoubted ability and aged only 26, you certainly wouldn't rule out championship number five arriving all too soon. *Kimi Raikkonen missed last two races, replaced at Lotus by Heikki Kovalainen 1 Red Bull 596 2 Mercedes 360 3 Ferrari 354 4 Lotus 315 5 McLaren 122 6 Force India 77 7 Sauber 57 8 Toro Rosso 33 9 Williams 5 10 Marussia 0 11 Caterham 0 2. Malaysian Grand Prix, 24th March 2013. "Multi 21-gate sees Vettel edge out Webber"
3. Chinese Grand Prix, 14th April 2013. "Alonso still a contender"
4. Bahrain Grand Prix, 21st April 2013. "Vettel Reigns in Bahrain"
5. Spanish Grand Prix, 12th May 2013. "Alonso Grabs Spain GP"
6. Monaco Grand Prix, 26th May 2013. "Rosberg Keeps Calm and Reigns in Monaco"
7. Canadian Grand Prix, 9th June, 2013. "Vettel Rules in Canada"
8. British Grand Prix, 30th June 2013. "Rosberg Takes Over in Silverstone Chaos"
9. German Grand Prix, 7th July 2013. "Vettel Storms to Victory at Home"
10. Hungarian Grand Prix, 28th July 2013
11. Belgian Grand Prix, 25th August 2013 "Vettel Comfortably Triumphs in Belgian Grand Prix"
12. Italian Grand Prix, September 8, 2013. “Runaway Red Bull Vettel too strong for Ferrari in Italian Grand Prix.”
13. Singapore Grand Prix, September 22, 2013. “Vettel hits new high speeds to win nail-biting Singapore Grand Prix”
14. Korean Grand Prix, October 6, 2013. “Red Bulls on fire as Vettel wins frenetic Korean Grand Prix.”
Sebastian Vettel made it three in a row, as he once again led from start to finish, leaving his rivals crushed and deflated in a nondescript Korean GP. 15. Japanese Grand Prix, October 13, 2013. “Vettel pushed hard for ninth win of season at Japanese Grand Prix.”
16. Indian Grand Prix, October 27, 2013. “Superb Vettel clinches fourth World title in Indian Grand Prix.”
Sebastian Vettel stormed into the record books by becoming the youngest ever quadruple-winning champion, joining Jaun Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as only the third man to achieve this remarkable feat. 17. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 3rd November 2013. "Dominant Vettel Records 11th Win of Season at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix"
18. US Grand Prix, 17th November 2013. "Vettel Wins Again to Take Penultimate Race of 2013 in US Grand Prix"
the form that he was in, the German was never going to look back. 19. Brazilian Grand Prix, 24th November 2013. "Vettel Takes 13th Win of Season in Brazilian Grand Prix"
Sao Paulo was a scene of rare pride for McLaren, who were running 6th and 8th after a round of pit stops. Jenson Button, winner of this event in 2012, was starring again, using all his 14 years of racing experience to put his wretched machinery where it had no right to be. Final Standings
Driver Nationality Team Points Sebastian Vettel GER Red Bull 397 Fernando Alonso SPA Ferrari 242 Mark Webber AUS Red Bull 199 Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 189 Kimi Raikkonen* FIN Lotus 183 Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes 171 Romain Grosjean FRA Lotus 132 Felipe Massa BRA Ferrari 112 Jenson Button GBR McLaren 73 Nico Hulkenburg GER Sauber 51 Sergio Perez MEX McLaren 49 Paul Di Resta GBR Force India 48 Adrian Sutil GER Force India 29 Daniel Ricciardo AUS Toro Rosso 20 Jean-Eric Vergne FRA Toro Rosso 13 Esteban Gutierrez MEX Sauber 6 Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams 4 Pastor Maldonado VEN Williams 1 Jules Bianchi FRA Marussia 0 Charles Pic FRA Caterham 0 Heikki Kovalainen* FIN Lotus 0 Giedo van der Garde NED Caterham 0 Max Chilton GBR Marussia 0 Constructors