Formula One: Japanese Grand Prix – 1 race, 24 different reactions! (Part 1)
The race at Japan was an exciting affair. Not once in those 53 laps was there a dull moment. All 24 drivers from 12 different teams came, saw and raced. However, while the sport merely sees them as handlers of 300 km/h cars, we at bettor.com recognize them
as complete individuals and bring to you, their subjective take on the Grand Prix that conspired last Sunday.
Red Bull
Sebastian Vettel, on winning the Japanese Grand Prix, commented that the circuit was a special outing – The fans are incredible in this part of the world and to be able to get back to back wins in Suzuka was a feeling like no other. He believed that it was
a nice action packed Sunday to have been qualifying and racing on the same day. It was a unique experience and being able to come victorious at the end of qualifying and the race was great. The German driver further commended the team for their hardwork; all
those present at the track-side and all those back in UK.
The youngster talked about a couple of small upgrades that were vital for their success on the week. The car loved the circuit and he was very happy and proud with the result. While the threat of Mark Webber in 2nd was always a reason to look
into the rear view mirrors, Vettel believed that the race was basically about managing the car and the tyres until the first pit stop. The timing of the pit stop was judged to perfection bearing in mind the life of the soft compound tyres. After coming out
behind Jenson Button, it was all about managing the gap and waiting for the McLaren to make its stop. The Red Bull driver concluded that while it was a hectic day at the office, it was overall, a nice and controlled race.
However, from a third person point of view, this was Vettel’s 8th start at the front of the grid and only his second win of the entire season. The conversion rate has been rather low as far as the young German is concerned. If the ‘crash kid’
truly wants to have a shot at winning the championships, he must convert his superior starts to race wins.
Mark Webber believed that qualifying was very important based on the nature of the track. Since his team mate was able to achieve the feat of qualifying ahead, it was ultimately the perfect position to be in. However, the Australian was still happy with
his performance on the day and admitted that he couldn’t have done more with the car.
The Red Bull driver disclosed that he wasn’t satisfied with the set up of the car on Friday practice, but agreed that the team did a fantastic job to turn it around and manage a setting that suited him bettor for the qualifiers and the race. He was able
to push his team mate ahead as the duo pulled away from the rest of the pack owing to the instant racing temperature provided by the soft compound Bridgestones.
After the pit stop, the harder compound rubber was comfortable to drive on as well, meaning that the car was set up perfectly. Webber described the race as a ‘formation finish’ and a 1 – 2 for the team was a great result for the Red Bull camp. The constructor’s
championship reflected a total of 43 points accredited to its account; the driver’s standings saw the Australian extend his advantage over Alonso to 14 points. On the day, Vettel deserved the race win and for that, his team mate was extremely pleased.
While it was a controlled race for Webber, it could be argued that he was nowhere near the standards set by his team mate, who constantly out paced him during the weekend. The Australian was literally out classed on the day compared to arguably the same
machinery at Vettel’s disposal. The top ranked Red Bull driver needs to merge control with speed if he is to retain his top position by the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
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