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The lights are out on the 2013 Formula One season and it will be a while before the speed guns start working again. The season gone by had the excitement of a thriller till the mid-season but then got a little too predictable and somewhat monotonous towards the end like a romantic Bollywood flick where you know how things are going to end eventually. Here’s a short trip down the memory lane to recap the moments of the 2013 Formula One season.
Lucky 13 for Seb in 2013
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If 2013 season would have to be made into a movie, only one man could be its protagonist. Sebastian Vettel ruled the roost especially in the second half of the season winning 9 races on the trot, a record equaling feat along with 13 wins in the season, cementing his place in the sport history one more time and leaving his competitors only to think on what could have been done better.
Was it the tyres or was it the technical wizardry of Adrian Newey or the driving genius of the German, whatever may be the catalyst there was only one outcome of the whole symbiosis, Red-Bull and Vettel dominated another Formula One season.
Low-point of the year :- Multi 21 controversy in Malaysia and the subsequent booing at the podiums for the German wonder kid.
Tyres – Tyres burning in sight
Tyres remained one of the most talked aspect of the 2013 especially after the fiasco at Silverstone
The villain of the movie without doubt have to be the tyres. Had it not been for the tyre fiasco mid-season, that prompted a change in tyre setup , we might have witnessed a bit more spiced up battle at the top for the driver’s title.
Pirelli switching to last year compounds affected teams and drivers alike with both of whom were going for glory in the first-half of the season, were left in the lurch during the second-half. Pirelli needs to find the right balance in terms of compounds that put driver safety at the top and exciting overtaking a close second. FIA, offcourse, needs to provide more testing opportunities to Pirelli for them to get things into place.
Low-point of the year :- Tyres exploding left,right and center at Silverstone.
Mclaren: 50th year Gloom
Mclaren remained an non-competitive team in the 50th year of their existence.
This one is the sad part of the movie that becomes the quite the talking point after watching it.
One of the most charismatic teams in Formula One and with a wonderful history in the sport, Mclaren slumped to a new low in their 50th year of existence. Despite having all the resources the team failed to recover from a technical error and continued to struggle even with mid-season tyre change.
Sergio Perez was given a surprise exit after being ceremoniously hired an year ago to replace star driver Lewis Hamilton.
Low-point of the year :- No podium finish for a team who has an undiminished hunger to win and believes winning is their birth right.
Goodbye Mark
It was time for Mark Webber to thrown in a hat and dawn a new one in 2014 as he bid farewell to Formula One.
The moment in the movie where the eyes become misty.
A great ambassador of the sport, after a 12 year long career, bid goodbye at the end of the season. A one of a kind driver known for his grit and determination on a race track and with a huge fan following across the globe, the straight-talking veteran Aussie, Mark Webber has left a void in Formula One.
Low-point of the year :- Despite finishing on the podium multiple times ,unable to get a win in his final stint. He definitely needed some luck going in his favor.
Like in Bollywood with all the hoopla around movie awards, here are a few that need mention in Formula One for 2013.
Driver of the year :- Invariably, Sebastian Vettel
Rookie driver of the year :- A tie between Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutierrez, followed closely by Max Chilton.
Most-Improved driver of the year :- Romain Grosjean, Lotus. From being called a nutcase for crashing at the drop of hat last year to being the future of Lotus after repeated podium finishes in 2013.
Charismatic driver of the year :- None other than the Iceman- Kimi Raikkonen.
Team of the year :- Mercedes AMG. Ross Brawn turned things around with Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton taking it to No.2 in the Constructor’s Championship after three years in the sport.
Race of the year :- A joint one between Malaysian GP and British GP for all the on and off track drama.
Celebrations of the year :- The Donuts and bowing down in India by Vettel after winning the Championship.
Memorable Moment of the year :- Hamilton in Mclaren pit-lane. Webber-Alonso hitchhiking. Quite a few here. Hence will keep it open like a people’s choice award. Feel free to mention your own in the comments box.
