F1: A look at the championship contenders

The 2013 season has seen four different drivers win the first seven races, but things are starting to settle down now. The drivers championship battle is turning into a four-way fight, with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari‘s Fernando Alonso, Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set to fight out for the top spot. Let’s have a look at who has the best package to challenge for the championship,

Sebastian Vettel

Vettel: Still the man to beat

Sebastian Vettel has been by far the most consistent driver this season. And having the best car on track is an added bonus. Red Bull have been increasingly dominant in the last few races, especially Vettel. If it wasn’t for the controversial Pirelli tyres, Red Bull would have been miles ahead of the rest of the competition by now. Such is their dominance that despite being unable to extract the full potential of the car due to tyre mangement issues, the team is already 56 points ahead of second-placed Ferrari. The car’s reliability is another key factor but Red Bull seems to be the most reliable car at present and if they can continue developing the car the same way, there will be no stopping them.

Fernando Alonso

Alonso: Vettel’s toughest challenge

As the season progresses, going by the recent performances, Spaniard Fernando Alonso seems to be the only man who can stop the German from becoming a quadruple champion. The Ferrari’s race pace has been very good but qualifying has been a concern. Alonso has started from behind the third row , 4 times this season. He has admitted neither he nor the team had maximized their potential during qualifying; and only with improved qualifying times will they be able to mount a solid title challenge as starting 4-5 places behind Vettel will not be good enough. Despite overtaking Raikkonen in the driver’s championship table at Montreal, Alonso trails first placed Vettel by 36 points.

Kimi Raikkonen

Raikkonen: Hoping to turn things around

Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen started off brilliantly this season claiming four top-two finishes in the first five races of the season, establishing himself as a strong title contender. But the Finn’s hopes of claiming his 2nd world champion have been dented by the poor results in the last two races. Having begun the season with a race win, Raikkonen has struggled in Monaco and Montreal finishing a lowly 10th and 9th respectively. He went to the Canadian GP lying second in the drivers championship table; but after a miserable race, he fell to 3rd place and was also lapped by his championship rival Vettel. Team Lotus have to restart and go back to basics and improve the car for Silverstone to stem the downward spiral. He is currently 44 points behind the German after being only 4 points behind him after the Spanish GP.

Lewis Hamilton:

Hamilton: A dark horse in the title race

Lewis Hamilton’s move to Mercedes from Mclaren seemed bewildering as Mclaren clearly seemed to be a better car and the team have performed consistently well over the years. But it has proved to be the right decision with the Mclarens struggling to finish in the top 10, while the Mercedes team is challenging for the podium places. Though Mercedes have had troubles managing the tyre wear this season, Hamilton’s performances deserve a lot of praise. The Englishman, known for his aggressive driving, has managed his tyres better than his team-mate Nico Rosberg, and has finished on the podium thrice this season. He currently lies 4th in the standings, 55 points behind Vettel, and realistically doesn’t seem to have a championship winning car with him yet. But if the team can get through the testgate scandal unscathed and find a way to manage tyre wear during the race, then Hamilton might stand a chance.

The FIA international tribunal hearing on the controversial Mercedes-Pirelli tyre test is set to be held on Friday; and if found guilty, Mercedes’ penalty may range from a small fine to a ban from world championship.