F1 2013/14 season: Contenders for 3rd place in Drivers' standings

Mark Webber

Mark Webber’s second place in Japan pushes him into contention for a third place in the drivers standing

The soon to retire Aussie was in sublime touch in Japan finishing second after two disappointing finishes (Singapore and Korea) in what could have been podium and well deserved point garnering opportunities.

He could have won in Japan had Red-Bull gone in for a strategy similar to that of Vettel and could have challenged him if it wasn’t for Romain Grosjean , who defended well, letting him through just 2 laps before the Chequered Flag .

But Webber with his true grit and determination would want to finish his last season on a high and though he is 31 points adrift Raikkonen for a third place in the table, a couple of podium finishes could see him reach tantalizingly close to the Finnish driver.

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso could slip to third place in the points table if he fails to finish in the points

Though the Spaniard, currently placed second in the table and most likely to retain it, has a 30 point cushion over Kimi Raikkonen, with the unpredictability component of his own car and that of his opponents, he could see himself being bumped down to the third place having missed the podiums in Korea and Japan.

The wins have been really hard to come by for Alonso (two so far this season)and with Vettel taking the honours in every race during the second-half of the season he had to be content with second and lower place finishes.

Though the remaining circuits somewhat suit the Ferrari setup, Alonso can’t be complacent to say the least with his future teammate Raikkonen catching up on him.