After one of the most controversial grands prix away from the circuit, the actual race itself was rather less dramatic. Not that RBR had this one handed to them on a plate: it had overtaking in spades and RBR had Lotus drivers snapping at Sebastian’s heels for practically the whole 57 laps, Romain Grosjean getting a great start and never letting go, while Kimi Raikkonen put real pressure on Sebastian Vettel for the final period – having started back in 11th. But Sebastian Vettel never let up. He kept pushing.
Vettel said: “It was an incredible race, extremely tough and I can only say a big thank you to the whole team and the guys in the garage. I said it yesterday, but they have done an incredible job over the last four races, the amount of work they had to do was so much. I am extremely happy and very proud of them.”
Mark Webber recorded his fourth fourth place of the season and while he wasn’t too troubled, there was plenty behind him as both Ricciardo and Kovalainen failed to capitalise on their good Saturday form, Hamilton had pitlane problems and Rosberg caught the stewards’ eye after some robust defence of his line.
It’s been an unpredictable start to the season, we’ve had four races and four different winners from four different teams. And (fact fans) this is the first podium since Mark won Monaco in 2010 that there have been three Renault-powered drivers on the podium.
Sebastian’s win combined with Mark’s consistency, means we head for Spain in a strong position. But nothing’s taken for granted; the 2012 form and the tight pack mean this long season is going to be a tough one for everyone.
Red Bull Racing: http://www.redbullracing.com
