It has occurred to me that I haven't blogged much recently about modern Formula 1. Time to put that right, as we digest this morning's Korean Grand Prix.
In the end it was quite a comfortable win for Sebastian Vettel, even if this was not really reflected in the distance by which he triumphed. Following the early stages, Lewis Hamilton and others could never quite sustain a meaningful and concerted challenge.
The race tightened up as a competitive spectacle from around half-distance onwards, with the main entertainment being provided by Hamilton and Mark Webber. Much has been said and written about the Englishman's current mindset, but his racing instincts were still very much in evidence during his wheel to wheel dicing with the Red Bull driver. Throughout the race, one got the impression that he was trying very hard.
In the context of the Hamilton/Webber tussle, the BBC's David Coulthard made reference to the legendary Villeneuve/Arnoux battle at the French Grand Prix in 1979. A slight exaggeration, I thought, although it was nice to have events at Dijon mentioned!
At several points in the race, Fernando Alonso's driving seemed to be a touch ragged and untidy, perhaps indicating frustration or impatience. This was also alluded to in the BBC TV commentary, with the inference that he is not altogether happy with Ferrari's progress.
Alonso was also heard to say "I give up" to his engineer late in the race. The Spaniard has subsequently clarified the remark, insisting that motivation is not a problem, and I prefer to reserve judgement on these matters. It is interesting to note, however, that questions marks are being raised about the state of mind of two of F1's most talented drivers, Hamilton and Alonso. An interesting sub-plot in the remaining races?
A few people have remarked how phlegmatic Michael Schumacher seemed to be in the aftermath of his collision with Vitaly Petrov, for which the Russian was clearly at fault. In Michael's heyday, he would certainly have been more vocal, but today I could not even detect any cryptic expression of anger in his remarks. Maybe he is mellowing with age?
Staying with matters Mercedes, Nico Rosberg had one of his strongest races for a while, before fading slightly. It is difficult to gauge Rosberg's current standing because of the reservations being expressed about Schumacher. I hope that he does not begin to go stale. F1 history is full of cases of talented drivers reaching a plateau, and being overtaken in the pecking order by newer, fresher candidates.
Talking of "comingmen", Jaime Alguersuari drove a combative and composed race for STR. It is possible that one or more of the top seats could become vacant in the next 18 months or so, and his name is sure to be mentioned if he continues his upward curve.
Even though the two world titles have been decided, there is still plenty to mull over!
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