skysports.com reflects on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Formula One season in general.
It's been another season packed with drama right to the end. Mike Wise reflects on an F1 campaign bookended by contrasting fortunes
"What goes around, comes around." An apt saying that, when applied to Formula One. Fernando Alonso went around a total of 40 times stuck behind Vitaly Petrov in Abu Dhabi and still couldn't get past the Russian rookie's Renault. Whether the Ferrari driver therefore didn't deserve the title - that he failed to produce the 'champion's drive' when needed - or whether he simply couldn't because of a combination of car and track which prevents overtaking is certainly a debate worth pursuing. Regardless of that, though, there was a definite sense of sporting karma about the Spaniard's failure on Sunday.
"People that want extra show, maybe they should reconsider whether they want to watch Formula One," Alonso said in March, after winning the season opener in Bahrain. On that occasion he had led home the procession in the Middle East, and so was less concerned about the lack of overtaking in a race as turgid as the buzz preceding it had been expectant. Fast forward eight months and Alonso was to be found shaking his fist at Petrov, who had done nothing wrong apart from try his hardest to keep his drive for next season. The frustration must have been immense, but the reaction?
As Alonso seethed in the pack, Sebastian Vettel sped to his first world title. There's no doubt that the young German is a deserving champion - all the contenders would have been. Yes, he has made mistakes but so have Alonso, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton. Jenson Button made fewer but he lacked the pace of the others. Vettel won five times and claimed 10 pole positions; his momentum could have been infectious early in the year were it not for the reliability problems he suffered. Let us not forget that he dominated in Bahrain before suffering the spark plug problem which allowed Alonso through to inherit victory. What goes around comes around. (Of course, depending on the reader's sensitivity to the Ferrari 'team orders' saga, there could be another inheritance of Alonso's to consider.)
Refuelling ban
'Boring Bahrain' was so dire, in fact, that there was even talk of ad-hoc rule changes to liven things up a bit. The big fear after the opening race was that the refuelling ban might lead to 18 more Bahrains and yet it was without foundation. Time and again driving and engineering skill, tactical strategy and, yes, the weather gods combined to serve up a perfect storm; in the end we were treated to the most congested title battle F1 has yet to see. And yes, Abu Dhabi had nothing on Interlagos 2008 but will we ever see such a climax again? Just the fact fortunes were changing once more - but this time decisively - as the 55 laps unfolded was enough to set the pulse racing.
In amongst the on-track action and various shenanigans elsewhere, the highlight for me was Webber's title bid. In this era of young driver programmes and teen prodigies, there's something of the throwback and, dare I say it, the underdog about a sportsman who spends years paying his dues before getting a shot at glory. The Australian couldn't deliver - indeed, he seemed a little bit phased by season's end - and yet, much as Nigel Mansell's breakthrough after years of toil in 1986 served as a springboard to more success, I hope he gets another chance. Also, I was pleased to see Button give a much better account of himself at McLaren than some had predicted at the start of the year.
Disappointment? It's difficult, of course, not to look further than the reappearance of Michael Schumacher. That the new world champion had just turned four years old when his countryman first contested a grand prix might have crossed Schumacher's mind as he laboured in Vettel's wheel tracks this year. Then again, a mind honed in the pursuit of seven world titles might not be given to such sobering thoughts.
There's no doubt Schumacher has disappointed greatly this year - let's also not forget the re-emergence of old habits in Hungary - but he says he's sticking with it. The guy clearly loves Formula One and although 2010 has been a bind for him, for the rest of us the year has shown how easy it is to agree.
