Sebastian Vettel has taken this years Formula 1 series to new highs following a record setting 15th pole position for the season. Today’s Brazilian Grand Prix is the last for season and with both the drivers and manufacturers titles already wrapped up, drivers will be racing for pride, and to perhaps add a little polish to their skills ahead of the off season driver shuffles. It will be interesting to see which drivers move on, get moved out, and who gets promoted into the Formula 1 series for 2012. One thing we do know is that Vettel will be back at Red Bull next season ready to defend his title. But what of today’s race?
The Brazilian Grand Prix has a number of fascinating possibilities. Vettel will start on pole and he’ll have is team mate, Mark Webber, alongside him. Webber has worked well this year to help Vettel and his team take the title so it’ll be interesting to see if Vettel and the team work together to give Webber a consolation win in the last race of the year. It would be a fitting result considering the effort he has made to help the team take the manufacturers title. Whether Vettel will move aside to let Webber through is another matter altogether.
Jensen Button (McLaren) will start from three with team mate Lewis Hamilton at four and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) at five. Webber aside, that’s a world champion and three former world champions in the top five on the grid – add in Michael Schumacher in tenth spot and you have five Formula 1 champions in the top 10: that says a lot about the strength of Formula 1 motor racing at present.
In Formula 1 betting, Vettel is an obvious favourite although I’m not sure he’s good value at 8/11. Webber is second pick on the bookmakers charts at 11/2 with Button 6/1 and Hamilton 8/1. The rest are at long odds headed by Alonso at 12/1. If Vettel and Webber can make decent starts then we’re tipping Vettel to do the ‘gentlemanly thing’ and let Webber win. At 11/2, that makes Webber very good value in this race. If, as usual, Webber struggles at the start, then don’t be surprised to see Button do well.
We’re tipping a Red Bull one-two with Webber leading home Vettel and Button third. It’ll be an exciting end to a series that has been just a little lop-sided when it comes to poles and winners.