Redbull may have the best car in Formula 1 but it takes more than that to get the best results. Vettel really should have been on poll but traffic on his first run and a mistake on his second isn't how it's done. Webber couldn't deliver more than fifth on the grid. There's no doubt that Ferrari are much closer to Redbull but it was Alonso's brilliant qualifying lap that got them poll position.
If not for their scruffy qualifying performance, Redbull could have won this race, assuming everything else remained equal. Vettel and Alonso were very evenly matched in the race and traded fastest laps multiple times. Who ever was in the lead was going to win the race. That honour went to Alonso this time but it could so easily have been the other way around.
This circuit doesn't offer many passing opportunities so it was a pleasant surprise how much passing occurred in the race. Webber was amazing! He picked off several cars after he settled in with the hard tires, but he came very close to stuffing it in the wall while chasing down Barrichello. Considering how close the driver's championship fight is, it was great to see him taking such chances. The extra points he earned in this race crucially kept him in the lead of the championship.
Kubica was another passing demon. He had to change tires late in the race due to a slow puncture and the fresh rubber gave him an significant advantage. He went on the attack and passed several drivers, including his team mate, Petrov, to finish seventh. Even with advantage of fresh tires, it's just not that easy to pass on this circuit, so Kubica worked hard for every place he gained. It was another excellent drive from Kubica. He has done a great job this entire season.
Hamilton's attempted pass on Webber was a classic Hamilton manoeuvre. He saw an opportunity and just went for it. It didn't work this time but it would be a sad day when Hamilton decides to play it safe. Webber was very lucky to escape that incident as the right front wheel was badly damaged. I have no idea how the tire maintained pressure after being pushed so far off the rim.
Four races to go and there's still five contenders in the drivers' championship. It just doesn't get any better than this.
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