The 2011 season started like 2010 ended! Vettel dominant, Hamilton second, Webber disappointed, Alonso frustrated and Petrov impressive! History repeating itself? Perhaps, but the circumstances were strikingly different… Because in the wake of the Japanese cataclysm, there was something surreal about this first race of the season. One side of us was physically present in the small F1 bubble of Melbourne while another side of us was far away, linked in spirit with the brave Nippon people. A massive feeling of perspective and relativity…

When you take high risks and you fail, you're an idiot; when you take the same risks and you win, you're a genius! We know what category Red Bull Racing belongs to, and they will go down in history for their cool foresight and their pretty remarkable ability, with hindsight, to manage a team of two ace drivers with no number one. As for Sebastian Vettel, his blinding speed combined with an uncanny ability to just "go for it", whatever the stakes, were justly rewarded with the crown; and he is such a nice, enthusiastic smiling kid... Finally, a word of praise to Renault, as it is all too easy to forget that they put the winning engine in the back of the awesome Adrian Newey designed RB6. A great season has ended, rendezvous in Bahrain, on March 13th 2011, for a new season!

So the showdown will take place in Abu Dhabi, and depending on the result, Red Bull Racing will go down the history lane as either geniuses wrapped in a cloak of fairness, or fools who gave away the Drivers Championship title to Fernando Alonso. Such is life, our decisions shape our reputation... The Brazilian GP was otherwise fairly disappointing, apart from the amazing pole of Niko Hulkenberg (poor Barrichello...): none of the four drivers racing for the Championship were able to pass one another to gain position, and Vettel, Webber, Alonso and Hamilton simply finished in the same order as qualifying. I believe that many fans will have been disappointed, regretting a fighting spirit that seems to have dwindled, for one reason or another...