So that's it, 2013 over. Quick notes on a few selected drivers:
Vettel - Don't like the kid, but that doesn't make me deny his absolute supremacy this year. He got the best car and the best car got a perfect driver. Can't beat such a combo.
Webber - Tough player on track, but an honest guy. Since I don't believe in coincidences I don't believe RBR treated him fairly. I'll not say the boycotted him, or sabotaged his car, but clearly they didn't care much and results show it. I won't say he will be missed as a driver (maybe as a paddock star that says things others won't) because I do think he was consistently slower than Vettel and it was probably time to "move on". Will like to see him in an LMP1 and wish him at least one Le Mans 24 Hours victory.
Alonso - Although he lost any hope and IMHO drove the last few GPs at 70% of what he is capable of, he remains the absolute best and more complete driver in the grid. Nuff said.
Massa - I'm glad he leaves Ferrari, I think both the team and him kept "it" going for too long. I don't think he will ever return to top form and championship contending status, so I'd prefer him to leave F1 altogether but a "Williams" exit, like the one Rubens had, is an honorable one. Disclaimer: If I'm wrong I'll be glad about it because I think he is a nice guy.
Button - Another nice fellow that should've moved on from F1 at the end of this year. I suppose such an opinion won't be liked by many of his british fans, but I do think he is "on his way down to nowhere" in Formula 1 and that he should leave through the front door, like Webber did. Although a solid scorer, he is not a top gun and, considering his age, he will not become one in the future because what he does is not because of speed, it is because of experience and racecraft.
Perez - Again, unlike most british fans, I do think Perez is a potential great in F1, and it is mindboggling to see McLaren send him off and keeping Button. Should be the other way around, I do believe Perez, with a good car and thee one more year of experience he got in 2013, could be a WDC contender. I guess he'll follow the Sutil route ... we will never know if his prime could deliver race and championship wins, because his prime will pass without ever a good car.
Nico Rosberg - I have said it before, I will say it again. Rosberg is always underrated but he is one of the absolute best drivers in F1. I remember people writing Schumacher would demolish him, and didn't (then it was because he was old). I remember reading that Hamilton would beat him clearly, and didn't (theory "en vogue" now is this happened because Ham needs a different car, one more suited to his own liking). When people place Vettel, Kimi, Alonso, Hamilton as "primus inter pares", I'd say they are obviously missing Rosberg. Will he ever cease to be underrated? Maybe not, it's the "Rosberg's curse" I guess.
Lewis Hamilton - Dissapointing season for him, and all he has been saying proves it. Being humble is fine, but if this humility really gets to him it becomes confidence-loss. We all know what happened to Massa, I'd sure not want to see that again. It's hard to say if it is people expecting too much from him, or too litle from Rosberg, but I guess all assumed (and I didn't read the UK press) he would DOMINATE his team mate and bring the Mercedes challenge to Vettel in "solo mode", like Alonso has beend doing year after year at Ferrari. I guess he got a reality check this year, hope it maked him go better, not worse, next year.
Kimi Raikkonen - I have a hard time to make my mind on the "Iceman" because I'm not sure how good the Lotus was this season Did he flatter the car or did the car flatter him? Having Gorsjean as team mate didn't help because it's hard to compare an "old ace" to a "young" one. I guess the direct comparison will have to be made next year, when he is teamed with Alonso. Can't wait!
Romain Grosjean - Best surprise of the year, this guys grew immensely and is the living proof we can't dismiss young drivers and their mistakes. What would Piquet Jr. have become if he wasn't so weak facing the older cheaters Briatore & Simmonds? We'll never know, history is like that, runs linearly and it is very rare that a guy is given a second chance. Grosjean is a survivor and this season proved he deserved the THIRD chance he got simply by racing again in 2013. With the luck all champions need, he'll get a WDC sooner or later.
