2013 Formula 1 season: Half-term report and statistics

So, in current Drivers’ Championship order as of the end of the Hungarian Grand Prix, here’s how 2013 has been so far for Sebastian Vettel through to Max Chilton…

Sebastian Vettel

Points – 172; Championship position – 1st; Best Result – 1st (x4)

Despite his title-winning run, this is only actually the second time that Sebastian Vettel has reached the summer break at the summit of the points standings. That position – and particularly his commanding 38-point lead – highlights what, even by the German’s already well-established standards, has been an unerringly consistent title defence thus far.

Four wins, two more than anyone else, is the headline statistic but it’s the fact Vettel has yet to finish outside the top four in a race (his technical DNF while leading at Silverstone being the one blemish on his half-season record) that suggests he’s going to be a hard man to usurp from here on in even if the balance of competitive power were to swing definitively away from Red Bull – and that’s some ask.

Of course, there have been some inescapable darker shades to his season too and the fact he has been booed by fans at three separate grands prix since the infamous ‘Multi-21′ controversy of Malaysia shows that in some quarters respect towards F1′s current standard-bearer remains more grudging than his dazzling record alone would suggest might be the case.

Kimi Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen

Points – 134; Championship position – 2nd; Best result – 1st

Everyone’s favourite Finnish monotone maverick is a man in demand. Placed second in the Championship and winner in Melbourne, Kimi Raikkonen has been bringing home the points ever since. In fact, he’s scored points in all but one race since his F1 comeback, which says everything about his blend of speed and sympathy – and helps explain why Red Bull are interested in signing him.

The chances of a 2013 world title do, let’s face it, appear on the remote side despite his lofty position in the standings but don’t rule out at least another win. Right now, though, Kimi has other things on his mind. Should I stay or should I go?

Fernando Alonso

Points – 133; Championship position – 3rd; Best Result – 1st (x2)

Third in the championship, a point behind second-placed Kimi Raikkonen and two race victories would be a good half season for most drivers – but then Fernando Alonso is not most drivers. The Spaniard expects to be challenging for victories at every race and that is something he has been unable to do since his home race in May.

Given the tail off in team-mate Felipe Massa’s performances as well, it would suggest the problem lies with the F138 and Ferrari’s faltering development rather than Alonso. If the Spaniard’s “someone else’s car” remark in Hungary has served to increase internal tension between team and star driver then his hopes of that elusive third world title are only likely to be compromised still further.

Lewis Hamilton

Points – 124; Championship position – 4th; Best result – 1st

His first half-season at Mercedes has been far from straightforward at times, and not without the now long-standing scrutiny over his life away from the track, but it’s fair to say that no one – least of all the man himself – thought Lewis Hamilton would be even the remotest of title contention. Despite some encouraging early indicators – including the first of now four 2013 poles in China – Hamilton by his own admission “struggled” to adapt to the braking system on the W04. But since a strong drive to third in Canada, an intra-team pendulum that had been swinging team-mate Nico Rosberg’s way has come back towards Hamilton with the Briton’s brilliantly-judged first victory for his new employers in Hungary suggesting there is plenty more to come yet.

There have seen several false dawns since Hamilton’s sole title win some five years ago now, and the driver does have still quite some ground to make up on Vettel, but on the form of last weekend it could be fun watching him try.

Mark Webber

Points – 105; Championship position – 5th; Best result – 2nd (x2)

Fifth place in the drivers’ standings after ten races is Mark Webber’s poorest return since 2008 – the year Red Bull before turned themselves into title contenders and, alas for the Aussie, his nemesis was also drafted in. Webber has undoubtedly suffered bad luck on occasion this year and yet he’s otherwise failed to match Sebastian Vettel’s pace and consistency.

Malaysia was a different matter, of course, and with Webber having since announced his departure from F1 at season’s end, the main interest now is in whether he’ll support Vettel’s title bid. But then one also wonders whether Vettel would actually need his help?

Nico Rosberg

Points – 84; Championship position – 6th; Best Result – 1st (x2)

Many expected Nico Rosberg to be blown away by Lewis Hamilton this season, but the German is proving to be the ‘real deal’ with two victories and three pole positions. He may have scored 40 points fewer than new team-mate Lewis Hamilton – but then he has failed to finish on three occasions, none of which have been caused by driver error. However, Hamilton has conclusively held the upper hand since Canada and that’s a trend Nico must look to buck when the season resumes at Spa.

Felipe Massa

Points – 61; Championship position – 7th; Best result – 3rd

Felipe Massa’s eighth campaign at Ferrari has proved the ultimate half-season of two halves – and, as far as the Brazilian’s F1 future is concerned, the trend isn’t going in the right direction. From opening the season with successive qualifying defeats of Fernando Alonso, more recent months have seen Massa became something of a crash magnet with five incidents across four race weekends up to and including Germany.

His steadier, albeit hardly eye-catching, Hungaroring weekend was thus overdue but having scored only 46% of Alonso’s points – the fourth-worst percentage gap between team-mates on the grid – Ferrari are only third in the Constructors’ Championship. Speculation over his future has nonetheless been less frenzied than it was 12 months ago – although how could it not have been? – and Ferrari’s loyalty to the Brazilian has been total up until now, but both the team and driver himself really need him to rediscover his pace and poise from the early rounds.