01 RED BULL-RENAULT
| 01 | Sebastian Vettel (Ger) | Red Bull-Renault | 397 (13 wins) |
| 03 | Mark Webber (Aus) | Red Bull-Renault | 199 |
The commentators ran out of superlatives to describe Sebastian Vettel's achievements in 2013 - and, no wonder, considering he joined a club of only three other drivers in winning the F1 world title four times, also being the youngest of those. This is, indeed, Vettel's fourth consecutive title and it was easily his most convincing - even more clear-cut than his previous runaway success in 2011. The defence actually began no more than steadily in the first half of the season with victories in Malaysia, Bahrain, Canada and at the Nurburgring in Germany, his first home triumph.
However, a mid-season tyre change by Pirelli following a series of dangerous incidents at Silverstone seemed to benefit Red Bull more than anyone else. From Belgium onwards, Vettel won every single race, a streak of nine successive victories, equalling Alberto Ascari's 60-year-old record and breaking the record by two for the number of consecutive wins within a single season. Not everyone appreciated Vettel's utter dominance and, admittedly, the races at the front did become a complete bore for the television companies to cover. But, still, the German did not deserve to be booed when collecting the top prize on various podiums around the world. After all, he could only do what he is paid to do, and win.
Vettel has been accused of being rather arrogant in his celebrations with his detractors pointing towards the one-finger salute and his tendency to celebrate by making tyre doughnuts on the track. However, in his last couple of races, the radio messages to his team made it clear he is very self-aware that 2014 will be much tougher for him to win with the new smaller engine sizes among a whole raft of changes being brought in. Enjoy this dominance while we can was pretty much the message he wanted to give. But, at just 26, and with Adrian Newey still at the helm at Red Bull, it is perhaps no surprise that the German should already be listed as odds on for a fifth consecutive crown in 2015.
One man who will not be there to see that, if it happens, is Vettel's long-suffering team-mate Mark Webber. The Australian has often given the impression that he felt his younger counterpart was favoured by the team but the brutal facts are simply that Vettel has been the quicker driver over the last few years and no amount of bickering about team orders can hide that fact. Still, Vettel's decision to overtake in Malaysia against a clear team order was clearly the final straw for Webber and it was no surprise in June he announced he was leaving Red Bull for Sportcars.
Nevertheless, the Aussie has never resolved his own problem of a lack of speed off the start line though, against that, it is of huge credit to him that he has often fought his way back up the field. And, while he did not manage a Grand Prix win in his final season in F1, Webber did finish second on no fewer than five occasions, four of which contributed to Red Bull 1-2s. As the ultimate team player - in a brilliantly successful team - and, as a nice Australian to boot, he can leave F1 for Sportcars with his head held high.
02 MERCEDES
| 04 | Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) | McLaren-Mercedes | 189 (1 win) |
| 06 | Nico Rosberg (Ger) | Mercedes | 171 (2 wins) |
Mercedes have kept faith with the Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg partnership for 2014 and it really is not hard to see why after an impressive set of results saw the German team finish in second, ahead of Ferrari and Lotus. Indeed, before the mid-year tyre change put clear water between Red Bull and the rest, Mercedes were challenging having chalked up three wins. Rosberg enjoyed a mid-season purple patch to record two wins in three races, in Monaco and at Silverstone - and this undoubtedly once again demonstrated the cracking character of the young German who has previously outlasted Michael Schumacher's misguided comeback.
Nevertheless, he still finished 18 points down on Hamilton although, looking back, this was largely down to a slow start - Rosberg retired twice in the opening three races - and, thereafter, the Grand Prix, in Hungary, which the Briton won and Rosberg could not finish due to an engine problem. At least, that victory allowed Hamilton to justify easily his risky move from his boyhood team McLaren in the last close season.
Friends since their karting days as teenagers, Hamilton and Rosberg clearly have a mutual respect for each other, and actually a great blend of youth and experience to form a formidable F1 partnership. Or, at least, they would have had more chance of that if Mercedes had not messed the team's best chance of securing a title next season by letting the phenomenal technician Ross Brawn go, late in this campaign. Frankly, Hamilton must be praying that Brawn does not turn up at one of his rivals as he seems destined to do.
03 FERRARI
| 02 | Fernando Alonso (Spa) | Ferrari | 242 (2 wins) |
| 08 | Felipe Massa (Brz) | Ferrari | 112 |
Another frustrating campaign for Ferrari even saw them cede second place in the Constructors' Championship to Mercedes, and this despite a decent start from number one driver Fernando Alonso. When the Spaniard last tasted victory, back on 12 May in his home Grand Prix in Barcelona, he was just 17 points behind Sebastian Vettel having matched the German in race wins with two each and, as ever, Alonso battled hard for the remainder of the season, finishing on the podium seven times, scoring five runners-up spots and two third places to finish clear in second place in the Drivers' Championship.
But Ferrari were clearly unable to compete with Red Bull again and, to a winner like Alonso, his second place feels like nowhere. Indeed, aged 32, he is no doubt beginning to wonder if he will ever add to the two world titles which he won with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and that frustration boiled over in a mid-season row with the team president, Luca di Montezemolo. Bearing that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Alonso copes in 2014 with a more competitive team-mate in Kimi Raikkonen, with Felipe Massa having finally drunk in the last chance saloon for too long.
Arguably, Massa has never been the same since his serious accident in 2009, the Brazilian seemed all too content in his role as a support driver for Alonso, scoring just one podium all season - and that came in Spain where, for the one and only time in 2013, Ferrari were the dominant force. Nevertheless, Massa's consistency was much improved as the season wore on and he achieved fourth-placed finishes at Ferrari's spiritual home at Monza in Italy, and also in India, as part of a streak of nine points finishes from the last 10 races. Massa's choice of Williams is an interesting one and, in an ideal world, both driver and new team will help to give each other a lift.
04 LOTUS-RENAULT
| 05 | Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) | Lotus-Renault | 183 (1 win) |
| 07 | Romain Grosjean (Fra) | Lotus-Renault | 132 |
| 21 | Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) | Lotus-Renault | 0 |
Lotus enjoyed another strong showing with Kimi Raikkonen considered a genuine title contender in the early part of the season. Indeed, the Finn won the opening Grand Prix in Australia before stepping up on the second rung of the podium in three consecutive races, in China, Bahrain and Spain - all in the first five races. A three-race spell outside of the top three followed, before another set of successive second places in Germany and Hungary. Then came a retirement at Spa in Belgium, a significant moment as it brought to an end his remarkable run of consecutive points finishes at 27 races.
More vitally, he dropped from second to fourth in the championship and fell ever further away from run-away leader Sebastian Vettel. Further podium appearances at Singapore and Korea followed but, having already agreed to join Ferrari, Raikkonen then refused to race in the last two Grand Prix, citing a back problem which was likely more to do with the fact that it emerged Lotus's financial problems had meant he had been going unpaid. Compatriot Heikki Kovalainen replaced him but failed to score with consecutive 14th-placed finishes.
Romain Grosjean did impress, though, and restored his accident-prone reputation which was borne out of his involvement in no fewer than seven first lap incidents in 2012. Fatherhood seems to have settled down the Frenchman - or maybe he was just never as poor a driver as his previous demolition derby form suggested. For while, of course, he could not match Raikkonen, he did make six of his own visits to the podium altogether, four of which were in the last six races. That sort of form, if carried through, suggests a fruitful 2014 is in the offing for Grosjean - but much depends on the identity of his team-mate and if indeed the team can establish a sounder financial footing.
05 McLAREN-MERCEDES
| 09 | Jenson Button (Gbr) | McLaren-Mercedes | 73 |
| 11 | Sergio Perez (Mex) | McLaren-Mercedes | 49 |
Having finished with the fastest car on the grid at the back end of the 2012 season, it came as something of a surprise to see McLaren become the first major team to drop out of contention. Well, it did until we had the misfortune of seeing the MP4-28 on the track. This was a truly rotten car, which ultimately served up the team's worst performance in 33 years, the last time the Woking-based outfit failed even to make it onto the podium once.
The closest McLaren got to a top-three finish in 2013 was from Jenson Button's fourth-place finish in the season finale in Brazil and, in fairness, the 2009 champion often did as best he could with the equipment he had. For a start, he never retired all season - and he scored, or rather often scraped, points from all but five of the races. Button must hope that, having been treading water since a runners-up finish in the Drivers' Championship in 2011, his team take advantage of the new regulations and an increased development time to come up with a properly competitive car. A reunification with Ross Brawn, not entirely out of the question, would be the icing on the cake.
Whatever happens in Woking over the off-season, Sergio Perez will not be there to see it having been ditched in favour of Kevin Magnussen. The Dane has graduated from McLaren's Young Driver Programme and he replaces Mexican Perez who, despite showing flashes of his speed, struggled for consistency until four consecutive points-based finishes in the last four races which, by then, was too late to save his job. A return to Sauber looks the obvious next move.
06 FORCE INDIA-MERCEDES
| 12 | Paul di Resta (Gbr) | Force India-Mercedes | 48 |
| 13 | Adrian Sutil (Ger) | Force India-Mercedes | 29 |
Consistency remains elusive to Force India who nevertheless jumped back above Sauber in the mid-table of the Constructors' Championship, having finished behind the Swiss team last year. However, that outcome is still hardly good enough for this highly-ambitious team, meaning neither Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil can yet be sure of taking their seats next season.
After a decent start, in which he scored points in seven of the opening eight races including a fourth place in Bahrain, di Resta suffered a mid-season slump which saw him then fail to score in seven successive races. Now it remains to be seen if a slight return to form - an eighth-placed finish in India and a sixth in Abu Dhabi - will be enough for the genial Scot to save his position but, ultimately the fact that he does not bring in any money in terms of sponsorship is likely to count against him.
German Adrian Sutil has done, hence his return to the team even after he was convicted of an assault in a nightclub which meant that he missed the whole of the 2012 campaign. Like di Resta, though, Sutil's season faded after a bright start, though this is a reflection on the fact that Force India struggled with the mid-year tyre change more than most.
07 SAUBER-FERRARI
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) | Sauber-Ferrari | 51 |
| 16 | Esteban Gutierrez (Mex)* | Sauber-Ferrari | 6 |
Nico Hulkenberg probably got more out of his car in respect of its limitations than any other driver on the grid, regularly qualifying in the top 10 and securing 10 points-based finishes across the season including a fourth-place in Korea. In all, the 26-year-old German scored a remarkable 89% of Sauber's 57 points with no other driver outscoring his team-mate quite as heavily as Hulkenburg did.
In fairness to Esteban Gutierrez, this was his rookie season, and Hulkenburg was extremely good, but the gap still yawned far too wide at times. Worryingly for the Mexican, Sauber have already brought in Russian teenager Sergey Sirotkin to fill a seat next season and it is doubtful if the Swiss outfit would put two such inexperienced drivers together. Regardless of what happens, though, Hulkenburg can surely expect a better offer than Sauber with rumours that Force India or even Lotus are looking to snap him up.
08 TORO ROSSO-FERRARI
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) | Toro-Rosso-Ferrari | 20 |
| 15 | Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra) | Toro-Rosso-Ferrari | 13 |
And another one graduates! Daniel Ricciardo's regular points-scoring finishes was always likely to be enough to catch the attention of Toro Rosso's more established big brother Red Bull - and Ricciardo would have had to be crazy to turn down the chance to drive at, presumably, the top end of the grid for the four-time Constructors' champions.
It is really nothing more than Ricciardo deserves, having scored points in seven of this season's Grand Prix, results which included two seventh-placed finishes in China and Italy. Team-mate Jean-Eric Vergne also started well, a sixth-place finish in Canada actually putting him six points clear of Ricciardo after seven races. However, that was the last time that the Frenchman scored all season while, in comparison, Ricciardo continued to pick up points here and there right up until the season finale in Brazil.
For now, Vergne has hung onto his seat at the Italian-based team and, in 2014, will be joined by young Russian GP3 champion Daniil Kvyat. Ricciardo, meanwhile, must be careful that his assumed status as number two driver to four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel does not stunt his own development. After all, he is much younger than the man he replaces, his compatriot Mark Webber.
09 WILLIAMS-RENAULT
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas (Fin)* | Williams-Renault | 4 |
| 18 | Pastor Maldonado (Ven) | Williams-Renault | 1 |
Following a year of seemingly genuine progress in 2012, Williams reverted to their 2011 form at the back of the grid over the past 12 months, scoring just five points all season. Nevertheless, there were still some positives, almost exclusively from Valtteri Bottas who was rewarded for a solid debut season with an eighth-placed finish in the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
That was enough for Bottas to earn a seat at the British team next season alongside Felipe Massa who joins from Ferrari to replace the desperately disappointing Pastor Maldonado. The Venezuelan scored just a single point this year, in Hungary, and he was regularly outperformed by his rookie team-mate and that win at the Spanish Grand Prix from pole last year now seems completely unfathomable. Instead, Maldonado departs F1 with a reputation for being unable to stay out of trouble, while his unfounded, perhaps even envious, accusations of sabotage in Texas will hardly endear him to potential suitors.
10 MARUSSIA-COSWORTH
| 19 | Jules Bianchi (Fra)* | Marussia-Cosworth | 0 |
| 23 | Max Chilton (Gbr)* | Marussia-Cosworth | 0 |
Of all the drivers destined to finish on nul points, Jules Bianchi showed the best glimpses. The Frenchman's best result came early on in the season as a 13th-placed finish in Malaysia kept him above his fellow-non scorers and, much more vitally, ultimately secured prize money for 10th place in the Constructors' Championship for Marussia.
Fellow F1 debutant Max Chilton was far more cautious, often trundling around at the back. Nevertheless, the 22-year-old Briton still achieved an extraordinary result in finishing every single Grand Prix of the season, becoming the first rookie ever to do so. A spate of retirements in Monaco ensured a season's best finish of 14th.
11 CATERHAM-RENAULT
| 20 | Charles Pic (Fra) | Caterham-Renault | 0 |
| 22 | Giedo van der Garde (Ned)* | Caterham-Renault | 0 |
Caterham bring up the rear this year having indeed slipped a place as compared to 12 months ago following a difficult second season for Frenchman Charles Pic and a real struggle for Dutch debutant Giedo van der Garde.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, despite signing a multi-year deal at the back of last season, Pic's place in the team next year has not be confirmed and nor has GP2 graduate van der Garde. Both could score no higher than 14th-placed finishes in 2013 with Pic achieving this in Malaysia and Korea, and van der Garde once in Hungary. Both drivers also matched each other with the number of retirements with four.
CALENDAR
| Date | Television | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winner | |
| 17 March | Sky | Australian Grand Prix | Vettel | Raikkonen | Raikkonen |
| 24 March | Sky | Malaysian Grand Prix | Vettel | Perez | Vettel |
| 14 April | BBC Sky | Chinese Grand Prix | Hamilton | Vettel | Alonso |
| 21 April | Sky | Bahrain Grand Prix | Rosberg | Vettel | Vettel |
| 12 May | BBC Sky | Spanish Grand Prix | Rosberg | Gutierrez | Alonso |
| 26 May | Sky | Monaco Grand Prix | Rosberg | Vettel | Rosberg |
| 9 June | BBC Sky | Canadian Grand Prix | Vettel | Webber | Vettel |
| 30 June | BBC Sky | British Grand Prix | Hamilton | Webber | Rosberg |
| 7 July | Sky | German Grand Prix | Hamilton | Alonso | Vettel |
| 28 July | Sky | Hungarian Grand Prix | Hamilton | Webber | Hamilton |
| 25 August | BBC Sky | Belgian Grand Prix | Hamilton | Vettel | Vettel |
| 8 September | BBC Sky | Italian Grand Prix | Vettel | Hamilton | Vettel |
| 22 September | Sky | Singapore Grand Prix | Vettel | Vettel | Vettel |
| 6 October | Sky | Korean Grand Prix | Vettel | Vettel | Vettel |
| 13 October | BBC Sky | Japanese Grand Prix | Webber | Webber | Vettel |
| 27 October | BBC Sky | Indian Grand Prix | Vettel | Raikkonen | Vettel |
| 3 November | Sky | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Webber | Alonso | Vettel |
| 17 November | Sky | United States Grand Prix | Vettel | Vettel | Vettel |
| 24 November | BBC Sky | Brazilian Grand Prix | Vettel | Webber | Vettel |
STANDINGS
Drivers' Championship
| P | Driver | Team | Points |
| 01 | Sebastian Vettel (Ger) | Red Bull-Renault | 397 (13 wins) |
| 02 | Fernando Alonso (Spa) | Ferrari | 242 (2 wins) |
| 03 | Mark Webber (Aus) | Red Bull-Renault | 199 |
| 04 | Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) | McLaren-Mercedes | 189 (1 win) |
| 05 | Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) | Lotus-Renault | 183 (1 win) |
| 06 | Nico Rosberg (Ger) | Mercedes | 171 (2 wins) |
| 07 | Romain Grosjean (Fra) | Lotus-Renault | 132 |
| 08 | Felipe Massa (Brz) | Ferrari | 112 |
| 09 | Jenson Button (Gbr) | McLaren-Mercedes | 73 |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) | Sauber-Ferrari | 51 |
| 11 | Sergio Perez (Mex) | McLaren-Mercedes | 49 |
| 12 | Paul di Resta (Gbr) | Force India-Mercedes | 48 |
| 13 | Adrian Sutil (Ger) | Force India-Mercedes | 29 |
| 14 | Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) | Toro-Rosso-Ferrari | 20 |
| 15 | Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra) | Toro-Rosso-Ferrari | 13 |
| 16 | Esteban Gutierrez (Mex)* | Sauber-Ferrari | 6 |
| 17 | Valtteri Bottas (Fin)* | Williams-Renault | 4 |
| 18 | Pastor Maldonado (Ven) | Williams-Renault | 1 |
| 19 | Jules Bianchi (Fra)* | Marussia-Cosworth | 0 |
| 20 | Charles Pic (Fra) | Caterham-Renault | 0 |
| 21 | Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) | Lotus-Renault | 0 |
| 22 | Giedo van der Garde (Ned)* | Caterham-Renault | 0 |
| 23 | Max Chilton (Gbr)* | Marussia-Cosworth | 0 |
Constructors' Championship
| P | Team | Points |
| 01 | Red Bull-Renault | 596 (13 wins) |
| 02 | Mercedes | 360 (3 wins) |
| 03 | Ferrari | 354 (2 wins) |
| 04 | Lotus-Renault | 315 (1 win) |
| 05 | McLaren-Mercedes | 122 |
| 06 | Force India-Mercedes | 77 |
| 07 | Sauber-Ferrari | 57 |
| 08 | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 33 |
| 09 | Williams-Renault | 5 |
| 10 | Marussia-Cosworth | 0 |
| 11 | Caterham-Renault | 0 |
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