It has been a long season, one which has had it's ups and then plummeted over the latter course of the year. Things transpired, other round things exploded and the entire universe seemed to implode from that point onward really. It has not been the most enthralling of seasons, the art of racing has been foregone for the pursuit of tyre management and painful conservation. A season which many teams, drivers and people at home perched far from the edges of their sofas, will not be displeased to see end. Of course no one really knows what lies on the other side of the oncoming off season, a plethora of rule and design changes are afoot which could considerably adjust the balance of power. Of course the lack of energy present in these final few races, means there is already a strong focus on the 2014 productions. And of course, with Red Bull having won everything in India they too have been able to work on the next all conquering vehicle.
But what does that leave us with this weekend in the grand finale of the 2013 season, unfortunately not a lot really - pretty much all of the championship positions have been settled in both the constructors and in the drivers titles. Instead we shall have to sit back and enjoy the show where no-one has anything really to lose and nothing to gain, there is only pride and personal aims at stake. For those still looking for a secured 2014 drive this race is the last chance to offer themselves to potential employment. Those like Perez who had the rug at McLaren pulled out from under him in the dying phase of the season, and then there is Kovalainen who has been given a chance to throw his name into the hat. On top of this there is the issue of drivers with financial support earning priority over arguably better drivers without those bags of cash. It is this very problem that cause all kinds of bother down at Lotus where financial deals define who gets the free place instead of pace and ability. Luckily that is all played out on one of the better tracks we get to visit - instead of another dreary generic Tilke-drome it is traditional, flowing and brilliant. One that has favoured the likes of Webber, Massa and Hulkenberg in the past... especially considering that there might be some rain... allegedly.
The Track
It is a good things that we have the opportunity to end this season on a high, something that will make us - the general public look back favourably on the year. In 2013 the Brazilian GP was utterly fantastic it had rain, incidents and brilliant racing - even without the increasingly dynamic championship battle between Alonso and Vettel it would have been a highlight of the season. After the season we have just witnessed we all need something like that to round it off. Sao Paulo is the perfect place to host such a event, like India the culture is so vibrant and colourful, full of energy and life - and has delivered many races to match that temperament.
The opening phase of the lap is wonderful, a powerful blast right in front of the fans ends in a cascading, descending chicane where the apex is ever so slightly after the turn in point. The descent is not as extreme as Laguna Seca's infamous corkscrew chicane (why we don't go there instead of a multi-million dollar new circuit is beyond comprehension) but provides a brilliant overtaking opportunity. A corner which was used to effect one of the cleverest teamplay overtaking moves in recent times as Massa passed Webber but allowed space for Alonso to pass the pair of them... yet Ferrari fired him still. What is the most irritating about this is that the FIA have decided that this conventional overtaking zone needs DRS... for gods sake why. This what is annoying the folks at the moment, diluting any opportunity for actual racing with gizmos - and this is why people are just looking forward to 2014...
After the opening sequence the track exits onto the back straight, which is also another DRS zone heading towards turn four. But once you escape the clutches of DRS turn four is rather good, simple but effective as it opens out so you can carry more speed through the exit. But if T4 is enjoyable then it's successor is even better, Ferra Durra which is a high speed positively cambered climbing corner which feeds into the technical phase of the lap. Now if we were presented with a series of hairpins like this in any new track and we'd complain. In fact when a similar concept was trialled in Indianapolis and it did not go down well - although that particular implementation was a complete abomination. Yet here in Interlagos we're fine with it, because it works - the track is cambered to ease the inherent understeer, that and the fact the at the corner radii seem well judged as well. At track which flows with the contours of the land is all too often steps ahead of one developed artificially.
At the end of the technical section which is concluded by the brilliantly named 'Bico de Pato' hairpin the speed starts to build back up again towards the end of the lap. Starting with the tricky downhill corner at Mergulho which has seen several cars end up in the barrier over the years as it attracts a very inconvenient river of water in the rain. At the very foot of the hill is Juncao corner, where Raikkonen decided to get quite lost in last season's race, venturing off into the support paddock roads which were not open at the time. But Raikkonen is further afield this time round - and I don't see Heikki making the same detour. After Juncao there is a steep high speed climb between some high and imposing concrete walls. A series of very fast kinks with very little run-off space bring the track back to the start line... even if it is now disgraced by more DRS
What to Expect
There are already forecasts for rain over the course of the weekend, now I know what you're thinking we've had that message before... Spa, Monza, Korea, Japan all had some threat of rain but absolutely nothing happened. So the cynical among us would assume that the same is going to happen again, showers in practice and maybe even in qualifying but nothing on race day. Of course we all want some rain, to drown the DRS out and to inject any form of randomness and chaos into this final race of the season. In any event it can only be assumed that Red Bull will once more be a dominant force and one of the pair will go on to win the race, will Vettel allow Webber to win the final race of his F1 career - nope, not by any means. If the previous races are anything to go by then Grosjean will be the nearest contender and wrap up the bonus points championship which is also all but decided. Somewhere in the middle of all that there will be the local specialist Massa and the Mercedes drivers.
If the conditions do get a little dodgy then you'd have to guess that Hulkenberg, Button and Bottas could be in for a very good weekend, and of course Nico needs to reinforce his reputation as a very promising talent without a major drive in his future. However the people at Sauber have said that if no deals come through he is welcome to stay with the team - well done Sauber - because Lotus are looking at money and the lunacy of Maldonado it comes with as a potential solution. The other option of Force India would not be helpful frankly for Nico, it would cost continuity and have no performance gains. It is also a part of the grid Perez could be looking at, and none of the Force India are confirmed. There is much to play for in that respect, some of which lead to desperation and craziness and whoever falls out of the series might consider looking to Indycar in replacement of Dario Franchitti who can no longer compete through injuries sustained in that Houston accident.
We can only hope that this final event offers everything that we have been missing over the course of this year - because we are leaving the ear of V8 engines behind it would be unfair for things to peter out with a whimper. It is also the final race for Mark Webber before he goes over to Porsche in their new Le Mans program. It could also be the last time we see several other members of the current grid, the likes of Perez, Gutierrez, Sutil and Di Resta are in a very uncertain position without any security moving into the next season. Lets end 2013 with the best race of the year....please...
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