good_Ralf wrote:1) Grosjean
2) Vettel
I wouldn't exactly call Vettel's performance improbable given the pace advantage that Red Bull have had this weekend - the fact that Webber was 4th in qualifying whilst using a compound about a second slower over a single lap than the soft tyre indicates that they both had it fairly easy this weekend.
Grosjean's performance, to my mind, is more remarkable, especially given the length of the stint that he ran on those tyres towards the end of the race (longer, incidentally, than Pirelli was recommending that the teams should use a single set of tyres for). The fact that he was able to continue putting in good lap times and hold off Massa in the closing stages despite being on older tyres - and taking the third podium in a row to boot - looks like it will validate Boullier's decision to retain Grosjean for 2014 and hopefully boost his confidence in the closing races.
As an aside, I can imagine that there might be some very choice words used by the team bosses when talking with Kimi about that defensive move against Grosjean though - they were already telling him to "get out of the ******* way" (according to Kravitz) because they were worried about Massa passing Grosjean.
Speaking of Massa, I feel that he deserves some recognition for his race too - he was continually under pressure from both Mercedes drivers, and whilst Rosberg eventually got past on strategy (having tried, and failed, to pass him on track) he managed to keep Hamilton behind him. If ever there was a time when putting in a decent drive like that would count, now is the time - it might give him that little more leverage in his negotiations for 2014.
Perez also had a very respectable race too (Ataxia, from what I have seen the reason why Button couldn't pull off the same move was because he was forced into an early extra stop because of a puncture) - it might take some of the heat out of the criticism of him and there were some nice passing moves by him in the later stages. If he can keep up that sort of measured and judicious performance for the next few races, that too might see his negotiating position with McLaren strengthening.
(Tony Jardine, 1988)
Still on time before the Aba Dabby GP ends