[Race] Korean Grand Prix Preview

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Hi guys, here is my preview for this weekend's Korean GP.


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With only 6 races remaining in 2013, it's time for F1 to head for Yeongam for the fourth Korean Grand Prix.

With the championship seemingly a formality waiting to be signed off on by Sebastian Vettel, there appears to be very little chance that anyone can even come close as we head into the tracks where Vettel has been traditionally strong over the last few seasons.

Technical analysis from certain quarters, such as this excellent insight from James Allen suggest that all the devlopment work Red Bull have been concentrating on this season, has been eliminating the weaknesses of previous iterations of their RB9. While the Bulls since 2009 have been excellent on fast flowing, mid to high downforce tracks, they have had less of an advantage in terms of traction and on high speed low downforce tracks, like Monza.

Singapore, Monza and Spa suggest that Red Bull have solved their weaknesses, without losing anything of an advantage at their usual strengths. This means that, instead of becoming weaker, Red Bull & Vettel are most likely at their most unbeatable, right as we reach the end of the current set of F1 rules. While it may be considered dull by many of the anti-Vettel brigade, no driver and team has unlocked this level of dominance since Schumacher in his F2004.

There is no point just yet in speculating as to whether this dominance will end next season, as with 6 rounds remaining, there is still a lot to play for. Who can seal second place in the Drivers Championship? Can Lewis Hamilton assert himself as the dominant character at Mercedes? Will Mark Webber score a swansong victory before he waves au-revoir?

Fernando Alonso may become the highest points scorer ever in F1 history this weekend, should he finish first or second. While this is largely due to the changes in the points system meaning that scores have rocketed for modern drivers, it will be an impressive feat for the Ferrari driver should he manage to pull it off. Alonso is the only man to have lead any laps in Korea, apart from Vettel. While he has only lead 7% of the total amount of racing laps at Yeongnam, crucially, they were the final ten laps in the dramatic 2010 race after Sebastian's Renault engine expired while leading.

So can anyone else lead a lap in Korea this weekend? Noone apart from Vettel and Alonso has finished in the top two since we resumed racing after the Summer break, but the most likely contenders are the usual challengers...the Mercs & Kimi Raikkonen. Mercedes would probably have ended up ahead of Alonso in Singapore, had it not been for an untimely safety car, but their record in Korea is not as sterling as it is at other tracks. 9th and 10th is all they could muster during last season's race, and it will take an almighty effort from Mercedes to even threaten Vettel now, even on single lap pace.

Lotus looked far happier with 'normal' downforce levels in Singapore, and while Raikkonen isn't likely to suffer from back pain in qualifying this time out, they don't look like the team to usurp Vettel or Alonso from the top positions. They are still too reliant on the conservative one trick pony that is 'make a stop less than our rivals'. While effective in terms of safe and solid points finishes, wins look out of reach.

The same can be said for Mark Webber. Even if Sebastian Vettel was to sit at home by his lake in Switzerland this weekend, Mark Webber still doesn't appear to be hooked up enough in 2013 to guide his Red Bull to a victory. The 2010 race here in Korea is arguably the reason why Mark wasn't champion that season, and the Australian looks to have never recovered from the effects of that race. While most fans would dearly love to see the popular Aussie sign off his F1 career with a win, it doesn't really look feasible right now.

A typhoon is threatening the Korean circuit this weekend, although there is still only a 40% chance it may hit the track on Sunday. A typhoon would almost certainly mean a delayed race or even a cancellation, as the medical helicopter can't fly in such conditions, as well as the effects on track conditions. A wet race may mean more chance of a fluke result or a crazy race, but for the sake of having a race at all, let's hope for dry conditions.

Prediction: 1. Vettel 2. Alonso 3. Webber.