I agree, as to having mixed feelings about Vettel's triumph. Not that he isn't a worthy champion, which he is and Congratulations! But, while the others were trying to win it, challenge or vie for it, Vettel focused on being fastest. An odd concept in this day and age of F1 that fittingly also allowed him to snatch away the victory that everyone else was trying to win and in the confusion, take the title.

Unlike 2009, when all had been decided and Abu Dhabi was like a fun end of term meet, this year with the pressure on, Abu fizzled... Spectacularly underwhelming.

So like last year then, the title was really clinched in Brasilia. Afterall, Webber crashing out in Korea essentially put him back never to recover and with Seb storming to victory in Sao Paulo, it's surprising more people didn't see it coming.

We F1QA pollsters certainly didn't, with Vettel in 4th place, Hamilton 3rd, and Alonso and Webber in a even-stevens lead. Most others thought similarly... 

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Then was it a perception that Vettel's misfortunes seemed more harmful to his hopes than the others did? Was he 'too' young, inexperienced, not ready, etc.

Or, did the media position the Webber, Alonso, Hamilton and for a while Button, fight as a more interesting circulation foddering and away from the quieter and, now clearly, more methodical approach of Seb Vettel to be merely the fastest.

Well, those in the know, don't call him 'baby-schu' just because he's also German. The so-called 'boy in a hurry' has been refining his methodology for some time now.

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Those in the know at F1QA, have been calling him 'the future' for some time now too. Being lucky enough to watch him devastate the field at a soggy Monza in 2008, I could not disagree with them, yet even his 1st win was phantom-like and surreal.

Unlike when Raikkonen pipped Alonso and Hamilton to the title in 2007, many that year were supporting Kimi while the McLaren duo ruined each others chances. With Kimi triumphing all seemed satisfactory and logically conclusive in the best outcome.

In 2008, when Hamilton barely crossed the line in 5th place to squeak the title away from Felipe Massa, everyone just said "That's racing!". Button in 2009, and Brawn, they had the better car early on, exploiting the diffuser and "that's racing." Tellingly now, Jenson had been one of the first of the 20 year-old wunderkinds in F1 and ten years later there he was, with his happy Dad, a British World Champion.  

Though Seb Vettel 2010 World Champion, still, a bit surreal and phantom-like. In this day of over-engineered competition, cars that can't follow each others and circuits where you can't pass, Sebastian thows a wrench into the algorithms. An other-wordly presence like Senna had, Prost, and for while Schumacher as well, although the majority of his victories were against lesser mechanical challengers.

Yet, for a spell, especially the years he lost to Hakkinen, Schumacher was right there, honing his craft before unleashing those remarkable victory seasons at Ferrari. Again, by systematically engineering and perfecting the concept of being fastest. Forget racing, that rarely happens in today's F1. It is now a test of pace.

Even in 2010, with re-fueling banned, drivers usually pass more with a pit-stop then on the track. Abu Dhabi being a rare exception (with no passing at all), for Alonso and Webber, although they were nowhere against Vettel on the day, anyway.

All year Vettel was criticized for his race-craft and technique, and for perhaps being a touch wilder than the rest. Well, it now seems, he is touch faster than all the rest too and the criticism was more a case of sour apples than anything to the contrary.

So, congratulations to Red Bull, for being Constructors Champions without being automobile constructors and for grooming a racer who only wants to be the fastest, and to sticking to their plan, through thick and thin, while the others lost the plot.

'The future' looks optimistically bright and someday all of this will make more sense beyond "the kid's got wings!" For the time being, take time to enjoy the change. Looking forward to an equally exciting and interesting 2011 F1 World Championship.