The serenity of a Victorian autumn day, beside the lake and in the park, was destroyed by the raucous brilliance of Sebastian Vettel and it was not just the black swans who were ducking for cover.
When he is grinning, particularly beneath one of his beanie hats, the precocious German world champion does a passable impersonation of a simpleton to add to this amateur mimic's considerable collection. But his greatest attribute, apart from raw pace, which is outstanding, is intelligence. Last season it was subverted, on occasions such as Turkey, by an impetuousness, a lack of judgment, that caused some to question his potential as a champion driver.
However, the intelligence shone like a beacon at the end of last season and it was bright enough here as he opened his defence of his title with a drive that caught the breath. His quick mind was never going to be unduly troubled by this season's excessive demands, the introduction of the drag reduction overtaking system (DRS), the reintroduction of Kers, the new tyres and much else.
He hardly used DRS and did not use Kers at all – another worry for the other teams because that will be another half-second at his disposal. He blew the opposition away. And though Red Bull boast the best car in the race game, another was driven by Mark Webber, the local celebrity who knows the track better than anyone but who looked a struggling figure in comparison and limped home in fifth place. Having qualified on pole, almost 0.8sec ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Vettel's stroll in the park led him to the chequered flag more than 20 seconds ahead of the McLaren driver.
Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, said: "Seb has been in unbelievable form all weekend. He drove an excellent race in what was a voyage into the unknown because no one knew how the tyres would react.
"We got the strategy just right. The crucial stage was after the first stop when Sebastian emerged behind Jenson [Button] who was on a drive-through penalty and, tactically, if they could have held up Sebastian it would have put him behind Lewis after the stop. He made a fair and fast move and that was decisive for the rest of the race and then it was just a case of controlling. We got away with a two-stop."
This was Vettel's 11th victory in 63 races and none has been more decisive, delivered with a hauteur which would have impressed the driver he idolised, Michael Schumacher. For the first time all week the sun came out and Red Bull could be seen in all their vivid colours. For a year and a half no one has been able to lay a racing glove on them. If Vettel's car is more reliable this year, and his temperament more serene, it will be very difficult for anyone else.
How Formula One, its very soul, craves for competition. This season was rigged, technically, to produce more exciting racing – too much so, in the opinion of many. But even Hamilton, for all his aggressive competitiveness, could not keep up with Vettel. A footballer once observed that Ossie Ardiles was such an elusively accomplished player that challenging him was like tackling dust. Trying to pass Vettel is like trying to overtake exhaust fumes or nail a shadow.
Horner said: "It was an immaculate race from Sebastian. He was inch perfect. He drove with great control and showed huge maturity in the way he controlled his pace at the front. He has won three races in a row and bookended the seasons. His confidence is very, very high. We came here confident that we had done our homework and preparation and in better shape than any other season.
"Qualifying was a surprise to us – the pace difference – particularly as we decided on Friday not to run Kers. We will run Kers in Malaysia. It was a very marginal decision not to run it here. In Malaysia there is a long run to the first turn and we are keen to get it on the car there."
However, the best performance may have come from Vitaly Petrov, who became the first Russian to reach the podium.
Fernando Alonso, who started in fifth, slid back to ninth on the first corner and Button, fourth on the grid, may also have got the vivid impression he had accidentally engaged reverse gear as the cars flashed by him. Button, though, for all the disappointments of his drive, had the most compelling tussle of the afternoon, with Felipe Massa.
A brooding Alonso finished fourth.
It was a miserable afternoon for Mercedes, whose two drivers, Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, were forced out following collisions. Williams suffered, too. But so did everyone beside Red Bull.
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