The Tail End
The back of the grid remains a tale of two teams without HRT for 2013, and Marussia and Caterham continued their battle to take whatever they could with the long view on the end of the season. After Bianchi and Chilton in their Marussia Cosworths out-qualified both Caterhams of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde, their race pace wasnt as clear-cut, and Pic was able to lead the battle of the two teams until the final stop when he fell back behind Bianchis Marussia and then had to manage tyres to the end of the race. Both teams however ran close to the Williams of Maldonado ahead in 14th at points and it provides a tantalising glimpse at their improvements in competitiveness if they could take a small developmental step forwards. Pic was also well involved in the final battle to the line between Raikkonen, Hamilton and Vettel as they tried to make their way past him whilst defending every inch of track. Whatever the circumstance, he certainly made himself a nuisance as they tried to get through, contributing to Hamiltons frustrations but also perhaps saving his third place at the same time, as when Vettel catapulted past him he ran wide across the back of Hamiltons Mercedes as he accelerated onto the back straight from a slightly unusual line after passing the Caterham. In clear air, perhaps Vettel might have been able to take third, but then perhaps Hamilton wouldve been able to hold a bigger gap.