CHINA DAILY - Vettel deserves title

The podium after Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was only the third in the last 19 years comprising three world champions: the new one, Sebastian Vettel, and the most recent two - Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Of similar rarity but great significance was the presence of Helmut Marko, accepting the trophy for the winning constructor. It was Marko who encouraged Red Bull's Dietrich Mateschitz to fund the career development of young drivers who could become future Grand Prix stars. Vettel - just 23 years, 134 days old and the youngest to win the world drivers' title - is the product of that program.

Until the ninth lap of the 1972 French Grand Prix, it was Marko himself who looked like a future champion. Six weeks before he had set the lap record on the infamous 72-kilometer circuit of the Targa Florio. The previous year the Austrian had won the Le Mans 24 hours in one of the sport's most famous sports cars: the Martini-liveried Porsche 917K. But at Clermont-Ferrand - while in fifth place behind that year's champion-to-be Emerson Fittipaldi - a flint was thrown up, puncturing the visor of his helmet and leaving him blind in one eye.

With his own career wrecked, Marko turned to mentoring other Austrian drivers. In time he got to know another compatriot who had turned from selling toothpaste to marketing in Europe a tonic drink discovered in Thailand. With Red Bull providing development sponsorship in the lower formulae and owning two teams in F1 (RBR and Toro Rosso), it would only be a matter of time before a champion was created.

However, it seemed unlikely, going into the 19th and last race of this longest-ever season, that Vettel would lift the crown. He had been in contention all season but only actually took the lead of the points table after Sunday's race - a feat unmatched since James Hunt beat Niki Lauda to the title in 1976.

An unprecedented four drivers could have emerged as champion on Sunday. Leading Red Bull's other driver Mark Webber, Vettel and Hamilton in the points, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso looked the favorite. He received a paternal pat on the cheek from King Juan Carlos of Spain before the race but, when Webber pitted early for tires, Ferrari faced a tough decision. It chose to shadow the Australian and both rejoined behind Renault's Vitaly Petrov. The Russian proved uncharacteristically resilient to pressure and, bottled up in seventh place, Alonso's chances evaporated.

Whilst there's no shame for the other three, Vettel is the deserving champion. All had their fair share of luck, mechanical failures and moments of greatness. Overall - and on Sunday - Vettel was the best.