Fernando Alonso & Sebastian Vettel : The Story Of Their Rivality in Formula One

Part 5 : 2014, Last Battle Between Them

A Season that all rules was changed. New engine V6 Hybrid Turbo was coming then a fully-charged MGU-H & MGU-K are used that season. New car design for each team that season was introduced. But it looked very ugly & wasn't a beautiful model of the car that all Formula One fans say. Such as a dildo nose in Toro Rosso & Caterham then Platypus nose on Lotus and many more. Don't forget to say a 100 kg fuel limited that will be used by all teams. But now we are focused to rivality between both drivers, Now in 2014 they had new teammates in their team. Daniel Ricciardo & Kimi Raikkonen were joined Red Bull & Ferrari respectively. The latter had made a comeback to a team that give him his first Formula One world champions & a constructor champions (due to McLaren's disqualifications from the 2007 constructor standings caused by espionage controversy). Both of them had replaced Sebastian's & Fernando's former teammate, Mark Webber & Felipe Massa who joined Porsche in FIA World Championship & Mercedes-powered, Williams Martini Racing respectively. Vettel & Alonso had been struggled to match the performance of now-dominant Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg & their team Red Bull & Ferrari couldn't match the good performance & developments of Mercedes. Before the season, Fernando Alonso's future was in contention. He had planned to rejoin McLaren who will used Honda as engine supplier starting from next season. But he rejected all the offers as he still had contract with Scuderia Ferrari until at least the end of 2014 season wtih optional to be extended for 2 years.

In pre-season test, Vettel complaining to his team about the lack of Renault engine that affected lost all chances to Mercedes who had quickest time in all pre-season test in Jerez & Bahrain respectively. Meanwhile Alonso & his team are looked very impressive during pre-season in both circuits, came close to matching the good-looking performance of Mercedes. Vettel are still furious during the pre-season after his car were lost ground from all Mercedes-powered includes a factory team. It has answered in the opening stages in Australia when he was retired from the race due to loss of power. Alonso meanwhile had finished 5th before being promoted to 4th after Daniel Ricciardo (Sebastian Vettel's new teammate) was disqualified from his first podium finishes due to reach maximum of his car's fuel flow. In Malaysia, Vettel performed well during the races, scored his first podium on the season by finishing 3rd behind both Mercedes (Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg), while Alonso are not far behind the German in 4th again. Bahrain saw both drivers are finished on points while Vettel & Alonso finished in 6th & 9th respectively. The latter had been outqualified by his teammate Kimi Raikkonen for the first time of the season. Fernando Alonso finally bring his Ferrari on the podium places in China collected 3rd place behind race winner, Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg while Sebastian Vettel limped home in 5th behind his teammate after being unlapped by a Japanese struggling Caterham driver, Kamui Kobayashi which caused him being furious about that. Next round in Spain saw both drivers finished the race on points once again & Vettel was being hit by 5 place grid penalty for gearbox changed before the stages. On Monaco, Fernando Alonso finished 1 positions behind podium places coming home in 4th, whilst Sebastian Vettel was out of contention due to power unit loss the same as he did in Australia. Canada saw Vettel finally got a podium finishes since Malaysia behind his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo who had won the race for the first time on his career & 2nd placed, Nico Rosberg. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso finished on 7th placed behind Nico Hulkenberg. On next stages in a returning series Austria, Sebastian Vettel was forced to retire from the race due to technical problem after being stopped on first lap because of same reasons and he later continue the race 1 lap behind competitors. Then, Fernando Alonso finished 5th behind his former teammate which had now driving for Williams, Felipe Massa (he got pole position for the first time since 2008 in this race). At Silverstone saw both drivers recorded points finishes as well as Germany. The former race was very critical while Sebastian Vettel was angrying about Fernando Alonso's driving style. Alonso later told to his team that he was on the correct racing line to hold Vettel. But Vettel later being furious to Alonso that he did not leave a space as did as Alonso do with Nico Rosberg in Bahrain 2 seasons ago. Later Alonso reported to his team that Vettel was reached the track limits. But Vettel had argued that Alonso want to making him a puncture & he can't do that action to the German. Hungary saw Fernando Alonso scored his second podium since China (and also his last podium to date before moved to McLaren starting from 2015). coming 2nd behind Daniel Ricciardo & he almost won the race before being overtaken by the Australian. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel finished in 7th place after spun on the start/finish line. Belgium was a memorable story between 2 drivers as both had being furious to McLaren rookie driver, Kevin Magnussen because the Dane do a dangerous driving which caused both of them & Magnussen's teammate, Jenson Button to avoid him. But Alonso had pushed off by the Dane twice which saw the Spaniard being furious and Vettel also being pushed by Magnussen too. Vettel later overtook the Dane to take 5th place while Alonso finished in 8th place. But he later promoted to 7th after Kevin Magnussen was being hit by 20 second time-penalty which saw him dropped to 12th 2 places behind top 10 finishers. For the first time of the season, Alonso was beaten by his teammate during the race because Kimi Raikkonen finished in 4th place on Belgium. Alonso suffered his first retirement from the race in Italy due to ERS problem while Vettel finished 1 position behind Daniel Ricciardo. Singapore saw both drivers almost stand together on podium places but Fernando Alonso was beaten by Red Bull improved driver, Daniel Ricciardo to 4th place. Japan was the race that had been marred by 2 incidents. Firstly the race was held on raining days due to Typhoon Phanfone before the race and then future Scuderia Ferrari & also Ferrari Driver Academy that driving for Ferrari powered-Marussia, Jules Bianchi suffered an fatal accident which saw his car being totally damaged after crashing with a crane that still removed the stricken Sauber of Adrian Sutil who had spun and retire from the race 1 lap before Bianchi's fatal accident (Jules Bianchi later died on 17th July 2015 due to his injury caused by this fatal accident). In that race, Sebastian Vettel scored his 4th podium on the season(and last podium with Red Bull before joining Ferrari in 2015 to replacing his title rival, Fernando Alonso who had joined McLaren on the same year) while Fernando Alonso once again suffered his second retirement from the race as well as Italy but this time it caused by Electronics problem. On last 4 race, both drivers had recored points finished which is Alonso finished ahead Vettel in 2 races while Vettel finished ahead of Alonso also in 2 races. After the 2014 season, it was a done deal that Sebastian Vettel had moved to Ferrari starting from 2015, signed a 3 year contract with the Maranello based. Meanwhile, after his place on Ferrari was filled by the German, Fernando Alonso rejoin the McLaren, the team that he raced in 2007 and then he was partnered with 2009 world champion, Jenson Button & left the current driver, Kevin Magnussen was demoted to being test & reserved driver from the team. The team had announced that they would ending their 19 year partnership with Mercedes-Benz as engine supplier in order to make a big reunion with Honda as engine supplier starting from 2015 until further years.

2014 was a difficult season from Sebastian Vettel & Fernando Alonso as they was unable to win a race that season, Their car wasn't a good car to match the performances of Mercedes W05 driven by then world champions, Lewis Hamilton & his teammate, Nico Rosberg. But they had good contribution that season, scored a total of 6 podiums between them while Sebastian Vettel scored 4 podiums in Malaysia, Canada, Singapore & Japan races and Fernando Alonso scored 2 podiums in China & Hungary races. Their teammate was a different performances while Daniel Ricciardo scored a total of 8 podiums including his first 3 wins in Canada, Hungary & Belgium races. Ricciardo originally scored his first podium in his home race but later he was disqualified after his team suffered an technical infringement. Meanwhile Alonso's teammate, Kimi Raikkonen did not scored any podium on 19 races since rejoin Ferrari at the early of the season. His best finish during the season was 4th in Belgium & for the first time beating Fernando Alonso on the season. Ricciardo & Raikkonen later placed on 3rd & 12th with 238 & 55 points in drivers standings respectively. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel & Fernando Alonso found themself on 5th & 6th place in drivers standings with margin 6 points between them. Vettel scored 167 points with Alonso's 161 points, respectively. Their team were finished on different positions in 2014 Constructor Standings. Red Bull finished behind teams champion, Mercedes with 405 points while Ferrari was 4th behind resurgant teams, Williams with 216 points respectively.