Film Review: Skyfall

Bond visits sunny Scotland

"Everyone needs a hobby...". 
"So what's yours?" 
"Resurrection"

Proving that you can indeed teach an old dog new tricks, Skyfall resurrects everyone's favourite MI6 agent for another round of classic Bond action, with what could possibly be the best entry into the series since Goldeneye. 

Lurking in the shadows

Set later on in Bond's career than the events from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, Skyfall is a standalone and self-contained narrative. The focus of Daniel Craig's third Bond outing is that of his relationship with Judi Dench's M and a sinister character from her past that threatens to tear MI6 itself apart.

First off, let's start look at the leads themselves. With the focus very much on Bond and M, Craig and Dench take centre-stage in Skyfall.

Since first appearing on our screens as James Bond in 2006's Casino Royale, Daniel Craig has become something of a household name. He is James Bond, he lives as that character now; for him, it must feel inescapable. For one man, the pressure at times must feel immense, taking on a role as iconic as Sherlock Holmes or Doctor Who.

If he does feel said pressure at all, he never lets it show, both on and off the screen. From start to finish, Craig oozes 007; he is smooth, suave and sexy (ahem), as well as being rough and brawny when needed. The films opening half where Bond is weakened and vulnerable shows off Craig's range and does well to add depth to a character that often parodied himself in earlier decades. Craig's Bond is most definitely one that fits in with today's world, there isn't a single safari suit, autogyro or crocodile disguise in sight.

Meanwhile, it's great to see Judi Dench step forward for a starring role in this entry. Usually confined to 'being back at base', M is given a greater chance to develop into more of a three-dimensional character in Skyfall. Her history with Javier Bardem's Silva is a driving narrative point and also highlights the relationship that her and Bond have developed together. Also, it is great to see the writer's willing to move these characters along in a way that was never really worked on in earlier films, the Pierce Brosnan era for example.

"007. I'm your new Quartermaster"
"You must be joking"

Speaking of moving things along and without giving too much away, there are plenty of new additions to the cast that bode well for the franchise's long term ambitions. Naomi Harris is introduced as field agent Eve as well as Ben Whishaw, who is introduced as Bond's new Quartermaster Q.

Both are great additions to the Bond universe and they aren't just there to make up the numbers. They drive along the story and, in Whishaw's case, make for some brilliantly witty banter upon first encounter. Added with Ralph Fiennes' Mallory (whom I won't discuss for fear of giving too much away), it is great to see a franchise that is going that extra stretch to establish its own longevity.

Berenice Marlohe role as slinky Bond girl is underplayed, possibly on purpose. Unfortunately for her, M is the real Bond girl here and her character, Severine, is quickly made superfluous.

Javier Bardem's vengeful, mentally unstable and slightly homoerotic Silva makes a big enough impression to rank alongside classic villains such as Goldfinger, Blofeld and Le Chiffre; his vendetta against M and all of MI6 giving the film a great personal feel. His past blight at the hand's of MI6 also adds a touch of doubt; not enough for the audience to side with him, but enough to blur any usual good/bad distinction cinema so readily creates.

Visually, Skyfall is also a strikingly beautiful Bond film; making use of some epic locations, first-time Bond director Sam Mendes contrasts vibrant dashes of colour with visits to an Istanbul market and a Macau casion to the deep, dark shadows of an old manor in Scotland. Mendes also shows that he can handle a Bond style action set piece, the opening car/bike/train chase getting pulses racing form the get-go.

"We are the two rats left. We can either eat each
other. Or eat everyone else"

Skyfall then, is a film completely in comfort with its own conventions. It revels in adding little winks to previous adventures and trotting out the the icons of the franchise; the Aston Martin DB5, the Walther PPK and so on. It successfully manages to be a fitting celebration of 50 years of Bond and not get bogged down in cramming in as many knowing winks as possible; remember how Die Another Day went all bonkers with being the 20th film?

 Overall, Skyfall is not just an excellent Bond film, but an excellent film fullstop. It is a action-adventure that mixes explosions and bullets with heart and tears (yes, there will be tears). It is quite possibly Craig's best yet  (nipping past Casino Royale, but only just) and most importantly ticks all the relevant boxes of what to expect from the new Bond series. James Bond will, as ever, return.

I give Skyfall: 9/10

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Rank The Films #1: Harry Potter

Lists, as I may have mentioned once or twice on the here blog are pretty nifty; straight-up, simple and so on. I like list. As because of this, lists form the basis for a new feature here on feeling fuzzier where I attempt to pull apart the pros and cons of a series of films and such. First off, the mega, the magical, the childhood defining (for me anyway) Harry Potter franchise.

8th - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in
Goblet of Fire

Alright, let's start off with the easy stuff. Let's face it everyone, Goblet of Fire was more like a Goblet of Crap. Whilst director Mike Newell did well to veer the series towards the darker tone that would become commonplace by the end of the franchise, Goblet didn't capture the magical wonderment of the books in the same way that the earlier films had. Many of the books stand out pieces (the Quidditch World Cup/the aftermath of the Death Eater attack) were skated over and so was the explanation surrounding Priori Incantatum and the final confrontation between Harry and Voldermort. On the whole, it felt rushed and ultimately lost me rather than grabbed me.

Also, don't even get me started on Ron's haircut. Seriously, I don't remember Goblet being set in 1984?

7th - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

2004's Prisoner of Azkaban

This ones a tricky one; personally, Azkaban is one of my favourite books. The introduction of Sirius, Lupin (two of the best characters) as well as the clever plotting in the final third are simply brilliant. In the film, it feels as though most of that is brushed aside. Whilst the time travel element works better on screen, the key plot points surrounding the history of Sirius, Lupin, Pettrigrew and Harry's Parents aren't given the necessary gravitas. For someone who was unfamilar with the source text, the end exposition is severely lacking.

By this point, the cast are starting to settle into their roles and improve on their acting however which is something that weighs in Azkaban's favour.

Yes, I know that Azkaban is one of the highest acclaimed critically. But no-one said that this list was based on fact, simply personal opinion.

6th - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

Dumbledore's Army

In my mind, Order of the Phoenix suffers from the same mish-mash plotting as Goblet of Fire; it felt like many of the aspects of the books were overly rushed. Whilst this can be expected when adapting a 900 word novel into a two and a half hour film, the way in which many of the key scenes surrounding Dumbledore's Army were reduced to a montage kind of hurt. Also, no Quidditch! No Weasley is our King! 

The film did do a great job of making Harry not seem like such a whiner like the book did however. And that's a plus. The ending is also a corker, the death of Sirius resonating well through the characters in this instalment and then next. 

5th - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One

Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Harry and Hermione pause and reflect

Deathly Hallows Part One was never going to be the best of the franchise; it never had a proper ending and many critics said that there was all too much camping and teenage angst. 

On the contrary I argue; after the whirlwind fourth, fifth and sixth entry's, the series needed a breather. Deathly Hallows serves as a pause; a deep breath in before the plunge that is the final film. It didn't have a storyline that raced by at the speed of light and that's a big bonus. It added extra time for characterisation between the lead trio, something that had previously not been a top priority. It focused more on how the trio had changed and interacted with one another rather than squeezing in as many plot points as possible. 

4th - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

The Forbidden Forest

The first entry into what would become one the biggest franchise's of all time can also be counted as one of the best. Director Christopher Columbus' imagining of Hogwarts, the characters and every in the magical world laid the groundwork for what was to follow.

In my mind, the first two films best reflect what the books convey. They look and feel magical, the colours are bright and warm, the score is swooping and ethereal. It has laughs and crucially it had tears; try and watch Harry's scenes in front of the Mirror of Erised without having your heart strings tugged at.

The actors may not have yet grown into their roles; each of the trio is slightly wooden and inexperienced but, as always, this is offset by the stellar supporting cast of Richard Harris, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman. 

3rd - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Michael Gambon in Half Blood Prince

In my mind, Half Blood Prince managed to what the previous three entries had kind of failed to do; that is, combine equally style and substance. Visually, the sixth film looks striking; Hogwarts casts a bleak and sombre silhouette that contrasts with the early films. On the other hand, the script also manages to find a great rhythm, bringing both action, drama, love and laughs to the table. 

The ending falls a little flat, the shock factor dulled by the fact that everyone pretty much knew how it was going to play out and by the fact that there is no final battle between the Death Eaters and the Order like in the book. Also, don't get me started on casting Jim Broadbent as Slughorn. Seriously, he ain't Slughorn. 

Nevertheless, Prince works well as an adaptation of what is my favourite of the books. The growing relationships between Harry, Ginny, Ron and Herminone are done really well, playing out more like a teen film than a fantasy one at times. 

2nd - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two 

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Harry facing off with Snape in Deathly Hallows
Part Two

The final film in the franchise holds the advantage of having something really important in its arsenal; payoff. Sweet, sweet payoff. After seven films and many hours of magic, Deathly Hallows Part Two has the final clincher, wrapping it all up and bidding farewell to our heroes. Most important though, it does this really well, with the story coming to satisfying and complete conclusion. 

The final battle within the walls of Hogwarts looks visually stunning and is also paced well. The action doesn't feel drawn out or rushed, something that plagued the middle films.

1st - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Chamber of Secrets then, is in my mind the most complete and fully fleshed Harry Potter movie; it stays loyal to the book, the supporting cast is still top notch, the new casting is spot on (Branagh as Lockhart, genius!), the tone is consistent with the first and it manages to hold the attention of fans and newcomers alike. 

The Writing on the Wall

Whilst the later films are lauded as having the overall darker tone, Secrets is by no means a slouch in this department. Killer willows, killer spiders and yes, an ancient killer giant serpent (oops, spoiler alert) roaming the halls of a school isn't exactly Saturday morning television. 

It has the welcome addition of the oh so huggable Dobby and it also benefits from the introduction of Jason Isaacs as the scenery chewing Lucius Malfoy. We catch our first proper glimpse of the full Weasley clan with Bonnie Wright bringing up the rear as Ginny, a future key character of course. As the longest film, it takes it time to provide the details and not glimpse over those that the fans love. 

All in all, Secrets works best as an adaptation of the book because it looks, sounds and most importantly feels the closest to the magical world depicted in the book.

So there we have then, my take on the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the Harry Potter films. Let me know what you think below - some good calls or way off the mark? Which order would you rank them in? Let me know and thank you. 

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Formula 1: United States GP Overview

Lewis Hamilton crosses the line first at COTA.

Lewis Hamilton gave it his all and drove a determined race at the brand new Circuit of the Americas to snatch victory from Sebastian Vettel after a tense race-long stand-off for the lead. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso and Ferrari pushed the limits of what is considered sporting in order to ensure the title fight goes down to the wire in Brazil in seven days time. 

Champagne and Stetsons: Lewis Hamilton
on the podium

It has been five years since F1 last visited America; the 2007 GP was won by none other than young gun Lewis Hamilton in only his eighth F1 race. For this reason then, it seems extremely apt that it be an older and racier Lewis Hamilton who won last night at the impressive COTA.

Starting from second position, Lewis didn't get the best of starts, dropping behind Mark Webber into the steep turn one. Behind him, the pack kept it relatively clean with everyone making it through the first bend cleanly. Lewis wasn't alone in dropping back at the start; practically everyone who started on the dirty side of the grid lost places due to lack of traction and grip.

By lap 4, Lewis dived past Mark Webber and set off in pursuit of Sebastian Vettel. Unlike so many times before, Seb hadn't managed to streak away at the start, the gap between him and Lewis between 2 and 3 seconds. By lap 15, this gap was reduced to a few car lengths, the tension racking up lap after lap as the two champions traded fastest sector times and laps. It was a showdown befitting of the Western setting; two lone gunslingers trying to outwit and out-gun the other.

Michael Schumacher's penultimate F1 race was
unspectacular to say the least.

Lewis finally found his way past Sebastian on lap 42 after the German fell afoul of a dawdling HRT. From there, the Briton kept the German at arms length, the duo finally crossing the finish line with less than a second between them. They had been in a class of their own all afternoon, eventual third place finisher Fernando Alonso lagging behind by over half a minute.

Felipe Massa had a hugely positive afternoon after starting 11th (more on this later) to finish 4th. Likewise, Jenson Button did well to bring home his McLaren 5th after starting a lowly 12th. It was another good race for Lotus, Raikkonen and Grosjean finishing 6th and 7th. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg, Maldonado and Senna endured some on track scuffles to round off the points paying places with 8th, 9th and 10th respectively. Mark Webber's afternoon ended early, an alternator failure on his Red Bull dropping him out of the race. This didn't hinder his team from sealing their third successive Constructors' crown however, the Austrian outfit now only the

One of the most notable conclusions from COTA was Mercedes GP's continued slide into obscurity. The team have now failed to rack up any points since Singapore, a disastrous run of form for the manufacturer. Trailing home in 13th and 16th, Rosberg and Schumacher's afternoon was disastrous  It may be a while off, but this is the team Hamilton is entering next season; will his win today be tinged with an ounce of regret? Or are Mercedes just going through the motions and focusing on next season?

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen race into
Turn One

For Alonso, it was a relaxed afternoon after what had been a fairly contentious start. Ferrari made the bold decision to tamper with Felipe Massa's gearbox, thus dropping him back five places on the grid with a penalty. This subsequently promoted Alonso to seventh, and most importantly the clean side of the grid. He used his advantage to great effect, making up three places on the opening lap.

Many may argue that Ferrari's decision was un-sporting and not in poor taste. Perhaps, but remember that Formula One is a team sport and the team must come first. Alonso is Ferrari's only chance to taste glory this year and thus they must improve his chances however they can. You can be absolutely sure that if Red Bull and McLaren had been in the same situation, they would have done exactly the same thing. As it stands, the move allowed Fernando to mitigate the damage Vettel inflicted in the title standings, the gap between them 13 points before Brazil next weekend.

On the whole, it had been a hugely impressive debut for COTA with no-one anticipating such a closely contested and tense race. The title challenge carries onto towards Interlagos, Brazil, the scene of many dramatic deciders in the past. Vettel, armed with a 13 point advantage will be out to lead from the front, whilst Alonso will need to employ more guerilla tactics and jump at every opportunity to clinch victory from the jaws of defeat. Without a doubt, it'll be an appropriately close finale to such a dramatic season.

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Film Review: Argo

Bryan Cranston and Ben Affleck in Argo

Ben Affleck's third directorial effort hits the nail on the head yet again; Argo is a well-acted, genuinely gripping and impressive film that lacks any real flaws or misgivings. Contender for Best Picture? Quite possibly.

Set in a Revolutionary 1970's Iran, Argo tells the story of 6 American's fleeing from certain death at the hands of an Iranian public baying for their blood. Cut off from the outside world and camping out in the Canadian Ambassador's house, escape from Iran seems impossible. Step in then Ben Affleck and 'Argo'; a zany scheme that sees CIA agents buddy up with Hollywood producers to create the ultimate cover story. Tasked with making a fake movie to cover their escape and provide alibis for the fleeing American refugees, the CIA need to pull the fastest 'fast one' in the history of the agency.

Escape from Tehran: Affleck as CIA agent Tony Mendez

For me, Argo was a real breath of fresh air. It could have been handled very differently, swapping tension for action. Instead, it sets out to prove to those in audience that a film doesn't have to rely upon pyrotechnics and CGI explosions for entertainment. The pacing of the film is probably what best aids to this immense amount of tension; the audience are not catapulted from one action set-piece to another, thrown back in their seats by explosions so vast that they're beyond belief. Instead, layer upon layer of drama, of detail and of atmosphere is laid atop one another in order to create an almost paralysing finale that keeps the audience holding their breath until the very end.

It also doesn't hurt that almost every part in the film is acted and written very well. Taking centre stage is Affleck himself, playing CIA ex filtration expert Tony Mendez. Usually the Hollywood equivalent of Marmite (you either love him or you hate him), here Affleck is relatively under-stated and subdued; he doesn't overact it and this works in his favour.

Likewise, the entire supporting cast are well-cast, written and acted. Alan Arkin and John Goodman provide welcome comic-relief as Hollywood hot-shots Lester Siegel and John Chambers, whilst Bryan Cranston is fantastic as CIA executive Jack O'Donnell. The former in particular are great additions; for all the sweaty-palm inducing interrogation scenes, Argo has rib-tickling one-liners from Siegel and Chambers that are a side nod to the workings of the movie industry; after all, if they're going to make a fake movie, they're going to make a fake hit.

The biggest plus-point with Argo however is the fact that it is based on a true story. The absurdity and implausibility of such a crazy scheme was completely offset by the fact that this actually happened. The CIA really did commission a screenplay, hire a director, hire a producer, hold a 'read through', fly into Iran and attempt to sneak out a band of refugees under the guise of being a film crew. As a result of this, Argo feels like a rose-tinted throwback to the 70's and the atmosphere of the Cold War.

Argo then is a brilliant mixture of Cold-War suspense and introspective cinema satire. With brilliant acting from the entire cast and nail-biting suspense, Argo is testament to the adage that less is very often more.

I give Argo: 9/10

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Formula 1: Abu Dhabi GP Overview

Kimi Raikkonen clinches victory at Yas Marina

Abu Dhabi served up a classic race from start to finish, a true race of Champions that mixed together helpings of action, drama and suspense; Hamilton, Raikkonen, Alonso, Vettel and Button all had a part to play in shaping a race that'll most likely be seen as the best race of 2012. 

Chaos at the start as both Force India's and
Bruno Senna clash

Leading from the outset, McLaren's Lewis Hamilton looked to have his second consecutive Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the bag. A string of quick laps from the Briton gave him a sizeable lead over second placed Raikkonen, who inherited the lead when Lewis' McLaren ground to a halt just as it had in Singapore.

From there, Kimi controlled the race to clinch his 19th career victory, his first since his comeback and Enstone's first since the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix. It was long overdue for the popular Finn and Kimi reacted in his traditional nonchalant nature.

Kimi's win however was not the main talking point of the afternoon; it was Vettel's storming drive from last to 3rd that was the talk of the town.
After being disqualified from qualifying, Vettel drove like a champ to work his way through the field.

Vettel hounds Button for 3rd in the closing laps

While there is no doubt that he benefited greatly from the misfortune of others, Sebastian pulled off some brilliant moves on his rivals to make it onto the podium. It wasn't plain sailing all the way however; a tangle with Bruno Senna's Williams and a barrier behind the safety car put Seb in the pits and on the back-foot for a front wing change.

From there, Seb made the most of others tripping over each other (Grosjean, Perez, Webber, Massa) to mitigate his teams blunder on Saturday. As a result, Vettel lost a mere three points to rival Fernando Alonso, a major coup given the stark outlook after qualifying.

For Fernando, it was another strong performance from the grittiest and most determined man in Formula 1. From sixth on the grid, Alonso passed Button, Webber and Maldonado to work his way up to third prior to Hamilton's retirement. It once again proved the Spaniard's ability to extract more than the maximum from sub-par equipment, even if he did strike a dejected pose in parc ferme after the race.

It was heartbreaking end to the race for Lewis Hamilton; barely putting a foot wrong all weekend, Lewis was robbed of another dominating win through mechanical failure. Will he fare any better at Mercedes? Too soon to say, but reliability has been a detrimental factor in Lewis' season and has cost him a huge stack of points, as well as a shot at clinching bronze in the Drivers' Championship.

A dejected Fernando Alonso rues a
missed opportunity

Main players aside, it was a chaotic race for those in the mid-field. A first corner tangle involving both Force India's and Bruno Senna broke the Brazillian's front wing and put Nico Hulkenberg on the sidelines. A scary crash between a limping Karthikeyan and an out-of-place Nico Rosberg made the hair on your neck stand on end, but luckily, but drivers walked away unhurt.

Mid-race squabbles between Webber, Massa, Grosjean, di Resta and Perez kept the audience gripped and kept the stewards occupied throughout the race. Marussia's Charles Pic also retired with an engine failure.

Emerging from the chaos were Maldonado, Massa, Senna, di Resta and Ricciardo to finish 5th through to 10th.

With just two rounds to go, the two remaining contenders are separated by a mere ten points. Vettel, the favourite and Alonso, the underdog. Who'll come out on top?

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Voice of Reason #6: Hokey Halloween Costumes

This is what Halloween should be about

Sexy Finding Nemo. I shit you not.

Just putting it out there, I don't dislike Halloween. I don't know why or how the day came into being, and why it demands we celebrate everything downright spooky and kooky, but I certainly don't cross my arms, turn my back and huff "what a load of rubbish". But I do have one tick that I have to get off my chest and that's to do with a growing trend in fancy dress.

On the whole, Halloween is great. The colours, the candy and of course, the costumes all make Halloween a fun evening that is essentially harmless and overtly silly. My problem is not with the concept of fancy dress on the whole. Of course not, it's all good fun, it's silly and is great for breaking the ice at parties. You don't even have to have made the effort to be particularly scary or creepy; better to have variety that two dozen witches and vampires.

What the actual fuck is sexy about
Kermit the Frog?

All I'm saying is; please don't come to a Halloween party dressed as "sexy" SpongeBob Squarepants. There is nothing remotely Halloween-y about dressing up as a skanky version of a kid's TV or movie character.  There are some seriously horrendous costumes out there; I mean, "sexy Nemo" - Really? How is dressing up as a really slutty pre-pubescent fish got anything to do with Halloween?

The list doesn't end there; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Shrek, Avatar, the Lion King and, get this, the Care Bears are all genuine things that you can buy a "sexy" Halloween costume of.

I mean really, what is sexy about Kermit the Frog? Who was it who decided that dressing up as a version of Snow White that moonlights as a prostitute was a good thing? Whatever happened to Halloween being scary?

Which is why I'm calling for this trend in 'sexing up' Halloween to stop. Seriously girls, put down the knee length socks, the short skirts and the ridiculous cleavage; that ain't Halloween.

Pick up some rubber fangs, some fake blood and face paint. Grab some scissors and don a bedsheet with cut out eye-holes. Anything, so long as it doesn't resemble a Disney character that has been spliced with Fifty Shades of Grey.

If this Halloween your invited to a party, go as a vampire, a zombie or a witch. In the name of all that is good and holy, please do not go as 'sexy' Edward Scissorhands. So long as it ain't remotely sexy, it still counts as Halloween and not as S&M.

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Formula 1: Indian GP Overview

Vettel makes it four on the trot

Sebastian Vettel continued to steamroller his way to a third World Championship with his fifth win of the year in India. Fernando Alonso trailed home in 2nd to keep close to Seb in the Drivers' Championship, whilst Mark Webber completed the podium. 

After a tough start to the year, Vettel and Red Bull have dominated in the pivotal final third of the year; the young German ace has now led every single lap since Lewis Hamilton retired from the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix back in September.

Massa and Raikkonen follow each other home

Much like 2011, Vettel was untouchable all weekend in India. He started on pole, lead every lap and cruised home at a canter. His driving has been impeccable, the ideal blend of speed and control he perfected last season. It really does seem that the title is now his to lose; barring a cataclysmic reversal in fortune, it is hard to imagine Vettel leaving Interlagos, or even Austin as a triple World Champion.

The man best placed to deny him of this is Fernando Alonso. If the title was decided on sheer grit, determination and self-belief, Fernando would no doubt have this year wrapped up by now. He has been driving like a champ all year and you just know he won't give up until it's impossible. Unfortunately for him, Red Bull seem to have hit a vein of performance at the most crucial moment, their RB8 transforming itself into an absolute monster. It'll take some sheer heroics from Fernando to take it to the wire with Seb in the last three rounds.

Elsewhere in India, it was fairly processional from the off. Following home the podium finishers was Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button in 4th and 5th, Felipe Massa in 6th and Kimi Raikkonen in 7th. McLaren had high hopes of getting amongst the Red Bull's in the race but ultimately faded; since Singapore, each race has been big on talk, little on delivery for the Woking squad.

Behind them, Nico Hulkenberg notched up another solid drive to 8th, whilst Grosjean's race was surprisingly timid to finish 9th. The final points paying place went to Bruno Senna who pulled some great overtakes on his team-mate and Perez after starting 13th.

Nico Hulkenberg's impressive form continued

Mercedes barely featured, Rosberg trundling home 11th and Schumacher yet again ending his race on the sidelines, his eighth retirement of the year. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Ross Brawn has started to tick off the days on his calender until a certain British driver arrives on January 1st...

Further back still, the two Toro Rosso's came to grief throughout the race, both Ricciardo and Vergne innocent participants in incidents that resulted in another driver ending up with a puncture. Williams' Maldonado also suffered a puncture after Kamui Kobayashi sliced across the rear of his car mid-race.

At Caterham, Petrov outraced team-mate Kovalainen whilst Charles Pic did well to beat Timo Glock at Marussia.

Onward then to Abu Dhabi in a mere seven days, a track dominated by two drivers in its short F1 tenure; Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. We can expect those two to duke it out around Yas Marina with the rest of the pack in tow.

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