With Brundle off to Sky we won't be seeing so much of Vettel on the grid next year. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

Unusually we were not treated to a classic for the finale at Interlagos. The much threatened rain never arrived and the race defied the odds to not see the safety car. It was reminiscent of much of last couple of months. With the title sewn up and the Pirelli tyres worked out, it has fizzled a bit. But, then, up against the electric start to the year, perhaps that isn’t so much of a surprise.

The races in the first half of the season were awe inspiring. Hundreds of pit stops, hundreds of overtaking moves. Some of the greatest races of all time in Monaco and Montreal. We saw Lewis Hamilton claim victory in the dying laps of the Chinese Grand Prix, even the usually tame Barcelona threw up some excitement.

Meanwhile, 2012 is nothing but potential. With blown diffusers being banned, at least one of Red Bull’s major advantages this year is being taken away. The top teams will find ways to get back a lot of the downforce but hopefully there won’t be such a gulf in speed at the front. The seats at the front are all taken but the midfield is in flux – will we ever see Rubens Barrichello turn an F1 wheel in anger again? Will Kimi Raikkonen make a return to Williams, or perhaps Renault? If he does it would place an unprecedented six world champions on the grid.

And Pirelli have pledged to be more radical still, bringing softer tyres and less spread out compounds. I don’t suppose I’ll get my wish for DRS to be abandoned over the winter but hopefully the circuits and the FIA will at least have learned from the more ridiculous implementations this year.

Unfortunately the elephant in the room is the hatchet deal over the TV coverage. Up to 10 of the races – depending on the fate of the Bahrain and US races – will be on live pay television exclusively for the first time in the UK. They will be seen by millions fewer people. The BBC have announced some details of their highlights packages, typically 90 or 120 minute programmes. Far eastern races – including the opener in Australia – will broadcast at 2pm, while delayed European race highlights will air at 5.30pm.

Troublingly there is no mention of North America, home to 2011′s best race, in Canada. This year live coverage finished after 10pm, normally it’s about 7pm. Will the BBC even show highlights the same day? We don’t know, but to get them on BBC One at a similar sort of interval, it’s impossible to see the show starting until after the news at about 10.15pm. Sounds delightful.

Will I be stumping up £363 to pay for a Sky subscription? No. I’ve better places to put my cash – including a possible trip to an actual race, investing something in the sport rather than Pay TV. It may well mean watching races in the pub or only on a delayed basis. It probably means no live timing, no interaction on Twitter.

Formula One could be in line for another great season in 2012 and people will try and follow it as best they can. But many of, possibly millions of relatively casual fans, will quit watching. It’s a shame.

Hamilton stormed into the sunset to win in Abu Dhabi. Credit: McLaren.com

The McLaren driver was gifted the lead on the second corner of the first lap after Vettel’s Red Bull appeared to suffer a rear wheel puncture with no warning, throwing the previously invincible RB7 towards the barriers.

And the 2008 world champion spent the rest of the afternoon in complete control. Hamilton dominated like we all know he can but in a manner which has so often been lacking this year. Getting the lead through a stroke of luck was one thing but there was also no sign of the errors we have seen in recent months. Maybe it was simply talking about his unhappiness this year, maybe it was simply the luck which reinspired Hamilton. Whatever: it was a great drive today.

His message on the radio after seizing victory underlined the return of the Hamilton of old. He sounded excited to be in his car for the first time in months – more so even than when he last won in Germany. He rushed to his team after getting out of his car. It’s good to see him happy in the sport again.

Also impressive was second place man Fernando Alonso. He kept Hamilton honest and, while he was never a threat to the Briton, there is little doubt that he outperformed his Ferrari. The Prancing Horse is by some distance the third fastest car and getting it on the podium at all has to be an achievement.

It was a poor day all around for the world champions. After retiring Vettel early on, Red Bull messed up Mark Webber’s first stop, costing him at least six seconds, and then ran an odd three stop strategy which forced the Australian into a final lap stop. Red Bull’s run couldn’t last forever.

Overall, it was not a thriller. Abu Dhabi is a spectacular cathedral to Formula One but the track itself is dull. Outside of the DRS zones it is almost impossible to overtake. And having two DRS zones close together highlighted the pointlessness of the system as too often we saw cars swap places twice on a single lap today.

I’ve complained about it before but I think it is clearer than ever DRS is an experiment which has not worked. It statistically has created more overtakes but so many them are soft, artificial events it removes the spectacle. Overtaking is difficult without the DRS but that’s OK if it is possible for the great drivers. We know the best drivers can make inspiring passes if they spot a gap – but DRS is making the whole field lazy.

We're back and vettel has fulfilled the inevitable. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

Since then, Sebastian Vettel has coasted to his second title, Lewis Hamilton’s year has got even worse and Fota looks like it is slipping gently towards reintroducing political troubles to the sport.

I suspect part of the reason Formula One has slipped off my radar is the season has, to my mind, fizzled out. We had such an explosive start, with sensational race following sensational race. Nobody knew what to do with the tyres and, even with Vettel ultimately winning almost everything, we saw some titanic performances. But the last truly scintillating moment I can recall was Mark Webber passing Fernando Alonso on the inside of Eau Rouge at Spa.

Maybe it’s because the entire pitlane is already looking at 2012. It’s shaping up to be special with, hopefully, the banning of the exhaust blown diffusers set to close up the field. McLaren are finishing the year strongly and if Jenson Button can claim another victory he can probably claim second place in the championship – a remarkable result given Red Bull’s dominance.

So, in half an hour or so we will race off into the twilight in Abu Dhabi. The chances of it being a classic aren’t good: it’s a spectacular place but a poor circuit. But it’s not the last of the season and hopefully Brazil in a couple of weeks will the sport explode off the scene.

Vettel will enjoy celebrating his second title as Formula One 2011 leaves Europe. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

The champion elect is 112 points clear at the top of the table and looked every inch the champion today. After losing the lead off the line, he pulled a magnificent move on Fernando Alonso before running and hiding. In the latter stages Vettel was more than 16 seconds clear and he coasted to the flag.

The highlight of the race was a gripping battle between Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher in the middle stages of the race. The seven time champion kept the young pretender at bay for lap after lap. Schumacher’s Mercedes had remarkable straight line speed and he frustrated Hamilton by driving the largest car on the track.

Schumacher will probably get a degree of criticism for some of his defensive driving, appearing to make more than one move in defence on a couple of occasions. But while it was strong, I think it was fair. Schumacher is driving as well as he has during the comeback and if the car was available, I think he would challenge for honours.

A big first corner accident, caused by Liuzzi’s HRT crashing through the field sideways at the first corner, opened a race with unusually high attrition. Just 15 cars from the 24 starters were classified – with Heikki Kovalaleinen claiming 13th for Team Lotus, helping Tony Fernandes’ team edge closer to securing tenth in the constructor’s championship.

Formula One 2011 leaves Europe with both titles effectively decided and the Red Bull as fast as ever. Vettel is almost unbeatable at the moment and could claim the title in two weeks time. We can only hope for some good races on the German’s victory tour of the final six Grand Prix.

Vettel is ready to disappoint the Tifosi in Monza. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

Red Bull had never qualified on the front row in Italy but the world champion elect put paid to that record. The German’s 1m 22.275s was a full half second quicker than the rest of the field.

Vettel was pushing hard for the whole session. Any suggestion he would coast to his second title is being comprehensively rejected. He has perhaps never looked faster.

Red Bull have fixed their low down force issues – such as they were – and Vettel could run and hide tomorrow. He heads Hamilton and Button who both abandoned their final runs when it was clear they did not have the pace. They’ll probably have the pace to hold station tomorrow but claiming the victory will be difficult.

Expect Vettel to be another step closer to his second championship by close of business tomorrow.

Vettel's second title is closer than ever. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

It was far from straightforward for Vettel. The Red Bull cars struggled with blistering front tyres and had to make their first stops very early after unsuccessfully requesting a tyre change on the grid. But a safety car, sparked by a big accident for Lewis Hamilton, allowed Vettel to reassert control and race to the flag.

Jenson Button had a fantastic race to drive from 13th to third, pulling off some superb moves to drive through the field. Getting the harder tyre out the way in the first phase of the race laid the foundations of his challenges.

And Michael Schumacher put in arguably the drive of the day to surge from dead last on the grid to an impressive 5th place, overtaking team mate Nico Rosberg in the closing stages. It was a fitting performance for the seven time champion’s 20 year anniversary in Formula One.

It was a good Spa race, unusually dry after the soaked Friday and Saturday. The DRS zone was far too long and cars were sailing last each other with little effort required.

But the opening 18 or so laps were action packed, underlining why this circuit is one of the best on the calendar. It underlines why the reports Spa could be set to alternate with a French Grand Prix are bad news. We should be at this track every year. It’s a magic place.

If Maldonado can't explain himself properly, he must be disqualified. Credit: Williams

The defending world champion has faced frankly bizzare questions this weekend after not winning in three races. And he answered them in emphatic style, posting a 1m 48.298s to beat Lewis Hamilton into second place by half a second in the dying moments of Q3.

It was an exciting session, with a drying track through much of it – but sprinkling of rain on and off as well. Hamilton posted a fine effort to take a front row spot from the Red Bull of Mark Webber, who had looked quick.

But it is for incidents surrounding Hamilton this session will be remembered. During Q2 the Briton muscled past the Williams of Pastor Maldonado. It was a tough move but seemed fair enough. But a second incident, as the chequered flag fell in the middle session, saw the Williams man apparently deliberately run into the side of the McLaren.

If Maldonado cannot come up with a persuasive argument this was somehow an accident, he frankly should be disqualified. It’s simply not acceptable and a strong signal should be sent.

In other areas, Jenson Button was left disappointed in the sister McLaren as yet again the Woking team made mistakes in a changeable qualifying. Button starts in 13th with a dry weather set up but he should be further up the field.

Bruno Senna turned in an impressive performance on debut for Renault. He finished in seventh, beating his team mate handily. I still find the decision to dump Heidfeld baffling but full credit to the Brazilian for making the most of his opportunity. I saw little to be impressed with in his HRT year but this was good.

Right down at the back Heikki Kovalainen again got the Team Lotus car into Q2, albeit helped by a bizarre accident which took out Michael Schumacher. If Lotus can keep him, the Finn is a great asset if they can get the car working better.

But it was a sad old story for the final cars. Neither HRT nor the Virgin of Jerome D’Ambrosio made the 107% cut. I imagine they will be allowed to race but they never looked close today. It’s disappointing.

The forecast is for a dry race which will make it a close one. Hamilton will be chomping at the bit and Vettel has no interest in a scrap at this stage of his championship charge. I’m picking the 2008 champion for the win, to be followed home by the two Red Bull cars.

UPDATE: The stewards have handed Maldonado a five place penalty and reprimanded Hamilton. Wrong decision in my eyes but we live and learn.

Even if Heidfeld can sue his way back, surely he couldn't work effectively with a team which fired him. Credit: Lotus Renault GP

There is no denying that the veteran German has had far from a glorious season. An early podium has been followed by poor qualifying on Saturdays and three DNFs on Sundays.

But for all that he is narrowly ahead of his much younger team mate Vitaly Petrov who, while looking better than in his rookie year, still looks for all the world like a pay driver.

And is there any serious reason to suggest Senna will do any better? Even given last year’s poor Hispania, he did little to shine. He’s turned just 25 laps on a Friday this season and Spa is not the place to arrive rusty. His name might make him a marketing dream but it would be sad to see both Renault seats filled on a cash basis.

Neither is Senna a long term replacement for Robert Kubica who, with the best will in the world, has to be unlikely to return from the horrific injuries he suffered on the eve of the season. Heidfeld may not be that man either but it’s an odd move to replace him now. Were I running Renault I’d have my sights on extracting Timo Glock from Virgin or Heikki Kovalainen from Team Lotus.

But all of that having been said, Heidfeld trying to sue his way back into the race seat is a sad move. He may not like the decision. Likely he will be owed a fair sum in damages for breach of contract. But in practice, does he think he’ll be able to perform in a team which has unsuccessfully tried to fire him?

Heidfeld has had a good but not great career. He never fulfilled his obvious potential and he will be reluctantly stuck with the record of most starts without a win. But it is now probably over for him and a day in court won’t change that.

Spa is a wonderful rollercoaster. Credit: Red Bull/Getty

Spa holds a special place for many Formula One fans. We almost always see a spectacular race on the old Belgian circuit and, even though it has arguably been neutered by modern aerodynamics, it still represents a rare challenge for the drivers.

It’s one of the tracks where the driver can make a difference. Fisichella’s second place for Force India in 2009 will live long in the memory.

The addition of complex weather almost always adds another element to the excitement too. It will rain at some point this weekend but nobody can predict when and what the impact will be.

And there seems plenty to look forward too in the 2011 vintage as Formula One comes back from the summer break. It’s been a curious season so far and it is worth pausing to take stock.

We’ve seen blistering races since lights out in Australia. There has been a feast of overtaking and a lot of close running at the front. And yet Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull find themselves with virtually insurmountable leads in both championships. It was an extraordinary run for the world champions in the first part of the season.

Red Bull had arguably been caught up in the past couple of races. Both McLaren and Ferrari are there or there abouts and in Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button there are three drivers who will likely take victories again this year.

Unfortunately that gifts Vettel a second title but we should see some amazing racing on the road to Brazil.

The weekend will be a special one for Michael Schumacher too. It is 20 years since he made his debut at this circuit. It’s been an incredible career and if the seven time champion ever deserved a result in his comeback it is here, this weekend.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility either: Mercedes have a limited package but this is a special track, with unique characteristics. Stranger things have happened.

For others there is work to do. It appears Bruno Senna is to be given a chance in the Renault, with reports suggesting he may be about to take Nick Heidfeld’s seat for the rest of the season. Renault have slipped backwards this year and Heidfeld has not offered the leadership the team needed in Robert Kubica’s absence. But I can’t see Senna doing it, nor team mate Vitaly Petrov.

And at the back, it is time Team Lotus begin to fulfill their potential. They may not score points this season but I’m hoping they bring a solid upgrade after the break. The team deserves to break out of the backmarking trio and they have not lived up to their hopes and expectations at the start of the season.

There are eight races to go and there are three winning cars on the grid. Time to fire up The Chain.