Infiniti/Red Bull Take Third F1 Title in Three Years

In what was the final race of the 2013 F1 season, Sebastian Vettel overcame the weather, his crew and a first lap accident that dropped him back to last place.  Over the course of the 71 lap race Vettel would work his way up to 6th place where he would finish, grabbing just enough championship points to fend off the challenge of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.

Vettel has become the youngest three time F1 champion in history and brings Infiniti/Red Bull its third consecutive driver's and constructor's championship.

With F1 continuing to expand within the US with the US Grand Prix in Austin this year and an additional event in New Jersey coming in 2014 as well as a broadcasting deal with NBC and NBC Sports Channel F1 is poised to become a relevant sport in the US as it currently is around the rest of the world.  Infiniti could do well to maintain its support of the clear #1 team in the series for both exposure here and in emerging markets.

Only time will tell if F1 will become something worth covering on ESPN or in your local paper or if it will return (as it has in the past) to a third or fourth tier status like soccer.