Formula One 1, Greenpeace 0

The latter emphatically won the Belgian Grand Prix at the majestic Spa-Francorchamps circuit on Sunday in front of global television. The former claims to having disrupted proceedings on social media platforms such as Twitter.

While Vettel’s Red Bull team raced to its fifth victory of the season, the protesters failed to gain a single second of television air time despite the 90-minute race being broadcast to over 200 countries. In the process of organising the protest its head clown – Durban-born activist Kumi Naidoo –overlooked a crucial factor.

Formula 1’s worldwide global feed is controlled by Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula One Communications operation, which not only generates all footage but employs producers whose eagle eyes miss nothing with fingers constantly poised on ‘cut’ or ‘switch’ buttons.

Would Bernie permit Greenpeace logos to appear on screens rather than those of race title sponsor Shell, which paid an estimated R60m for branding rights? Of course not – which obviously failed to feature in Naidoo’s inept planning.

So much for his comments that he was a fan of Grand Prix racing when he was growing up. Yeah, right.

But lessons will have been learned by F1 which needs to be more vigilant, particularly about controlling of airspace around circuits. Activists flew in with microlights and security on grandstands and podiums needs to be beefed up.

Between Greenpeace’s weak attempts at publicising the plight of polar bears by unfurling banners before the start and podium proceedings – for which activists deservedly received resounding boos – Vettel drove a race which simply left his opponents reeling. He started from the front row beside pole man Lewis Hamilton and shadowed the Mercedes through Eau Rouge at full speed on the opening lap.

Vettel then stayed in Hamilton’s slipstream gathering speed as they headed up the straight to Kemmel. There it was a matter of jinking across and use KERS to complete the decisive move of the race.

Thereafter Vettel was not headed, pacing himself through two stops to perfection and having enough in hand lest it rained.Despite predictions of rain the race stayed dry but there was still almost 30 seconds covering the podium.

Fernando Alonso, who drove a relentless race from ninth on the grid after a scratchy qualifying in variable weather, finished second 16 seconds adrift of Vettel.

Alonso, back in second in the championship, admitted after the race he was unlikely to have improved even from pole.

“I think that even if I’d started from pole I would still have finished second, because Vettel was quicker,” the Spaniard said.

Having lost the lead on lap one Hamilton’s weekend was predictable – blistering pole, then drift backwards as the old Mercedes chestnut of degrading rear tyres came into play.

Fourth went to Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes with the team points from the race consolidating second place in the constructors championship behind Red Bull.

Fifth place taken by the Mark Webber in his last race at Spa before switching to sports car racing with Porsche in 2014. The 2012 Spa winner, Jenson Button, rounded out the top six in a race that saw F1 resoundingly trounce Greenpeace 1-0 without extra time.