Sebastian Vettel's dominant 2013 season may well be remembered as his best

5f7d02fc-APTOPIX Mideast Emirates F1 GP Auto Racing

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany holds up the trophy on the podium after winning the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. World champion Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in dominant fashion Sunday to clinch a seventh straight victory and 11th of a dominating season. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) (The Associated Press)

f9da410f-APTOPIX Mideast Emirates F1 GP Auto Racing

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany crosses the finish line to win the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) (The Associated Press)

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – When Sebastian Vettel eventually retires from Formula One, this season may be remembered as his best.

Next year's championship figures to be a more level playing field as teams and drivers get to grips with new, less powerful engines, and the impending regulation changes could somewhat negate Red Bull's current superiority.

Vettel won Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with ease, and the German can set a season record with an eighth straight win at the United States GP. If he then wins the season-ending Brazilian GP, he would equal Michael Schumacher's record of 13 wins in a season.

The 26-year-old Vettel is eyeing the career record of nine consecutive wins, achieved by Italian driver Alberto Ascari over the 1952-53 seasons.