Alonso back on top at Silverstone

A new look Silverstone delivered a wet weekend but amongst the weather and the politics a sell out crowd was served up a brilliant grand prix on Sunday. And i was lucky enough to be there...

Friday was expected to be a bit of a wash out and so it proved to be, though it was quite changeable. At Noon i was sitting at Stowe bathed in sunshine. Before that was FP1. I headed towards the pit straight grandstands. Originally i was heading to the pit entry because i thought the top teams would be there but through a gap i spotted the Red Bull pitwall at the bottom of the pitlane. Most people were aiming for that end though! Eventually got in opposite the FIA garages at the final corner. At least the pitwall was lower at that end! It was a fun spot as the cars were really squirming through Club. A few cars ventured dangerously close to the astroturf and after 3 laps of power sliding Kamui Kobayashi lost it in spectacular fashion. As he got some air my view was blocked for a split second and i thought he was maybe going to roll! Thankfully he didn't but there was plenty of damage to the Sauber as seen in this picture taken by my Sister



Took up a seat at Becketts for FP2 and was really excited because i've heard lots of good things about this viewing area. Unfortunately it rained minutes before the start and i knew that with the first session also being wet and rain still possible for the rest of the weekend that the teams wouldn't want to use up too many tyres. Only 4 cars came out early on, including to my surprise Kobayashi in the repaired Sauber. Then it went very quiet for a long time and eventually i walked down to Copse as the wind was getting hard to handle! So it all fizzled out a bit and in terms of form there wasn't much to read into.

Returned back to the hotel to see Twitter dominated by exhaust rules discussion and disputes between engine suppliers. This would be an issue that would twist and turn all weekend. When i seen Christian Horner and Adrian Newey on the big screen during FP3 in the paddock i reckoned that something exhaust related had changed again! One line that Renault and Red Bull seemed to use a lot through the matter was that reliability would be an issue for them if the rules were changed. However i was talking to a friend with Lotus connections earlier in the week and he said something which at the time didn't mean much to me but which became more relevant as the saga unfolded. His words were that Renault were claiming reliability to be an issue but that this was just a ploy to try and stop the off throttle blowing being banned and hence stop a potential loss of performance

Qualifying was very entertaining as the conditions and circumstances meant everybody was under pressure through all 3 parts of the session and hence lots of laps from the cars. A slight anti climax as rain fell at the end of Q3. The cars came charging into Becketts as the rain fell so pretty dramatic but it meant the grid was set. Then there was some more rain post qualifying but nothing too severe so to see that they started the GP2 race under the safety car was shocking, a terrible and unnecessary decision.

Race morning and it was sunny and warm. It felt like a dry race was in prospect but an hour before the start there was a light shower at Vale. Despite that the track was still good enough for slick tyres but as the drivers came out to make their way to the grid it was clear on the screen that the other side of the circuit had got a much bigger soaking. It really was set to be a great race and so it proved to be. A dramatic opening lap seen Hamilton charging from 10th. Down into Vale Heidfeld and Petrov went into combat and almost collided! Petrov eventually ran out of space and had to give up the place.

Then it was a case of seeing who would make the stop for slicks first. I was tipping Button but it was Schumacher who pitted first, albeit he was coming in anyway after hitting Kobayashi. Another 2011 Mercedes front wing ending up in pieces. Sergio Perez did his usual trick of running long and his alternative tactics really worked out as he picked up a very good 7th. Jaime Alguersuari moved ahead of his team mate Sebastien Buemi in the championship after picking up another point.

The main focus was on the battle up front. Sebastian Vettel streaked away early on but a troublesome pitstop cost him the lead. Fernando Alonso was very quick so may well have challenged for the victory on the track but once he got out front he was away. Lewis Hamilton had fuel issues in the final stint which as confirmed by the BBC afterwards was because they had deliberately short fuelled him. A similar situation to Jenson Button in the same race last year where he started 14th and McLaren short fuelled him. It allowed him to make early progress but then handicapped him in his pursuit of Nico Rosberg and a podium finish. For Hamilton a frustrating finish but i think the strategy was a good one overall. Just shows you how much risk McLaren are having to take though. Hamilton probably would have been lower as well if Button had not been forced to stop after his wheel nut issue. Got a great view of his last lap battle with Massa, great stuff and brilliant to see cars racing to the line!

The other big talking point was the Red Bull battle in the closing laps. After Webber passed Hamilton he immediately closed in on Vettel. At first i didn't expect a fight and that Vettel would pick the pace up. But Webber kept closing and it was very exciting from the stands. After the race i was told that Webber had been told to "Maintain the gap" by Horner. My initial reaction was disappointment as i felt i had been watching a good duel develop and that it had been unfairly called off. On reflection i can see both sides of the argument, Red Bull just want the team to get the points in the bag but Webber wanted to finally beat his team mate this season. The key really is what was discussed before and during the race. If Red Bull have a policy of holding station in the final stint then Webber was quite naughty. I'm told by a Red Bull source that apparently (and i stress apparently) Vettel was told to turn down his engine with 10 laps to go as Alonso could not be caught. If that is true then the team may have created the situation. At the time Webber was still behind Hamilton so perhaps they thought he'd be busy battling him without getting involved with Vettel. Anyway there wasn't much harm done and there's a nice 4 week break in August where Webber can go and sign his contract extension if he wants to...

I thought DRS worked really well at Silverstone. Not many easy passes, lots of close duels and bringing cars closer which seen many battles through the following corners after the zone ended. Very good indeed and hopefully the FIA take note for future races. Track position was worth something in this grand prix but overtaking was still possible. It's been a fantastic season, the cars are actually racing rather than just getting near another car and being stuck. We are getting drivers going for it, being able to be positive rather than sit behind another car and wait for a pitstop and this is really good for the sport.

Another great thing at Silverstone was getting on the track after the race. Me and my Sister made a run for it and having seen on the screen that the podium ceremony was almost over we made a dive up the pit entry where there was hardly anybody and my Sister got some brilliant pictures of the cars sitting in Parc Ferme, That was very cool!







I think Ferrari have improved the car quite a bit but the Red Bull is still the one to beat. Alonso was a very deserving winner but things like the exhaust changes and avoiding the use of the hard tyre played into his hands. He's a superb driver though, he gets a sniff of victory and snaps up the opportunity so well. Vettel still increased his championship lead though. He has ticked many boxes in the last 12 months but one box which remains empty is a win on home tarmac so he'll be pumped up to achieve something which has proved difficult in his short career. A top 2 finish at the Nurburgring will also mean he becomes the first driver in F1 history to start a season with ten consecutive top 2 finishes. Lets hope for a fun double header in Europe before the summer break kicks in.

Hamilton supreme in Chinese classic

Another thrilling race in Shanghai as Lewis Hamilton ended Sebastian Vettel's winning run with a late race charge...

Hamilton soars as Button loses out: Jenson Button had a good start and was holding the lead ok in the first stint. Of course with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel close behind the timing of the first pitstop was key. McLaren ended up running a 3 stop strategy on both cars but the initial plan was to 2 stop. The team came out for Button on lap 14 but he didn't come in until the next lap. He then made a terrible error by pulling into the Red Bull box. That cost both him and Vettel time. One possible theory (and this is simply guesswork!) is that Button was trying to stay out for as long as possible to make a 2 stop work better but that the team, having seen others behind pit, were reacting to the pace of the likes of Rosberg and changing to a 3 stopper because of the speed of other cars. So perhaps there was quite a bit of radio conversation and who knows amidst the busy nature of racing in 2011 maybe Jenson got distracted at the key moment in the pitlane. His pace was subdued after that and he would eventually get outdone by Hamilton.

Indeed Hamilton had been compromised because he had to wait an extra lap to pit and fell back on worn tyres, being overtaken by Vettel and Felipe Massa in consecutive laps. However his second stint was better, aided by a fresh set of options he had saved. It was interesting that a week on from Malaysia he had made such an effort to do so and it was clear after qualifying that tyres were on his mind and that he had deliberately plotted a strategy designed to maximise his race performance. Going for the extra stop really played better into his more attacking style and into the final stint he was back in the hunt and did a clean job of taking the cars ahead for a great victory.

Vettel's streak broken as Webber fights back: Red Bull ended up with 2 cars on the podium yet the fact that disappointment was felt by the team shows how far they've come. Vettel got a poor start but recovered positions at the first stop to find himself behind Nico Rosberg. Red Bull went for a 2 stop strategy and although it turned out to be the wrong decision there wasn't much in it. Having done 15 laps in the race in his qualifying tyres, he only managed a 17 lap stint in the middle of the race. That left him 24 laps on the primes and it proved to be slightly too much to hold off Hamilton. One mistake i did feel Red Bull made was sending the German out for a second run in Q3 when it was pretty clear that pole position was in the bag. Easy to say with hindsight but Vettel's first run was a good one and he would have not eeked out much more time even if it had been needed. In previous seasons this would not have been a big deal but it seems that putting a heat cycle into these Pirelli tyres really does take some life out of them if they are then reused. Expect quieter qualifying sessions with the current circumstances.

On Saturday evening i was pondering the future of Mark Webber. Out in Q1, the 2 junior Red Bull drivers doing brilliantly in making the top 10 and a bit of pressure was building even at this early stage of 2011. Would he let his head drop or fight back? Sunday showed it was the latter as he come from 18th to take a superb podium. Qualifying was a poor show, he only used the prime tyres and the car seem fine. If it had not been surely they would have given him some options. Why they didn't give him more laps at least was bizarre from the team. Anyway his pace on Sunday was mighty and showed that the RB7 is still the quickest out there. There were some conflicting reports about whether he had his KERS working or not. The actual details were that it worked until lap 24. He actually could have remarkably beaten Vettel because he had an off early in the race which cost him around 4 seconds so without that he probably would have caught his team mate late on. We also seen from his race that using the prime tyre early could be a good tactic this year. If we get an early safety car at some races i can envisage drivers pitting to get rid of it or even pitting for it and pitting again a lap later just so they can get it out of the way.

Felipe finds some form: Felipe Massa was unhappy after the race. This is good though because rather than the mentality of "i beat Fernando, that'll do" it was a case of him wanting more from the afternoon. His pace was good for a 2 stopper and i felt that was the right approach from Ferrari because they didn't have the pace to the teams in front so it was worthwhile trying something different. Unfortunately for the Brazilian track position is not as important this year and he was caught by a few drivers late on. Still it was nice to see him in the mix and battling with the drivers at the front Not much to say on Alonso's race, the Spaniard didn't seem quick throughout and limped home a frustrated 7th.

F1 changes a roaring success: It really was a tremendous race and credit to Pirelli who seem have got it right with the tyres. The DRS system is making for much more close action. Some say it has made passing too easy. My response to that is that some of the overtakes are indeed 'simple' but for those few easy passes you get lots of good one's and good battles. It also created moves in other places. For example Hamilton was able to get close to Button with DRS which allowed him a chance of passing into turn 1. In my opinion we are much better with racing like this than than what we have witnessed in some other seasons. Remember we were at a circuit which has seen little overtaking in dry races. It also helps more variable strategies become viable. On Sunday we got over 80 overtakes and the whole race was absorbing and thrilling. A peak audience of 5 million in the UK says a lot as well.

There is some talk that in Turkey we could have 2 DRS zones, perhaps with just 1 activation zone. So say we had zone's on the back and pit straights. There would be an activation point before the first one and if you are within a second of another car you can then use your DRS in the 2 zones for that particular lap. Now i think that would be too much and is unneeded unless it is a case of having the zones made shorter. So rather than one big (800 metre) gain in the lap you could make two smaller (400 metre) gains. This could eliminate the 'easy' overtakes but still allow cars to get close. The FIA may trial this in Istanbul. Another way could be giving the drivers a finite amount to use it during the race but this doesn't seem to be in the pipeline for now anyway. i think it is feasible and certainly feel it would be a great way to make the KERS more tactical at least.

Sepang serves up exciting weekend

A 4 way showdown for Pole Position on Saturday was followed by an action packed race with 55 overtakes and 63 pitstops. Up front, Sebastian Vettel continued his brilliant form with a fourth consecutive grand prix win. There were loads of stories throughout the field...

Vettel wins and Webber recovers: Sebastian Vettel had to work harder for his win this weekend than in Melbourne. Qualifying saw him edge out Lewis Hamilton and despite a loss of his KERS during the race he won without too many problems. Mark Webber had a manic race. After a KERS issue in qualifying the team replaced parts of the system in Parc Ferme. However it failed before the race and coupled with a poor start left the Australian swamped. He fought back with a 4 stop strategy, 1 more than most drivers. The advantage of that was he could really attack on his shorter stints and made up the time loss of an extra stop - and more. A good fightback to 4th will left his spirits but in still has a team mate to deal with whose confidence is sky high.

Hamilton v Alonso: Lap 45 and 46 seen controversy - heightened by post race penalties - between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver was penalised for moving more than once on the pit straight. We've seen drivers in past seasons push this 'code' but this year it is a written rule. In a Ferrari pre-season video their sporting director seem well up on the new regulations and it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one who told the team to protest the move. That was key because it forced the stewards to analyse it and make a decision and by the rule book Hamilton did break a rule. I think his thinking in the move was confused. Alonso was close and he probably thought that he'd be under more pressure but because the Ferrari's DRS wasn't working he wasn't as quick on the straight. So Hamilton made unnecessary moves and then backtracked and it cost him. Alonso got a harsh penalty for what was a minor mistake. If you penalise him for that then you have to penalise a lot of other incidents e.g Webber hitting Hamilton Australia 2010, Vettel hitting Sutil Great Britain 2010 etc. Costly mistake because a podium was there for the taking.

Fortunes reversed for Renault pair: Lewis Hamilton said after a stunning start move in Malaysia in 2007 around the outside that he had studied the past starts at the track and decided to go that way. On Sunday he looked for the inside instead and on that outside route came Nick Heidfeld in the Renault. Some stunning racing between the pair continued to turn 4 but it was the German who would make it stick and finish the lap 2nd after starting 6th. He lost some ground during his first stop but kept his cool - apart from 1 brief off track moment - to come home 3rd. Vitaly Petrov wasn't far off the pace of his team mate but a few minor mistakes seen him slip back. When Hamilton pitted late on Petrov had him in his mirrors and he ran off the circuit after getting offline onto the numerous marbles. Probably in a panic to maintain 7th he kept his foot down but on the mounted grass he got a massive amount of air and snapped the steering wheel mounting as well as wrecking the suspension. A nasty and bizarre incident for the Russian.

Mixed day for the rookies: Another race, another point for Paul di Resta. He delivered a good, clean weekend. The Force India hasn't got the raw pace but the evolution of the car has at least ensured some reliability. He has benefited from a good grounding with those practice runs last year but he has come in and coped well in what have been busy races. Replacing Liuzzi with the Scot is proving to be a good decision. Sergio Perez had his race ended in very strange circumstances. A piece fell off Sebastien Buemi's car and struck the floor of the Sauber. This set off a fire extinguisher which in turn knocked off the electrics in the car. Pastor Maldonado had more mechanical issues, Williams had a poor weekend and the South Americian hasn't been able to show his worth yet. Another tough weekend for Jerome D'Ambrosio who will be awaiting Virgin's updates with eagerness.

Confused? I'm confused: In an ideal world we would want every race to be a great race with clear and good entertainment. The addition of DRS and the deliberate making of high wearing tyres have been done to improve the show. Of course you would rather not revert to these gadgets but in this day and age it is needed. Sunday was a fantastic race and to see some journalists who report on the sport spinning a negative story on it because of all the activity is quite strange and disappointing. I'm looking at this more on a UK perspective but the race on Sunday recorded the best figures for a race in Malaysia ever. My Dad stayed and watched the whole thing. A guy who works for him even watched some of the race and enjoyed it. It was a fantastic race and i will take one like that every day over one like Bahrain 2010. KERS, DRS, the removal of the double diffusers and the tyres all played their part. Don't forget track design. It is clear that this is a factor. Sepang's long straights followed by tight corners in Sector's 1 and 3 really contribute to the action. Other circuits take note.

A few other things to note from the past weekend as well as the one to come in Shanghai.

- Another difficult weekend for Ferrari but the Prancing Horse was closer to the pace during the race. Senior staff have flown back to Italy between these back to back races which tells you a lot about the concern that there is about the car. It's believed by Italian media that the team will see how the Chinese Grand Prix goes before deciding on what course of action they will take with the development with the car. Ferrari implemented big updates during 2010 so don't write them off yet.

- Sebastien Buemi received a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pitlane. He was clocked doing 120.6 km/h in the 100 km/h limited pitlane. He pressed the limiter coming in but felt it had not gone on. However it had and in pressing it again thinking he was putting it on he turned it off and subsequently broke the limit. Usually this gets a drive through penalty so maybe he got a harsher penalty for the excess of speed he had. You could argue a situation like Lewis Hamilton passing the safety car in Valencia last year could have been dealt with in a similar manner. Jaime Alguersuari reported understeer in his car and it was discovered afterwards that there was damage to the front nose.

- There was some surprise when Hamilton went onto prime tyres at his second stop and used that compound until the end of the race. This can probably be explained by Q2 where he flatspotted his right front tyre into turn 1. So that set of tyres may well have been deemed unusable for the race. This meant he only had the set he started on plus one other set, forcing him into doing half the race on primes. That qualifying lock up may well have proved quite costly. Another imprtant thing is the tyre drop off. Sauber ran longer in the first stint in expectation of rain but once the tyres went off they were 3-4 seconds slower a lap. Kamui Kobayashi did manage a 2 stop strategy so another example of Sauber keeping the tyres well on their car.

- The DRS zone in China will be just over 900 metres long and positioned on the 1.175 km back straight between turn 13 and 14. The detection zone for the 1 second gap will be at turn 12. Should see plenty of action down into the hairpin. There has been resurfacing carried out on parts of the track. Also a 4.5 metre debris fence at turn 14. This is probably a response to the incident with Sebastien Buemi in practice last year where a wheel from the Toro Rosso went into a spectator area. We've seen a lot of standing water gather at times in the final corner during wet races in the past at Shanghai and the organisers have changed the drainage on that part of the track.

- Some quotes have come out from the organisers at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain which say they are still trying to get the race on at some point this year. There is even some talk that the King of Bahrain will be in the Shanghai paddock this weekend. Abu Dhabi is prepared to let Bahrain have their November 13th slot and then move the race at Yas Marina to December 4th. They'll be happy to do this as it means they get the season finale. A few weeks ago it seem unlikely in the extreme that a race would occur in Bahrain this year but the possibility remains open. At present the UK foreign office still advise against all but essential travel to the region

- The timetable for the Indian Grand Prix has been revealed:

Times are Local/UK

Fri 28 October
Practice 1 1000 - 1130/0530 - 0700
Practice 2 1400 - 1530/0930 - 1100
Sat 29 October
Practice 3 1100 - 1200/0630 - 0730
Qualifying 1400/0930
Sun 30 October
Race 1500/0930

What each contender faces for the race

It was a drama filled and tense qualifying session in Abu Dhabi but Sebastian Vettel had the speed at the end to notch up his 10th pole position of the season. Lewis Hamilton was just edged out by the German into 2nd. Championship leader Fernando Alonso took a vital 3rd on the grid alongside Jenson Button but it was disappointment for Mark Webber who could only manage 5th and shares row 3 with Felipe Massa. So what could possibly unfold tomorrow...

Sebastian Vettel: In terms of getting the win, Vettel is in a good position. The start and subsequent tyre wear will be key and he may have to be wary early on of Hamilton who needs the win to have any chance. Vettel done a couple more laps on his starting tyres in Q3 than most other drivers and the opening stint will be when he track is at its hottest so some early graining could see Hamilton on his tail. I feel he should have enough race pace to cover the McLaren though and should be in the hunt for the race victory. He needs Alonso to finish 5th or lower to take the title and that is out of his hands really. He may yet have to yield a victory to Webber in certain circumstances.

Lewis Hamilton: Simple really for Hamilton, he has to win, hope Vettel is 3rd or lower, Webber 6th or lower and that Alonso doesn't score any points. I think to get the win he'll need to get ahead early on and hope his slightly fresher tyres will help him put pressure on Vettel. Team mate Jenson Button could be a help to his title aspirations if he can get involved in the fight and at least push Vettel behind but he'll still need issues for Webber and Alonso. McLaren have finally got the 'double' F-duct working and are running quite a bit of downforce to keep up in the corners whilst the improved stalling of the rear wing maintains good speed on the straights. Good progress but perhaps too late to save Hamilton's championship ambitions.

Fernando Alonso: Overall things worked out ok for the Spaniard. Ferrari look like the 3rd fastest team this weekend, albeit it is extremely close for such a long track. With Webber struggling it eases the pressure on Alonso. If the Australian doesn't win tomorrow then a top 4 finish will seal a third title for the Ferrari driver. Dropping to 5th could allow Vettel to snatch the title on countback. Realistically for that to happen it will take either a major issue or being passed by Webber and Button so Alonso will hope to maintain his position early on and keep Webber behind and then settle for a minimum of 4th. A pressure for him to handle is the old engine which after powering him around Yas Island today has now done approximately 1250km and still needs to keep going for another 310km to ensure Alonso can see the chequered flag under the lights tomorrow.

Mark Webber: There are still 55 laps for things to change tomorrow but this was not a good Saturday for Mark Webber. The Australian really needed to be on the front row so that he could be challenging for the win or at least be in a position to inherit one if the situation dictated it. Instead he finds himself behind his title rivals and he needs to take risks to get back in contention. So where can the Red Bull driver make up positions. Obviously the start is one opportunity but it'll be difficult to make multiple places up as it is a short run to turn 1 and not a big braking zone. He certainly won't want Felipe Massa nipping ahead early on and interfering with his race. His car is not particularly quick in the speed trap so that could also make his task difficult. A safety car is not likely at this circuit but an early deployment would allow him to try a similar strategy to Singapore where he gained a couple of positions by pitting early for the hard tyre. However the pitlane loss in bAu Dhabi is quite a bit less than it was at Marina Bay. His task is difficult but he will just have to try and attack as much as possible. A victory for his team mate means Webber won't take the title so he will either need issues for others or hope he can get up behind him and hope Alonso is 3rd or 4th, forcing Vettel to yield for him.

So a lot of scenario's and permutations there but the world awaits to see what will unfold tomorrow. I feel Alonso is in prime position, he is very capable of dealing with the pressures involved and with Webber behind, a top 4 finish may well be enough. A 5pm start means a long wait for the drivers and plenty of time for the tension to build. Can Mark Webber show his fighting spirit one more time? Will Sebastian Vettel make it 2 wins out of 2 races in Abu Dhabi or could the outsider Lewis Hamilton pull off an incredible turnaround? In 24 hours we will know...

Thoughts on the Interlagos weekend

It wasn't up there with the all time classic Brazilian races but it sets things up beautifully for a thrilling finale to the season in Abu Dhabi...

Hulkenberg puts up a fight: Nico Hulkenberg looked pretty calm on the grid but, unseen on TV, appeared to have some sort of drama at turn 1 on the formation lap which allowed a few cars past but the German recovered to take his place at the front. It didn't last long as Sebastian Vettel and then Mark Webber dispatched him on lap 1. The Williams defended well from Fernando Alonso but eventually dropped to 4th on lap 7 and despite pressure, held off Lewis Hamilton until the pitstops. He eventually finished 8th which was enough to put Williams a point clear of Force India. The battle for 6th is the closest one left in the constructors championship.

Speculation continues over the Williams line-up for 2011. Don't expect official word until after the post-season tests in Abu Dhabi. You would think that the team would want to hold on to Hulkenberg after his weekend performance but with the team in a technical partnership next season with Hispania Racing, there has been some talk that the German could be offloaded to the Spanish team for a year before returning to replace Rubens Barrichello. Collin Kolles wants experience and youth at HRT next year and Pedro de la Rosa is believed to be in contention whilst Pastor Maldonado and Valterri Bottas, who are both testing with the team later this month, may also be slotted in at Williams request. I think that Maldonado will get into the Williams team so somebody will have to move on. This weekend could yet prove the final one for Barrichello in his long F1 career.

McLaren strategy keeps them hanging on: Lewis Hamilton was a grumpy man on Sunday afternoon. Things were bad even before the start as the 2008 champion reported vibrations with his brakes on the way to the grid, an issue he also suffered in Hungary this year. He was hounded by Alonso from the off and his McLaren looked a handful as he eventually slid wide allowing the Ferrari through. He also had tyre wear issues, overheating his tyres on his first 2 stints. Again the team excelled on the strategy side of things, responding to the safety car for Vitanonio Liuzzi's crash, caused by a mechanical issue, to put on fresh rubber without losing position. It was a fantastic move because it gave him the opportunity to attack Alonso and improve his title bid which was on the brink. However the amount of backmarkers between the leading cars caused havoc and meant that when Hamilton had cleared them all, Alonso was already 8 seconds. He needs a incredible turnaround to win the title but he's at least going into the final race with a chance, even if it is small.



Traffic, Traffic, Traffic!: This track was always going to represent some issues with backmarkers with it being so short but the fact that the record for most finishers (22) was equalled plus the safety car period towards the end compounded things. Nick Heidfeld got a penalty for ignoring blue flags and there were a few more, particularly the Toro Rosso drivers, who could have also been penalised. Felipe Massa even passed Nico Rosberg at one stage, who was 1 lap ahead of the Ferrari at the time! There was a rule a couple of years ago where the lapped cars unlapped themselves behind the safety car. That restored order but does mean some would gain back a lot of time. Perhaps allowing the cars on the lead lap to overtake backmarkers under the safety car should be considered for next season as the race was just a bit too mixed up in the closing stages.

Fernando continues the podium run: Having declared that 5 podiums in the last 5 races would be enough for the championship, Fernando Alonso has now achieved 80% of his goal. However a third title will only be certain if he is on the first or second step of the podium in Abu Dhabi. I feel that if he is behind a Red Bull 1-2 by lap 2 in Yas Marina then he'll need them to have some issues but we'll see how the weekend pans out. It is also believed that the engine that will be used in Abu Dhabi will be the same one that was used for Monza and Interlagos so managing that will be another pressure for the Spaniard to deal with.

Champions of the World!: Red Bull sealed the constructors title with a 1-2 and set both drivers up for a tilt at the drivers title. Much has been made of the approach taken by the team regarding the drivers championship. Of course they could have improved Webber's situation by letting him win but to be fair, Sebastian Vettel remains in the hunt. In theory, the best way to approach things from the start of the season is to back 1 driver completely like Ferrari did with Michael Schumacher. This however can mean much less excitement and credit must be given for Red Bull letting the pair fight each other. There could be a situation, which is not that unlikely, where Vettel is leading Webber in the final laps at Abu Dhabi. If Alonso is 3rd or 4th then Vettel can't take the title. So Red Bull will have to switch them to give Webber the title. Some think that the team will not do this but despite the ill feeling between the pair and the Austrian favouritism for Vettel, i will be hugely shocked if it didn't happened as throwing a certain title away would be simply crazy for the team or Vettel to do.



Misery all around for the Brazilians: No points garnered at all for the home drivers. Felipe Massa needed an extra pitstop after a wheel nut issue which left him scrapping it out at the rear of the field. Rubens Barrichello also had pitstop issues and then a puncture after contact with Jaime Alguersuari. Lucas Di Grassi had to spend time in the garage during the race whilst Bruno Senna came in 21st in the slow Hispania. He was up against Christian Klien but it was hard to compare the pair as the Austrian had issues pre-race and missed the race start. He also had to put more fuel in due to a pressure problem.

So the final week of the season is upon us. This promises to be a fantastic finale and 3 drivers definitely have a realistic chance of becoming world champion. Lewis Hamilton will need a shock result and issues for others but its only 1 race and it can still happen, just ask Kimi Raikkonen fans about 2007. It was a switch up front which cost Fernando Alonso that day and the same could happen again but will the Red Bull squabbling ultimately allow the Spaniard in for a third title. Engines are now heading towards the end of their life and reliability in the desert could also affect things. Webber even admitting that he thought his car was going to stop in the closing stages of Sunday's race with water pressure issues. All eyes now turn to Abu Dhabi...

Images courtesy of www.mclaren.com and www.forceindiaf1.com

All the championship possibilities

4 drivers head into the final round of the season with a chance of winning the Formula 1 world title. After Brazil, the standings are as follow:

Fernando Alonso 246
Mark Webber 238
Sebastian Vettel 231
Lewis Hamilton 222

Fernando Alonso will definitely win the championship if he finishes in the top 2

Alonso will also win the championship with these set of results:

Finish 3rd and hope
Webber is 2nd or lower

Finish 4th and hope
Webber is 2nd or lower

Finish 5th and hope
Webber is 2nd or lower
Vettel is 2nd or lower

Finish 6th and hope
Webber is 3rd or lower
Vettel is 2nd or lower

Finish 7th and hope
Webber is 4th or lower
Vettel is 2nd or lower

Finish 8th and hope
Webber is 4th or lower
Vettel is 2nd or lower

Finish 9th and hope
Webber is 5th or lower
Vettel is 3rd or lower

Finish 10th and hope
Webber is 6th or lower
Vettel is 3rd or lower

Finish 11th or lower and hope
Webber is 6th or lower
Vettel is 3rd or lower
Hamilton is 2nd or lower

Mark Webber needs to finish in the top 5 to have any chance of winning the world championship

For Webber to win the championship he needs to either:

Win the race and hope
Alonso is 3rd or lower

Finish 2nd and hope
Vettel is 3rd or lower
Alonso is 6th or lower

Finish 3rd and hope
Vettel is 2nd or lower
Alonso to 7th or lower

Finish 4th and hope
Vettel is 2nd or lower
Alonso is 9th or lower

Finish 5th and hope
Vettel is 3rd or lower
Alonso is 10th or lower

Sebastian Vettel needs to finish in the top 2 to have any chance of winning the championship

For Vettel to win the championship he needs to either:

Win the race and hope
Alonso is 5th or lower

Finish 2nd and hope
Webber is 5th or lower
Alonso is 9th or lower

Lewis Hamilton needs to win the race or else he can't win the championship.

So for Hamilton to win the championship he needs to:

Win the race and hope
Vettel is 3rd or lower
Webber is 6th or lower
Alonso is 11th or lower

Hulkenberg breaks through in Brazil

Sebastian Vettel qualified on the front row today, doing what he did at Monza in 2 years when he announced himself to the Formula 1 world. Tomorrow he'll line up along with fellow German Nico Hulkenberg who soared to a sensational pole position. I've been impressed with the rookie this year and i think he's been solid. Whereas fellow rookies Kobayashi and Petrov have had more spectacular moments, Hulkenberg has been quietly improving. However in the final 5 minutes of a wet qualifying, the track had developed a dry line and the top 10 all headed to the pits for slick tyres. The leaderboard was rapidly changing but the Williams driver kept lighting up the timing screen with purple sectors and would end up smashing the opposition by over a second.

So how did Hulkenberg manage to upstage everyone, including the championship contenders? My honest answer is i'm not really sure! His race engineer says he was on a dry setup and i can't imagine that the others would have compromised too much with the forecasts pointing to little chance of showers affecting things tomorrow. The Williams is a decent car but to be so far ahead of a car like the Red Bull was a massive surprise. Looking at the speed trap figures it seems the Williams and Red Bull are neck and neck on medium speed acceleration but the Red Bull cars have a greater end of straight speed. Vettel has stood out to me in recent races with this because he usually goes for a bit more downforce for a mighty car in the corners but then suffers with a low speed in the speed traps which makes it difficult to overtake. Yet he seems to be learning to compromise better, he was well up the speed charts in Korea which helped him lose less time in sector 1 whilst still be quick enough through the twistier sections of the track. From what i've can see, its a slight change of approach from the German and perhaps the benefit of experience shining through.

Fernando Alonso could be world champion in 24 hours but it'll be a struggle to seal it from 5th on the grid. I feel he will have a stronger package than Lewis Hamilton so could jump him but will not be able to beat the Red Bull's on raw pace. Up front though, Hulkenberg could well back up the pack so if anyone, like Vettel, can get past him off the line then they could well scamper off into the distance. The soft tyre should last for at least 20 laps though Friday seen graining on the rears so the first 10 laps could be quite interesting as the top 10 manage that. Jenson Button qualified in 11th and now looks out of the title hunt. Felipe Massa is down in 9th and unlikely to play a spoiling role in aid of Alonso. If the contenders finish where they are, the championship would go to Abu Dhabi looking like this:

Alonso 241
Webber 235
Vettel 224
Hamilton 222

It would also mean that Red Bull would be constructor champions so McLaren will be hoping Button can move through the field and prolong the battle to Yas Marina next week. However the reigning champion finds himself in between Petrov and Kobayashi, two men who will not hold back on the opening lap. Watch out for the Sauber driver, who has a free tyre choice and could emerge as a points scorer as the race unfolds.

So will any of the championships be decided tomorrow? Can Nico Hulkenberg score a maiden podium or even a sensational victory? Will Jenson Button and others fall out of the running for the title? Make sure you catch the race, race start is 2pm Brazilian time (4pm UK time)

Alonso wins as Red Bull falter in Korea epic

Rain, safety cars, crashes, mud and a red flag, it was a marathon inaugural Korean Grand Prix...

Race Control get 100%: It was a difficult day for the drivers but also for race control and Charlie Whiting. He had to deal with rain and the condition of the new surface. His first call was to delay the start by 10 minutes. I presume this was done as a lot of rain was coming in on the radar. The conditions before the race looked ok for a normal start and i was disappointed when they did but when things did get underway it was clear that the track was very wet and a red flag soon followed which was the correct decision. When the race resumed almost an hour later it was still a soaked surface but eventually the water cleared. There was a bit of psychological warfare going on as Mark Webber was quite reluctant for the safety car to come in but Lewis Hamilton was demanding that the race go green. I feel Whiting was a few laps too cautious in this situation. Still he managed to get a full race distance in though this was another tight call as darkness fell in the final laps. Again, another difficult decision as a red flag could have caused controversy in itself with the standings going back 2 laps. A red flag a lap after Sebastian Vettel retired would have meant the German would have been given the win so you can see the knock on effect of a decision but the last couple of laps were perhaps a bit too much.

Red Bull crash and burn: Saturday seen them take a dramatic 1-2 but it all went wrong on race day for Webber and Vettel. The Australian looked understandably edgy on the grid and perhaps in hoping the race would be stopped or not be a full points event got into too much of a negative mentality. He struggled compared to his team mate and then dropped it. His car then ended up taking out Nico Rosberg, who was unhappy with what Webber had done. I was a bit curious at the incident but looking back on it i think Webber was trying to back his car off the track rather than stop in the middle of the track so it was simply bad luck for the German. For Vettel it had been a great drive from pole but engine failure condemned him to a third DNF of the season. Whether Alonso, who was closing, could have passed him towards the end will never be known but it was still a mighty blow to Vettel's title hopes. The German can point to reliability costing him the title and its an intriguing argument, on one hand he has had the most unreliability of the title rivals but also the fastest car of the lot. Which is the best overall package is of course the big question.

Here's a rough idea of what drivers have lost through reliability, misfortunes and mistakes this season. Not possible to be accurate but interesting nonetheless...

Potential points lost through car problems

Vettel 66
Hamilton 32
Button 2
Alonso 2
Webber 0

Of course it's hard to define exact points and there has been plenty of indirect effects of reliability (Webber and Hamilton have suffered grid drops for gearbox changes) Jenson Button and Webber can also cite being hit by Vettel this season as well as Alonso suffering some misfortune. Everyone's had their moments, good and bad, and all remain in the hunt with 2 races remaining

Sauber at the double again: Another good day and vindication of the teams decision to bring in Nick Heidfeld as he scored good points for the team. He survived being passed 3 times by Adrian Sutil. The Force India had brake issues and eventually his day of banzai moves came to a end by hitting Kamui Kobayashi, the Japanese driver surviving the collision. Good stuff from the Swiss squad who will hope Kobayashi can spearhead a strong 2011 with the finances coming in from North America. The strategy was quite interesting, pitting both cars very early for inters but like Ferrari, the car keeps the tyre wear low in comparison to others and both drivers came through the field well and kept their cool.

Sutil received a 5 place grid penalty for his antics and Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi was also given the same punishment after smashing into Timo Glock, putting both men out of the race. The Swiss driver was on the inside but not close enough to pass. I think he was caught out by how wet that particular corner was and under braking lost it. He hit Glock hard and thankfully the tether kept the wheel from flying loose and avoiding what could have been a very nasty incident. Team mate Jaime Alguersuari was unfortunate as he lost a point on the last lap, frustratingly saying 'not fair' on Twitter afterwards.

Mercedes shrewd but Nico denied: Its been a year of disappointment for Mercedes after high expectations but as in China, they showed the potential they had in the wet. During the red flag period, they reverted both cars to a full wet setup, taking advantage of Perc Ferme rules not applying. Both Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher attacked from the moment the race went green but when Webber spun, Rosberg went left to avoid the Red Bull but was wiped out. He was understandably frustrated afterwards. He could have went on to win his first race thought the Mercedes works the tyres hard, meaning he could have been vulnerable towards the end. It was still a shame after looking good throughout the weekend. Can he show what he's worth in 2011? Schumacher took a joint best result of the season in 4th but has now been beaten by a team mate over a full season for the first time in his career.

Petrov downbeat as Liuzzi delivers: Oh Vitaly, you had switched early for tyres, made your way through the field and looking set for a massive result and then snap... offline a touch and a huge impact with the barriers. The Russian has simply crashed too much and only his bank balance will keep him at Renault next season. Eric Boullier is considering Sutil and Heidfeld so talent or money, which will win? Meanwhile there was a joint personal best result for Vitantonio Liuzzi as he tries to cling on at Force India. Sadly its a performance which has been too rare from the Italian.

In other news, Pastor Maldonado is getting a test day with Williams after the season finale in Abu Dhabi. The team have confirmed Valeri Bottias as test driver so it certainly heightens the prospect of the Venezuelan replacing Hulkenberg for 2011. Patrick Head talked positively of the German at the weekend but also seen to hint that the decision was not down to him. Williams were looking set for big points towards the end of the race but the tyres went for both drivers, Barrichello slipping to 7th with an off and Hulkenberg crippled by a slow puncture which forced a late pitstop. A last lap pass on Alguersuari earned a point. Barrichello is one of 5 drivers with a fresh engine left so expect that to be utilised in front of his home crowd in two weeks.

Hispania's plan to sneak 10th?: It was a decent outing for Hispania, Sakon Yamamoto had a solid weekend, out qualifying Bruno Senna by almost a second. The Brazilian scored a personal best result of 14th, putting him ahead of the Virgin drivers in the championship. Hispania remain 11th in the championship which like Virgin in 12th means no prize money. Both teams need a 11th place finish, which on raw pace is pretty unlikely, to jump Lotus. It's hard to see an attritional race occuring in Abu Dhabi so basically the last opportunity is some Sao Paulo madness which is not out of the question. Colin Kolles has not ruled out getting 10th and i do wonder whether he is considering drafting Christian Klien in for the next round. The Austrian has only raced at Singapore but was much faster than Senna and he could be the best chance of pulling a top 11 finish off. It's hard to see Yamamoto being dropped with the finances he brings but with Senna heading to his homeland it would be a ruthless decision to drop the rookie. Collin Kolles can be ruthless though, so watch out for the possibility of yet another change at the Spanish team...

So Fernando Alonso heads to Brazil knowing he could seal a third championship in Sao Paulo. Mark Webber needs to bounce back and repeat his win from 12 months while Sebastian Vettel remains in the hunt but needs Alonso to have some difficulties. Lewis Hamilton kept his hopes alive with a battling second but with his car still the third quickest, he'll need plenty more twist and turns up ahead to take the title. He may however have the support of his team mate Jenson Button now, the Brits title reign now nearing the end barring an incredible turnaround.

It's incredible to think Alonso could do it earlier in the season but the Spaniard insisted that the upgrades were coming for the Prancing Horse and he has duly delivered. Six days of Formula 1 action remain and 5 still stand in the title race, roll on Sao Paulo!

Singapore: Step by Step

Well its good to finally be blogging after a busy weekend. It certainly was busy for the drivers as they raced to the limit for two hours on the streets of Singapore. There were plenty of talking points...

Start: The circuit organisers had a cleaning machine for this years event after the dust of 2009 and it had an effect. Off the line, the two men furthest forward on the dirty side of the grid got better launches. Fernando Alonso countered Sebastian Vettel with a hard defensive chop whilst Lewis Hamilton was more aggressive into turn 1 and took back his grid slot of 3rd from team mate Jenson Button on the outside.

Gaining an advantage: Further back, there was some controversy though it would not emerge till after the race. Nico Hulkenberg took to the astroturf at turn 2 and used it to pass Vitantonio Liuzzi on the outside going into turn 3. Then the other Force India of Adrian Sutil went off track at turn 7 and gained momentum, passing the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld. Both drivers would receive 20 second penalties after the race.

Are you serious mate?: Lap 3 and the safety car is deployed as Liuzzi's car is parked at the side of the track. Most of the front runners stay out but Red Bull decide to pit Mark Webber and put him on the hard tyre till the end of the race. Despite initial reservations from the Australian he pits and emerges in 11th. Felipe Massa who started last pitted before the safety car, doing a similar strategy as Alonso did in Monaco.

Timo train: Virgin had their last big update of the season and it paid off with improved pace. Timo Glock stayed out during the safety car period and found himself 10th at the restart. He was soon passed by Webber but put on a great display of defensive driving to hold off Adrian Sutil for several laps. Glock has always went well at the track, coming second last year for Toyota. However he would later retire and Virgin remain bottom of the championship. This race was a missed opportunity to move up the standings for the team

McLaren off the pace: Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button found themselves dropping off the front 2 as the first stint progressed. The team finds itself right in the fight for both championships but whilst some great strategy and drives have kept them in the hunt they simply won't be able to win either unless they can find some performance gains. The tyres started to go for both Hamilton and Button and they found themselves leapfrogged by Webber.

Ferrari cover Red Bull: Vettel couldn't pit early as he would have hit traffic but when the McLarens pitted Red Bull seen the opportunity but unfortunately for them Ferrari spotted this and pitted Alonso at the same time. Vettel made an error at his stop, pulling away in second gear but he eventually got away. Staying out longer was ruled out by the team as the harder tyre was the quicker one at the time.

Hamilton and Webber collide: The safety car was deployed again after Kamui Kobayashi crashed at turn 18 and was then hit by Bruno Senna. On the restart Webber found himself behind two backmarkers in the form of the Virgin cars. He cleared one quickly but stuttered slightly into turn 5 behind the other and Hamilton was right on his tail. He got alongside and heading down to the braking zone of turn 7 found himself about half a car length ahead of the Red Bull which had the inside line. Hamilton braked late to try and get far enough ahead to maintain position. Webber fought hard though and also braked hard. He stayed tight on the inside, right up on the kerb but it got too tight on the exit and the front right of the Red Bull collided with the rear of the McLaren. Hamilton retired but Webber was able to continue. In my view, it was a racing incident. Hamilton was unlucky to find himself out whilst Webber was fortunate to get away with wheel rim damage to make the finish.

Schumacher and the Saubers: Michael Schumacher was involved in a lot of activity. First he was passed by Kobayashi who made a massive lunge and forced the Mercedes wide, even clipping the barriers. Schumacher was then passed by ex-colleague Nick Heidfeld, who squeezed the former world champion wide. The Mercedes then made a wild dive into turn 7 and sent Heidfeld into the barriers and out of the race. Team mate Nico Rosberg had a good drive, taking 5th position and extending Mercedes gap over Renault in the championship.

Kubica puts on passing masterclass: Robert Kubica has had some great drives this season but they have mainly been a case of getting into high positions and then being on the defensive from quicker cars. However after a puncture meant an extra stop it looked like getting any points would be a tough challenge. Granted he had fresher tyres which was a big help but it is still a tough track to overtake on. Buemi was dispatched first and team mate Petrov followed quickly. Next up was Felipe Massa and then Hulkenberg in the Williams. The Pole saved the best for last however. Adrian Sutil covered the Renault brilliantly down the Raffles Boulevard but Kubica did what Hamilton failed to do with a superb, clean move around the outside of turn 7.

Fireman Heikki: Finn Heikki Kovalainen had a good drive, running up in 13th late on but after being passed by Schumacher was tagged by Sebastien Buemi with the race drawing to a close. A fuel line was broken in the contact and after a lot of revving by Kovalainen to get the car pointing the right way the rear of the Lotus began to catch fire. Kovalainen was going to pull into the pitlane but opted against this, later saying he didn't want to take it in where a lot of people were. You can understand his indecision in the heat of the moment (excuse the pun!) but he did the right thing by stopping on the main straight. He then got hold of a fire extinguisher and proceeded to put the fire out himself! A shame for Lotus that they couldn't make the finish but they have maintained 10th in the championship

It was a race where Vettel was quicker but Alonso getting pole position was key and he put in a great drive to hold off the German. Webber maintains his championship lead but for McLaren its a case of not having the pure pace to compete. Jenson Button says they have a good update for Sukuza but i think they may need some rain to fall in Japan and Korea to have a chance.

Korea remains surrounded by rumours of it not happening. A FIA inspection has been delayed again and will only happen 13 days before the race is due to be held. The final layer of tarmac is going down today so that will be a crucial factor in whether the race will be able to go ahead. It would have an big effect on the chmpionship if the race fails to go ahead. It would also mean a 4 week break between Japan and Brazil.

State of play: 5 drivers, 5 races

The European season is over, five races beckon in Asia and South America and five men are embroiled in the epic which is the 2010 F1 season. The value of a race win covers them all. They have all had great moments this year but also incidents which may well be regretted come November 14th in Yas Marina. Who is best placed to take the title? Lets look at some of the factors involved as the season heads towards its finale.

Points

Mark Webber 187
Lewis Hamilton 182
Fernando Alonso 166
Jenson Button 165
Sebastian Vettel 163

Mark Webber's lead is narrow over Lewis Hamilton is narrow though the English driver's disappointment at retiring in Monza was increased by the feeling that it was McLaren's best chance outscoring Red Bull out of the remaining races. For the other three they could in theory leave Singapore in the championship lead but will more likely need non-scores from the people in the front to make big leaps. If not, it will be a case of chipping into the gap. DNF's are going to be a painful blow at this stage. Ferrari have been the most reliable this season whilst Red Bull have had races adversely effected by niggling problems. McLaren have suffered three terminal failures. An advantage for Fernando Alonso is he is the only contender in his team so basically has number one status. The other four have team mates as championship rivals so for Hamilton and Webber a gap built over their respective team mates in the next couple of races would strengthen them within their teams.

Tracks

Singapore
Japan
Korea
Brazil
Abu Dhabi

The key to guessing performance could be the effect the new load tests have had on the cars. Red Bull remain adamant that their performance loss is minimal and that when we see them race in Singapore the speed shown at circuits like Monaco and Budapest will be displayed. I believe that they still have the best car in the field though the gap has tightened. Expect them to be strongest in normal race circumstances. Singapore will be a tough test though, we seen many teams struggle with brake issues last season, including Red Bull and their sister team Toro Rosso. Japan should be a strong Red Bull track with Korea more even. They may suffer a bit at Brazil where engine power is a key asset. Abu Dhabi also has two long straights though they had a 1-2 at the track in 2009. Fernando Alonso is very quick around Singapore whilst Lewis Hamilton was flying before brake issues in Yas Marina last year. Japan and Brazil has been the scene of heavy rain before which would really put the pressure on. Yenogam in Korea also seems a rainy area.

Engines

New engines remaining
Mark Webber 2
Lewis Hamilton 1
Jenson Button 1
Sebastian Vettel 1
Fernando Alonso 0

It's advantage Webber in this area with 2 fresh units left. Of course it depends on how you've managed your allocation. Lewis Hamilton had a new engine for last weekend but it only did Saturday and one racing lap on Sunday so it is relatively fresh. Fernando Alonso is really under pressure here though, solely relying on used engines to get him through to the end of the season. This may mean less running for the Ferrari driver, especially on Friday's. For any driver who needs a 9th engine in the season, a grid penalty of 10 places will be given.

Experience

Title battles
Fernando Alonso 3
Lewis Hamilton 2
Jenson Button 1
Sebastian Vettel 1
Mark Webber 0

The Australian might be leading the championship but heads into the most pressurised stage of his career having never been in a title battle before. Sebastian Vettel finished second last season behind Jenson Button. Lewis Hamilton has experienced both sides of the coin, an agonising one point loss in 2007 before an even more dramatic victory in 2008 with the last corner pass on Timo Glock. Fernando Alonso is best equipped with the pressures that the title chase bring. He fended off Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher for his two titles before missing out narrowly in 2007.

Monza moments

The start Jenson Button got a great launch and Fernando Alonso needn't have squeezed across as the McLaren already had the initiative. Alonso tagged the back of Button and then went wheel to wheel with team mate Felipe Massa. Meanwhile Lewis Hamilton was now on their tails. Going into turn 4 he had a look up the inside. He tried to stay tight on the inside but couldn't take any more kerb and made contact. The first tap was ok but the second was terminal. Hamilton's mistake though a tad unlucky to be out on the spot. Hindsight shows that more caution was required. The McLaren has escaped in a few scrapes this season though and today he didn't get away with it.

Jaime Alguersuari The Spaniard lost a point in Spa after cutting a chicane and he was at it again on lap 1. The Toro Rosso passed both Force India's by doing so and was awarded a deserved drive through penalty for gaining an advantage. Getting outperformed by Sebastien Buemi and needs some good drives to finish the season strongly.

Red Bull face difficulties Mark Webber lost 2 places off the line but worse was to follow when he ended up wide into the gravel out of turn 5 and lost another 3 places. He recovered excellently, passing Schumacher, Kubica and Hulkenberg on his way to 6th position. That gave him the championship lead but he was still frustrated, probably partly because he could have built a bigger gap over team mate Sebastian Vettel and strengthening his position in the team.

Vettel recovered from a sticky brake pedal which cost him time and a position to Webber to run all the way to the final lap before making his 1 pitstop to finish in 4th.

Strategy decides the winner Alonso had got close to Button a few times but seem to be able to keep in touch whilst keeping his tyres in check. For race leader Button, it was either pit and go for a quick outlap on the hard tyres or stay out and deliver a good in lap on used soft tyres. McLaren felt pitting first was the best option but the world champion said he had poor grip initially and Alonso put the hammer down to just edge ahead when he exited from his pitstop. The Spaniard had a pitlane time that was almost a second quicker than Button and that was probably the difference between first and second.

Nico Hulkenberg The German rode his luck today after cutting chicanes 3 times which did not improve Mark Webber's mood who was stuck behind him for a while. The Williams rookie has been quietly impressive recently, always close to experienced team mate Rubens Barrichello and has been quite consistent. It hasn't been particularly flashy like Petrov and Kobayashi but that has been partly down to good qualifying performances, meaning he hasn't found himself on a recovery drive come Sunday.

So with 5 races to go, 5 drivers remain firmly in the title hunt. This race has seen a recovery to a certain extent for all 3 contenders who failed to score in Spa. Singapore will be a totally different challenge. There we will see what sort of effect the revised load tests have had on Red Bull. The streets and dust of Singapore provide a mental and physical test with a race that will run the two hour limit close. Brakes are under pressure and mistakes are punished, its a gruelling challenge and we've already seen what it can produce in the past 2 years. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were both on the podium last year and they will be desperate to repeat that.

Alonso and Button set up for title revival

Fernando Alonso delighted the Ferrari fans, and indeed president, who had flocked to Monza with pole position today. It was only the second non Red Bull pole of the season. Jenson Button, running with the F-Duct on his McLaren, was second after putting in two strong laps in Q3. Felipe Massa was 3rd whilst title favourites Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton were 4th and 5th. A good result for the Australian after practice problems but frustration for championship leader Hamilton who ran a low downforce setup and complained about a lot of sliding in the corners. Sebastian Vettel was also unhappy after qualifying 6th, claiming his car wasn't working as well this afternoon than in practice.

Image courtesy of www.forceindiaf1.com

Ferrari have had good starts recently and will be confident of maintaining the lead. A key factor could be the man not in the title race, Felipe Massa. If he can jump ahead of Button at the start, then he can control the pack and allow Alonso to pull out a gap. Button's setup makes him vulnerable on the straight though overtaking will not be easy, it won't simply be a case of breezing past the reigning world champion. Tyre wear shouldn't be a big issue but the advanatge for Button is he should keep his tyres very well, giving him the flexibility of running a long stint on the soft tyre or stopping early and running to the end on the hard tyre. I think a one stop will be the normal strategy though i wonder if Toro Rosso would try a two stopper. They are extremely quick on the straights so i feel they should try something different from 14th and 15th on the grid, an agressive approach and one that is viable with the straight line speed they have.

Image courtesy of www.mclaren.com

For Webber, it was a case of maximising a tough weekend. He will probably feel that the top three are too quick for him and Red Bull tomorrow and will have the concerns of the poor starts that him and team mate Vettel have had recently as well as Hamilton attacking on the opening lap. Hamilton felt the setup choice was wrong after qualifying but he can still recover tomorrow. He seemed to stay close to Webber as he began his final lap. Perhaps he wanted to pick up some slipstream but a slide into turn 1 indicated he may have been affected by some turbulence. For Vettel, he may need some dramas ahead or he could well leave Italy 5th in the championship with 5 races to go

It could be a grand prix that sees the title battle squeezed back closer again. It should be another sunny and dry day and will hopefully be another fascinating grand prix. Race start is 1pm.

Spa: step by step

It was a thrilling, frantic and at times confusing Belgian Grand Prix as the 2010 season continued to deliver lots of dramatic action. Lets try and piece everything together...

The Start: First up, a few people were wondering about Felipe Massa after he apparently overshot his box. It seems that you can get away with this. Mark Webber did something similiar in Bahrain without penalty. What i do know is that the sensors for picking up jump starts are able to track cars even if they are not in the perfect position. For Webber it was a shocking start and he was quite lucky that he got going to be about 5th into turn 1 because he could have got caught in the midfield and that would have hurt his race even more. Meanwhile i was very impressed with Jenson Button and Robert Kubica who avoided contact at La Source and kept it clean just like the pair had done in Valencia. The top 4 stayed the same up to Les Combes but the slipstreaming between the cars was an spectatular sight

Rain (part 1): As the cars worked there way round to sector 3, Button was looking to pass Kubica but as he made his move at the bus stop they both followed Hamilton in goign straight on as the rain began to fall. Rubens Barrichello had a early finish to his 300th race, hitting Alonso hard. The Spaniard recovered to the pits and put on intermediate tyres. However the safety car came out on lap 2 so most drivers stayed out as they could survive the rainy spell at reduced speed. Alonso should have pitted on lap 2 but didn't and still stayed out on lap 3 even when it had stopped raining. Poor call from the Ferrari team.

Kubica/Vettel: As the drivers struggled up the hill, Kubica ran wide. Button passed and then Vettel tried but ran onto the grass. There was enough space for him though and Kubica moved when he seen him so the stewards took no action.

Vettel/Button: My take on this is that as Vettel got up behind Button he didn't wnat to go on the outside as he felt he wuldn't get past that way. He holds to the inside but Button covers it. What Vettel is hoping is that as they approach the braking zone Button will shift towards the racing line but he waits too long. What he should have done is either commit to the outside or duck left in the hope Button would try and squeeze him and dummy back accross up the inside. He got it all wrong and deserved his drive through penalty. Costly day for both drivers.

Rain (part 2): As the showers rolled in again the top 3 stayed out as it got tricky and Hamitlon survived a near miss with the barriers. I can understand Webber staying out with the McLaren as he has the championship to think about. Kubica maybe could have gambled more, he would have put his podium on the line but it may have got him a race victory. It was a tight call at the time though and one which is much easier with hindsight. On intermediates, Fernando Alonso dropped it as his ragged season continued. A title blow for him as well and with the WMSC hearing to come he could suffer more pain. I do feel he will keep his 25 points form Hockenheim though.

Jarno Trulli: The Italian will require new overalls after spinning at Pouhon amongst the pack...

Alguersuari/Liuzzi: The FOM director spent lap 42 watching these 2 battle away but cut away before the run to the Bus Stop chicane. When he did the Spaniard was ahead but cut the chicane and was deemed to have gained an advantage, meaning he lost a point which went to the Force India driver.

Pedro de la Rosa: Getting from last to 10th was a good effort. Dropping it with 3 laps to go wasn't. Peter Sauber unimpressed and the Spaniard under pressure.

This could yet be a massive turning point in the championship with 3 of the 5 contenders failing to score but it isn't over for Messers Alonso, Vettel and Button. They will all strong scores in Monza though. If the gap gets to the 50 point mark then that equates to two wins and i think then it becomes too much especially as you may need four guys in front of you to have bad run ins.

The feeling amongst some is that the Red Bull front wing is not the same but i think it was not as effective in a low downforce configuration. I feel it will be the Monza floor tests that may force more of a change and the results will be more evident in Singapore and Sukuza. I also think that McLaren have put their attention on the blown diffuser and have improved the workings of it. They have also sussed the overrun on the gases with the retarded ignition i believe. This could prove a key improvement at this stage of the season. With that and a revised front wing for Red Bull, McLaren could yet have enough pace to give Hamilton the opportunity to fight at all tracks for wins and could prove to be enough.

Credit to Webber as well. Vettel is young and quick but has failed to learn lessons. However the Australian stayed calm yesterday when it went wrong off the line unlike the panic of Valencia. He kept his cool and to score 18 points was a huge result. It wasn't a flat out display of speed but nonetheless was gritty and determined from the 34 year old.

Six races to go and Button and Alonso need big points now. The reigning world champion was an innocent victim yesterday but now finds himself with a decent sized gap to make up, against a team mate driving superbly.

What to watch out for on Raceday

The Weather: We'll start with the obvious. After all 4 sessions being affected by rain, the teams will have to be on high alert with their rain radars and the sky above as they try and keep tabs on any showers which may break out during the race. Tyre choice will be critical and a lot of tyre have been used up already.

La Source: 23 cars scrambling towards this tight corner should provide much activity and with all the drivers warned about taking to the run off area on the outside it may well get too tight for some...

Overtaking: Once the first corner drama has passed and depending on the order, get your eyes set to see who takes Eau Rouge well. Mark Webber is in a car which weakness is straight line speed and running on a full tank of fuel. Lewis Hamilton will want to utilise his F-Duct and make a move on the Australian. Robert Kubica is also flying on the straights and will be on the attack. Sebastian Vettel may need to beaware of Jenson Button as well.

Setups: It appears that Fernando Alonso's sluggish ace today was due to opting for a wet setup. A risk certainly if rain fails to materalise. We seen how this tactic can pay dividends in Brazil last year so Alonso, along with the Toro Rosso drivers will hope to wake up and hear the rain in the morning.

Drivers on a mission: Vitaly Petrov's qualifying lasted less than a la and was a mistake which could prove costly as his future remains in the balance. He desperately needs a strong drive tomorrow. He is helped that he can start from the pits and have free reign on setup and tyres as well as the F-Duct so watch put for him moving through the field. The Saubers and Mercedes will also be looking for progress as they find themselves behind the likes of the Lotus team.

It was a thrilling qualifying and should be an enjoyable race. Start time is 1PM UK time. Check out http://twitter.com/cmckinleyF1 for updates and views during the race

Webber seizes opportunity on day of milestones

A fifth of the way in to today's 25th Hungarian Grand Prix and things were looking set for a relatively calm race. Sebastian Vettel had maintained the lead from pole position and had a twelve second lead. Fernando Alonso was second and Mark Webber was biding his time in third. Then a piece of debris on turn 11 transformed things. The safety car was deployed and the pit crews were on the move.

Vettel made a late entry in whilst team mate Webber elected to stay out. Lewis Hamilton took advantage of a slight delay for Felipe Massa to take 4th but chaos would then begin to ensue. Nico Rosberg didn't have his right rear tyre attached properly and it rolled through the Sauber box before being launched 20 feet, almost into the spectator area above the pits before hitting a Williams mechanic. He was taken to the medical centre but returned later and even took part in Rubens Barrichello's pitstop later in the race! Meanwhile Renault released Robert Kubica as Adrian Sutil was pulling into the next box and the pair collided. The Pole received a stop/go penalty and retired soon after. Both Mercedes and Renault were fined $50,000.

Webber now led from Vettel but the German was having some radio issues and seemed to allow his focus to drop. He didn't stay close to Webber during the safety car period and when the restart was happening Vettel appeared unaware and claimed afterward that he had no radio message alerting him and didn't see the lights go out on the safety car. His lack of awareness and Webber's eagerness to get a gap pulled to jump Alonso meant he was over 100 metres behind. Cars must stay within 10 car lengths and Vettel soon had a drive through. He served it whilst gesturing furiously, confused as to why he had been penalised. He lost a position to Alonso but was still 3rd.

The race for victory was now on. Webber had been off the pace through Friday and Saturday, not entirely happy with his car and a bit scrappy. The opportunity to take a 4th win of the season enlivened the Australian and he put in a stunning stint of driving, opening up a 22 second gap to pit and maintain a lead. He had took full advantage of the window of opportunity presented to him. Vettel was right behind Alonso but still a bit frustrated. Alonso was excellent, consistent and navigated the traffic superbly.

Lewis Hamilton meanwhile was out of the race after losing drive. He'll hope that he won't need a gearbox change for Spa or else he'll face a 5 place grid drop. The remaining points scorers were well behind but it was excellent results for Vitaly Petrov and Nico Hulkenberg in 5th and 6th. Sauber celebrated their 300th grand prix with a double points finish. Pedro de la Rosa got off the mark this season with 7th whilst Kamui Kobayashi came from the back row to finish 9th behind Jenson Button who recovered from a poor start. He was helped by an early stop before the safety car was deployed.

Rubens Barrichello was 10th after a different strategy. The Brazilian ran long on the hard tyre, not pitting until the last 15 laps. He emerged 11th behind former team mate Michael Schumacher. He set after the Mercedes on his fresh rubber and had a couple of close attempts. With 5 laps left he was finally close enough. Schumacher moved right but Barrichello went down the inside towards turn 1. Schumacher kept squeezing and shoved Barrichello within centimetres of the concrete wall. The Brazilian bravely kept his foot in and even took to the grass to make the move stick. Schumacher was widely criticised but the German defended his actions. The stewards disagreed and Schumacher has been given a 10 place grid drop for Belgium in 4 weeks.

Webber's 6th career win in his 150th race gives him the championship lead. Fernando Alonso remains 5th but is within 20 points. It is simply incredibly close. Red Bull celebrated their 100th grand prix with a 12th win and now lead the constructors championship. They will be frustrated that their massive car advantage was not turned into a 1-2. This advantage could be cut in Spa however as the FIA are to increase the loads that are applied in front wing tests. This may mean that Red Bull will have to make alterations to their front wing at the loss of performance.

Adrian Newey will be hard at work to get round this. The teams will have to take an enforced two week break though at some stage in the month. Belgium will offer a different challenge and McLaren will be desperate to turnaround their fortunes after a lacklustre weekend. Red Bull are back on top but Alonso is on the prowl. It's a long break for the fans but the championship is set up beautifully for a sensational finale.

Webber takes win but friction remains

It was another enertaining Sunday afternoon in the 2010 F1 season as Mark Webber struck back from his Valencia flip and component controversy of yesterday to take a 3rd win of the season. He passed Sebastian Vettel off the line as both he and Fernando Alonso had poor starts, surprisingly so as they were starting on the clean side of the grid. Lewis Hmailton repeated his 2008 launch and going into Copse had the slightest bit of contact with Vettel. The German was fighting to get back at Webber but the Australian made sure he wasn't coming through and Vettel took to the run off area. He started to fight his car and the puncture sent him flying off the road into Becketts. Meanwhile Felipe Massa was getting rather over zealous with Fernando Alonso as he hit him and then stuck him onto the grass coming onto the Hangar straight. Massa had a puncture and limped back to the pits. Jenson Button made places through the lap and jumped to 8th.

Webber was pulling away bit by bit from Hamilton while another quick starter, Robert Kubica, was holding the field up. Another surprise though was the tyres. Usually it is a case of pitting and getting a quick lap in but perhaps with the slower pace the tyres were retaining performance. Nico Rosberg and Button were especially able to stay out and make progress. Ferrari's day then got worse as Alonso made a move on Kubica into Vale. Alonso took to the run off and cut the corner but maintained position. Both drivers pleaded their respective cases on the radio and Charlie Whiting ordered Alonso to let Kubica back through. However the Polish driver had a differential problem so was slowing towards retirement. Instead of losing the position and a few seconds, Alonso had a drive through penalty. The negative effect of this was compounded when the safety car was deployed soon after.

Adrian Sutil tagged the back of Pedro de la Rosa down the main straight in attempting to overtake. The Sauber lost pieces there and down Hangar straight. This threw Vettel a lifeline. It appeared he was driving conservatively early on. Perhaps the thinking was that they weren't going to score and should save the car for a situation like this. On the resumption of racing he was on the attack and made several moves, including on Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, Michael Schumacher and eventually on Adrian Sutil by barging past his fellow countryman which left the Force India driver unimpressed.

A miserable and pointless weekend for Ferrari was completed by a spin for Massa and a puncture for Alonso from contact with Vitantonio Liuzzi. I felt Massa was a bit wild on the opening lap. I think Alonso was unlucky the way the penalty situation played out. By staying ahead of Kubica, he took a calculated risk that he would get away with the overtake. He should have let the Renault back in front as he only got passed by cuting the corner. In a way this shows the pressure that the Spaniard is under and perhaps his decision making was affected by this. We seen something similiar in the French grand prix 2 years ago when Hamilton after a DNF and starting near the back performed a similiar move on Vettel and ended up losing out more than if he had yielded earlier.

Webber had a great turn of pace as the fuel levels dropped and he cruised home to take victory. The post race antics were perhaps more interesting as he told Christian Horner that he hadn't done 'bad for a number 2 driver'. He then said afterwards in the press conference that he wouldn't have signed his contract extension if he knew that a situation like yesterday had occurred and wants talks with the management tomorrow. The media love this kind of thing and making the most of it but Red Bull brought it on themselves with the front wing decision.

So we move onto a double header in 2 weeks and i'm really looking forward to Germany, a track which is really well designed and usually produces plenty of overtaking and action so it should produce more good racing. The Silverstone layout produced more action than i thought it would, particularly Brooklands which i thought would be too quick but the long straight really helped so that was good. Red Bull have their internal issues, McLaren need the new package working quickly and Ferrari need to produce their best. Can Alonso show the spirit and fight of 2006? Roll on 2 weeks

Vettel wings pole position

Red Bull did what most expected them to do and took another crushing Saturday victory as Sebastian Vettel took pole position with Mark Webber again pipped into 2nd. The Australian was unhappy afterwards after it turned out that the new front wing on his car was given to his team mate after Vettel had problems in practice. Coming into Abbey the wing on the German's car came loose. Red Bull only had 2 with them so decided, based on practice times and championship standings which Vettel has the edge in both, to give the Valencia race winner the remaining new front wing. This will do little to dispel the feelings amongst some that Vettel is the favoured driver within the team. Fernando Alonso was 3rd but over half a second off pole while Lewis Hamilton declared himself delighted to have hauled his McLaren to 4th after a difficult day. Nico Rosberg was an impressive 5th, well ahead of Michael Schumacher who was 10th. Robert Kubica put his Renault 6th ahead of Felipe Massa. Rubens Barrichello continued the Williams improvement in 8th and Pedro de La Rosa was a surprise 9th.

It was a terrible qualifying for reigning world champion who ended up 14th and described his car as undrivable after feeling good in the morning. Conditions and particularly the wind was quite changable. Add in the lack of setup time and disruptive changes McLaren have had this weekend and it is perhaps not surprisng that Button, who is certainly somebody who really needs the car working to get the best out of his package, struggled to make a positive impression. He will need to pull something special off to get a good result tomorrow and it may well be a case of damage limitation.

Another man to watch out for early on is Vitantonio Liuzzi who qualified 15th but will start 20th after being penalised for what was a clear block of Nico Hulkenberg in the Becketts section. Toro Rosso were fined for a unsafe release when Jaime Alguersuari came out in front of another car. He was the main victim of Q1 while Lotus were still best of the new teams though Virgin's updates have brought them closer. HRT take up the back row with Sakon Yamamoto 4 tenths off Karun Chandhok. Will he be able to see the 52 laps out tomorrow?

Red Bull look set for a dominating display but it has looked that way before and they have failed to deliver. On a track like this, they really need to maximise the opprtunity before them. They did dominate Barcelona qualifying and Hamilton kept in Vettel's wheel tracks on raceday. Fernando Alonso will really want to get the jump on Webber at the start and the Australian will not want a repeat of his Valencia nightmare where he lost 7 positions on the opening lap. Everybody is on the soft tyre in the top ten so expect the usual early stop when there is a gap to drop into. This may differ with a safety car but they are pretty rare for Silverstone though not improbable. It could be a key swing in the championship. Can Sebastian Vettel make it 2 wins in a row. Will Jenson Button be able to charge through the field? What colour of trousers will Eddie Jordan wear on the BBC tomorrow? All will be revealed tomorrow, race start is 1pm BST

Silverstone sizzles as Senna sits on the sidelines

A sun drenched day in Northamptonshire saw an incredible 85,000 people take to the revamped Silverstone venue. McLaren had much of the support in the stands but were left with many issues as they struggled to optimise their new package while Red Bull looked strongest on a track that should be ideal for the RB6. Mark Webber ended the day on top after Sebastian Vettel led the first session. It wasn't all perfect for the Australian though as he suffered an electrical problem late in the afternoon. McLaren were off the pace and Lewis Hamilton had many trips off the circuit. He struggled particularly at the new Abbey corner, which was quite bumpy and there were lots of drivers going wide there as well as the slow speed loop section. This should be easier as the track, which started dusty, improves but the Abbey bump will remain and nailing it in Q3 will be key in the battle for pole position tomorrow.

Breaking news tonight is that McLaren will not run their new exhaust system for the rest of the weekend and that the previous spec version will be on their car for the remainder of the weekend. It a real hit to threir hopes of home glory this weekend. It looks like it should be a Red Bull domination if we have a 'normal' race. Ferrari will have blown exhausts and F-Ducts on their cars and will hope they can show the strong pace that they believe they had in Valencia but were unable to display. Mercedes had a decent run aswell though they have tended to run well on Fridays before slipping down the order. Force India seem to benefit from their SRW, especially Adrian Sutil and Williams also looked strong as they look to built on their great result in Valencia. Vitaly Petrov will be keen to be in the fight for Q3 as rumours that Kimi Raikkonen, who had a big crash in the WRC today, could replace him next year.

Virgin and Lotus both had good days with major new developments for their cars. Lotus had reliabilty issues throughout the day though, including engine and power steering problems. A lot of attention was on HRT. They dropped Bruno Senna on Thursday evening and replaced him with Sakon Yamamoto who has raced 14 times in F1 with Super Aguri and Spkyer. It seem that it was a money issue but the team announced that Senna was still part of the team. It is a bit of a mystery and a real shame for the Brazilian. He seemed unaware as the news was breaking, tweeting about going around the track with Karun Chandhok. His F1 future is certainly under some doubt for now.

So it looks set to be another Vettel/Webber battle for pole. With rain unlikely for Saturday or Sunday, the Red Bull team will feel confident of a 1-2. However this season has produced enough twists and turns to make assumptions foolish. Ferrari and McLaren will want to get amongst the action and the modfield battle will be fierce. The new layout is testing for the drivers so producing when it counts will be vital. Qualifying starts at 1pm tomorrow.

Vettel delivers the goods at the docks

Red Bull restored the Saturday order in the docks of Valencia this afternoon as Sebastian Vettel took his 4th pole position of the 2010 season. Much of the weekend running has seen the spotlight on what others were doing to bring themselves up to the pace of the RB6 but in what was an extremely close qualifying on a track that takes over 95 seconds to lap, it was the Austrian team that produced when it counts as Mark Webber made it a 1-2. Lewis Hamilton can count himself a tad fortunate to be third after a massive slide under braking cost him the chance to improve on his final lap. His rivals couldn't take advantage though. Stefano Domencali felt Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa did not get the perfect lap in but the Spaniard said he had made no mistakes. The local favourite looked disapponted afterwards, he was probably hoping for more from his revised car.

Image courtesy of www.mclaren.com

Robert Kubica was 6th for Renault. He was a dark horse for the front rows of the grid after strong practice form but couldn't quite repeat his Monaco performance on the Spanish streets. He remarked that the car was working better on the hard tyres but that he opted for the softer rubber in Q3 as it was a better strategic option for the race. World champion Jenson Button was 7th after locking up coming into the final corner. Williams had an impressive showing, getting both cars into Q3 for the first time since Malaysia. Both drivers set identical times but it was Nico Hulkenberg who took 8th on virtue of setting his time first. The German's performance is even more impressive when you consider that he could not run the F-Duct on his car as his longer legs made it awkward to operate. Rubens Barrichello also had problems adjusting the brake balance as his knee was getting in the way. Vitaly Petrov had a solid afternoon, finishing 10th.

Image courtesy of www.renaultf1.com

Not all the Germans were having a good day. Mercedes qualifying efforts were finished by Q2 with Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher 12th and 15th. Schumacher needed a late lap to get into Q2 and had steering issues which may have hindered him. Rosberg has scored in both his visits to Valencia and even topped free practice 1. The big question is why the team have fallen behind despite new updates to the car. There seems to be fundamental issues that are hard to overcome and making it difficult to get the car competing at the front. The car is no disaster, it has scored podiums in the hands of Rosberg but is a major disappointment after the championship winning car of 2009. This years car seems a revoluion though, certainly on the outside with the Red Bull dip nose. Weight distribution and the narrow front tyres were areas which caught the team out and changes in Barcelona helped but have not totally recitfied the situation and Mercedes may now decide to shift focus to 2011 where the return of KERS could be a boost to them.

Image courtesy of www.mercedes-gp.com

It was also a disappointment for Force India, especially after confidence that they had got their switchable rear wing working to it's full potential. Kamui Kobayashi was the main Q1 casualty for the second qualifying in a row. In the new team battle, Lotus, who are conversely celebrating 500 races, were top but it was Jarno Trulli who led the charge. The Italian declared himself happy with his new chassis. It was also a good day for Lucas Di Grassi who outqualified Timo Glock for the first time. The German lost 6 tenths after going wide at the final corner. The 107% rule is returning for 2011 but if implemented today would have seen no drivers failing to make the race.

Image courtesy of www.forceindiaf1.com

So an exciting qualifying but perhaps a calmer race in store. The start and pitstops will likely influence the order. Hamilton will fancy taking advantage of the clean inside line to take Webber who may need to be on the defensive. If he can get between the Red Bull's then he will have a chnace of jumping Vettel at the stops. There was 11 cars out in the first 4 corners in the GP2 race earlier but expect the F1 men to be better behaved. Most drivers are likely to 1 stop and the soft tyre are holding up ok so the key will be getting back out into clear space to maximise pace on the out lap. The Valencia pitlane is the shortest on the calendar so this opportunity may present itself early on to the leaders. It might lack the action of Canada but it should be another close battle in this tight championship. The race starts at 1pm BST and UK viewers should note that the BBC race coverage is on BBC2. Check my twitter page for race updates and back here for post race analysis.