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

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)

Pastor to bring his word to F1 with Williams?

The Belgian Grand Prix in 2008 was one of the greatest and most controversial of recent years after Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen went wheel to wheel on a dampening track with the Finn crashing out and the Englishman demoted to third after a post race penalty. However earlier that day a man from Venezuela in South America by the name of Pastor Maldonado was celebrating a second win in GP2 after coming through from 6th to pass Belgian Jerome D'Ambrosio on the final with a stunning move on the outside down Kemmel straight into Les Combes. It was the second victory in GP2 for Maldonado but it has been his 4th year in the series where he has finally shone through. He has always been a quick and feisty competitor but 2010 has seen a more consistent side to his performances and he sealed the title last month at Monza, fending off new Sauber signing Sergio Perez

The Venezuelan's career has been a tale of ups and downs from a test with Minardi when he was just 19 to a multiple race ban for injuring a steward and a broken collarbone sustained in training three years ago but now as GP2 champion he finds himself on the cusp of the ultimate stage of Formula 1. His situation is comparable with the one Vitaly Petrov found himself 12 months ago. The Russian had cemented a decent reputation in GP2 and had significant financial backing from his homeland. At the time, Renault had been hit by several sponsors leaving the team in the wake of crashgate and needed a boost, both in morale and in finance. A seat was open and Petrov managed to take advantage and land himself a F1 opportunity.

This season has seen a pretty stable driver market and with GP2 rival Sergio Perez taking a potential seat at Sauber, things were looking pretty bleak. However what looked like a unchanged pairing at Williams has been cast into more and more doubt in recent weeks with senior personnel at the team talking about losing major sponsors at the end of the year and how the driver situation is still unresolved. It appears Nico Hulkenberg could find himself out of a seat. I feel the rookie has done well this season, improving throughout the year and competing well against Rubens Barrichello. The problem is he may need to bring some money to the team to keep his seat and with 6 other Germans currently on the grid this is quite a difficult task. Contrast that with Maldonado, who is a national hero in his native land and has plenty of backing from government authorities and businesses.

Now don't get me wrong, Maldonado is a capable guy and not just buying a seat. What these finances could do though is propel him from starting out at the bottom to coming into a team like Williams who have been regular points finishers in the second half of the season. It means more expectation but i am sure the 25 year old would take that for the opportunity to better show his ability and go up against a grand prix winner like Barrichello. It also could send a further shake up into the driver market. Hulkenberg could look at Renault and Force India as options if he is forced out. Another element of this is if Renault drop Petrov, the Russians backing may be an alternative option for Williams to consider. The Venezuelan media seem almost sure that their man is in for next year and while this should be taken with caution as it could be their desperation to see Maldonando make F1 seeping through, it certainly seems plausible and is definitely something to watch as teams finalise their drivers for 2011.

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.

Vettel dominates as rookies shine

Red Bull were in their own battle for pole position today and Sebastian Vettel was supreme. He took pole position with ease with Mark Webber 4 tenths down in 2nd. The Australian was still three quarters of a second clear of Fernando Alonso. I think a good way of expressing the dominance Red Bull had is the reaction of BBC commentator during Q2 when he realised that Webber was upshifting through the challenging turn 11 whereas everybody else was downshifting. Felipe Massa was 4th and championship leader Lewis Hamilton was 5th. It was not so great for his team mate Jenson Button who went out in Q2 and will start 11th. He complained that he couldn't find a good balance in his car.

Pedro de la Rosa had a brilliant session, coming 8th on a twisty track with the longest wheelbase on the grid was a great effort from the Spaniard who had a personal best result of 2nd here in 2006. It was not such a good day for Kamui Kobayashi. He has showed glimpses of brilliance this season but a third Q1 exit of the season was not one of them. He was held up by Bruuno Senna on his last lap. Two other rookies though put in very impressive performances. Vitaly Petrov outqualified Robert Kubica as the two Eastern European drivers filled the 4th row. What the Russian nears to do is translate this excellent Saturday into good points tomorrow. Failure to do so puts his seat for 2011 in more jeopardy. Nico Hulkenberg pulled out a late flyer to make Q3 and qualify 10th, two places ahead of Rubens Barrichello.

McLaren and Mercedes asked for a clarification on the flexible front wings on the Red Bull and Ferrari cars after qualifying and the FIA have been examining them. They could deem them illegal but this is unlikely. What may happen is the tests applied to the wings are altered so that any loopholes being exposed are closed off. More information may emerge in the morning. The key really for the Red Bull drivers is the start. Vettel will want a smooth getaway after poor starts at Silverstone and Hockenheim. Webber will be concerned that on the dirty side of the grid he could be under threat from Alonso. If they can maintain a 1-2 then it should be comfortable for them. Their race pace isn't at the same level as their qualifying pace but they'll have more than enough to win. The Hungaroring can bite though, 70 laps int he heat could yet yield some unexpected drama. Just ask Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa from 2008. Race start is at 1pm BST