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.

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

McLaren reign in Montreal mayhem

The Canadian Grand Prix lived up to the pre race billing and delivered another thrilling race in this superb 2010 season. Mclaren were in their rocket red again after another 1-2 with Lewis Hamilton's victory making him the fifth different leader of the driver standings this year. It was a race different to those before as we saw many 2 stop strategies due to the major graining that was expected with the soft tyres. So how did the McLaren duo and Fernando Alonso overcome starting on the soft tyres to beat the Red Bull's? Well, the predicted issues hit the soft tyre runners early and Hamilton and Alonso were both under attack when they ducked into the pits. Ferrari had a quicker stop and the 2 men who were team mates in 2007 were side by side out of the pits but Alonso got ahead. This was now the opportunity for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber to get the hammer down on the harder tyres. This was the reason for Red Bull choosing this option but the degradation was higher than expected as the heavy cars took their toll. Robert Kubica pitted on lap 10 and when the Red Bulls pitted they were back behind Alonso and the McLarens.

It was very topsy turvy and Sebastien Buemi even led a lap. As he fended off Alonso before stopping himself, Hamilton made a move at the final chicane. From then on the race between the top 5 really moved from driver to driver. Every time somebody pitted they lost track position but were able to make use of fresh tyres. It switched back to Mark Webber but he hadn't used the soft tyre yet. He was about 11 seconds ahead when he reported his tyres starting to go. 10 laps later on lap 49 he was caught and passed by Hamilton. He stayed out despite his slow pace to limit his running on the soft and he was still able to come out in 5th where he would have emerged even if he had pitted earlier. Vettel meanwhile dropped off the top 3 as he was nursing a gearbox oil leak. Webber had a new one fitted before the race. The front 3 had a long final stint but the track really improved through the race with few retirements meaning lots of cars on track. This cost Alonso when he lost momentum behind Chandhok and Button moved into second. The Spaniard also missed a chance to jump Hamilton in the stops after being stuck in traffic.

There was action galore in the midfield. Vitantonio Liuzzi pitched Felipe Massa into Jenson Button at turn 1 and the Force India and Ferrari continued to touch around turn 2 meaning both pitted at the end of the lap. Meanwhile Vitaly Petrov jumped the start then spun on the grass and swiped Pedro De La Rosa onto the grass even before the first corner. Michael Schumacher started his eventful afternoon by going in too fast and hitting Robert Kubica from behind. The pair then clashed again as Schumacher emerged from his first stop. The German forced Kubica onto the grass and both men went too deep into turn 3 and slight contact gave the Mercedes driver a puncture. This put him on the backfoot and he ended up doing a very long final stint on the soft tyres. Kubica meanwhile was passed by Sutil but the Pole wanted to pit and ducked past the Force India to make the pitlane. He clipped the rear of the German's car and punctured a tyre. Kubica was repimanded for the pitlane dive which was deemed dangerous.

Image courtesy of www.mercedes-gp.com

The final stages saw Schumacher under attack from former team mate Massa and the Brazilian was caught out by the German braking early for the final chicane on lap 64 and tagged the Mercedes who had drifted back across the track under braking in a move described by Martin Brundle as naughty. Schumacher banged wheels with Liuzzi on the final lap and was passed by the Italian and Sutil to finish pointless in 11th. I felt Schumacher drove very poorly yesterday. He didn't have a competitive car but that doesn't mean you can forget the rules of racing. He escaped any punishment but Jaime Alguersuari got a reprimand for an incident with Rubens Barichello which left the Williams driver needing a new front wing. The Brazilian became the first driver in F1 to complete 15,000 racing laps during the grand prix.

The championship looks likely to continue to be a thrilling battle with 3 teams and 5 drivers firmly in contention. I'll be looking at each of their prospects in the coming days before the European Grand Prix in Valencia in 2 weeks. McLaren have momentum and 2 drivers at the top of their game. Ferrari have a big update for Valencia and in Alonso have a man that would be hard to write off. Mark Webber is more consistent and still with the best car. Sebastian Vettel however seems frustrated. A lot of exchanges filled with anger were heard yesterday and his question about what the fastest lap was when he was nursing a gearbox leak displayed the character of the German. A driver who wants to drive on the limit every lap of every race. In this years formula though, that is not the winning formula. Vettel's annoyance is understandable after his early season problems which seen many points slip form his grasp. He now has real competition from Webber and the pack are chasing hard. This brilliant season could yet reach epic proportions.

Red Bull rule again as Mercedes mess up

Mark Webber produced a stunning lap to take Red Bull's 6th consecutive pole position of the season. The RB6's domination of qualifying hasn't been seen since Damon Hill, a steward this weekend, and Jaques Villeneuve in 1996 for Williams. Robert Kubica was P1 for most of Q3 after hustling his car for all its worth, running the barriers close to take a superb second ahead of Sebastian Vettel. Team mate Vitaly Petrov got too close, bashing the armco at Ste Devote and he will start 14th. Felipe Massa was 4th which was disappointing after hopes of making the front row. The Brazilian was also fortunate to escape punishment after blocking Jenson Button in Q3 though he claimed he was backed up as well. Fernando Alonso didn't even take part in the session after badly damaging his car in practice. He locked up at Massenet and hit the barrier at 90km/h. He will start from the pitlane tomorrow.

Lewis Hamilton seem content with 5th but Jenson Button struggled, scraping through Q2 and only managing 8th. The top ten will all start on the soft compound but Button seem to rue not going for the harder compound which would have allowed him to run a long first stint. Button seemed to be overruled by his engineer on this decision. Mercedes German duo split the McLarens but it was a case of an opprtunity missed for the Silver Arrows. Rosberg was fuming after the session, blaming traffic and mistakes for not repeating his Q2 performance when he went quickest. Schumacher meanwhile said that he was held up by 1 car which was Rosberg's! Ross Brawn admitted that the team had messed up and a lack of communication was to blame for Schumacher being blocked. Vitantonio Liuzzi produced a much needed strong showing, joining Rubens Barichello in the top ten.

The much vaunted traffic problems did not come to that much after all the talk about the potential issues. Alonso's crash (see below) lessened the possibility of someone becoming a major scalp though Heikki Kovalainen tryed his best, lapping strongly and becoming the first team mate to beat Jarno Trulli in Monaco qualifying. The Finn had 2 spins as well in pursuit of Q2 but avoided the barriers. The Virgin's and HRT'S are in 20th to 23rd but they will have the prancing horse of Alonso in their mirrors early on. Perhaps a chance to gain some TV coverage like Enrique Bernoldi did in the Arrows aginst David Coulthard in 2001.

The grid is an intriguing one and Kubica will hope he doesn't suffer the fate of Kimi Raikkonen in the last 2 seasons in dropping to third at the start. Can Button recover a poor qualifying session and use his capability of tyre conservation to move up the order? We also can look forward to seeing what Alonso can manage from last place. The tyres will be key with most drivers having put their tyres through 4 laps already. The super soft tyres grained badly inside the opening 10 laps last season. This years tyres are harder but coping with that, along with getting out in clear space will be vital to success. A safety car deployment could also throw a curveball in the mix. If we have one around the 10 lap mark, the top ten may pit and try and run to the end. Depending on the field spread, some of the midfield could get amongst the front runners and be able to run long into the race. Though it has to be mentioned that the marshalls have been superb this weekend and despite numerous incidents, there has been no stoppages in any of the sessions. It will be a long afternoon in Monte Carlo but hopefully an exciting one. The Monaco Grand Prix starts at 1pm BST. Follow me on Twitter for my thoughts during the race with my views later on the blog. Enjoy the race