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!

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.

2011 driver market: Renault seat the key

After 2010 gave us the potential of some great driver pairings which have been a fascinating element of the season it looks a fairly stable market for 2011. It will be the midfield where the main changes could be...

Key
Confirmed
Almost certain
Maybe
Outside chance

McLaren

Jenson Button
Lewis Hamilton

Both British drivers are under contract until 2012 and the team have been happy with the way both have performed and the partnership seems to have been managed well and been a success.

Mercedes GP

Michael Schumacher
Nico Rosberg

Both drivers have been confirmed by Ross Brawn for 2011 though there has been a recent swirl of rumours saying that Schumacher could walk away from F1. I'll put him as confirmed because that is what Ross said last weekend and he does seem committed to me as well as looking at this project as a long term one. Adrian Sutil has been talking to the team though...

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel
Mark Webber

Another front runner who have secured their drivers for another season. Some feel that Webber could walk away if he took the title and after some of the tension of this season but i think he will honour his contract for 2011.

Ferrari

Felipe Massa
Fernando Alonso

Massa got a 2 year renewal earlier this season. Robert Kubica has been linked with the seat and is believed to be well admired within Ferrari but whether him and Alonso would be a good pairing for the team remains to be seen.

Williams

Rubens Barrichello
Nico Hukenberg

Barrichello is virtually guaranteed a 19th season in the sport and Hulkenberg is close to securing another season so expect a confirmation of both seats soon.

Renault

Robert Kubica
Vitaly Petrov
Adrian Sutil
Romain Grosjean
Kimi Raikkonen
Timo Glock
Heikki Kovalainen

Robert Kubica has signed a two year deal with the team but the other Renault seat is the most sought after in F1. Vitaly Petrov is the current occupant and his rookie season has seen flashes of brilliance tempered by unforced errors. Adrian Sutil is a likely candidate to replace him with the German putting in consistent performances at Force India this season. Romain Grosjean endured a nightmare few races for Renault last season but is now driving for their associate team in GP2 and is still considered as a potential talent so could yet make a surprise return. He is also set to test for Pirelli which is a useful thing to have on his CV.

Kimi Raikkonen has enquired about a seat but staying in rallying remains the more likely career option for the 2007 world champion. Timo Glock and Heikki Kovalainen both look set to stay with their current teams. The German turned down an opportunity at Renault last year.

Force India

Adrian Sutil
Vitantonio Liuzzi
Paul di Resta
Karun Chandhok

It could be all change for Force India. The team has outperformed expectations but has hit a blip recently. Adrian Sutil may feel he needs to move to progress whilst Vitantonio Liuzzi's performances have frustrated the team. Paul di Resta has driven some practice sessions on Fridays and seems well placed to get an opportunity with the team. If both current drivers are out in 2011, then Indian Karun Chandhok may get an opportunity to drive for Vijay Mallya's team.

Toro Rosso

Sebastien Buemi
Jaime Alguersuari

Both men get another season to impress and will want to do just that with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo making their way through with Red Bull backing.

Lotus

Heikki Kovalainen
Jarno Trulli
Vitaly Petrov

Kovalainen seems happy with the team and will probably stay onboard. Trulli has made it clear he is still motivated to continue racing. A Renault deal is expected to be announced soon and rumours have linked Petrov with being part of that but i think Lotus will stick with what they have for 2011.

Hispania Racing

Bruno Senna
Sakon Yamamoto
Christian Klien
Karun Chandhok
Jacques Villeneuve

It is hard to know what will happen with this team, let alone the drivers! All four currently with the team will likely consider the team. It may not seem a competitive option but it could be the only one available for some of them. Jacques Villeneuve missed out on getting an entry for 2011 with Durango but could yet look to buyout Hispania in order to make the grid and he would likely drive one of the cars if he was successful.

Sauber

Kamui Kobayashi
Nick Heidfeld
Pastor Maldonado
Sergio Perez
Jules Bianchi

Kamui Kobayashi has been confirmed but the other seat remains wide open. Nick Heidfeld has replaced Pedro de la Rosa for the rest of the season so will hope to do enough to keep with the team for 2011. If not, then a number of GP2 drivers, including champion Pastor Maldonado and young hopefuls Sergio Perez and Jules Bianchi could get an opportunity. It would mean a very inexperienced line up for the team, though this has not deterred Peter Sauber in the past. Ferrari link up may see Bianchi get at least a reserve driver role.

Virgin Racing

Timo Glock
Lucas di Grassi
Pastor Maldonado

John Booth recently was confident when he said that he would retain his drivers for next season. di Grassi will be happy enough with that. For Glock he would likely prefer to get a better drive but also seems positive that things will be better for the team in 2011 so the German will most likely stay on.

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

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

Red Bull flex their muscles

It was a clear and sunny day in Budapest and the picture on the track was pretty easy to see as well. After the blip of being outpaced by Ferrari five days ago, Red Bull dominated the practice running with Sebastian Vettel finishing the afternoon half a second clear of Fernando Alonso. Indeed the Spaniard and Ferrari look to the only challengers to Vettel and Mark Webber. McLaren were well off the pace and seem to have Renault for company. There was plenty of support for Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov in this 'Eastern European' grand prix and both men were quick as the twisty nature of the Hungaroring seem to suit the short wheel base of the R30.

Another prevalent issue is traffic. It was seen last weekend in the battle between the Ferrari's. Although the lap here is about six seconds longer than Germany, the flowing nature of the circuit means it can be hard for slow cars to get out of the way immediately when caught in a sequence of corners. We could well see some controversy on Sunday regarding that. Concrete on the outside of kerbs was also an issue. Charlie Whiting examined the final corner between sessions and Fernando Alonso also lifted a chunk with his diffuser at turn 9.

The main technical innovation under scrutiny is the flexible front wing which Ferrari and Red Bull. All wings are tested by the FIA with load tests and have to be within a certain threshold or are else deemed illegal. It seems that the two teams have created a wing that can flex but work in such a way that passes the FIA tests. Analysis on the practice coverage earlier showed how the Red Bull front wing was dropping really low on the straight, even seemingly scraping the ground. The Ferrari wing was also dropping but not as much whereas the McLaren wing was maintaining its position. They will be desperate to implement it on their car soon but it will take more than this component alone to bridge the gap to Red Bull, who look very strong for a victorious Sunday