In this piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. After a four-week summer break, the F1 fraternity gathered at the awesome Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. With the unpredictable weather element added in, this was always going to be a fantastic weekend and so it proved out to be. Here is a round-up of round thirteen, which turned out to be unlucky for some and very lucky for others.
Lewis Hamilton – Is He Champion Elect Again?
If Lewis Hamilton lacked a fair degree of luck at the start of the season, he has it in abundance at Spa. After the debacle of Hungary, when despite his best efforts, he was nearly two seconds off the pace, Belgium saw the tide turn his way again. Firstly, his team-mate Jenson Button crashed out of the race through no fault of his own and with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel not scoring either, he managed to inflict major damage on all three of their championship ambitions. Secondly, he escaped from a trip into the gravel at Rivage on Lap 34. Two years ago, Hamilton would have beached his McLaren in those scenarios, but he gently kissed the barrier and continued as if nothing had happened. Lewis is driving out of his skin in 2010, and is warming to the hearts of many for his skill and bravery in a car that simply isn’t fast enough to win the championship. He dominated the race on Sunday, and at the moment, I would put smart money on him becoming champion again.
Sebastian Vettel – Another Rash Move!
Jenson Button has called it ‘weird,’ Martin Whitmarsh has described him as a ‘crash kid,’ and no wonder. Sunday was a day to forget for Sebastian Vettel, with another rash move which he is starting to gain a reputation for. He drove into Mark Webber in Turkey, smashed into Adrian Sutil’s sidepod in Silverstone and got away with it, and failed unsuccessfully to smack Fernando Alonso into the pitwall seconds after the start of the German Grand Prix. His move on Button in Sunday’s race was not deliberate, but he certainly could have avoided the contact which smashed the world champion’s radiator. He deserved his drive-through, and when he was left driving around for a lap with a puncture, after being hit by Vitantonio Liuzzi, I don’t think many had much sympathy for him. Vettel may have all the talent in the world, but if he keeps repeating the same mistakes, he may never win a title. I certainly hope he doesn’t win the championship this year, because he has made too many avoidable errors.
The Weather – Spa’s Usual Unpredictability
When F1 turns up at Spa, it is always going to throw up a cocktail of the unpredictable as far as the weather goes. Spa’s unique microclimate produced again in 2010, with qualifying and the race turning into desperate lottery scrambles. Q1 on Saturday looked more like a wild episode of ‘Wacky Races,’ rather than an F1 session, with cars spinning left, right and centre. Though it was a fairly familiar front order at the end of the session, Belgium had done its bit and it did on Sunday too, with brief showers at the start and the end of the race. Driver skill and keeping your nerve was the ultimate winner in this traditional Belgian battle with the elements.
Mark Webber – The New No.1 at Red Bull?
Yesterday, Mark Webber called for No.1 status at Red Bull Racing. He is unlikely to earn this, especially because of their unrequited love for Sebastian Vettel. However, the Aussie is the team’s best championship bet. Since the Silverstone saga over the front wing issue, Webber has knuckled down and is driving even better than before. Having made a shocking start, due to a dragging clutch and throwing away pole, Mark put in a measured and controlled drive to second spot on a track where Red Bull were never going to have the gulfing advantage they had at Barcelona and in Budapest. Whereas Vettel was hitting other cars once again, Webber was doing his usual trick of staying out of trouble and picking up the necessary points. Anymore errors from Seb and Christian Horner may have to bite his teeth and put all backing into Webber’s championship bid.
Rubens Barrichello – 300, but No Cake
Rubens Barrichello reached an amazing milestone at Spa, as he became the first driver to take part in 300 Grand Prix’s. After qualifying an excellent seventh and in the mixed conditions, I’m sure everyone was hoping that the popular Brazilian could record a brilliant result. Sadly, his race turned into a damp squib. Whilst defending from Nico Rosberg, Rubens got on the brakes way too late in the damp conditions, and gave Fernando Alonso a massive wallop at the Bus Stop chicane. Barrichello admitted his guilt afterwards; it was a sorry end to such a fantastic milestone. However, there is plenty of life left in Barrichello’s career and I’m sure he will make up for it between now and the end of the season.
Fernando Alonso – A Terminal Blow To His Maranello Dream?
Having topped the timesheets in both of Friday’s practice sessions, Fernando Alonso went into the rest of the weekend as the red-hot favourite for the Belgian Grand Prix. What happened next will remain a mystery? The team’s decision to leave Alonso on old rubber in Q3 and give Felipe Massa fresh tyres was staggering, considering that after Hockenheim, Alonso is their only driver in the team. Starting from 10th, Fernando’s race was always going to be compromised and when Barrichello clonked him on Lap One, leaving him with a puncture, that made things worse. The rest of his afternoon was full of bitter frustration and his lacklustre came to an end six laps from home, when struggling to keep up with Kamur Kobayashi’s Sauber, Alonso ran onto the wet kerbs at Malmady and slid into the tyres. Another costly error from the double world champion, and this mistake could well be the terminal blow to his distant dreams of winning the title in his maiden season with Maranello, like Kimi Raikkonen did in 2007.
Mercedes GP – Mixed Fortunes
It was another mixed weekend for Mercedes GP, though a double-points finish will at least ease some of the pressure on Ross Brawn and co. The team were on their backfoot from the outset of the meeting, with Michael Schumacher’s ten-place grid penalty for his vicious chop on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary, whilst a gearbox problem on Saturday morning for Nico Rosberg relegated him five spots. Starting from 14th and 21st respectively was always going to make things very tricky, but the race was a very solid affair. Despite nearly clashing twice, Rosberg and Schumacher impressed in the mixed conditions, without ever putting in anything starring. Sixth and seventh place results hint at minor progress, but Mercedes will need to do more, especially with a hungry Kubica and Renault breathing down on their necks for fourth place in the constructor’s championship.
Robert Kubica – Another Stunning Performance
Robert Kubica is a world-class driver and his performances in the 2010 Renault continue to get better and better. Although Hungary was a poor weekend by his high standards, Spa saw him challenging the frontrunners, on a track where I expected the team to really struggle. Renault introduced the f-duct device in Belgium, and it worked from the outset. Kubica was never outside the top five in any session all weekend and despite a fuel pressure issue, his third place on the grid was a genuinely outstanding effort. In the race, he stayed ahead of Mark Webber easily and only the dominant Hamilton had the measure of him. Had it not been for a costly error in the pits, overshooting his box whilst sorting out from steering wheel settings, second place was his. Nevertheless, the Pole’s pace was impressive throughout and third place was the least he deserved for his efforts. If Renault can continue this development rate, Kubica could be a major spoiler in the destiny of where this year’s champion will come from.
The New Teams – Best Weekend So Far
It was by far the best weekend of the season for the three new teams, Lotus, Virgin and Hispania. They were closer to the back of the midfield than they have been all season, with all three teams showing glimmers of hope for the future. Whilst Sauber messed up with their tyre choice and Vitaly Petrov crashed in Q1, Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock both put in excellent efforts to reach the second part of qualifying, whilst both Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto put in best qualifying performances of the season. In the race, the likes of Pedro de la Rosa and Sebastian Buemi were kept in touch with by Jarno Trulli and the experienced Italian would have finished as the best of the new teams, had it not been for a dramatic late spin. Lucas di Grassi beat Glock in the race, which will provide the Brazilian a much-needed confidence boost. Apart from a retirement from Senna early on, there was a load of positives to take from the Spa weekend for all three teams.
Sutil Shows the Force Is Fast
Force India were never likely to repeat their breathtaking 2009 weekend, when Giancarlo Fisichella grabbed a shock pole and finished a close 2nd in the race. However, Spa was always going to be one of their strongest tracks of the season and a double point’s finish will go down well with boss Vijay Mallya. Vitantonio Liuzzi earned his point in the stewards’ room, when Jaime Alguesuari was penalised for cutting a chicane, whilst defending from the Italian. However, Adrian Sutil was the star of the weekend as ever for the Silverstone based team. Eighth in qualifying was slightly disappointing for the German, but his race pace was sharp. He drove clean past Kamur Kobayashi, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, proving that with such a fast engine in the back, they could be even stronger at Monza in a fortnight’s time. Keeping Felipe Massa honest all afternoon showed how competitive Sutil was and fifth place was a fine reward for some fast speed and decisive overtaking. Monza could be even better for the team, if this evidence goes with the book.
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