2010 Spanish Grand Prix - Untouchable Webber Produces Classy Win

Australian Mark Webber took full advantage of Red Bull’s Racing clear car advantage, to deliver a dominant victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.  After the excitement of the races abroad, Formula 1’s return to Europe brought its usual Spanish procession, which lacked the drama in Barcelona, on a circuit which all the Grand Prix teams know via the back of their hands.  That won’t bother Webber though, who produced an untouchable lights-to-flag drive, which puts him firmly back in the title hunt.

Having started from pole, most pundits and fans were predicting a Red Bull cruise into the distance, and that is exactly what Webber delivered.  However, his team-mate Sebastian Vettel wasn’t so lucky, as he had a dodgy pitstop, which cost him second place to the prudent Lewis Hamilton, then had to make another stop in the closing stages, to sort out a loose rear wheel.  Even then, his problems weren’t finished, as his brakes were very critical and on the verge of destroying.  Fortunately, he limped home like in Bahrain to get some crucial points and he received an added bonus in the dying stages.  With two laps to go, Hamilton was robbed of a deserved 2^nd spot, when a left-front tyre exploded on his McLaren, going through the flat-out Turn 3 on the Circuit de Catalunya.  Lewis was powerless to stop the impact with the barriers, which left him in the tyres and helped his arch nemesis, Fernando Alonso into second spot.

Beginning from 4^th spot, Alonso had a solid race, keeping in touch with the leaders, and he benefited massively from the problems of his rivals.  To the delight of his home crowd, he brought his Ferrari home to get in between the dominant, though not yet invincible Red Bull’s.  However, Ferrari will need to increase their development rate, if they are to harbour any thoughts of a strong championship challenge.  At least Alonso cut Jenson Button’s points lead to a meagre three points, as the world champion produced a poor drive to 5^th, over a minute behind Webber.  Button’s race was badly compromised behind Michael Schumacher, as the seven-time champion made a return to some form, with a good result to 4^th.  However, his defensive tactics, severely criticised by Button afterwards suggest that Mercedes have gone backwards, not forwards with their new aerodynamic package.  Team-mate Nico Rosberg had a nightmare weekend, being outqualified by Schumacher for the first time in 2010, then being squeezed onto the grass at the start by Robert Kubica’s Renault.  A terrible pitstop, brake concerns and a frustrating race in traffic, particularly behind Nico Hulkenberg’s sluggish Williams left Nico stranded in 13^th, his first blank of the championship.

Felipe Massa had a very lacklustre weekend again, almost unheard of on his way to 6^th place, his main highlight saw a brief brush with backmarker Karun Chandok which damaged his front wing.  Chandok had another incident later on with Jaime Alguesuari, which removed the angry Indian from the race, and earned Alguesuari a drive-through penalty.  Nevertheless, homeboy Alguesuari produced another sterling drive to score another point for Toro Rosso, whilst team-mate Sebastian Buemi continues to suffer, connecting on lap one with the other Spaniard in the field, Pedro de la Rosa, then retiring later on due to hydraulic traumas.

Adrian Sutil produced another consistent drive for Force India, earning an excellent 7^th place, holding off a late charge from Kubica, who bagged 8^th on a difficult weekend for Renault.  Despite qualifying back in a woeful 17^th, Rubens Barrichello showed his crafty experience to bring home two points for Williams in 9^th, leaving Hulkenberg at sea in 15^th, despite the young German outqualifying him by five spots.  Lastly, Virgin Racing earned their first double finish through Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, though it was Lotus’s Jarno Trulli who triumphed in the Class B scrap, between the new teams.

There isn’t long for Mark Webber to celebrate, as the team’s head quickly off to the glamorous principality of Monaco, but off the back of such an untouchable weekend, he has thrown his name back into the mix, and given Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and the rest something to think about….F1 2010 is boiling up very nicely indeed.