2011 Belgian Grand Prix - Super Seb takes a step closer

TOP: Vettel was in impeccable form again at Spa

DESPITE concerns with blistering tyres, Sebastian Vettel took a giant step closer towards a successful defence of his world championship title today.  The young German won the Belgian Grand Prix at the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit to record his first win since success in Valencia over two months ago.  It was a drive full of control and confidence, on a day where his rivals made mistakes and failed to take opportunities of a rare Red Bull weakness.

     Formula One made a welcome return from its summer break with a dramatic qualifying session on a damp track.  Before the race had begun, the paddock was still talking about the incident at the end of Q2 yesterday between Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado, when the Williams driver seemed to make a deliberate attempt to take Hamilton out of qualifying altogether.  Dangerous it certainly was and Maldonado was given a five place grid penalty for his actions.  However, Red Bull had more pressing concerns, when tyre manufacturer Pirelli came to them at around 5pm yesterday, claiming that the super soft tyres their cars had qualified on were close to structural failure.  After rival teams rejected a request from the constructor leaders to change their tyres, the concern on the faces of Adrian Newey and Christian Horner could be evident before the start of the race.

     It got worse for Red Bull when Mark Webber made his customary shocking start.  Just like last year, the Australian’s anti-stall mode kicked in and he was swallowed up by the front pack.  Vettel led into the first corner, but was overhauled by the time the cars got to Les Combes by the fast-starting Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes.  Behind them, chaos ensured at one of the trickiest first corners in Grand Prix racing.  In his first start for nearly a year, Bruno Senna misjudged his braking capacity and smashed into Jaime Alguesuari’s Toro Rosso.  The contact rebounded Alguesuari into Fernando Alonso and whilst the senior Spaniard got away with the impact, his compatriot was out with broken front suspension.  Further back, Timo Glock’s ambition got the better of him, as he slid into the side of Paul di Resta’s Force India.  The resultant concertina saw di Resta take a bite out of Jenson Button’s rear wing, whilst the two Lotus cars of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen also got into an unfortunate tangle.  Button was lucky to escape injury as debris from Senna’s damaged front wing removed his right-hand mirror and lodged into his front wing.  After McLaren messed up his qualifying effort yesterday, it looked like he had another major fightback on his hands.

     Vettel drove back past Rosberg as soon as the DRS was activated, but soon pitted, as did his team-mate to get rid of the iffy tyres.  Button soon followed, though that was for the cosmetic repairs that he needed from the first corner skirmish.  Rosberg regained the lead, but was soon passed by the recovering Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.  On lap 8, Alonso and Webber showed their massive respect for one another, as the 35-year old Aussie produced great bravery to pass Alonso on the inside of the 185mph flat-out Eau Rouge kink.  This sort of stuff is why he has re-signed with Red Bull Racing for the 2012 season.  

MESSY: Hamilton's crash ended another disappointing day

     Five laps later, Hamilton’s dramatic weekend took a turn for the worse when he was pitched into the barriers by the Sauber of Kamur Kobayashi.  Hamilton had just passed Kobayashi and went to defend the Japanese driver from an immediate attack.  However, he moved across too soon before he was a car length infront of the Sauber.  The inevitable contact had Hamilton heading straight for the barriers.  He sounded rather dejected in interviews afterwards following another trying weekend which ended in grave disappointment.

     The safety car was deployed to clear away the wrecked McLaren and Vettel pitted for another stop, whilst Alonso and Webber elected to take track position, rather than pit.  Felipe Massa had moved upto fourth ahead of Rosberg, but was passed immediately on the restart by the fired up German.  Within two laps of the restart, Vettel was back infront and took command of the race from there.  Alonso looked good for second, but struggled for pace on the medium compound tyre and he was no match for Webber, who stormed past again with ten laps to go, far more comfortable on the same rubber.  Meanwhile, Button had produced an ultimate masterclass in how to overtake and with only three laps to go, passed Alonso with ease to take the final podium place.  Having been as low as 19^th, it was another great fightback.  However, no-one could stop Vettel, who cruised home to his first victory at Spa, on a circuit which was meant to be one of Red Bull’s weaker circuits in the final races.

    Behind Webber, Button and Alonso, Michael Schumacher produced one of his best races of the season to finish fifth.  It was a remarkable feat, having started last after a wheel fell off in the early stages of qualifying yesterday.  This is a special result on a special weekend for the great German, who was celebrating his 20^th anniversary of his F1 debut in a Jordan.  After a promising start, Rosberg had to settle for sixth, as he was hobbled by fuel consumption concerns like he was in China.  Adrian Sutil earnt some more strong points for Force India in seventh, whilst Massa could only manage eighth, as he had to make an extra unscheduled stop to replace a punctured tyre.  Vitaly Petrov and Maldonado completed the points scorers, with the latter scoring his first ever championship point and probably adding insult to injury on Hamilton’s dark mood following his hooligan antics 24 hours earlier.  After his delay, Senna had to settle for 13^th in his first drive for Renault, while di Resta narrowly missed out on points in 11^th. 

     With a 95 point lead, Sebastian Vettel has ended his summer drought and it is now not a question of if, but when he seals his second world championship.  He could take a massive step forward at Monza; the final European event of the season in a fortnight’s time.

2010 Belgian Grand Prix - The Conclusions

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 10^th, 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 14^th and 21^st 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 2^nd 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.

2010 Belgian Grand Prix - Lucky Lewis Survives Gravel Scare To Win Magical Spa Race

Lewis Hamilton produced the perfect response from his Hungary disappointment to win the Belgian Grand Prix today, on the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit.  The Brit regained the championship lead from Australian Mark Webber, surviving a trip into the gravel trap in changeable conditions with ten laps to go in the process.  Webber finished second, on a day when the three other major championship contenders, Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso all failed to score.

Having started 2^nd, Hamilton jumped into an instant lead, as Webber threw away his pole position with a shocking start, not helped by a dragging clutch.  Webber dropped back to sixth position, and was on his backfoot from the outset.  Whilst Hamilton sped into the distance, a brief shower on the opening lap caused chaos, as the drivers struggled on their slick tyres.  On his 300^th Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello caught a damp patch and ran into the back of Alonso at the Bus Stop chicane, forcing Alonso into the pits for repairs and Rubens onto the sidelines.

Despite incurring some front wing damage, after a brush with Robert Kubica at La Source on the opening circuit, Jenson Button was looking strong to make it a McLaren 1-2, though struggling to match Hamilton’s blistering speed.  That was until Lap 16, when Sebastian Vettel hit a nasty bump at the Bus Stop, lost control and then drove into Button’s radiator.  The 2009 World Champion was an instant retirement, whilst Vettel pitted for a new front wing.  It was a ridiculous overtaking attempt from the rash German and quite rightly, he received a drive-through penalty for causing a collision.  Later, he made more contact, this time with Vitantonio Liuzzi at the same spot, which saw Sebastian limp around for a full lap with a left-rear puncture, finishing off any hope of points.

After gambling wrong on tyre choice early on, Alonso had a fairly lacklustre race and got frustrated more and more when he got stuck behind slower cars.  With six laps to go, the former double world champion ran wide onto the wet kerbs at Malmady, lost control and smashed into the tyres.  With shattered front suspension, Fernando was finished for this race.  Team-mate Felipe Massa produced an error-free race to wind up 4^th.

With ten laps to go, Hamilton locked up on the greasy surface at Rivage, went straight into the gravel and kissed the barrier.  Luckily, he survived this scare and got into the pits for the required intermediate tyres.  Webber had raced hard with Kubica, and grabbed 2^nd spot when the Pole got distracted by changing some settings on his steering wheel and overshot his pit box.  Nevertheless, it was another stunning performance from Kubica, who earned his third podium finish of the season. 

Adrian Sutil was an excellent fifth place for Force India, matching his best performance of the season, and he drove clean past both Mercedes during the race too.  Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher made the most of the inclement weather conditions to score 6^th and 7^th place finishes for Mercedes, despite some minor contact between the pair early on.  Kamur Kobayashi was a strong 8^th for Sauber, with the points rounded off by Vitaly Petrov in the second Renault, from the very back of the grid and the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguesuari.

With six races to go, there is bound to me many more twists and turns, but few of the remaining races will throw up the classic that Belgium did today.  However, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber have stolen momentum and a march on the other contenders.  Button, Vettel and Alonso need to respond in clinical fashion in two weeks time at the fastest track on the calendar, Monza.

Icelandic Ash Leaves Air Travel In Shutdown Mode

For the first time in living memory, there is no-zone flying area in Britain, following the massive eruption of a previously dormant volcano in Iceland, which spread massive amounts of ash into the skyline.  For the past 48 hours, airports across the UK and Northern Europe have been turned into parking lots, with up to half a million people affected by this air travel lockdown, which has nothing to do for once, with human elements.

Airports have closed in Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and France, leaving many passengers stranded, furious about the lack of communication and sleeping on benches, rather than comfortable hotel or holiday apartment beds.  The air chaos has also had effects on other forms of transport, with EuroStar almost completely booked up and a high demand on the ferries too, with the port of Dover struggling to cope with the increased amounts of consumer traffic.

This sky lockdown has been caused due to volcanic ash from the volcano eruption, which has been erupting for nearly a month now, but nothing quite like what we’ve seen in recent days.  Plus, there are no signs of this eruption ending anytime soon.  All airports in the UK have shut until at least 2am tomorrow morning, and British Airways has now cancelled all flights out of Heathrow tomorrow.   Only minimal services coming out of Glasgow and Irish airports, as the ash cloud descends across the UK.  There have already been reports of ash falling to the ground in Northern Scotland, though the health risk is thought to be minimal.  It shouldn’t cause serious harm, but health warnings are urging everyone to take precautions. 

Neither recent industrial action, nor terrorism threats could do what the volcano 900 miles away has done, grounded air travel to a comprehensive halt.  Safety is the paramount concern here and it is simply not safe for planes to fly through the ash smoke – otherwise their engines will either fail, stall or shutdown.  The possible results would be cataclysmic to even think about it.  This is the biggest shutdown since 9/11, with over 4,000 flights cancelled and more heading that route as the weekend goes on. 

Travel industries have urged customers not to panic and try to understand what is happening here.  Some are complaining of a lack of information, which is perfectly understandable and the disruption is likely to continue into next week as well.  With the snowstorms of the start in the year, plus the recent British Airways strikes and the threatened rail strikes, 2010 is turning into a miserable year for the travel industry.