Nurburgring Qually: Webber pips a resurgent Lewis

It seems astonishing that a few races ago many of talked of the death of F1 qualifying. Mark Webber claimed pole position for tomorrow's German Grand Prix in a tight, competitive and exciting qualifying shoot out in the classic style.

Lewis Hamilton performed amazingly in qualifying second
Credit: Alex Comerford / CC

All that was required to get the entertainment value of qualifying off its life support was for the protagonists at the business end to get closer to each other. That ensures that doing one run only in final qualifying and sitting out the final minutes of the session, as seen in some earlier rounds, will not be a goer. The Red Bulls and Fernando Alonso's Ferrari were right in the mix today, as expected in advance. But what was not expected was Lewis Hamilton at the sharp end, and he very much was. He came alive during qualifying, and his performance in the final session was stunning, particularly in the first part of the lap. He eventually was awarded with second on the grid, but half a tenth shy of Webber's best. That Jenson Button was upwards of a second slower than his team mate should leave you in no doubt as to Lewis's exact personal contribution to the outcome.

Nurburgring Preview: As we originally anticipated?

It seems like a long time ago now, but at the outset of the F1 season learned opinion was that this year's championship would be a nip and tuck battle between Red Bull and Ferrari. That's what pre-season testing form pointed towards strongly.

It didn't turn out that way of course, as Ferrari's promised pace evaporated in the first practice session in round one (eventually revealing a wind tunnel correlation problem) and Red Bull cleaning up. But, half a season too late, we may well be getting the promised tight Red Bull/Ferrari contest.

Fernando Alonso - seeking to maintain his Silverstone advantage
Credit: formulasantander.com / CC

The extent that Ferrari, and more to the point Fernando Alonso's Ferrari, can maintain their Silverstone predominance is the big question to be answered this weekend. On one hand, Ferrari were almost on Red Bull pace even before Silverstone's one weekend only diffuser regulations, and they arrived at Silverstone with a major technical upgrade that effectively amounted to a b-spec car. Their advantage on race day was such that it could have been a very boring afternoon had it not been for the early rain. And all this at a track that was supposed to be a Red Bull stick-on. So they argue that their advantage couldn't have all been down to the peculiar diffuser regs. But the paddock consensus is that Ferrari's disproportionately benefited from the said regs at Silverstone, and it may have also been the case that Red Bull suffered particularly from rear tyre wear on Silverstone's long corners, which won't be repeated this weekend (or in many other weekends). But the evidence of today's practicing at the Nurburgring is that Ferrari just might still be up there.

British GP Report: Nando's Red Revival

Some things are just meant to be. On the 60th anniversary of Ferrari's first ever F1 win, also at Silverstone, Fernando Alonso brought it home for Ferrari in fine style to win the British Grand Prix today. And this followed on from him, just before the race, doing a demonstration run around Silverstone, that he clearly enjoyed, in the car José Froilán González used to win all those years ago. Alonso was right to call it a 'very special day', for more than one reason.

Fernando Alonso was untouchable at Silverstone
Credit: formulasantander.com / CC

Further, today seemed to represent a genuine red revival for Ferrari, as for the first time in a long time the Red Bulls, including Sebatian Vettel, were left breathless on pace during normal running (I reckon Monza last year was the last time it happened, and that could be explained by Monza being an unusual track). Yes, Alonso's taking of the lead was down to Red Bull botching one of Seb's pit stops, but he almost certainly had him on pure pace anyway. He took over a second out of Vettel lap by lap in the dry conditions in the second half of the race, even when Seb was in clean air, and was twenty seconds up the road on the start of the last lap. And all this at a track that was supposed to be Red Bull country.

Looking back: 'A typical English summer's day', the 1975 British Grand Prix

Rain and the British Grand Prix are reasonably familiar acquaintances. This has been the case this weekend, with each session for the F1 cars being disrupted by rain showers to some extent. However, whatever happens this weekend, or indeed at any other F1 race, it's very hard to imagine any being as rain-affected as the British Grand Prix of 1975, which was then as now at Silverstone.

After two days of rain-interjected practice, the race pivoted on two rain separate storms sweeping over the circuit. The second of which was of such force that it accounted for thirteen cars (compare that to the six that left the track via the Nurburgring river in 2007), leaving only six cars running as the race was terminated ten laps ahead of time. In between, the drivers did their best to put on a diverting motor race, with seven different leaders, and nine changes of lead, and a top order that swayed this way and that.

The F1 circus gathered at Silverstone for the 1975 race, and the large and enthusiastic crowd present across the three days (practice was Thursday and Friday, and the race on the Saturday - not unusual at the time), and the fact that everyone who was anyone in British motorsport was in attendance it seemed, ensured a jamboree atmosphere. This was despite the persistently iffy weather, storms intermingling with bright sunshine throughout.

Ronnie Peterson prepares for the start
Credit:  Lawson Speedway

The 1975 British Grand Prix was also one of watersheds (perhaps appropriate given the weather). First of all, Graham Hill had finally announced his retirement from driving, after a then record 176 starts, to concentrate on running his F1 team. I say 'finally' partly as the decision wasn't exactly unexpected, his previous attempt to qualify an F1 car was back in the Monaco event over two months earlier, but also because his performances had been far short of his former majesty for a number of years. Still, Hill threatened to bring the house down when he did a demonstration lap just before the race start, smiling, waving and minus a crash helmet, in one of his latest Hill GH1s.

Silverstone Qually: Red Bulls rained in

The Red Bulls have locked out the front row for tomorrow's British Grand Prix. But don't let that fool you - this was no run of the mill 2011 qualifying session. For one thing, the chasing pack, in particular Fernando Alonso's Ferrari, were in much closer attendance than usual. For another, for once, it's Mark Webber who claimed pole.

Mark Webber pipped his team mate to claim pole position
Credit: Alex Comerford / CC

The Australian has looked confident behind the wheel all weekend, including in the perfidious conditions experienced during much of practice. The qualifying session, like every practice session here, was impacted by rain showers, though slick tyres were still what was required. Webber pipped team mate Sebastian Vettel by less than half a tenth of a second, making it only the second time this year Seb has missed out on fronting the grid (the other time being in Barcelona, when Webber again sneaked ahead of his team mate).

Reports of the Red Bulls' death, with the new interpretation of off throttle blown diffusers supposedly being the bullet, were somewhat exaggerated then. For all of that talk, it shouldn't be forgotten that the Red Bull is a fundamentally very good racing car, and it was going to take more than that to usurp them. But it was still the case that the chasing pack, especially the Ferraris, have been brought closer to them, at a track considered to be firmly Red Bull country. Whether this represents the new off throttle blowing regs benefiting them particularly (there's been some dark muttering that it has), or their technical upgrades being particularly fruitful, or both, depends on who you're talking to.

Silverstone Preview: Impressive surroundings, but a lot of hot air

Incessant showers. Must be the British summer time. Fast, challenging corners, and a surprisingly big and enthusiastic crowd for a Friday. Must be the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Track conditions were treacherous in both practice sessions
Credit: Alex Comerford / CC

Not for the first time in history foul weather and the British Grand Prix weekend came together today. Both practice sessions were run in wet conditions, turning both into, effectively, wet and intermediate tyre testing sessions. And the elements are expected to fine up for tomorrow and Sunday, meaning today's running offered few clues to who's hot and who's not this weekend. Felipe Massa topped the times in the second session, and while it was welcome to see him atop a final timesheet for the first time since before his near-fatal 2009 accident, it was essentially an exercise in setting a time latest on a drying track, and when many established front runners weren't out on track to take advantage at the same time.

The new Silverstone, with the new 'wing' paddock and pit complex, certainly looked in good nick (though there seems something rather parallel universe about Copse not being the first turn), to the point that not even Bernie could find much to complain about.

Why F1 needs a turbo charge: New engine regulations for 2014

F1's blueprint for the future is in place, finally.

On Wednesday last week the FIA rubber-stamped new engine regulations to be introduced for the 2014 season, previously hammered out by the teams. This means that the current 2.4 litre V8 units are on the way out, and will be replaced by 1.6 litre V6 turbos with more liberalised energy-recovery systems and using around 35% less fuel, while generating the same level of power as now. I'm going to don my tin hat and say that it's about time too.

Renault's V6 turbo engine from 1980
Credit: m duchesne

The changes have been criticised widely, right from their initial suggestion, and this will no doubt continue until the things are used in anger in the opening round of the 2014 season. Bernie Ecclestone has been particularly vocal, many F1 circuits are apparently threatening to decamp to the Indycar series, and F1 fans' forums also invariably betray extensive hostility to the new regulations. The main concerns are the loss of the high-revving scream of the current F1 engines which has an appeal in itself, as well as that the concentration on conservation and efficiency instead of excess is against what F1 'should be about'.

But no man is an island entirely of itself, and such a view I feel disregards that F1 does not and cannot exist inside a bubble. F1, like everything, can only proceed with the permission of the society around it. Its ticket sales, support, investment, sponsorship and regulatory framework in which it can operate all come from society more widely, and without these F1 could not survive.

European GP Report: No one can fight Seb's Bull in Valencia

Sebastian Vettel wins. Getting kind of used to typing that. I'd be annoyed if there wasn't so much to admire about the boy. Yes, Seb took the honours in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, making it his sixth win in eight rounds (and he came a close second in the other two). As for Seb's claiming of his second driver's championship this year, short of falling over getting out of the bath it's surely a case of when rather than whether.

Vettel was in command in Valencia

I got back from Valencia (had a good time, thanks for asking) to encounter lots of 'boring' talk about the race. I have to say I don't agree. Partly this is because I take the Murray Walker view that there's no such thing as a boring F1 race (only processional ones), but I also thought there was much to admire in Valencia last Sunday.

Most prominently was the performance of Seb. This was no grim clinging to the lead seen from him in Spain, Monaco and Canada. Vettel was in command in Valencia, and concocted the perfect mix of speed, composure and sympathy to his Pirellis. He once again scampered away from pole at the start, and was upwards of two seconds clear of team mate Webber in second place after three laps. From then on he went as fast as he dared, edging out his lead tenth by tenth while keeping his tyres in shape, and immediately responding to whatver brief challenge burgeoned behind him. And then in the final laps he showed what he could really do, shaving the walls and setting some fastest laps, and finished ten seconds up the road from Fernando Alonso, his nearest challenger. It's hardly news, but it's worth repeating the extent that Seb has the winning from the front thing down to a nicety. And all this at a track that (again) wasn't meant to suit the Red Bull, on a weekend that the new fangled ban on changing engine mapping between qualifying and the race was supposed to trip the Bulls up, and Seb was under some scrutiny after his last lap goof up in Canada. At this rate, not even the much-vaunted ban of off-throttle blown diffusers for Silverstone will cause the slightest hesitation in his or Red Bull's stride.

What's eating Lewis Hamilton?

The knives are out for Lewis Hamilton it seems. In Canada he squeezed two collisions with other cars in attempted passing moves, one terminal, and a further near miss, into a grand total of three racing laps. This might not have been so bad in itself, but it followed but a fortnight from Lewis's Monaco race, which included a further two controversial collisions as Lewis attempted to overtake a rival, as well as an extraordinary and frustrated verbal diatribe after the race. This in turn continued a series of slightly strange public comments from Lewis this year, in a season that started with Lewis insisting his head and off-track situation was now sorted.

Lewis Hamilton was in the wars again in Canada
Credit: ph-stop / CC

After the Canadian race there were many looking to stick the boot into Lewis. This was most egregiously so for Niki Lauda, who variously described Lewis as 'completely mad', and that the FIA should punish him as his driving will result in 'someone getting killed' (as an aside, with all respect due I think Lauda sometimes crosses the line between being outspoken and irreverent, and being a cheap, over the top, rent-a-quote). Stirling Moss was also critical.

Clearly not all is right in Lewis's world right now. But what?

Canadian GP Report: Wet a drive from Jenson

A few stats from Jenson Button's drive in Canada last Sunday. Number of pitstops: 5; number of drive-through penalties served: 1; number of laps in last place: 4 (laps 37-40); number of collisions with other cars: 3; number of punctures: 1; average speed: 46mph; place at the chequered flag: 1st.

Jenson Button's win in Canada was stunning
Credit: Alex Comerford / CC

No doubt had you written a drama script based on Jenson's afternoon in Canada it would have been thrown back at you by the producer with comments scrawled on it to the effect of 'unbelievebale' and 'outrageous'. Yet, it is exactly what happened, and the numbers tell the story of what an outlandish and stunning performance it was from the Englishman, as well as what a potty race it was in Canada. Without hyperbole, it will surely go down as an all-time classic.

It was very much a race of two halves for Jenson. His first half of the race was somewhat clumsy, and herein he ended the race of two other drivers (Hamilton and Alonso) in clashes. Both did have the whiff of the racing incident about them, but speaking personally I'd marginally attribute any blame for both to Jenson. His change of direction before the Hamilton collision looked a bit unnatural and robust to me, while in the Alonso contretemps Nando gave him just enough room and no more, and Jenson seemed to understeer off a kerb into him. These, and a few other things besides, served to put Jenson in last place just after half distance.