My Thoughts on the Ferrari/Germany Debacle

This week has seen more talk from the Ferrari camp labelling the other teams “hypocrites” with regards to the German GP debacle. Oddly, this time the comments are from team boss Stefano Domenicali rather than the more eccentric chairman Luca di Montezemolo and this gives them a certain credibility that was lacking originally. The fact is though, that I believe Ferrari are right. I think that they were right to swap their cars and they are right to call the other teams’ hypocrites and here are some case studies as to why:

1. Brazil 2007 – Felipe Massa was given a ‘long’ pitstop which allowed team mate Kimi Raikkonen to win the race and therefore the championship.

2. Germany 2008 – Heikki Kovalainen moved over for Lewis Hamilton so that the eventual champion could claim an extra 4 points (as he easily closed up and overtook leader Nelson Piquet Jr.). As Hamilton won the title by a single point, these points proved invaluable.

3. China 2006 – Fisichella allowed Alonso past for second place so that the Spaniard could minimise the points lost to race winner Michael Schumacher.

In each of the above cases a move was expected which is why no one had any problems with them (despite all of them occurring since the ban of team orders in 2002). However, I put the case that in each of the above the moves interfered with the result of not only the respective race but also the Championship in each of those years thereby directly contravening rule 39.1 which states that “team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited”. So why was no one reprimanded?

I believe that this is because each of the above was done to help the (only) member of the team that could win the title – this is why we (the viewers) were expecting the moves and didn’t mind them too much. In Germany this year, Massa was still (mathematically) in the hunt.

However, this isn’t the only situation this year where teams have attempted to manipulate the results – the prime example is Turkey.

At Istanbul the Red Bulls collided because the team told Webber to turn his engine revs down to try and allow Vettel to win. Technically, if Vettel had won it would have been down to team orders and also had that order not been made then the team mates probably wouldn’t have collided (thusly whichever way you look at it Red Bull interfered with the probable race result). At the same race, Hamilton was told to take it easy and Button closed up (and passed) – whilst I think this wasn’t down to team preference, Lewis was definitely told that Jenson wouldn’t attack so either McLaren only gave Lewis an order or they gave both drivers an order which arguably means they interfered.

The same goes for Silverstone. Consider the fact that Red Bull controversially swapped the front wings on Webber and Vettel’s cars. If Vettel had won that race could it have been put down to team orders?

So, whilst Ferrari may have been heavy handed in the way they dealt with Massa, I certainly believe that Alonso is the only chance the Scuderia have of winning a title this year and the extra 5 points he gained could be invaluable. Furthermore, given the aforementioned incidents with Red Bull and McLaren, they are right to accuse the others of hypocrisy too.

Hungary Result

Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel - 1:22.362

Germany Result

Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel - 1:15.824

Heikki Leads the Championship!?

I saw an article in either F1 Racing or Autosport a few months ago which used a scoring system to rate the performances of the new teams. They basically eliminated all the other cars from the classification of each race and gave the 6 perennial back markers the top 6 points positions – this gave a mini championship table. However, the problem with such a system is that it doesn’t take into account those races where the new boys have finished ahead of some of the existing teams (as Kovalainen did with Petrov in Canada). To compensate for this, I have put together a method of scoring every single position and made my own version of the aforementioned mini chapionship.

The scoring went as follows: 75, 60, 50, 42, 36, 32, 29, 26, 23, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Hamilton still leads Button at the top but I was interested in the new teams' positions:

Drivers:                                                                  Teams:
19. Kovalainen  74                                                  10. Lotus  134 
20. Chandhok   72                                                  11. Hispania  127
21. Di Grassi   61                                                   12. Virgin  115
22. Trulli   60
23. Glock   54
24. Senna   50
25. Yamamoto   5


It is not a surprise to find Kovalainen and Lotus at the top of this mini table but what is interesting is that it is not his teammate Trulli in second. Instead, he is being hounded by Chandhok which reflects the way that the Indian has been doggedly dragging the Hispania to the end of races. What is more surprising though is how Di Grassi is sitting in third; news that would surely give a boost to the Virgin team and reflects how Glock and Trulli have seemed increasingly fed up with being at the back. It isn’t good reading for Senna either; he was bottom of the other publication’s table and he is bottom of this one too (it is unfair to judge Yamamoto after one race).

I will keep an eye on how these tables develop over the second half of the season so that the champion of the new teams can be crowned at the end. Not a serious point but interesting nonetheless.

Who's Right For Renault?

Vitaly Petrov started the season well; indeed he scored points in his fourth race – China this year. However, since then he seems to have fallen back and with his highly rated teammate showing what the R30 can really do he is now under pressure to retain his seat for 2011. In fact, PlanetF1 are reporting that as many as 8 drivers are competing to replace the rookie.

Some might say that Petrov is only driving in Formula 1 because of his passport; as the first driver from Russia he certainly gets Bernie Ecclestone’s backing especially if his participation pathes the way for a race around Moscow in years to come. Furthermore, he joined the French outfit at a time of particular difficulty and the Lada sponsorship he brought with him was arguably more important to the team than performance at the time. Results this year have been good though and the guys at Enstone have produced a very neat and tidy car and are all but guaranteed to finish fifth (possibly higher if Mercedes switch attention to next year early). This success has given the team a renewed joie de vivre, as well as probably attracting a raft of sponsors for the future. For this reason the team are looking to employ a really strong second driver to help lift the team further and as all the other top teams are already fully booked they have the most desirable seat in the paddock.

Here are the candidates for the seat:

1.Kimi Raikkonen – sorely missed by the paddock; just imagine if an in form Kimi had been racing this year too (he would have been the 5th Champion on the grid). He certainly has the speed and will not cause any problems within the team but he is no number 2 and the team has promised to build around Kubica. He’s also expensive and seems to be enjoying his stint rallying (he was as high as fifth last weekend – before he crashed) I can’t see him returning for anyone other than Red Bull/McLaren/Mercedes and I certainly can’t see Renault paying the amount he expects.

2. Nick Heidfeld – the Mercedes tester runs the risk of being forgotten if he doesn’t find a race seat for next year. If the car is reliable he will deliver consistency and has a proven successful relationship with Kubica. Cheap and experienced, he seems a good bet to me but he doesn’t bring any sponsors and has had ample opportunities to prove himself but never quite made it.

3. Christian Klien – Last raced for Red Bull in 2006 he one of the drivers on the Hispania rota and will probably be seen in a race or two before this season’s out. Klien’s highest finish is 5th and he never really impressed in his time as a race driver. I doubt he is top of the list for Renault.

4. Timo Glock – Timo was close to securing a drive with Renault for this season but went with Virgin because at the time no-one knew whether Renault would be on the grid. He’s done as well as expected in the worst car on the grid and if I were him I would be pushing harder than anyone to get into a better team. He has a good chance – he would make a good number 2 and showed enough speed in the Toyota to imply he could do quite well. However, he has recently been closed up on by his teammate and Kobayashi did significantly better in his seat at the end of last year than he probably would have.

5. Heikki Kovalainen – of all the backmarkers, Heikki seems to enjoy life the most. Lotus is a low pressure environment which is suited to his relaxed demeanour. Having said that, the team is going about things in the right way and will be keen to keep a driver who finally seems to have matured into the best he can be. I think he is more likely to stay with the team and try and build them into a regular points scoring outfit. However, he is likable, known to the team and would not cause any problems. I’m undecided but can’t really see it.

6. Jarno Trulli – would be welcomed back to Renault now that Flavio is no longer in charge and is a renowned qualifying specialist but he didn’t really make the most of his time at Toyota and seems a little downbeat to be at the back of the grid. Is also being outshone by Heikki and is unlikely to ever show the same pace that took him to victory in Monaco 2004. I think there are better options.

7. Kamui Kobayashi – he started this season badly but has recently hit form as the Sauber has improved. He is now top rookie and could arguably take the title of Toyota’s best legacy (funny since he only did two races for them). If he continues this form and maybe has some sponsorship to bring too then he could be an attractive prospect. A good outside bet.

8. Adrian Sutil – possibly most people’s favourite for the job he needs to make the step-up now and ride the wave of a good season with Force India (or risk falling back if they aren’t as good next year). He crashes less (now that Raikkonen isn’t on the grid) and has comprehensively beaten Liuzzi. He may also have some sponsorship to bring. However, if he is that good then why has he spent three seasons in the Indian car?

It seems to me that the smart money is between Sutil, Glock and Kovalainen. Heidfeld and Kobayashi are outsiders and Raikkonen would happen if Renault were richer. The others are extremely unlikely. If it was me I would go with the solid and reliable Heidfeld or give Sutil his big chance (knowing that the following year there’s likely to be more movement in the market should things go wrong). However, Eric Boullier (Renault boss) need not rush – this seat is the most desirable out there. If I were him I would wait and see what happens at Red Bull; who knows, Mark Webber might yet be available.

Britain Result

Fastest Lap: Fernando Alonso - 1:30.847

European GP (Valencia) Result

Fastest Lap - Jenson Button - 1:38.776

Forza Ferrari!?

The Bahrain Grand Prix seems a long time ago now. I can barely remember what happened (or didn’t happen) in the desert back in March and after that race no one would have predicted 5 different winners, all of them now ving neck and neck, seemingly racing within a couple seconds of each other race after race.

Canada typified this trend; as I said before the battle is between the two McLarens, the two Red Bulls and Fernando Alonso. Others like Kubica, Massa, Rosberg and Schumi could all have a say (or even win races themselves before the season is out) but I think that the top five all have a steely determination and intensity that the others seem to be lacking.

It is credit to Ferrari and McLaren that they have closed in on the Red Bulls and it seems that whilst the team from Milton Keynes still has the best all round package they might regret that they didn’t follow Brawn’s 2009 example and make hay whilst the sun shone.

Valencia will go a long way to shaping how the 2010 season will finish. If Lewis Hamilton becomes the first driver of 2010 to complete a hat-trick of wins (particularly as they would be back to back) then you would have to wonder how the others would stifle such momentum. Similarly, if Red Bull bounce back and secure a 1-2 around a street circuit which caused them a lot of problems last year then the other teams might start to fear them once again. However, as much as I like and support the British super-team at McLaren, I think that I will be cheering Alonso this weekend. To my mind, Fernando has kept himself unnoticed in the title race this year but he does pose a huge threat (and he was my pre-season prediction). He could have won in Australia if he hadn’t been shunted in the first lap and he was really on it in Monaco until he decided to reshape his Ferrari in 3rd practice. Moreover, he finished second around Barcelona (let’s not forget that Red Bull’s advantage was about 0.7s per lap around there) and he could well have won in Canada had the traffic been more favourable.

Ferrari are also bringing a much improved F10 to Valencia where they hope that their Red Bull inspired exhaust system (where it feeds into the diffuser to increase downforce) will see them run even closer to the front. It is crucial that they succeed – McLaren, Mercedes and Renault are all rumoured to be bringing their versions to Silverstone in a couple of weeks.

The next few races could therefore prove to be a turning point; one where Red Bull’s advantage is eroded fully and parity is found. For one, I hope this is true – there were 6 different winners in 2009 but I would happily watch 5 drivers share the wins as evenly as possible and take the title to the wire. This weekend though, my money is on Ferrari and if I was a betting man I may even have a small wager on Massa (despite what I have just written). If the Ferrari proves to be fast then Massa can win (he did so at the inaugural race at Valencia in 2008). He might need a little luck but you never know...

Canada Result

 

 

* F.Massa deducted 20 seconds

Fastest Lap: Robert Kubica - 1:16.972

Musings from Istanbul...

The Turkish GP was both exhilarating and intriguing at the same time. MATF1 was lucky enough to be at the race (my first) and the atmosphere was awesome. Situated in the grandstand of turns 3, 4, 5 & 6, turns 1, 8 and 11 were also visible – as was the back straight. Of course, this was the scene of Red Bull’s capitulation; a crash that signified the self imposed pressure on Vettel’s shoulders and highlighted how Webber would rather have seen them both retire than let his ‘boy-wonder’ team mate regain the momentum within the team. I don’t blame the Aussie; he had every right to hold his line and it was young Sebastian who moved across into his path, but Webber normally seems so much wiser than to let an accident happen. As with all drivers of his generation and experience, they know that to finish first, first you have to finish.

There is more to it of course. For the first time since they have been paired together, Webber has had the upper hand over Vettel – a scenario that saw them tied at the top of the table (albeit with Webber listed first on win count back) prior to the race in Turkey. Also, as Webber’s chance last year was written off by his early season form (and Brawn’s pace), 2010 represents his absolutely BEST chance at the world title – new regulations for 2011 could see the Red Bull advantage gone next year. If the RB7 is a dud then Mark might never get the chance again; he must make the most of this one.

By comparison, Vettel is widely tipped for legendary status before his time in F1 is up. He is now in his third full season after he made his debut substituting for Robert Kubica at the US GP in 2007 (where he scored points) and he has already won 6 races (at this stage of their respective careers, Schumacher and Alonso had won only 1 race – and they were both older than Vettel is now). However, Vettel has NEVER been beaten by a team mate. More accurately, Sebastian has rarely done less than blow his team mates away. He doesn’t know how to cope with Mark’s form at the moment let alone the luck the Aussie is getting (Seb would have beaten Mark to pole had it not been for a failure of a rollbar linkage – he was generally the quicker of the Bulls last weekend). All of this piled onto his shoulders and left him (in his mind anyway) with little choice than to take the half-chance overtake when it presented itself.

This overtake was loaded; succeed and Vettel would have been at the top of the standings and would have found his footing once again. If he had succeeded we may have seen some Sebastian dominance over the next few races, but he didn’t and now finds himself in 5th place in the standings; still struggling to find his mojo. Red Bull need to put their arm around Vettel and remind him that his time WILL come again; reassure him that he was the quickest in Istanbul and try to encourage him to redouble his focus and remember that the season is long. If they don’t then they could face losing their star should Mercedes come along and offer a seat (which could happen if Schumi re-retires).

There is another factor though. McLaren. What was a 0.8 second advantage in Spain was 0.1s in quali and nothing in the race. The Brits have caught the Bulls; their cars have different strengths but over a lap they were all but equal in Turkey. This adds another problem because this team knows how to win titles and neither driver has the pressure of the Red Bulls. Hamilton is confident he can out-race anybody and I don’t think that anybody is driving as maturely and completely as Jenson Button at the moment; he is thinking all the time – knowing when to have a go and when to settle for second. Add a new aero package which has given the McLarens the edge around tight and twisty corners (not to mention the F-duct which is giving them a 6kph straight line advantage) and you can see why they too could be dominant in the coming races.

Turkey may not have decided the title race but it has definitely shaped it and turned it; Red Bull was just starting to pull away from the field but their advantage is now non-existent. McLaren are expected to dominate along the straights of the circuit de Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and if that turns out to be true then the Bulls might start to regret their early season mistakes (Bahrain, Australia & China) which cost them the head start Brawn enjoyed last year. To this, add two drivers who are so hungry that they won’t even offer each other an inch of tarmac and you can see how they might have already defeated themselves.

Turkey was the 7th race in a 19 race season and I think that the potential 8 driver list who could win the Championship is now down 5. Mark Webber, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are the drivers who have won races this season and I feel the winner will be one of them. For Mercedes and Massa only an unprecedented run of victories will steer them towards the title now and judging by the pace of the leading two teams, Fernando Alonso could soon be out of the running too (Ferrari slipped behind both Mercedes and Renault in Istanbul).

So who would you pick; Red Bull or McLaren?

Turkey Result

 Fastest Lap: Vitaly Petrov - 1:29.165

Monaco Result

* M. Schumacher deducted 20 seconds for illegal overtake

Fastest Lap: Sebastian Vettel - 1:15.2

How Monaco Could Cause an Upset...

I've said it for some time and today I put my money where my mouth is; I think that Renault could win in Monaco. You may say that with the dominance of the front runners (in particular Red Bull in qualifying) that a bet on the team currently placed 5th is just a waste of money but there are a few reasons why it may not be such a stupid bet:

- Firstly, qualifying is going to be...interesting. Bruno Senna mooted the idea of splitting quali 1 so that the front runners don't have to worry about the new boys (who will probably make up the last 6 places on the grid) and so that the new teams themselves can actually get a clean lap rather than spending the whole time looking in their mirrors. Luckily, this idea wasn't passed and everyone will take to the track. I'm willing to bet that someone will get it wrong and not manage to find a clear lap to set a time. This could just as easily be a McLaren, Ferrari, Red Bull or Mercedes as a Williams or Sauber.  

- Secondly, the weather. Early reports show signs of rain for most of this week and if that is continued into the race then there could be carnage - not all of the top cars will survive. Guaranteed. This is the reason why a cheeky Adrian Sutil podium bet might be worth a shout - remember his wet practice lap in 2007 and how he managed to get up to 4th in the wet in 2008 (before Kimi Raikkonen crashed into him)?

- Next, rookies and bad handling cars - even if it is dry I think that at least one will crash which will lead to a safety car. This could bring strategy into it.

- Performance is often a lot leveller at Monaco - a circuit where as much grip needs to be generated as possible but there are no fast, sweeping corners to test the car to the full and the lower speeds mean that the cars don't tend to generate as much aerodynamic grip anyway. This should mean that Red Bull's advantage (if they have one) is not as big.

- Tyre performance; whilst Spain has shown Red Bull making gains in this area, if they turn out to be working the tyres too much then they will suffer by the end.

- Short (relatively anyway) wheelbase. This is a feature that isn't really noticed on the Renault car but it isn't as long as the big teams - in particular Ferrari and McLaren and this will surely make it more nimble in the tight, twisty corners.

- Good traction. This is something that I have noticed with the Renault and it is something they used to be very good at in 2003/4; they seem to have good traction out of the corners. This will help if it is true.

- Efficient engine. I have already said how important tyre wear is and the fact that the Renault engine is so efficient means that they have to carry less fuel at the start of the race. This means less strain on the tyres.

- Robert Kubica is driving as well as ever and seems determined to either bring Renault back to the top or set himself up for a Ferrari seat in 2011. He also finished second here in 2008 (in the wet).

- Fianlly, a rookie team mate. If all else fails, get Petrov to crash just after Kubica pits to trigger a safety car and hand the win to the Pole...maybe this is a little cynical?

So, as you can see, there is such a long list that I'm practically certain of a return on my money. The only thing missing was experience which is why a bet on Williams's Rubens Barrichello (at 200:1) is worth a go - if just for the podium. If this happens then it would also make good my prediction of a Williams win (something which isn't looking like the best shout I've ever made). Having said that, I really do feel that Renault could shine. Watch this space.

Spanish GP Result

Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton - 1:24.357

The Final Word - China Race Report

The first four races have proved one thing; give us a sprinkling of rain and the race will be good - especially if that rain is intermittent. This race was more than good, if you woke up early enough, you were treated to a feast of overtaking which was fitting for the historic result it delivered.

Red Bull have the fastest car in the field. That is what we all thought anyway - come rain or shine the Adrian Newey designed car can cope with it. Let down by reliability in the first two races (Sebastian Vettel was forced to retire when in the lead) they took advantage of the open goal they were gifted by the other front runners to maximise their qualifying positions and deliver a masterful 1-2 in Malaysia. Problems solved. When they then blocked out the front row in China I thought that a repeat of last year's 1-2 (which came in the rain) was on the cards. However, there is one chink left in the Red Bull armour. One thing Dietrich Mateschitz hasn't yet bought. It is the reason Mark Webber couldn't maximise on his extreme pace in Australia, why he was out of position in Bahrain. It's the reason Toro Rosso won their first race before the parent team and it is the reason why Red Bull are sitting in third in the championship despite having the best car. Red Bull need a tactical engineer to call the shots from the pit wall (Pat Symonds is free now right - stranger things have happened; watch this space).

Before the installation lap everybody thought that the track was dry (it must have been on the way to the grid) but after the first racing lap, the course was too greasy for most of the drivers; they wanted intermediates. In fact, only Rosberg, Button, Kubica, Petrov and Kovalainen stayed out on the dry tyres. It would prove to be an inspired (and ultimately decisive) decision as the rain held at bay prompting everybody else to pit again. By the end of lap 10 there was a 50 second gap between those who had pitted (twice) and those who hadn't pitted at all. Rosberg was leading. This was Nico's big chance; if conditions stayed as they were, it was a two horse race between himself and Button. The ever improving Renaults may not be too far away from a return to the top step of the podium (I think it will happen this season and with traction that seems to be the best in the field I would be tempted to say it could even happen in Monaco - heard it here first) but they didn't have the pace of the Mercedes and McLaren. Nico pushed and pushed; imagine if he managed to pick up Mercedes first win as a constructor for 50 years, imagine if it was him and not Schumi who got there first, what a chance this was. He pulled away from Button; about 3 or 4 seconds - how was this possible? He was the World Champion and the McLaren (with its F-duct boost) was faster than the Mercedes, he should have been all over Nico. Then it became clear. 4 seconds became 3, became 2... Nico's tyres had started to grain. Jenson had done what he does best; he hadn't burnt out his tyres whilst carrying a full tank of fuel. He was past in a flash.

The champ pulled away now, when the rain came (for good this time) it was all very easy; a quick change to the intermediates and the status quo was maintained. That was until a Toro Rosso lost its front wing and left debris on the track. No sooner had Jenson started to look comfortable than his lead was eroded by the safety car. That didn't just bring Rosberg back into the picture; it brought the fast charging Hamilton and Alonso into it too - not to mention both of the Red Bulls. This race would have to be won the hard way.

The Jenson Button of 2010 is full of confidence though; the championship has brought the best out of him and winning in Australia helped too. Button was not about to let this go. Before the restart he bunched the pack, making sure that all of his competitors had to watch their mirrors and lines (to ensure they didn't overtake illegally or crash) rather than watching when he put the hammer down. It worked; he got the jump at the start. Now he had to pull away before any of the other fast cars caught up. Lap after lap he picked up the pace; judging the tyre wear and fuel load to perfection - this was like Oz all over again. In fact, there was only one car faster; the sister McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis made it up to second; pulling out some outrageous overtaking moves in the process. His particular favourite was around the outside of turns 5 & 6 - a move that worked to great effect on one Michael Schumacher. When he made it past Rosberg for second he could sniff a win which an hour previously had looked impossible (he was now only 5 seconds behind). The race was on; champ 2008 v champ 2009 - equal machinery.

Button surprised everyone again though; he not only proved that he could match Hamilton - he pulled away from him. Jenson had again saved his tyres better and was more than a match for Lewis. Maybe it is now time for everyone to wake up and realise that Button is a better driver than many credit him as being. A small mistake saw the gap close to a whisker by the end (Button's tyres lost temperature & grip) but he had already made his point and won fair and square.

Rosberg finished in third to rub salt into Schumi's wounds (he finished 10th). Alonso was 4th which wasn't bad considering that a jump start and 5 journeys through the pit had seen Fernando as much as 70 seconds behind the leader earlier in the race. As for Red Bull, they will not be happy with 6th and 8th - not only were they outdone tactically, they had an ineffective setup on their car. Someone with a tactical brain would surely have moved to copy McLaren and Mercedes by keeping one car out and changing tyres on the other at the start.

It was McLaren's day. This victory summed up the (very different) strengths of their two drivers and was a red-letter day for British motorsport. The last time two Brits finished 1-2 was at the British GP of 1999 (David Coulthard led home Eddie Irvine). However, the last time it was an ENGLISH 1-2, England were the football World Champions. It was Monaco 1969 (Graham Hill & Piers Courage)! This race was truly historic!

Chinese Grand Prix Result

Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton - 1:42.061

Malaysian Grand Prix Result

Fastest lap: Mark Webber - 1:37.054

The Final Word - Australia Race Report

The streets of Albert Park rarely fail to deliver an entertaining and exiting race and this was no exception as the Australian grand prix rewarded all those who awoke early; providing the perfect remedy to banish the Bahrain blues.

There has been a lot said about how F1 should make sweeping, rapid changes to spice up the show. Everyone from drivers, team bosses, engineers, pundits and even (occasionally) fans have had their say but only the sensible people are reserving judgement for when we are a few races into the season. To put it simply, Melbourne doesn't do boring. If this race had turned into a snooze-fest then panic buttons could have been pressed but from the off you just knew it was going to be a classic.

The reason this circuit brings the racer out in everyone is that it is a track which doesn't benefit one type of car over any other; it is all medium speed so being able to cope with fast, flowing corners isn't a necessity but the car doesn't need to be nimble and ultra grippy either. There are walls but not as close as in Monaco, Montreal, Singapore or Valencia - a factor which means that the driver is never scared to go full-pelt. The track is only temporary; a feature which means that the grip is harder to find at the start of the weekend and the temperature isn't too hot either (it is autumn over there) meaning that being ultra kind on your tyres isn't a prerequisite and being too hard on them isn't badly punished either. All of this makes for a situation where it is never too difficult for any driver to find the sweet-spot of their car; giving them enough confidence to try and overtake.

The Red Bulls predictably filled the front row of the grid; there is no doubt that this car is the best in the field at the moment - just look at Vettels pole lap; there will not be a better show of how to hustle a car than that all year. For every ounce of aggression Seb gave it, every bump that he rode and curb that he bounced over, Lucious Liz delivered only sheer speed - the young German was never going to be beaten to pole. Such is the order at the moment it was no surprise to see Alonso in 3rd in his Ferrari and Massa probably should have been fourth but seemed overly conservative. Felipe has a poor record in Melbourne and probably just wanted a smooth and simple weekend ending in lots of points - he didn't really want to have to race for them. This left the door open for Button to steal fourth in his McLaren. The Mercedes were next up in 6th and 7th with Rosberg making it 2-0 over Schumi. The only name missing from this list? Lewis Hamilton. Lewis suffered a tyre pressure problem in quali 2 which put him out of sync with the other front runners and on worn out tyres when he needed some fresh rubber to see him through - P11 on the grid was not what he expected after an encouraging (if fortuitous) podium in Bahrain.

It must be remembered that between qualifying and the race the cars are filled to the brim with fuel, this means that the breaking points change overnight, making the first corner particularly treacherous. Australia decided to throw another ingredient into the pot though - rain; just a sprinkling, stopping within a few laps but it was enough to ensure that starting on the intermediate tyres was a must. Now the drivers had the extra challenge of stopping their heavy cars on a very slippery track; a crash was surely inevitable. So it proved, a coming together between Button and Alonso left both running but the latter had spun and was now well down the order. Jenson didn't lose too much in the incident - falling only as far as 6th but it put the fast-starting Hamilton right on his tail and the even faster starting Kubica up to 4th. Massa had also had a good start; hooking the Ferrari up perfectly to launch himself from 5th to 2nd. Further back F1 2010 enjoyed its first proper crash; the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi launching into the side of Nico Hulkenberg's Williams after it lost its front wing. This wasn't the first time that Kobayashi had suffered a loss of wing this weekend and one wonders whether they were caused by technical or driver faults - he certainly hasn't looked as impressive as he did in those late races in 2009. Time for the safety car to make its first appearance.

Vettel caught Massa napping at the restart and it wasn't long before Webber had reformed the Red Bull 1-2. Kubica and Rosberg held their positions in 4th and 5th respectively leaving the McLarens to have their first in-house fight of the season. Round 1 went to Hamilton; the pass was easy. Button was struggling on the intermediates and knew it. He didn't really have a choice, he had to roll the dice; there was no way that he could let Lewis embarrass him - something that would have happened had he stayed out. He pitted and went for the slicks, he thought that there was enough of a dry line - he was right. He tiptoed around the first few corners; learning where the grip level was (even taking a grassy detour in the process) but by the end of the lap he was faster than anything else out there by a mile. Suddenly there was a rush; almost everyone else pitted and while they tripped over each other in the extremely slow pitlane Jenson cruised past them all. All except Vettel that is; the Red Bull was so good that he managed to pit and return in front of the McLaren. Still, rolling the dice had given Jenson a net 2nd - he was 7th before the gamble. It is no surprise that Vettel started to pull away from Button; the Red Bull was giving him so much performance that it was inviting him to push harder and harder. Jenson didn't worry though; he had seen this in Bahrain - the Red Bull started well but things closed up as the fuel burnt all he had to do was manage the tyres and see how things played out. As it turned out, Bahrain was mirrored all too well as another mechanical problem deprived Vettel of a probable win; this time it was the breaks and it was terminal. Jenson was leading.

Having Kubica and Massa 2nd and 3rd helped Button; he could pull away from them without pushing too hard and they would also act as a buffer should the faster Alonso, Hamilton or Webber manage to catch up.

Catch up they did; the slicks seemed to be working well for all of them. Lewis, Mark and Fernando almost followed each other through the field overtaking at will until they reached Massa. Hamilton and Webber got by and Lewis was quickly onto the back of Kubica's Renault. At this stage Lewis was seriously quick; he could smell a McLaren victory and wanted to make sure that it was him. However, Kubica is made of stern stuff and had saved his tyres well - he could keep Lewis at bay. At the same time, Jenson responded. Now over the graining phase of the slicks, he was Prost-like in his metronomic lapping - every time he circulated he got faster and faster. It was a message: Lewis Hamilton, I am no push-over, 1-1. Now it was Hamilton's turn to roll the dice, pitting for fresh rubber in the hope that he could catch his team-mate or at least get past Kubica. The trouble is that where everyone copied Jenson, only Webber copied Lewis. The Ferraris fancied their chances of holding their positions in 3rd and 4th, likewise Renault. The pace of the now light McLaren and Red Bull was astonishing as they forged their way back to the leading pack but once there they only met Fernando's Ferrari. Had they cleared him they would have got Massa and Kubica too but Alonso is a double world Champ and wouldn't let them past. Lewis's gamble hadn't paid off, neither had Webber's. Mark was desperate to impress on home soil but a weekend that promised so much ended badly for both him and Lewis as the Red Bull and McLaren collided late on.

Championships are not won this early in the season but they can certainly be lost. Red Bull clearly have a pace advantage over the field but yet they have 18 points compared to Ferrari's 70! McLaren will be the most satisfied though; they are mopping up the points gifted by the Bulls and staying in the hunt with a car that clearly isn't the best. In particular though, Jenson Button will gain a lot of credibility from rolling the dice and making the strategy work; only a Champion could do that.

***

A quick mention of a few other stars of this race:

- Lotus for once again being the best of the newbies,

- Karun Chandhok for registering Hispania's first race finish,

- Vitantonio Liuzzi for again scoring in the Force India,

- Jamie Aluersuari for giving his best performance in F1; fighting tooth and nail with one M. Schumacher

- Lucas di Grassi for compounding Schumi's lacklustre day when he overtook him in the Virgin car; something to give any F1 neutral something to smile about.

Australian Grand Prix Result

Fastest Lap: Mark Webber - 1:28.358