Germany 2010

THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE RED BULL FRONT WING SAGA THAT HAD SEEN SEBASTIAN VETTEL FAVOURED OVER MARK WEBBER PALED INTO INSIGNIFICANCE IN GERMANY. AT THE START OF THE WEEK-END THE 'WING' WAS STILL THE TOPIC ALTHOUGH FOR A DIFFERENT REASON - THERE WERE NOW SUGGESTIONS THAT IT FLEXED WHILST THE CAR WAS RUNNING. THIS IS AGAINST THE REGULATION THAT MOVING AERO-DYNAMIC PARTS ARE NOT PERMITTED.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT TOPIC WAS THE RE-EMERGENCE OF FERRARI AS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH AFTER A DISMAL 3-RACE RUN THAT HAD SEEN THEM COLLECT A MERE 19 POINTS. RAIN INTERRUPTED THE 3 FREE PRACTICE SESSIONS AND GAVE ALL THE TEAMS A HEADACHE WHILST THEY TRIED TO EVALUATE THEIR CARS' PERFORMANCES. QUALIFYING AND THE RACE WERE THANKFULLY BLESSED WITH DRY WEATHER.

THE RACE WAS RELATIVELY UNEVENTFUL AFTER THE FIRST FEW LAPS ALTHOUGH THERE WERE ALWAYS ENOUGH BATTLES FOR POSITION TO RETAIN INTEREST. SEBASTIAN VETTEL, ON POLE, FLUFFED HIS START AGAIN AND ALLOWED FERNANDO ALONSO (2ND) ALONGSIDE BUT THESE TWO SEEMED BLISSFULLY UNAWARE OF FELIPE MASSA'S BLISTERING START FROM THIRD ON THE GRID UNTIL HE SAILED ROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE PAIR OF THEM AT TURN 1. FELIPE SEEMED MUCH MORE LIKE HIS BRILLIANT BEST FROM THIS POINT ON.

THE MCLARENS WERE BEATEN FOR PACE AND SOLDIERED ON IN 4TH AND 5TH PLACES UNTIL CROSSING THE LINE AFTER 67 LAPS SOME 20 SECONDS ADRIFT. THAT IS ONLY 0.3 SECOND PER LAP, PROBABLY LEST THAN THE TIME TAKEN TO BLINK AN EYE BUT OVER 67 LAPS IT SEEMS LIKE A REAL MOUNTAIN THAT THE TEAM HAS TO CLIMB.

THE DRAMA CAME ON LAP 49 WHEN FELIPE MASSA WAS 'ORDERED' TO LET ALONSO PAST. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC ORDER, JUST A CODED MESSAGE IN PLAIN ENGLISH THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO INTERPRET IN ANY OTHER WAY. THE TWO DRIVERS WENT ON TO RECORD A FERRARI 1-2 VICTORY, THEIR FIRST RACE WIN SINCE THE OPENING RACE OF THIS SEASON. THE PARC FERMEÉ, PODIUM AND POST-RACE INTERVIEWS WERE FARCICAL AS FIRST THE DRIVERS AND THEN THE TEAM'S PRINCIPAL AND, LATER, THE TEAM'S PRESS OFFICER ALL TRIED TO PRETEND THAT IT WAS FELIPE'S OWN DECISION AND TAKEN IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE TEAM.

THERE WAS NO TEAM ADVANTAGE - THE TEAM WOULD HAVE SCORED A 1-2 WHICHEVER DRIVER WON SO IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE TO THE CONSTRUCTORS' CHAMPIONSHIP. IT WAS SIMPLY AN ADVANTAGE TO FERNANDO ALONSO IN THE DRIVERS' CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE RACE STEWARDS HELD AN INQUIRY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RACE AND FINED FERRARI $100,000 FOR ISSUING TEAM ORDERS, WHICH ARE BANNED IN THE CURRENT SPORTING REGULATIONS. THE BAN WAS IMPOSED AFTER A SIMILAR DISGRACEFUL EPISODE BY FERRARI AT THE AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX IN 2002 WHEN RUBENS BARRICHELLO HAD TO MOVE OVER ON THE FINAL LAP TO LET MICHAEL SCHUMACHER WIN.

THE RACE RESULT STANDS AS A PROVISIONAL RESULT FOR NOW UNTIL THE WORLD MOTOR SPORT COUNCIL ADJUDICATES, EXPECTED TO BE IN SEPTEMBER.

Race Results posted by
David Little
26th July 2010