Belgium 2010

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE END OF THE INACTIVITY OF THE 4-WEEK SUMMER BREAK AND WHAT AN ENTHRALLING RACE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS GAVE US TO SET THE TONE FOR THE RUN IN TO THE END OF THE SEASON.

AS USUAL, SPA PROVIDED MIXED WEATHER CONDITIONS - COLD, WET, WINDY, SUNNY, YOU NAME IT, SPA HAD IT. NO SNOW, THOUGH! CONSEQUENTLY, QUALIFYING BECAME A LITTLE BIT OF A LOTTERY WITH WINNERS AND LOSERS. MARK WEBBER TOOK POLE, HAVING GONE OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME (DRY TRACK) ON THE RIGHT TYRES.

FERNANDO ALONSO WENT OUT AT THE RIGHT TIME ON THE WRONG TYRES AND THEN CHANGED TYRES AND WENT OUT ON THE RIGHT TYRES BUT AT THE WRONG TIME! QUALIFIED 10TH. BOTH LEWIS HAMILTON AND JENSON BUTTON, OUT WITH FERNANDO WHEN THE TRACK WAS DAMP, NEVERTHELESS IMPROVED THEIR TIMES (2ND AND 5TH). ROBERT KUBICA, WITH A WORKING F-DUCT, WAS IN GREAT FORM QUALIFYING IN 3RD AHEAD OF SEBASTIAN VETTEL IN 4TH.

LEWIS GOT THE JUMP ON MARK AT THE START OF THE RACE (MARK'S CAR BOGGED DOWN) AND WENT ON TO LEAD THE WHOLE RACE FROM THEN ON TO THE FINISH, TAKING IN 2 SAFETY CAR RESTARTS AND A HEART-STOPPING EXCURSION INTO THE GRAVEL JUST AFTER THE SECOND ONE. HE MUST HAVE SCRAPED THE TYRE BARRIER, HE WAS THAT CLOSE, BUT HE SURVIVED TO TAKE A WELL-DESERVED WIN. ALONSO HAD CAUSED THIS SECOND SAFETY CAR BY SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL, ON HIS OWN, AFTER LES COMBES AND BROKE HIS FRONT SUSPENSION ON THE BARRIER.

WEBBER'S EXPERIENCE AND HIS CALM DEMEANOUR MEANT THAT HE DID NOT PANIC AFTER THE BAD START BUT GRADUALLY WORKED HIS WAY UP THE ORDER, HELPED ALONG THE WAY BY VARIOUS INCIDENTS. ONE OF THESE CAME FROM ROBERT WHO WAS HAVING A SPLENDID RACE, 2ND AT THE TIME, BUT SUFFERED MENTAL OVERLOAD FROM THE TEAM RADIO/STEERING WHEEL CONTROL ACTION AS HE PITTED. HE WAS SO DISTRACTED THAT HE SKIDDED SIDEWAYS INTO THE PIT-BOX, MISSING HIS MARKS BUT, FORTUNATELY, NOT INJURING ANYONE! THE DELAY LET MARK THROUGH TO 2ND.

CONTRAST SEBASTIAN VETTEL'S DEMEANOUR WITH THAT OF HIS TEAM-MATE. JENSON BUTTON HAD MADE UP THREE PLACES AT THE START, INCLUDING OVERTAKING VETTEL, BUT THEN, BECAUSE OF THE DAMP, EVERYONE 'MISSED' THE CHICANE AT THE END OF LAP 1 AND IN THE GENERAL SCRABBLE HE DROPPED BACK TO 5TH BEHIND THE GERMAN BUT WITHIN HALF A LAP WAS BACK IN 2ND WITH A POSSIBLE MCLAREN 1-2 ON THE CARDS. RUBENS BARRICHELLO SPOILT HIS 300TH GRAND PRIX CELEBRATIONS BY SLAMMING INTO THE REAR OF ALONSO'S FERRARI IN THE SAME INCIDENT.

HOWEVER, JENSON'S FRONT WING HAD SUFFERED SOME DAMAGE AND HE WAS HOLDING UP THE REST OF THE FIELD. SEBASTIAN THEN DID WHAT HE HAS DONE MANY TIMES WHEN HE TRIES TO COME FROM BEHIND - HE BECOMES TOO AGGRESSIVE AND TAKES TOO MANY RISKS. HE GOT TOO CLOSE TO BUTTON ON LAP 15, COULDN'T STOP, SWERVED LEFT TO AVOID A COLLISION, THE CAR THEN SKIDDED THE OPPOSITE WAY AND HE SPEARED NOSE-FIRST INTO THE SIDE OF JENSON'S CAR. JENSON HAD TO RETIRE, SEBASTIAN MADE IT INTO THE PITS, NEW NOSE-CONE, BACK OUT BUT THEN HAD A DRIVE-THROUGH PENALTY IMPOSED.

LATER ON HE DID NOT ALLOW VITANTONIO LIUZZI SUFFICIENT ROOM AT THE CHICANE, RAN OVER THE FORCE INDIA CAR'S FRONT WING, SUFFERED A PUNCTURE AND EVENTUALLY FINISHED A LAPPED 15TH. NOT A GOOD DAY AND HE WILL HAVE TO SORT OUT HIS TEMPERAMENT TO ENSURE FEWER DAYS LIKE THIS.

SO LEWIS NOW LEADS THE DRIVERS RACE, BY ONLY 3 POINTS FROM MARK, BUT RED BULL STILL LEAD THE CONSTRUCTORS RACE - BY A SINGLE POINT! MONZA NEXT - ANOTHER TRACK THAT SHOULD FAVOUR THE MCLARENS BUT IT IS FERRARI'S HOME RACE AND WITH A REJUVENATED RENAULT, WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

Race Results posted by
David Little
30th August 2010

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