The British GP 2010 on the new Silverstone track
With the Red Bulls at the front of the grid, Hamilton in 4th and Button in 14th are the Brits destined to fail and Red Bull to succeed?
It was probably the best weekend weather-wise at Silverstone for an F1 Grand Prix in some considerable time. But the sun didn’t shine on McLaren in qualifying and they ended up 4th and 14th on the grid. But the big story was Webbers’s anger at losing his new nose to team mate Vettel in a bit of rather daft team favouritism.
Webber’s obvious resentment at being treated as a second class driver could have seen him blow the race in a fit of Alonso-esque pique. But it didn’t. He got away from the start better than Vettel and, despite Vettel trying to push him off, held his line to the first corner where it was Vettel who got pushed off.
Bouncing back on the track Vettel’s rear offside wheel caught the slightest of blows on Hamilton’s front wing which resulted in a puncture. Which meant Vettel went from first to last in the space of the first lap. Oh, how Webber must have been smiling. And he continued to smile from beginning to end, driving a faultless race to take 25 points.
Hamilton drove like a tenacious bulldog holding on – just – to Webber’s coat tails, but never threatening the Australian. Button drove a race every bit as impressive as Webber’s as he came from 14th to finish fourth, just behind the Mercedes of Rosberg. It looked as if Button could have challenged for third – and his first ever Silverstone podium – but a lack of fuel made a challenge impossible.
Ferrari managed to under-use what was obviously a very quick car with Alonso managing to pull off his now customary trick of pouting and stomping about a perceived slight. This time it was a drive-through penalty for gaining an advantage by cutting a corner to overtake Kubica.
Instead of conceding position to Kubica after gaining the advantage he drove on. Unfortunately for him Kubica retired soon after so the stewards couldn’t penalize Alonso by making him concede his advantage, so he got a drive-through. Which in Alonso’s head seemed to be everyone’s fault but his.
Alonso ended the race in 14th with team mate Massa in 15th. A sorry waste of a good car. And a car very much on the up is the Williams, with veteran Rubens Barrichello coming a superb 5th and Nico Hulkenburg in the other Willams 10th.
A new circuit at Silverstone, and one of the best home Grand Prix in years.
Off to Germany in two weeks.
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