Formula One 2010 Season

[Troy]

Schumacher, Rosberg, Alguersuari, Liuzzi, Buemi, Kovalainen and Glock are the drivers eliminated in Q2. You were right about Rosberg and MSC dropping out.

McLaren were 1,2 at the end of that session so can Red Bull or Ferrari mount a charge and take pole from them.

 

[Troy]

Mark Webber you legend, another pole for him and another pole for Red Bull. He is the World Championship leader and needed to start strongly after the break, now he needs to convert this to a win tomorrow.

Webber, Hamilton, Kubica, Vettel, Button, Massa, Barichello, Sutil, Hulkenburg and Alonso are the top ten. Disappointing for Ferrari today especially Alonso.

Should be a good race tomorrow if the weather stays wet, Red Bull have the advantage in the turns but on the straights McLaren's can eat up the gap.

 

[Troy]

ECW News

What a race that was!

So much drama and basically ever driver had something go wrong. Webber had problems on the formation lap and that lead to anti-stall locking on him causing him to drop from first to sixth. Vettel then decided to be an idiot again on the wet road and turned way too sharply and crashed into Button forcing Button to retire. Then he crashed into another car and punctured his back left wheel. The guy should be suspended because he isn't a safe driver. Alonso also crashed on the wet track.

Kubica was distracted in the pits and nearly ran over his mechanics causing him to drop from second to third. Hamilton then near the end went off the track into the gravel but somehow stayed away from the fence. Crazy day and in the end it was Hamilton, Webber and Kubica on the podium which greatly helps Hamilton's and Webber's chances at winning the championship. The other three are now more than 25 points behind them and so there is a nice gap at the moment.

 

[R.D Punk]

That is why Spa is my favorite track, it always makes for a good race. It just shows how inexperienced Vettle is crashing yet again this season, this is a guy we are meant to be praising for being a world champion possibility? I don't want to jump on his back because if everyone keeps on saying he ruins races because he trys moves then no-one will do anything. Plus we keep on forgetting that he still is really young and the rest of the drivers are either older generation Webber, MSC, Button or have had the car designed around them and are over all good driver as in Alonso, Hamelton. It seems stupid to suspend him because he crashes because that's part of racing, if he did it to help Webber win then yes kick him out but it's just general racing, it would be like suspending a cricketer because he dropped a few catches.

 

[R.D Punk]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD5jHiTK_pA

video of Chandhok going round the no-where near ready Korean track. For me, it doesn't look that great as it's too many long striaghts and tight turns and not many free flowing sections where over tacking can be done. I do hope there isn't many bullshit theorys about Red Bull getting an advantage about it, I mean the car had a V 10 Engine and had wet tyres on a dry track so they can't get no data from that.

 

[Troy]

It is really hard to judge how the track will be because it is so far from being done. Also, it is a driver who is unexperienced on this track and in an unfamiliar car for him.

That is one massive straight they have right after the second corner, would have to be one of the biggest out of all the tracks. I hope that those walls on the straight don't remain as it seems pointless having them there so close to the edge of the track. There are a lot of slow tight turns on the track and not enough free flowing sections like you said.

 

[Troy]

Ferrari are the ones to catch at Monza. Fantastic qualifying by Alonso yesterday to get his first pole for this season. Button ran a different configuration to Hamilton and it proved a massive difference with Button qualifying second and Hamilton fifth. Webber surprised by getting fourth spot, this is Red Bull's worst track due to the huge straights.

Should be a great race tonight and I expect it to be Alonso, Button, Massa, Hamilton, Webber and Vettel as the top six in that order.

 

[Troy]

Busy start again! Lots of touching between Button and the two Ferrari's, Button did a fantastic job to get front spot but he lost part of his back wing when it happened. Hamilton went too hard and crashed out after hitting Massa. Webber had a poor start again and is eighth at the moment.

Button, Alonso, Massa, Rosberg, Kubica, Hulkenburg, Vettel and Webber are the top eight. I can't see Rosberg and Hulkenburg staying up there as their cars are slower.

 

[Troy]

That was a fantastic race, great battle with Button and Alonso at the front. Only a lightning pit-stop by Ferrari got him the lead and eventually the win. Vettel had a fantastic strategy in the end, pitting just before the last lap which got him fourth. Webber gets a slight lead in the standings; Webber 187, Hamilton 182, Alonso 166, Button 165, Vettel 163 and Massa 124. Everything to play for with five races left.

 

[Troy]

Red Bull leading the way at practice today in Japan. Vettel and Webber get one and two for both practices and are looking to continue the good result they had at the 2009 Japanese GP. Tomorrow night is qualifying and hopefully another 1,2 for Red Bull.

 

[Troy]

Vettel and Webber took the 1-2 for Red Bull at Japan. Webber now leads the championship by fourteen points ahead of Vettel and Alonso. Button and Hamilton are back a bit more but are still certainly in the chase for the title.

Next race is the Korean GP which will be the first time an F1 GP is run there. It has the longest straight on the calender but it also has a lot of corners and flowing corners. McLaren and Ferrari will have the advantage on that straight but Red Bull will be able to fight back on the rest of the track. Practice will be fascinating to see what cars excel on that track.

 

[Troy]

It was a terrible debut for the Korean GP. Heavy, heavy rain and the track didn't drain well at all. Started under the safety car and then was delayed for a long time. Then when it restarted Webber spun out and crashed taking Rosberg with him! So frustrated at Webber for making a crucial mistake with only two races left. The damage was minimised when Vettel's engine blew and Button didn't score a point but Alonso winning was a big setback. Alonso now leads by 11 points with two races left. He has already used 8 engines though and will suposedly struggle to have an engine for the final two races. If he uses a new engine he recieves a ten place grid drop, if he doesn't use a new engine he risks having it blow up mid race. Webber has to win the Brazilian GP to have a chance now, he won it last year so he has form there.

 

[Troy]

The final race of the season is this weekend at Abu Dhabi. Qualifying is tonight and from practice it looks like McLaren, Red Bull and Ferrari all have similar paced cars for this track. The point ladder currently is:

Alonso - 246
Webber - 238
Vettel - 231
Hamilton - 222

They are the only four who can win the drivers title. Red Bull will be trying to add another trophy to go with their constructors title from this season which they wrapped up in Brazil. Alonso is aiming for his third title and is in the box seat. Webber, who I am obviously going for, needs to win this race if he is to win the title and Alonso has to come third or worse. Hamilton's only chance is if he wins and the other three don't score any points. Should be a great race to finish an excellent season.

 

[Troy]

What a boring race to finish the season, it was similar to the first race of the year in that there was no real chances to over take and therefore the race was a stalemate. Schumacher nearly died at the start when his car was hit, turned into oncoming traffic and then had another car ride over the top of him. The safety of the cars are never in doubt when someone can walk away without a scratch from a crash like that.

Webber and Alonso both had poor tactics. Webber should have pitted as soon as there was a safety car and Alonso should have been shadowing Vettel rather than Webber. Well done to Vettel though he certainly deserved the title. He had ten poles this season and five wins. He was the most consistent driver and he was the quickest driver. Youngest F1 champion at 23 years old.