Ferrari are back...
It really was a 'fantastic day' for Ferrari as Stefano Domenicali said to Alonso as he crossed the finish line first. Pointing to the prancing horse on his steering wheel, Fernando was evidently delighted to be returning to the top step of the podium for Ferrari after so long. A historic victory too, on the 60th anniversary of Ferrari's first ever win at the very same track. However, what is most important is what this victory means for the rest of the season...While some might say that Ferrari were only in a position to fight for victory as a result of the (already reversed) rule change, I actually feel that Ferrari's victory was a culmination of months of development and they have been threatening victory for quite some time. Equally some would say that Fernando was 'gifted' this victory by the Red Bull pitcrew blunder, but that's racing...in the same way it could be argued that Alonso was set for victory in Monaco had it not been for the Red flag tyre changes... That's just the way it goes sometimes. It's also true that Alonso showed he had the pace, both before and after the pitstop to challenge the Red Bull on track - eventually winning the race by over 16 seconds. What is for certain is that this was not a one-off from Ferrari - their car, in races at least, has shown potential for victory in recent races and this victory will spur the team on. The Drivers' Championship is still looking very much out of reach for Alonso, as Ferrari's progress has come too late in the season to really see them challenge for the championship, but I do envisage the gap closing in the second half of the season. Felipe Massa also showed more promise than he has done of late, but I can't help but feel that his race was overcompromised by Ferrari using him as a buffer to Mark Webber. Undoubtedly he played a role for the team but he could have played a greater role by taking positions (and therefore points) away from the Red Bulls if he had been in a position to race his own race rather than compromising it by staying out on tyres without any grip. A shame too as Felipe is consistently outshone by Fernando in races, even if they are more equally matched in practice and qualifying and he really could have played a greater role here.
A 'team result' for Red Bull...?
Chances are two drivers - teammates or not - have just as much chance of taking each other out at the first corner of a race as they do at the last...Vettel had a great start to take the lead, but who could have guaranteed that it happen without incident or coming together? It's hardly possible...racing is unpredictable and that's why the fans love it...fans love competition and fair fighting and while Mark Webber may have chosen to ignore his team orders to 'maintain the gap', the team's stance has strengthened the position of Webber as a definite number 2 driver. Yes, it might have only been due to a pit error that Webber found himself so close to Vettel, but again that is racing and Webber hasn't exactly had a problem-free season. Vettel maintains a commanding lead over the championship and the three points difference between 2nd and 3rd place would have hardly impacted upon this lead. Moreover, a 2-3 'team result' would have been a 'team result' whether it was Vettel or Webber who finished ahead...Indeed, as Martin Brundle later commented, if the Red Bull bosses genuinely had feared a coming together between the two drivers, could they not have adopted the 'Mark is faster than you' Ferrari-esque attitude? Of course it would have also been met with discontent, but it might also have restored some harmony within the team, rather than leaving Mark feeling left out in the cold one year on from his famous 'not bad for a number two driver' comment. A difficult decision no doubt but for team that is running away with the Constructors' Championship and for a team that supposedly supports wheel-to-wheel, raw racing, and while the message was undoubtedly a sensible one for Red Bull, it was certainly a disappointment for racing fans.
A tough day for McLaren...
McLaren were evidently wary of the impact that the recent rule change might have upon the team performance and both Button and Hamilton were fairly despondent after a disappointing qualifying session. Lewis made a great start while Jenson struggled with grip in the early stages of the race, and for the first race in a while it was Jenson whose tyres suffered the most while Lewis was hot on the heels of Felipe Massa in the first stint. Both drivers were far more competitive after the first set of pitstops - much to the delight of the home crowd - but as the already used tyres lost grip, Ferrari - and particularly Alonso - showed that they have moved ahead of McLaren in Silverstone in terms of race pace as Alonso was far gentler on his tyres, often over a second per lap faster than Hamilton. It was really in the last phase of the lap where the McLarens really suffered and lost time to the Red Bulls and Alonso. Ultimately it was the undercut that saw Vettel pass Hamilton but it was clear that Hamilton was lacking pace as he fell quickly behind Alonso as he held up Vettel. Things went from bad to worse for the Woking based team as a Chief Mechanic error saw Button retire at the end of the pitlane while Lewis's race was compromised as he was forced to enter fuel saving mode. A disappointing day for McLaren fans and an even more frustrating day for the drivers who had so hoped to impress at their home Grand Prix. Perhaps the only consolation was that Hamilton maintained his 4th place ahead of Massa even if it meant losing a piece of bodywork in doing so. The past few races have at times been less than pretty for McLaren with driver and team errors meaning that valuable points have been lost while Ferrari has made great progress.
Best of the rest...
Sergio Perez had another great Grand Prix at Silverstone and is really making a name for himself as he collects a handful of points for Sauber and both Mercedes also enjoyed a points finish as Schumacher fought his way back to ninth after another incident packed race. A good result too for Jaime Alguersuari who finished in the points for the third race in a row, as he bids to protect his seat at Toro Rosso.
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