Who said Valencia was boring? European Grand Prix Review

Is it just me or did I see one of the best races of the 2012 Formula One season on Sunday? Who would have thought Valencia would serve up a terrific Grand Prix.

Drama from start to finish, plenty of overtaking manoeuvres and incidents galore. What more could you ask for. A brilliant Grand Prix and I have to admit I was dreading this one.

I would be right in saying that previous races at Valencia have been pretty dull. Did I expect to see an entertaining race this time round? No is the simple answer.

Again you have to give Pirelli credit for what they have done. And tyre degradation has played its part in what is proving to be a fantastic season for Formula One.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso delighted the home crowd and Tifosi by taking victory in an absorbing Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen came home in second and massive congratulations to Michael Schumacher.

The seven-time World Champion ended up finishing the race in third. This was Schumi’s first appearance on the podium since his return to the sport.

Ferrari and Alonso

Qualifying might not have gone to plan for Fernando Alonso and Ferrari. But the Spaniard drove a brilliant race to take his second win of the season.

How often have we seen drivers who have not made it into the top ten and yet they have been able to pick up strong results. Look at Sergio Perez in Canada. Qualified 15th and the Mexican finished the race third.

Does getting into the top ten of qualifying matter? For me it does and it always will. However not making it into Q3 is not the end of the world. But lets not take anything away from Fernando.

Alonso pulled off some brilliant overtakes and his move on Romain Grosjean after the safety car went in was outstanding. OK Sebastian Vettel and Grosjean retired but Alonso’s victory in Valencia was down to genuine pace and the Ferrari has been improving race by race.

It will be interesting to see whether the double World Champion can repeat his European Grand Prix heroics at Silverstone. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Alonso is in contention for the race win.

For Felipe Massa it was yet another frustrating weekend and I really hope he picks up a strong result at the British Grand Prix. With the way things are going I can’t see Massa at Ferrari next year.

The Brazilian’s race was more or less over when he had a collision with Kamui Kobayashi. Had that not occurred, Massa would have been in with a shout to score some points. Felipe is capable of stringing results together but his luck this year has been rotten and sometimes when things go wrong, they can go from bad to worse.

Mixed Fortunes

It could have been so much better for Lotus had Romain Grosjean’s car not suffered an alternator failure. But Kimi Raikkonen managed to bring the car home in an excellent second place.

Despite the DNF for Grosjean in Valencia, I have been very impressed by how well the Frenchman has performed this year. He has proven to be more than a match for his more experienced team-mate.

I personally think it is only a matter of time before Romain takes his first win in Formula One. He has been given a second chance and boy has he taken it. I can only run out of superlatives to describe how well Romain has done in 2012 so far and he is a star for the future.

Kimi was one of the drivers to benefit from Grosjean’s retirement and having got past Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages of the race, the Finn was able to score 18 points for second.

Raikkonen has performed admirably in my view on his return to Formula One but it was obvious from his interview with Lee McKenzie that he wanted more than second place. The win was just out of reach but Kimi can be satisfied with how the race went for him.

I do believe Lotus will win a race this season but I’m not sure where that race victory will come at. Will it be at Silverstone?

At Last

When Michael Schumacher crossed the finishing line on Sunday in third position, I was so happy for him. The German has endured so much bad luck in 2012 through no fault of his own but this could be the result that kick-starts his season.

Schumi was able to hold off Mark Webber for the final podium place and this result saw Michael on the podium for the first time since his comeback to Formula One. The Mercedes car has improved significantly compared to the previous two seasons and I just get a funny feeling Schumacher could actually win a race this year.

Michael pulled off some decent moves and being on the fresher tyres at the end helped enormously. Finishing third in Valencia will give Schumi an extra spring in his step but he now needs to build on this result and string some points finishes together.

Nico Rosberg drove a decent race to finish sixth. Rosberg did get off to a poor start but in the end he was able to make his two stop strategy work and get past Paul di Resta in the final stages of the race.

Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel would have been on the top step of the podium had he not suffered an alternator problem. The German had the race up his sleeve and looked on course to record his third consecutive win at Valencia.

The neutral will have been delighted to see Seb retire but it was clear Vettel was not a happy bunny after climbing out of the stricken Red Bull. Who wouldn’t be? After leading the race for so long and doing all the right things, then for an alternator to fail will have been heart-breaking for Vettel.

However he will bounce back from this and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up on the podium at Silverstone or even win the British Grand Prix. Red Bull in recent years have done well at Silverstone and I can see both Seb and Mark battling for a race victory.

After a torrid Saturday, Webber did a great job on Sunday to finish fourth. Its not the first time Mark has made his way through the field after a miserable qualifying and going out in Q1. Remember the Chinese Grand Prix last season? Started 18th and the Aussie went onto finish third.

Things did look bleak after qualifying but Mark certainly turned it around on race day and he wasn’t far behind Schumacher come the end of the race. Webber is right up there in the Drivers Standings and don’t rule him out of this years battle to be crowned World Champion.

He won in Monaco and he has also been consistent so far this season. Plus there have also been times this year where he has got the better of Sebastian.

McLaren Woe

Once again McLaren make another mistake in the pit stops. Are they ever going to learn? I wouldn’t like to be in those high pressure situations and I know for a fact I would make mistakes.

But the fact that McLaren have made so many errors during the pit stops this season is frustrating for the drivers and for the fans. McLaren are one of the best teams in Formula One and these pit stops should be perfect.

The team need to realise these mistakes are costing Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button points. Hindsight is a beautiful thing but had Hamilton’s second stop not taken so long, perhaps he would not have been hit by Pastor Maldonado.

Lewis did what he could and even finishing third would not have been a disastrous result. I guess the consolation for Hamilton was the fact Vettel didn’t score any points either.

My thoughts on the Hamilton – Maldonado incident: Maldonado’s fault and he was lucky to only be given a 20-second penalty which meant he dropped out of the points and finished 12th. I personally would have given him a five or even a ten place drop for what he did.

It was inevitable Pastor would get past Lewis but there was no need for the Venezuelan to do what he did. Had Maldonado rejoined the track once Lewis had got past Turn 13, the Williams driver will have had another opportunity to get past the Brit on the next long straight.

Maldonado drove brilliantly at Barcelona earlier this season to take his first ever win in Formula One. But there have been times where he has been erratic and yesterday’s collision was not the first time both Lewis and Pastor have collided.

As for Jenson he could only manage an eighth place finish and he is not exactly in top form. Scoring only six points in five races is not Championship winning form and Button does need a strong result at Silverstone. Who knows a win could get his season back on track.

I do believe Button will bounce back from this bad spell and don’t count him out of the Drivers Title. There is still a long way to go and anything can happen.

Force India

And finally one team who will have been delighted with their weekend’s work were Force India. Nico Hulkenburg came home in a brilliant fifth place with team-mate Paul di Resta finishing seventh.

In Free Practice both Hulkenburg and di Resta were impressive and Qualifying went pretty well although di Resta felt he could have done better than tenth. It was a big weekend for the team and with both Williams and Sauber not scoring many points, Force India were able to take advantage.

Scoring 18 points at Valencia meant Force India are only one point behind Williams and 16 behind Sauber in the Constructors. Silverstone is a track that should suit the VJM05 and Force India always seem to perform well at high speed tracks. Watch out for Force India at the British Grand Prix and I don’t know why but I have got a feeling they could surprise one or two people.

You can follow me @Baggies20 on Twitter along with Paul Hadsley @paulhadsley. Visit my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/TheManishism to listen to previous F1inPubs Forums and let us know what you think. And don’t forget you can comment before, during and after every Grand Prix by using the hash tag #F1inPubs. You never know your views might be included in the Forum.

A Perfect Birthday Present for Sir Frank

Five races and five different winners. Who will have scripted that at the beginning of the 2012 Formula One season? It has been a truly remarkable start to 2012 and I only hope it continues.

Will Monaco see a sixth different winner this year? With the way things are going, I wouldn’t back against it. The Pirelli tyres are once again playing their part and you would be a very brave person to predict who will come out on top at Monaco.

Considering how dull previous Spanish Grand Prix’s have been, this years race was thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. Before I talk about Pastor Maldonado’s excellent win my thoughts are with the mechanics who were injured in yesterday’s horrific fire that occurred in the Williams pit garage.

Three Williams team members were taken to a local hospital with one believed to have been suffering from burns. It was great to see team personnel from different teams helping to put the fire out and it just shows you Formula One is united.

All the teams may be competing against one another on the track but off the track they are united and yesterday was an example of just that. I speak for everyone in Formula One and hope those injured in the pit fire make a speedy recovery. We are all behind you.

An Eight Year Wait

Williams’ eight year wait for a race win came to an end on Sunday with Pastor Maldonado putting in a brilliant performance to take his maiden victory in Formula One. Pastor became the first Venezuelan to win a Grand Prix.

The last time Williams tasted race victory was back in 2004 at Brazil when Juan Pablo Montoya came out victorious in his last race for the team. No doubt Maldonado’s victory in Spain will be one the Williams team personnel will remember for many years to come.

Pastor’s win will have also been a perfect birthday present for Sir Frank Williams. It was obvious up and down the paddock that everyone was delighted for Williams.

Although he lost the lead on the opening lap, Pastor kept his cool and was able to get past Fernando Alonso during the second stage of pit stops.

The Venezuelan went on to win the race and was able to hold off the challenge of Alonso to take his first ever victory in Formula One. Thoroughly deserved and it was great to see Williams back on the top step of the podium.

To bounce back as they have done this year has been incredible. However there is a long way to go and everyone at Williams will be looking to stay on their feet and not get too carried away.

If Lewis Hamilton was not stripped of his pole position, perhaps we would have had a different result on Sunday. But take nothing away from what Maldonado and Williams achieved.

Ferrari and the Rest

Finishing second in front of his home crowd will have felt like a win for Fernando Alonso. The start he made to this years race was reminiscent of the start the Spaniard made in last years race at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Fernando was overtaken in the second stage of pit stops by Maldonado and lost the lead. He was not quite able to get past the Venezuelan but Alonso shouldn’t be disheartened by coming home in second place.

It is ironic that Ferrari don’t have the best car and yet Alonso is tied on 61 points with Sebastian Vettel leading the Drivers Championship. The great thing about Alonso is that he is always consistent and has always been able to get the best out of a car even if it is not at its best.

The pressure will be building on Felipe Massa after the Brazilian could only manage a 15th place finish. Massa does need an upturn in form and if things do not improve he might not even last the season.

Lotus had yet another solid weekend with Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean finishing third and fourth. Eric Boullier should be delighted with the way both his drivers have performed this season and I would not back against them picking up another strong result in Monaco.

The Enstone based team could have won in both Bahrain and Spain but they should not be disappointed by the way they have performed. I have been very impressed with how well Raikkonen has performed on his return to the sport. But at the same time I have also been equally impressed with Grosjean.

Romain has been given a second chance and the Frenchman has so far done himself proud. Ending up on the podium in Bahrain and finishing fourth in Spain will have delighted Grosjean and he has every right to be pleased with how his season has gone so far.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi had a great day at the office as the Japanese driver finished fifth. Again I have been impressed by the start Sauber have made to the 2012 season and both Kobayashi and Sergio Perez have done a great job. Could Sauber spring a surprise in Monaco? You never know.

After Free Practice on Friday you would have backed Red Bull to score big points in Spain. But come Sunday, Sebastian Vettel could only come home in sixth and Mark Webber finished outside the points in 11th.

I really cannot put my finger on what went wrong for Red Bull and I guess the only saving grace for them was McLaren not scoring big points either. Red Bull have enjoyed recent success at Monaco and it would not surprise me if they were to bounce back in Monaco. But based on what we have seen this season it is unpredictable as to who will win the next Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg finished seventh for Mercedes with team-mate Michael Schumacher retiring from yet another race. Schumacher not surprisingly received a five place grid drop for causing a collision and going into the back of Bruno Senna. I totally agree with the stewards decision and there is no arguing that Schumacher was at fault for the collision.

Had Lewis Hamilton not been stripped of his pole position, I reckon the Brit would have gone onto win the race. To be forced to start at the back of the grid was harsh in my view. Having said that the McLaren pit crew should take responsibility for what happened on Saturday.

But give credit where it is due. Lewis was able to make his way through the field from 24th to finish the race eighth. Hamilton did a great job and it was a shame he was not able to hold off Vettel for seventh.

Jenson Button will have been in a buoyant mood after being quickest in the second Free Practice session on Friday. Button is one of those drivers who is able to make his strategy work well and look after his tyres. But for some reason he was not able to do that this time round in Spain.

Finally Nico Hulkenburg defended brilliantly from Mark Webber to finish tenth and pick up a point for Force India. It has not been a strong start to the season for Force India but yet they are picking up points.

Paul di Resta did a great job at Bahrain coming home in sixth. We have yet to see the best of Force India and the way they have started this season reminds me of how they started last season.

2011 was a slow start for the team but in the second half of the season they started putting in more consistent and stronger performances. I genuinely believe Force India have been surprised by how well the likes of Sauber and Williams have done. But there is still a long way to go and there are plenty of points to play for.

I am looking forward to Monaco and I really cannot predict who will come out on top. But I am loving Formula One this season and long may the unpredictability continue.

The Wait Is Almost Over! – 2012 Formula One Season Preview – Part 2

Lotus

The Enstone-based team have been pretty impressive in Pre-Season testing but I don’t expect them to finish ahead of Red Bull and McLaren in Australia. However I can see Lotus fighting the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes regularly this year.

Lotus (named as Lotus Renault GP last year) started 2011 in fine fashion as they finished on the podium in the opening two races. But the team really struggled in the second half of the season and only just finished ahead of Force India in the Constructors. Consistency is the key for success and last year Lotus were too inconsistent in my view.

All the attention will be on Kimi Raikkonen as the Finn returns to Formula One after a two year break. And no doubt comparisons will be made about how Kimi fares on his return to the sport compared to Michael Schumacher’s first year at Mercedes.

Its great to see Kimi back in a Formula One car and he has already proved in Pre-Season testing he still has the speed. The question is can Lotus provide Kimi with a competitive car for the 2007 World Champion to challenge for podiums. Does Raikkonen also have the determination and enthusiasm to succeed on his comeback to Formula One?

I personally feel Kimi has what it takes to win another Drivers title and its up to Lotus to provide Raikkonen the tools for him to be at the sharp end of the grid. It will be interesting to see how Kimi approaches this season and which Kimi turns up.

Along with Raikkonen, Romain Grosjean will be making a second return to Formula One. And I think the Frenchman is better equipped and has the pedigree to do well in 2012. I also reckon Grosjean can give Raikkonen a run for his money this season.

Romain was literally thrown at the deep end in 2009 when he replaced Nelson Piquet Jnr at the European Grand Prix. Grosjean failed to make a major impression and struggled for the remainder of the 2009 season.

But having been crowned GP2 Champion last year and done a solid job for Lotus in the Free Practice Sessions towards the end of 2011 season, Grosjean will be bullish about his chances of doing well in 2012.

This is a second chance for Grosjean to establish himself in Formula One and I think this time round he can.

Force India

2012 could potentially be a year where I think Force India could surprise one or two people and even challenge for the odd podium. With Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenburg driving for the team this year, the in-team battle at Force India will be very intriguing.

Putting aside what happened off-track, I do have sympathy for Adrian Sutil after he finished ninth in the Drivers Standings and had another decent season in 2011. But Force India have decided to go with di Resta and Hulkenburg for this year.

There is no arguing that Paul di Resta was Formula One’s Rookie of the Year in 2011. The Scotsman impressed against his more experienced team-mate Sutil last season despite the German eventually scoring more points come the end of the year.

Di Resta did a superb job in first full season as a Formula One driver and who can forget his qualifying performance at Silverstone where he ended up sixth. And lets not forget his fine sixth place finish in the race at Singapore.

The VJM05 has been pretty reliable throughout Pre-Season testing without any major problems although Test Driver Jules Bianchi did shunt the car on the third day of testing at Jerez.

If Force India can continue where they left off last season then there is no reason why di Resta cannot have another strong season. And I’m sure Force India will be aiming to battle with the likes of Lotus and Mercedes. The future is bright for di Resta and he is a force to be reckoned with.

The Hulk is back. Not the Incredible Hulk but Nico Hulkenburg. The German having endured a frustrating 2011 by being on the sidelines as Force India’s Reserve driver now has a race seat for 2012. And its up to Hulkenburg to grasp this opportunity.

I did feel sorry for Hulkenburg when he was ousted from Williams at the end of the 2010 season. That was despite the German qualifying on pole in Brazil and being one of the Rookies of the Year.

It is a shame that money seems to count more than talent and Hulkenburg was replaced by Pastor Maldonado. Williams’ loss but Force India’s gain. Hulkenburg will want to prove a point in 2012 and I fancy the German to have solid and successful season.

Sauber

The Swiss team were able to hold off Toro Rosso for seventh in the Constructors last season. After a bright start, Sauber’s form in the second half of the season dipped due to their lack of resources. But like Force India, Sauber have two exciting drivers on their books.

Kamui Kobayashi has been a revelation since making his Formula One debut in Brazil 2009. His driving style has proven to be a hit with many fans but he will be hoping Sauber can develop the car throughout the whole of the 2012 season.

Kobayashi finished in the Top 10 for seven consecutive races (If you count the team’s disqualification in Australia) and things appeared to be on the up. But post-Silverstone, Sauber were unable to make significant improvements to the car which led to them being overtaken by Force India in the Constructors.

The Japanese driver is only 25 and if he can consistently finish in the points, maybe the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari might take a punt on him in the future. And Kobayashi might well target the Top 10 of the Drivers Championship this year.

Sergio Perez certainly had an eventful 2011 and the Mexican made a flying start to his Formula One career, albeit Sauber were disqualified from the opening race due to a rear-wing rule breach.

Perez was able to make his one stop strategy work to bring the car home in seventh but was then later disqualified. However he was fortunate to survive a horrific crash during qualifying at Monaco.

There are plenty of positives Perez can take from the way he performed last year and he was more than a match for Kobayashi throughout 2011. Perez is a product of Ferrari’s Junior Drivers Programme and if the 22 year-old can do a fine job for Sauber this year, he could be in a Ferrari sooner rather than later.

Toro Rosso

Helmut Marko and the Red Bull hierarchy were certainly ruthless in getting rid of both Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari. Harsh in my view because I thought Buemi and Alguersuari performed well in 2011.

But the decision has been made and Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne are the new driver-line up for the team. No pressure then on Ricciardo and Vergne to deliver the results for Toro Rosso.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding Ricciardo and now it is time for the Australian to prove he is worth a place in Formula One. I was surprised by how well Ricciardo did at HRT and he was able to get the better of Tonio Liuzzi on many occasions.

Finishing in the points at his home Grand Prix would be a dream start for Ricciardo and no doubt he will want to get the better of his team-mate from the start of the season.

A lot has been said about Ricciardo being the new Sebastian Vettel and this year is a massive season for the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 runner-up. If Ricciardo can perform well consistently in 2012 then who knows he might be in a Red Bull in 2013 or 2014.

It is all about giving youngsters a chance and Jean-Eric Vergne has now been given an opportunity to shine. Fernando Alonso started off at Minardi and now look where he is. Anything is possible if you take your chances.

If I am being honest, I haven’t seen much of Vergne apart from the Practice Sessions he participated in for Toro Rosso towards the end of the 2011 season. The Frenchman must have done something right in the Practice Sessions and Formula Renault last year for Toro Rosso to take him on this season.

JEV will face the same pressure as Ricciardo in trying to deliver results for the team and take Toro Rosso forwards. Franz Tost, Helmut Marko, Dietrich Mateschitz along with the Red Bull hierarchy will be expecting big things from Ricciardo and Vergne this year. Along with Mercedes, Toro Rosso are another team who are under pressure to improve this year.

Hamilton Back In The Game – German Grand Prix Review

You know how they say things come out of the blue, well Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the Nurburgring certainly was unexpected.

Hamilton had written off McLaren’s chances of challenging Red Bull at the German Grand Prix and yet in qualifying, Lewis only found himself five-hundredths of a second behind pole sitter Mark Webber on Saturday.

The 2008 World Champion put in a sensational lap in Q3 and things were about to get a whole lot better for him on race day. No doubt Lewis will have been on a high come the end of Saturday and that was without doubt Hamilton’s best qualifying performance of the season. Managing to split the Red Bull’s as well was a fine effort from Lewis.

The Brit was able to leapfrog Webber at the start and then went onto drive a faultless race. You could argue the turning point came on lap 33 when Hamilton pulled off a tremendous move on Fernando Alonso by taking the outside line at Turn 2 to get past the Spaniard. That has to be a contender for overtaking manoeuvre of the season so far.

But on the other side of the coin, Jenson Button had yet another weekend he will want to forget. After only being able to qualify 7th and a full second behind his team-mate, qualifying did not go to plan for the 2009 World Champion. And on Sunday, Button made a poor start and was then later forced to retire due to hydraulics problems.

It was not the best of weekends for Jenson and he will be hoping for a strong weekend in Hungary. Being a whole second behind Hamilton in qualifying will have been a concern for Button.

I’ve said this time and time again but Button does need to improve his qualifying to give himself a chance of at least challenging Red Bull and Ferrari. But Lewis’ performance in Germany will give Jenson hope that McLaren are getting closer to Red Bull.

Despite not winning the race, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso put in another strong performance to finish the race 2nd behind Hamilton. Alonso may have been slightly disappointed to have only managed to qualify 4th. But as we have seen in 2011, both Alonso and Felipe Massa have made flying starts in the majority of races.

Since Monaco, Ferrari and Alonso have been pretty impressive and for me it was no surprise the Spaniard won at Silverstone. But its just frustrating that Ferrari seem to get into their stride during the middle part of the season and not at the beginning of the season as we have seen this year and in 2010.

Make no mistake though Ferrari are back and don’t underestimate Fernando Alonso. Fernando’s team-mate Felipe Massa came home 5th after losing out to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel on the final lap in the final pit stop. Massa was in front of Vettel heading into the pit lane on the final lap but Sebastian left the pit lane ahead of Felipe after the Ferrari pit crew were slow to release the Brazilian.

Massa for me has made a solid start this year and I would love to see him win another race. Felipe is the No.2 driver at Ferrari but there have been occasions where the Brazilian has finished in front of Fernando so Alonso has not had it all his own way in 2011.

Sebastian Vettel is still 70+ points clear of the second placed man in the Drivers standings but Sunday’s race was not a walk in the park for last years World Champion.

It was the first time really where we saw Vettel making rare mistakes although he did make an error on the final lap of the Canadian Grand Prix to allow Jenson Button to take the chequered flag.

For sure Vettel is in the box seat even though he finished the race 4th. And the likes of Hamilton, Webber and Alonso would like to be where Seb is in the Drivers standings. I still fancy Vettel to take the 2011 crown but the last two Grand Prix’s have given McLaren and Ferrari hope that they can take the fight to Red Bull.

As for Mark Webber he put in a fantastic lap on Saturday to qualify pole. But on Sunday, the Australian was unable to capitalise and finished the race 3rd.

It was another missed opportunity for Webber to convert pole into a race win. Just how many chances does he need to try and win his first race of 2011?

Mark did finish the race ahead of Sebastian so that will be a huge boost. But yet again Mark did not make the best of starts to the race. Like Massa, I would love to see Webber win a race this year but he needs to convert pole into race victories.

Along with Lewis Hamilton, Force India’s Adrian Sutil will have been a contender for driver of the day after the German finished the race in a superb 6th place. Sutil was able to make his two stop strategy work and he even beat both Mercedes drivers.

Sutil had a good solid weekend and he will be hoping for more of the same at the Hungaroring. The battle for 6th in the Constructors between Sauber, Force India and Toro Rosso might just go down to the wire and I would not like to call who will come out on top.

There has also been speculation about Nico Hulkenburg wanting a Force India race seat for next season so it will be interesting to see driver line-up at the team next season.

Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher finished Sunday’s race 7th and 8th for Mercedes. It was a double points finish for the team but this was supposed the season where we saw both drivers challenging Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren on a regular basis. But it has not panned out like that.
I’m one of those who still feel we have yet to see the best of Nico Rosberg. This is Rosberg’s 6th season in Formula One and some will argue he should have won a race by now.

But to be fair to him he has not been given a car in which he can challenge for race victories. Look at how long it took for Jenson Button to record his first victory.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi finished in the points yet again as he finished 9th. And Lotus Renault’s Vitaly Petrov picked up the final point as he came home in 10th.

HRT’s Daniel Ricciardo finished the race in what was only his second start in Formula One. And well done to Karun Chandhok who managed to finish the race. The Indian driver replaced Jarno Trulli for the German Grand Prix weekend and I suppose the best he could have wished for was to finish the race.

The German Grand Prix Podcast will be uploaded tommorow so watch this space.

Is There Hope After All Then? – British Grand Prix Review

Just as we thought Sebastian Vettel was going to make it seven wins out of nine, a rare mistake from the Red Bull pit crew allowed Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso to leapfrog the German and go onto to take his first win of 2011.

Alonso and Ferrari have been improving leaps and bounds since Monaco and I suppose it was only a matter of time before Ferrari registered their first win of the season. And in the last couple of races it has been Ferrari who have been Red Bull’s major competitors. A worrying sign for all those associated with McLaren.

But take nothing away from Fernando. He was impressive throughout the weekend at Silverstone and put in a sterling performance. Even Vettel, Webber and Christian Horner admitted Ferrari deserved the win.

Alonso still finds himself 90+ points behind Vettel in the Drivers standings but could the result at the British Grand Prix be the result that turns the season around? Only time will tell.

As much as people might hate him, there is no denying Alonso is one of the best drivers around and on any given day he is hard to beat as we saw on Sunday.

The Spaniard came out on top in last years controversial German Grand Prix. Will Alonso make it two wins on the trot? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Also a mention for Felipe Massa as well. The Brazilian did well to bring the car home in 5th and he certainly had some great tussles with both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

Massa might not have won a Grand Prix since Brazil 2008 but I have seen signs that Felipe is getting back to his best. I still think Massa is capable of winning more races but saying that he is in many people’s views Ferrari’s second driver.

So what’s happened to McLaren? Have the wheels come off the McLaren bandwagon? It is too early to say but things have not exactly gone to plan for the team since Button’s stunning win in Canada.

The weather did play its part in qualifying but I’m sure both Jenson and Lewis will have been disappointed to only qualify 5th and 10th. Worryingly for McLaren, it has been Ferrari who have been the more closer to challenging Red Bull in recent Grand Prix’s.

Hamilton and Button again never really had the pace to trouble Vettel and Co and McLaren really do need a result in Germany to get their season back on track.

Lewis had a decent race in my view and did well to come through the field and finish 4th which was the best result McLaren could have achieved. The 2008 World Champion had to be at his best to keep Massa behind him in the dying moments of the race.

For the British fans it would have been great to see Hamilton on the podium but there was nothing the Brit could do to stop Mark Webber getting past him. No doubt Hamilton’s heart will have sank when he was told to save fuel with over 10 laps to go.

Jenson Button’s hoodoo of not finishing on the podium at Silverstone continued as the 2009 World Champion was forced to retire due to the front right tyre not being properly attached in his final pit stop.

Had that not happened, Button could have also challenged for a podium spot and he might have been able to beat Webber. Jenson will have been frustrated not to have given the home crowd something to cheer about in the end but his fine move on Massa on lap 15 certainly sent the British fans wild.

McLaren desperately need to get back to winning ways as soon as possible and give Lewis and Jenson a winning car and a car that can challenge Red Bull from Germany onwards.

The Red Bull’s of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber finished 2nd and 3rd and had Vettel not had his pit stop problem, the German may well have gone onto record his seventh win of 2011.

Seb is still 80 points clear of his closest rival in the Drivers so he should not be disappointed with finishing Sunday’s race 2nd. Yes he will have wanted to have won the race but he cannot complain with the way 2011 has panned out for him.

It is difficult to see who will stop Red Bull and Vettel but as we saw in Canada and on Sunday, Red Bull can make mistakes and they are not invincible.

One man who will have been disgruntled with how the race ended on Sunday was Mark Webber. The Aussie was closing the gap between himself and Vettel in the closing stages of the race and it looked as if Webber would get past his team-mate.

But having been told to back off and ‘maintain the gap’, Mark had to settle for third. I can totally understand Mark’s frustrations but I can also understand Red Bull’s decision in telling Mark to stay behind Sebastian. After what happened in Turkey last year, perhaps that had an influence on the team’s decision in not allowing their drivers to race each other.

I just wonder where Webber’s future lies now. Mark psychologically does need to finish a race in front of his team-mate and Sunday was his best chance to do that. Red Bull robbed him of doing that and I really do feel sorry for Webber.

The former Williams driver did qualify on pole but yet again he made a poor start to the race and that allowed Vettel to get by. Does the Aussie want to remain with Red Bull or is he looking to move on? It will be interesting to see where Webber ends up in 2012.

Nico Rosberg was the first of the two stoppers to finish the race as he finished in 6th. Rosberg’s team-mate Michael Schumacher despite having to serve a stop go and change his front wing picked up two points and finished 9th. Schumacher recovered well but the seven-times World Champion could have finished higher up had he not caused a collision with Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi. Mercedes will definitely want to put in a strong performance in front of their home crowd next time out at the Nurburgring.

Sauber’s Sergio Perez continues to impress in his debut season as he finished 7th ahead of Lotus Renault’s Nick Heidfeld. And Jaime Alguersuari continued his revival with another points finish.

Force India’s Paul di Resta had a sensational Saturday by qualifying sixth. But di Resta lost roughly 25 seconds during his second stop in the race as the team were expecting Adrian Sutil. That pit stop ruined di Resta’s race and then the Scotsman collided with Sebastian Buemi. It was an unfortunate end to what promised to be a decent weekend for Paul.

But there is no doubt Paul has been a shining light of 2011 and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him driving for a top team in the future. Despite not picking up any points, Force India can take plenty of encouragement from how Saturday went. They now need to convert those strong qualifying performances into points.

And finally Daniel Ricciardo made his Formula One debut with Hispania. The best the Aussie could have hoped for was to finish the race and that’s exactly what he did. Ricciardo was even beating Tonio Liuzzi in the Free Practice sessions so Liuzzi does have a battle on his hands if he wants to be the No.1 driver within the team.

It was a cracking British Grand Prix and the Silverstone Wing looks fantastic. The future looks bright for British Motor Racing.

Germany here we come!

It Really Was Worth The Wait! Canadian Grand Prix Review

Formula One fans might not have bothered watching the remainder of the Canadian Grand Prix after the long delay due to heavy rain.

But even the delay could not deny what was a truly pulsating race and yet again Canada served us up with another thriller. Montreal is a must-stay in terms of which circuits should remain on the Grand Prix calendar.

For the first time this season we saw a wet race and the race itself did not disappoint with incidents galore. It was a truly sensational weekend in Canada with drama from the word go in the First Free Practice session.

So Sebastian Vettel is human after all then? All was going swimmingly well for the German until the final lap where he put a wheel off line on to the wet part of the track at Turn Six and half-spun which enabled Jenson Button to get past and take a sensational win.

Despite coming into the pits SIX times and at one point being at the back of the grid, Jenson came through the field and got past Vettel on the final lap. The Canadian Grand Prix will go down in my view as Jenson’s best ever Formula One victory.

Button put in a staggering performance and he was simply supreme in his final stint of the race. The 2009 World Champion is one of those drivers who is able to get the best out of a strategy given to him and Sunday’s race in Montreal was no different.

Jenson was also in the wars as well after playing a part in Lewis Hamilton’s and Fernando Alonso’s retirements from the race. Both incidents could potentially have ruined Button’s race but lets not take anything away from the former Honda driver. Button was sensational on Sunday and that was a World Champion’s drive.

Its now two consecutive frustrating weekends for Lewis Hamilton. The Brit was forced to retire on lap eight after colliding with his team-mate on the pit straight.

Lewis was born to be a racer and I like his driving style but was there any need for him to do what he did on lap eight? There will have been other places on the circuit where Lewis could have got past Jenson.

Button did get a poor exit and there was an opportunity for Hamilton to get past. But Lewis must have known that because it was a wet race and he was close to the wall, there was always that chance he could end up hitting the pit wall.

But whenever Hamilton sees an opportunity to overtake he will go for it and no one can take that away from him. When Hamilton is on it, he is difficult to beat and he now needs to have a weekend where everything goes right for him.

Up until the final lap, Vettel had a faultless race and did everything that was asked of him apart from winning the race. But the German cannot complain with how things have panned out for him this season and he can be pleased with what he has achieved.

Seb will have been disappointed not to have won the race but considering this was a track Red Bull were supposed to struggle on, Vettel did a great job. He did go into the Wall of Champions in the First Free Practice session but last years World Champion did not let that affect him and yet again he put the car on pole.

Mark Webber had a decent weekend and finished the race third. The Australian was involved in a three-way tussle in the latter stages of the race with Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button.

I still think Webber needs a race win sooner rather than later otherwise he will be playing second fiddle to Vettel for the remainder of the season. Any win will do for Mark and the next Grand Prix in Valencia should suit the Red Bull’s so perhaps the European Grand Prix could be the race where Webber gets that win.

Off the track, Webber has yet to sign a contract for next year so could we see someone else partner Vettel in 2012? Only time will tell.

There were bound to be Formula One fans out there who were hoping for Michael Schumacher to finish in top three. But it was not to be.

Schumi has nothing to be ashamed of and for sure he can take a lot of positives away from Montreal. In the race we saw why Michael is a master in the rain and why he enjoys driving in the wet.

Finishing fourth was by no means a disaster although the seven-times World Champion will have been gutted not to have ended up on the podium. I really hope Sunday’s performance does kick-start Michael’s season and I would love to see him on the podium again.

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov went about his business quietly without anyone taking any real notice of him in the race. The Russian put in a sterling performance to finish fifth and score vital points in their battle for fourth in the Constructors with Mercedes.

It has not been a spectacular season for Petrov but it has been a solid start to 2011 nonetheless. Vitaly can be happy with what he has achieved so far and I would not be surprised if we do see Renault and Petrov back on the podium this season.

Had Robert Kubica been in the car, I just wonder whether Renault could have been contending for a race win. But we wish Kubica a speedy recovery and hopefully we will see him in a Formula One car soon.

Ferrari’s Felipe Massa finished sixth after getting past Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi on the pit straight on the final lap. Massa will be encouraged by his qualifying performance on Saturday and I’m hoping that this is a sign of things to come from the Brazilian.

Massa is certainly giving his team-mate a run for his money this season and Alonso has not had it all his own way. Had the race not started under the safety car it will have been interesting to see where the Ferrari’s will have been at the end of the first lap.

But Ferrari will be encouraged by what happened on Saturday and Alonso was not a million miles away from Vettel’s benchmark time in qualifying. Ferrari do appear to have taken massive strides forward in recent Grand Prix’s and they could be a team to watch out for, for the rest of 2011.

Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi finished the race 7th but Friday saw Pedro de la Rosa being drafted into to replace Sergio Perez for the remainder of the weekend after the Mexican was unwell after First Free Practice.

I suppose it would be right to say that Perez has not quite shaken off the affects of what happened in Monaco. But an accident like that is bound to have an affect on you.

Williams’ Rubens Barrichello finished ninth for the second race on the trot and both Toro Rosso’s finished in the points. Jaime Alguersuari finished eighth and Sebastian Buemi picked up the final point by coming home in tenth.

Jaime really needed those points and finishing eighth in Canada will do his confidence the world of good. He is still under pressure from reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo but if Alguersuari can put in strong performances in the coming weeks then the pressure will ease.

And once again Sebastian Buemi finished in the top ten. Like Petrov, Buemi has made a solid start to 2011 and he could be someone in line to replace Webber at Red Bull.

A quick mention to Hispania as well. Vitantonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan finished the race 13th and 14th and this result could be crucial come the end of the season in terms of where they end up in the final Constructors standings.

2011 Candian Grand Prix Podcast on Formula1 FanCast

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Paul Hadsley reflect on a thrilling 2011 Canadian Grand Prix. I do apologise for the background noise in this podcast.

The Bahrain Grand Prix has been called off which is no surprise after the teams objected to rescheduling the race. We also react to the new Aryton Senna movie that was released in the UK on 03/06/11.

Jenson Button pounced on a rare Sebastian Vettel mistake to take his first win of the 2011 season in an enthralling Canadian Grand Prix.

Vettel ran wide at Turn Six on the final lap allowing the 2009 World Champion to get by and take a crucial win. Button was at one point at the back of the grid however he came through the field and managed to get past Vettel on the final lap to take a truly sensational win. And to top it all off he won the race by making six stops.

Lewis Hamilton had another weekend to forget as he was forced to retire on lap eight after colliding with his team-mate on the pit straight. Lewis had already been involved in an incident with Mark Webber two laps earlier.

The Red Bull’s of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber came home in second and third. Seb will have been disappointed to have finished second considering he led the whole race until his mistake on the final lap. But the German cannot complain with the way things have gone for him this season.

Mark Webber had an eventful race and was involved in an intriguing battle in the latter stages of the race with Button and Michael Schumacher. Webber did well to recover after his early spin and the Australian managed to get past Schumacher to take the final podium place.

Schumacher showed us in the weekend why he is a master in the rain and the seven-times World Champion just missed out on a podium finish. But Schumi can no doubt take a lot of positives from the weekend and this could be the result that kick-starts his season.

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov put in a sterling performance to finish fifth and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa came home in sixth after getting past Kamui Kobayashi on the pit straight on the final lap.

Friday saw Pedro de la Rosa being drafted into to replace Sergio Perez for the remainder of the weekend after the Mexican was unwell after First Free Practice.

Rubens Barrichello finished 9th for the second consecutive race for Williams and both Toro Rosso’s finished in the points. Jaime Alguersuari finished eighth with Sebastian Buemi picking up the final point by finishing tenth.

You can follow both Manish (@Baggies20) and Paul (paulhadsley) on Twitter.

You can also read about Manish’s views on every Grand Prix weekend by visiting his blog: http://mannyi.wordpress.com/

To listen to the longer version of this podcast visit: http://podcasts.footballfancast.com/f1/301217/button-has-the-final-laugh-cana…

You can visit http://www.formula1fancast.com to keep up to date with the latest Formula One news. You can also follow Formula1 FanCast on Twitter (@Formula1FanCast).

Vettel’s Maiden Monaco Success – 2011 Monaco Grand Prix Review

Glitz, Glamour, the streets of Monte Carlo could only mean one thing as the Monaco Grand Prix came to town. Monaco certainly served up a thrilling race and had the Safety Car not made a late appearance we were in for an intriguing finish between Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

But the German once again came out on top. Red Bull and Vettel seem to be having all the luck go their way and no doubt Alonso and Button will have felt robbed after Sunday.

However the Spaniard and Jenson can take many positives from the Monaco weekend and on any other circuit Alonso and Button will have got past Vettel.

Before I do go onto to talk about the race I want to touch on the incidents involving Nico Rosberg, Sergio Perez and Vitaly Petrov. Nico Rosberg had a heavy crash in the third Free Practice session and managed to stop his Mercedes hurtling headlong into the barriers.

And then in qualifying Sauber’s Sergio Perez crashed heavily into the tyre wall at the Nouvelle Chicane with five minutes to go in Q3. Vitaly Petrov crashed into a barrier coming out of the first Swimming Pool chicane in the race.

These accidents highlight how dangerous Formula One remains and nothing can be taken for granted. Hopefully we will see both Speedy Gonzalez Perez and Petrov competing at the next Grand Prix in Canada.

The tyre wall at the Nouvelle Chicane did its job and Perez came out of the incident with concussion. Hearing from Sauber chief executive officer Monisha Kaltenborn saying Perez was in good spirits and spent a good night in the Princess Grace Hospital was great news.

Perez’s accident was the third over the weekend suffered by a driver coming out of the tunnel and heading to the Nouvelle chicane. Renault’s Vitaly Petrov also crashed there on Thursday and Rosberg suffered a similar incident at the same place in final practice.

The exit from the tunnel is very bumpy and this may be one reason why we saw Rosberg, Perez, Petrov and Vitantonio Liuzzi suffer from crashes in that area of the circuit. You get the impression something needs to be done about the exit coming out of the tunnel. Only time will tell whether that part of the track will be improved.

Sunday’s race did not disappoint and I suppose the only disappointment was to see the Safety Car appear at the end of the race with Vettel, Alonso and Button slugging it out at the front.

Once the red flag came out and Vettel was able to change his tyres, last years World Champion was comfortably able to hold off the two-times World Champion Alonso and Button from the re-start. You have to give credit to Seb who did a tremendous job in nursing his tyres for over 60 laps although he was under severe pressure from Fernando and Jenson.

Red Bull and Vettel are unstoppable at the minute and its difficult to see who will stop them. But there is hope.

On any other circuit both Alonso and Button will have got past Vettel and I’m sure Jenson would have won the race if we did not see the Safety Car. However both drivers (Alonso and Button) could not have driven better races and can take plenty of positives from the weekend.

Alonso is like marmite, you either like him or you either hate him. But there is no denying the Spaniard is a class act and he does have momentum heading to Canada. Can he halt the Red Bull and Vettel surge? I would not back against it.

Having the benefit of hindsight, should Jenson have gone for a three stop strategy? A three stop strategy at any other circuit will have worked and Button would have got past Vettel and Alonso.

Jenson will have been disappointed not to have won the race but the Frome star can take heart from the way he performed at Monaco. Button is one of those drivers who always seems to get the best out of a strategy given to him and he was unlucky that three stops did not quite come off at Monaco.

But it was a weekend to forget for Lewis Hamilton. Throughout Free Practice, Hamilton was right on the money and was the one driver who you felt could get close to Vettel in qualifying. But things took a turn for the worse in Q3 in qualifying and from there his weekend went downhill.

Lewis was only able to set one timed lap in Q3 and in that lap he cut the chicane which meant he started the race from 9th. And in the race Hamilton received a drive-through penalty after he bumped into Felipe Massa on lap 34. Lewis then had to have his rear wing repaired after Jaime Alguersuari went into the back of the McLaren.

And then to make matter worse, Hamilton was penalised with the addition of 20 seconds to his finishing time after colliding with Pastor Maldonado’s Williams at Sainte Devote. Hamilton went onto finish the race sixth.

The 2008 World Champion certainly took his anger out on the stewards in his post-race interview with Lee McKenzie. It was the first time I saw Lewis being petulant and venting his frustration out unnecessarily.

What Hamilton needs to do now is forget about Monaco and look ahead to the weekend in Canada where he won last year and in 2007. Lewis had a frustrating weekend in Malaysia and yet the following weekend he bounced back in China.

Come the end of Sunday, Sauber had something to smile about as Kamui Kobayashi finished the race in fifth. Once again Kobayashi made his one stop strategy work and in the end was just unable to hold off Mark Webber for fourth. Kamui is a star for the future and I would not be surprised if one of the big teams snapped him up. And fingers crossed we will see Sergio Perez racing for Sauber in Canada.

Adrian Sutil despite losing his right rear tyre in the latter stages of the race finished 7th and scored much needed points for him and Force India. Paul di Resta had an eventful race and had he not had a drive through, di Resta could have finished in the points. His inexperience did show at times but he is still a rookie and is still learning.

Rubens Barrichello scored Williams’ first points of 2011 by finishing ninth. It will have been a relief for everyone associated at Williams to see the team pick up their first points of the season.

It was a disappointing end to what promised to be a decent weekend for Pastor Maldonado. Maldonado managed to get into Q3 yet again and was on course to score his first points in Formula One until he collided with Lewis Hamilton in the final stages of the race. Through no fault of his own, Maldonado was sent into the barriers at Sainte Devote and the Venezuelan will be wondering when is my luck going to change.

And finally Sebastian Buemi picked up the final point and the Swiss driver has made a solid start to 2011. Buemi is one of those drivers who is no doubt aiming to drive for Red Bull in the future. One man who is under pressure is Jaime Alguersuari and if his performances do not improve then Daniel Ricciardo could be drafted in.

Tyre degradation was a major talking point in last years race in Canada and if that race is anything to go by then tyre degradation could yet again be a factor in who ends up victorious in Montreal.

2011 Monaco Grand Prix Podcast – Vettel’s Maiden Monaco Success

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Paul Hadsley reflect on a thrilling 2011 Monaco Grand Prix.

The Monaco Grand Prix: The one Grand Prix every single Formula One driver dreams of winning. Sebastian Vettel celebrated his first victory at Monaco but he was given yet another stern test by his rivals.

All the luck appears to be with Vettel and Red Bull. Vettel’s one stop strategy did work in the end but he was under severe pressure in the latter part of the race from Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. It was only when the race was red flagged that enabled Vettel to change his tyres and pull away from both Alonso and Button.

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button put in stunning performances to finish the race in 2nd and 3rd. Mark Webber came home in 4th and after Sergio Perez’s horrific crash in qualifying, Sauber had something to cheer about come the end of the weekend with Kamui Kobayashi finishing 5th.

Lewis Hamilton had a troublesome weekend and could only manage a 6th place finish. Lewis qualified 7th but was moved down to 9th after he cut a chicane in his only qualifying lap in Q3. Hamilton’s weekend got worse as he was given a drive through for colliding with Felipe Massa, he then had to have his rear wing repaired after Jaime Alguersuari went into the back of his McLaren. And then to make matters worse, 20 seconds was added to Hamilton’s time after the Brit caused a collision at Sainte Devote with Pastor Maldonado.

Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Williams’ Rubens Barrichello scored welcome points and Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Buemi picked up the final point.

You can follow both Manish (@Baggies20) and Paul (paulhadsley) on Twitter.

You can also read about Manish’s views on every Grand Prix weekend by visiting his blog: http://mannyi.wordpress.com/

2011 Spanish Grand Prix Podcast – Hamilton Gives Vettel A Run For His Money

Formula1 FanCast’s Manish Patel and Scratch Radio’s Paul Hadsley reflect on the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix for Formula1 FanCast.

Sebastian Vettel might have made it four wins out of five this season but the German was certainly made to work hard for his latest victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.

The 2010 World Champion was under constant pressure from Lewis Hamilton in the final stint of the race but Vettel managed to keep the Brit behind him to take his fourth win of the season.

Seb’s team-mate Mark Webber came home in fourth despite qualifying on pole on Saturday. Lewis put in a sterling performance to finish second and Jenson Button after a poor start to the race made his three stop strategy work and finish third.

Home favourite Fernando Alonso finished the race fifth for Ferrari but the Spaniard made a flying start to the race and gave the home fans something to cheer about. But Alonso was unable to stay out at the front for the rest of the race and the two times World Champion finished behind both Red Bull and McLaren drivers.

Mercedes had both of their drivers finishing in the points with Michael Schumacher finishing the race sixth ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg who finished seventh. It proved to be a better weekend for Schumacher and beating his team-mate will do his confidence the world of good.

Sauber are another team who appear to be making progress with Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi ending the race in ninth and tenth. Perez scored his first Formula One points and Sauber could be a team to keep an eye out for the rest of the season.

One team who have had a difficult start to 2011 are Williams. Both Pastor Maldonado and Rubens Barrichello finished outside the points yet again despite Maldonado qualifying in the top ten. Should Williams have kept hold onto Nico Hulkenburg?

After scoring points in the opening two races, Force India have failed to score points since and Paul di Resta and Adrian Sutil finished Sunday’s race 12th and 13th. Paul once again finished the race ahead of his more experienced team-mate Adrian Sutil.

Team Lotus are making considerable progress and Heikki Kovalainen managed to outqualify both Force India’s. Even though Heikki retired from the race and Jarno Trulli finished lower down the order, Team Lotus will take encouragement from Heikki’s performance in qualifying.

At Virgin, Jerome d’Ambrosio also appears to be getting the better of his more experienced team-mate Timo Glock. Virgin’s aim at the start of the season was to get closer to Team Lotus and the other midfield teams but 2011 has been a struggle for Virgin.

And finally despite early season problems on and off the track, Hispania appear to have recovered the situation. HRT in recent times have been outperforming Virgin so there are signs Hispania are improving.

To keep up to date with the latest Formula One news visit http://www.formula1fancast.com

You can follow both Manish Patel (@Baggies20) and Paul Hadsley (@paulhadsley) on Twitter.