Coming in to the race weekend at Silverstone – one of my
favourites, and not just because I live in the UK – I expected some tension,
some good racing and a fair share of drama both on and off the track. I did not
expect the mass blow outs that occurred in the race, or the race winner, Nico
Rosberg, to take the top step on the podium,
Mercedes Obvious Step Forward
Regardless of the outcome of the testing investigation, it
is obvious to say that Mercedes have made a step forward. Whether it is
beceause of the test or general development started to work out for them, we
will probably never know. In the end, they seem to have made a step forward. I
don’t want to take anything from Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton – and it would have
been nice to have a British winner this year – but if they can keep up this
form throughout the rest of the year, they will come into this championship
later on.
It was unfortunate for Hamilton as he was doing great before
his tyre blew out but it was an impressive drive back up to fourth and he has
to take some comfort in that. Rosberg took the win and has been showing his
stuff but if he can be consistent throughout the rest of the season, he will
really establish himself in the field.
Webber’s Announcement
One of the biggest stories for me leading into Silverstone
was Mark Webber’s decision to leave Formula One at the end of the season. While
it’s not completely unexpected, he is an excellent driver and has one of the
most trusted voices of the sport. He is honest and very blunt, making his point
without bowing to political pressures and he will be sorely missed. I’ll be
interested in his progress in endurance racing and I’m sure everyone wishes him
well!
Getting the Strategy Right
Towards the end of the race, during the safety car period,
there was a decision to make by the teams. Pit and put fresh tyres on for a
last dash or stay out and try to hold as high a position as possible. With the
way the tyres have been working (for a couple of years now) the decision should
have been easy – but as ever, it wasn’t. Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen was
probably the biggest name to lose out on this call, although from the radio
message it didn’t seem to be his choice. In the end, that won’t make him feel
better and there were other cars in top positions that lost out to Webber and
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso because they did put new tyres on and fought their
way up past the positions they had been in to reach the podium. Some teams will
really need to think about their strategy calls going forward.
The Stand Out Racers
I think it’s important to mention that Daniel Ricciardo and
Adrian Sutil both had very strong races, and had they opted for new tyres at
the end, quite possibly could have ended up with podium finishes. Ricciardo is
probably the favourite to succeed Webber at Red Bull next year (I don’t buy
Raikkonen moving over at the moment) and Sutil and Force India have been doing
a fantastic job all season. I felt bad for Paul Di Resta who got a good result
from the back of the grid but you have to wonder where he might have ended had
he started where he qualified. Nevertheless, excellent effort on all three
accounts.
Tyres, Tyres and More Tyres
Every time this year, I’ve dedicated a section to tyres. I
was hoping after the testing investigation that would stop – but no! Tyre
blowouts. Some seriously dangerous problems with the Pirelli tyres had me
wondering if the race would be red flagged, and it was usually only the left
rear. If you watched the BBC coverage, they pointed out the kerbs could be a
factor in this with sharp edges cutting into the tyres, but the tyres should be
able to withstand that, surely? We’ve had racing like this for a while and no
mass problems so what happened? Nothing definite has come to light but with new
structures this weekend and 2012 specs afterwards, more changes are coming to
the F1 teams this month. It is going to be interesting to see how it all fits
together.
Summary
It was a good race, very interesting and lots happening –
especially in the opening and closing stages. Unfortunately, the tyre issues
overshadowed a lot of the middle portion of the race but we had some good
racing from the Mercedes team and a fantastic effort from Webber at his final
British F1 Grand Prix. Ferrari have some head scratching to do to find out why
they seem to be slipping backwards so the pressure is on. Bring on Germany!
Results
1 – N. Rosberg (Mercedes)
2 – M. Webber (Red Bull)
3 – F. Alonso (Ferrari)
4 – L. Hamilton (Mercedes)
5 – K. Raikkonen (Lotus)
6 – F. Massa (Ferrari)
7 – A. Sutil (Force India)
8 – D. Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
9 – P. Di Resta (Force India)
10 – N. Hulkenberg (Sauber)
11 – P. Maldonado (Williams)
12 – V. Bottas (Williams)
13 – J. Button (McLaren)
14 – E. Gutierrez (Sauber)
15 – C. Pic (Caterham)
16 – J. Bianchi (Maurssia)
17 – M. Chilton (Marussia)
18 – G. van der Garde (Caterham)
19 – R. Grosjean (Lotus) – DNF
20 – S. Perez (McLaren) – DNF
21 – S. Vettel (Red Bull) – DNF
22 – J. E. Vergne (Toro Rosso) – DNF
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