SPA- ONLY A WEEK AWAY

I just want to start by saying that I got a little bit emotional (this is going to sound more dramatic than it really was) when I wrote this post title because over four months ago I wrote a post called 'China- only a week away' and it was my first F1-related post on my blog! I just found it really strange how fast time flies and that we are already almost going into the second part of the season and I have really loved blogging about F1 these past four months and look forward to continuing it. Now that the boring emotional bit is over (we all need an outlet sometimes) and done with we can get down to the good stuff...

The last three weeks have been fairly traumatic as F1 fans the world over have had nothing to do with their weekends and we've all been counting down the days until F1 returns to our lives. And the wait, my friends, is nearly over! In exactly one week's time FP1 and FP2 for the Belgian Grand Prix will already be over. No joke, my heart rate actually rose as I typed that! I know your's just did too.

Spa will be an exciting race for so many reasons that I think it will be easiest for me to just list them in a numbered-style...list! So here's why F1 will be coming back with a bang;

1. The title battle is just heating up- No driver has yet conceded that the title race is over and all the frontrunners think they can pose a challenge to Fernando Alonso and stop him from running away with it. The drivers I am thinking of are, of course, Vettel, Webber, Hamilton and Raikkonen; Alonso's nearest opponents. You know that none of the above will settle for anything less than a win as the end of the season approaches meaning the outcome and the race will all be very thrilling indeed!
2. Teams have been working hard over the summer- That seems more like I'm just stating a fact but because of all the upgrades team will bring and developments cars will have gone under we don't actually know who will be strong in Spa. There are no real favourites heading into this race because, not only is competition already so tight, we don't know who will have thought of a new genius idea to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack.
3. McLaren are back- McLaren and Lewis Hamilton headed into the summer break with a race win in Hungary and seemed to have put many of their earlier problems behind them. There is no better motivation than the taste of winning so McLaren will be hungry to repeat their Hungary success in Spa! Jenson Button also has a lot to prove and with a summer off and a chance to rest and relax I'm sure he'll be eager of getting back into a car and doing what he loves!
4. The king of Spa is back- Kimi Raikkonen loves Spa and Spa loves Raikkonen so I'm sure the Finn has been looking forward to driving his Lotus around the infamous track. He has a car that I'm sure is capable of winning a race and with a string of second-placed finishes Kimi will be hoping he can win at Spa once again. 
5. F1 is finally back- we've been so F1-starved that it could be the most boring race in the history of the sport and I would still love it! But we all know it won't be (see reasons above!) and I have personally never been so excited for an FP1 session. It's even worth me breaking my current ridiculous, summer sleeping pattern for; not that is dedication!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

ANYONE HUNGARY FOR A GRAND PRIX?

Sorry but a hungry/ Hungary play on words had to be done but now it's out of the way we can focus on what we come here to do! Talk about F1 of course...

It feels a bit strange to be doing a preview to a race just as I've finished all my coverage and features on the German Grand Prix but that's exactly what I find myself doing because we have back-to-back Grands Prix before F1 goes on its summer break. (I don't even want to think about what a painful 4 weeks await us.)

Last time out, Fernando Alonso took another win; his third of the season and this weekend he will be looking to take his 31st career win on his 31st birthday. It would, of course, be a special milestone for the Spaniard and I can't think of a better time to reach it... It all seems a little too perfect, doesn't it? Lately the odds have seemed to be in Fernando's favour and I am yet to see him get any bad luck this season. The only real moment he would regret is losing the lead of the British Grand Prix to Mark Webber so close towards the end but that was due to Ferrari strategy as opposed to bad luck. I can think of a few people on the grid who will be hoping things don't go Alonso's way but if they do he puts himself in an extremely covetable position at the top of the standings. Ferrari have said that they will not relax yet as they don't have the fastest car on the grid but they don't have the distractions Red Bull currently have, I'll come to that in a while, and so they can remain focused on their goal and on reaching their targets. With back-to-back races it is difficult to make significant advancements from the last race but I'm sure a more confident and stress-free environment won't harm Ferrari's chances.

Sebastian Vettel probably feels that no luck went his way last weekend at his home Grand Prix; the weekend ended with him being awarded a 20-second time penalty meaning he lost his 2nd place finish and was demoted to 5th. He knows what he needs from this weekend and I'm sure he won't be happy with anything short of a win. With the pressure of possibly losing or at least making it very hard to win his third championship, the young German knows what is expected of him. He had a weekend to forget last week but it must be a case of onwards and upwards if he is to keep the pressure on Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Of course, he still needs to catch up to teammate Mark Webber in the standings. Both of the Red Bull boys need strong finishes and, if they achieve this, Red Bull will be very comfortable with, and quietly confident about, their Constructors' title hopes. Sebastian Vettel is also the only world champion, out of the six on the grid, to have never won at Hungary; if things weren't already difficult enough!

Red Bull's engine mapping was a major talking point last Sunday. The RB8 had been deemed legal to race by the stewards but they conceded that their own rules weren't very clear on the subject and will need tightening. They therefore made clarifications to the rule and Red Bull have had to change/ revert back to an older engine mapping for this weekend. The team has downplayed the effects this will have and don't seem to think having to change the mapping will affect their performance significantly. When Red Bull had to change their floor, it was speculated that it would hurt their performance but it did no such thing. I am therefore confident that Red Bull will still come out fighting in Hungary.

McLaren are probably feeling the pressure more than the other top teams. They showed a promising return to form in Germany with Jenson Button finishing 2nd but they also had a DNF for Lewis Hamilton. For the Constructors' title to be secured a team needs both drivers to consistently gain strong points finishes; something McLaren have not been capable of on a regular basis this season. Both drivers really like the Hungaroring circuit and, safe with the knowledge that their car has been significantly developed, will be feeling confident going into this weekend.

It is thought that Lotus will be strong this weekend because the hot weather conditions tend to favour their E20. However, there is no guarantee of clear skies and warm weather; particularly for the race itself. So, from that, I can conclude that Lotus may or may not be competitive this weekend... We all know that both of the Lotus drivers are looking strong, despite Grosjean's lacklustre race in Germany, and we've all said that a race win is imminent, well I have! I still stand by that belief but I am doubtful of whether they can achieve that this weekend. The team know that Qualifying is what they need to focus on so with the summer break looming they can start working on that and I'm sure we will see stronger performances from them when we return.

I can't believe that we have already reached that horrible period when the thought of the summer break is very nearly a reality. However, we do have a Grand Prix to enjoy before that and, as always, it promises to be a great one! There'll be important repercussions for both titles, I'm sure, and many drivers will be looking to prove a point or two. And the best thing about this weekend? We get to enjoy all this action just one week after the German Grand Prix; God, how I love back-to-backs!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

ÜBUNG MACHT DEN MEISTER.

So, my title is apparently the German version of 'practice makes perfect' which is what I usually call my review of Friday's practice session; in case you were wondering!

You've probably seen the headlines about Jenson Button setting the fastest time in FP1 by now but because the track was constantly changing; there were short bouts of rain and the track was wet and then dry etc, the time isn't really an indication as to where he and McLaren will be this weekend with respect to their main competitors. McLaren have brought a major upgrade package to Hockenheim and have made significant aerodynamic changes to the sidepod in a bid to increase downforce. The upgrades were desperately needed at McLaren and they will be hoping that they are now matched with Red Bull, and even Ferrari, in terms of performance. They need to put Silverstone behind them as a weekend to forget but also learn from. Qualifying conditions tomorrow may be similar to what they were like in Silverstone and we all know that McLaren were below par in those conditions. I do find it strange that McLaren choose to bring major upgrades to races all at once and are then happy to leave the car for a few more races. It would make a lot more sense to constantly evolve the car and add upgrade by upgrade, which is what Red Bull do. Nevertheless, the upgrades are finally here but we will still have to wait and see whether their developments mean they can put their woes behind them. Jenson's time was good but set at a time when the track was dry and no-one else really benefited from that. He does, however, seem to have some of that balance back!

FP2 have us a better indication of teams' abilities but again conditions were changing and the time you set your lap was crucial. The start of the session was hampered by rain and so no running took place; Jenson Button even took the opportunity to have a cup of tea! Then brave Bruno Senna went out on the wet tyres and others followed suit. As the track dried up, the intermediate tyres came on and the lap times flew. The order was constantly changing as drivers got tyres at their optimum and the track continued to dry. Enjoying stints at the top were; Button, Vettel, Rosberg, Grosjean, Hamilton and more... Maldonado then set the fastest lap just as the rain returned. Before that there was even some talk about switching on to the slicks but that was merely a passing thought and the weather had other plans.

Michael Schumacher then brought the session to an end as he crashed his Mercedes by the Mercedes grandstand with approximately 4 minutes to go. It wasn't a big disruption as not much running was taking place and teams weren't that concerned with data collection at that point.

There's not really a lot to learn from these practice sessions but we do know that Qualifying tomorrow and the race on Sunday won't fail to deliver some more exciting racing. There seem to be several contenders for pole as Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren and Williams all have fast cars that we know are capable of bringing a challenge. We don't yet know what the conditions will be like for the Qualifying sessions and timing and tyres will be crucial in setting the fastest time, not necessarily who has the fastest car!

I am missing the session, but will be recording and watching late in the evening, meaning I won't be able to post a review. So, enjoy the session and I will see you back here on Sunday, which feels like a lifetime away at the moment, to discuss all things German Grand Prix-related!

Bis Sonntag,

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

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FORMEL EINS KOMMT NACH DEUTSCHLAND AN

The German Grand Prix marks the halfway point in the 2012 Formula 1 season and it could prove to be a crucial race in the title battle, which currently looks like it will be a three-way battle between Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. The trio are separated by 29 points and that is why the outcome of this race could lead to the order shuffling up.

Vettel goes to his home Grand Prix knowing that finishing lower than Alonso is not an option. Fernando is enjoying a comfortable lead over the reigning world champion and his consistency this season has helped him become a firm favourite for the title. Vettel and Red Bull have said that Alonso is still to have his share of bad luck this season and, whilst that may be true, they cannot rely on things not going Alonso's way to help them secure both titles. The German is under pressure; his past form at his home race is probably not as encouraging as he would like but if there was ever a season when winning at home would mean more than usual this is it. Sebastian knows what he has to do and must ensure that he can remain calm under the pressure and go into this Grand Prix with the championship in mind. Vettel's teammate is also ahead of him in the standings. The pair's results mean that Red Bull could be well on their way to securing a hat-trick of Constructors' titles. Some have said that Vettel is not comfortable with Mark's performance being slightly better than his this season; the Australian has 2 wins to Sebastian's one. Whether or not that is true, we don't know the feeling in the Red Bull camp and I think that considering 2012 has been so unpredictable already Sebastian understands that it is not yet time to panic and mull over what his teammate is doing.

McLaren are in a completely contrasting position to Red Bull going into this race weekend. In Silverstone they had the misfortune of both of their drivers struggling to perform and this meant it was clear that there were problems with their car. Previously, Jenson Button's failure to deliver strong results couldn't have been blamed solely on the car as Lewis wasn't experiencing the same problems. However, the last race showed that the team need to develop their car at a much faster rate if they are to continue competing for either of the titles. At this stage, when they sit fourth in the Constructors', I believe they must act as if they have nothing to lose. They should not be afraid of radical upgrades and they have the Friday practice sessions to see how the car reacts in Hockenheim. In Valencia Red Bull reformed their exhaust package and brought major upgrades; the move could have backfired but instead put Red Bull ahead of their competitors in the development game. This season the team that is able to develop the fastest and most successfully will be the team that takes the championship and currently McLaren are not able to develop the MP4-27 at a good enough rate. They have fallen behind and their fate this season is now up to them! They should also not let speculation over Lewis Hamilton's contract distract them from what they come to this race to do but McLaren are experienced enough to know how to handle with contract talks and rumours.

Lotus have now overtaken McLaren in the Constructors' so they sit in third. The lead is only 2 points but with Lotus improving and McLaren falling behind that could still increase. Lotus are still to take their first win of 2012 and their drivers Raikkonen and Grosjean are both looking comfortable with the car and the team are certainly hungry to take that win. Can they add to McLaren's woes this weekend? 

Maldonado had yet another incident with another driver in Silverstone and that led to young Sergio Perez giving a damning verdict on the Venezuelan to the world's media. He was certainly not shy or retiring in telling  us exactly what he, and apparently many other drivers, think of Maldonado's driving. The stewards reprimanded him for the incident with Perez and another one will lead to a 10 place grid penalty. I do think the collision with Perez was a racing incident and if it was any other driver involved Perez and fans wouldn't have been as upset by it but because Maldonado has form for causing incidents like this many felt that he just cuts it too fine and that's not really fair for other drivers. Let's hope that Maldonado has an incident and blame-free weekend in Germany. He definitely needs one.

There have been news reports lately surrounding the future of the German Grand Prix. Financial problems mean that both Hockenheim and the Nurburgring are uncertain over their ability to stage the Grand Prix. The race in Germany is such a staple in the F1 calendar and for it to be missing would be a real shame. The country's link to F1 is huge; historically and in the present day! Furthermore, the TV revenue that F1 gains from Germany is huge, RTL pay staggering amounts, so financially it is a very important country to the sport. I have no real doubt over a Grand Prix taking place in Germany; Mr Ecclestone and co. understand how vital Germany is to F1. 

All in all this weekend is set to be a great one! There is so much riding on it in terms of the two world titles and that means the stakes are very high! Hopefully this will lead to interesting strategies, drivers really going for it and teams bringing upgrades that really mix things up. Silverstone was too long ago and I am desperate for some exciting on-track action; I'm sure Hockenheim will deliver. 

Bis bald, (yes, I did German at A-Level and I know that impressed you!)

Aqsa

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P.S. Tomorrow I will try my absolute hardest to ensure a review of FP1&2 is up but I will not be able to do one for Qualifying as I am working all day (13 hours to be precise) so I will not have the time. A race review will certainly be up on Sunday though. Thank you for bearing with me; I am very busy this weekend and absolutely gutted to be missing Qualifying. I will post the Qualifying results though...

SILVERSTONE SERVES UP A SATURDAY SPECTACLE.

There was utter chaos over in Silverstone today as the teams and drivers took to the track to qualify for the British Grand Prix. The session was red flagged with just over 6 minutes of Q2 to go but the action on either side of the red flag more than made up for the rain delay.

It was clear from the get go that this was going to be a Qualifying session full of shocks and surprises! All the drivers were eager to get out straight away and get some timed laps in whilst conditions were still manageable. This led to yet another traffic jam in Silverstone in a weekend when that has been one of the biggest news stories surrounding the event only this time it was queues of F1 cars not F1 fans. Lap times were set and, although they weren't very fast, drivers did need a lot of control and skill to keep their cars on track. There was a lot of slipping and sliding as the rain began to have a big effect on the track action.

Caterham were enthusiastic about Qualifying today. They have brought major upgrades to Silverstone making changes to their front wing, rear bodywork and exhausts and had claimed that they expected it to give them about half a second in pace. To the casual F1 fan that may seem insignificant but with strict regulation limiting what designers and engineers can do to their cars it is quite extraordinary to make such gains in pace. Whether the team have actually made this progress is as yet unclear; it is likely that the weather conditions today didn't allow them to really show their hand. Nevertheless, they once again failed to make it through to Q2 despite their early confidence. Petrov and Kovalainen qualified in 19th and 20th respectively but will start a position higher as a result of Jean-Eric Vergne's penalty from Valencia. We know that Caterham can progress into Q2 so perhaps we will just need to wait for a Qualifying session in normal conditions to see their upgrades come into effect. Behind the two Caterhams are your usual suspects; Glock, De La Rosa, Karthikeyan and Pic. However, Vergne will be the man starting 24th, after qualifying in 16th, so all the aforementioned drivers will also move up one grid position.

Jenson Button. What is there to say about Jenson Button? The Brit's woes continued in front of his home fans. After a promising FP3 result, finishing 2nd, I'm sure Jenson and many others thought he would have an easier time of it in Qualifying than he has recently had. However, conditions were different for FP3 and with even less (of Jenson's arch nemesis this season) grip in the wet it just wasn't to be in Silverstone. This is a disappointing results by anyone's standards let alone someone who is trying to relaunch his title bid! Speaking to the BBC's Lee McKenzie after the premature ending of his involvement in Qualifying, Jenson was still feeling optimistic about the race. Conditions will be wet tomorrow, surprise surprise, meaning there will be plenty of opportunity to climb up the order and overtake. I also doubt tyres will play as big a role tomorrow due to the low degradation of the wet tyres and so, as this is an area Button has particularly struggled with this season, I think he is right to be feeling optimistic. The weekend is not over yet...

In Q2 it was clear that the rain had gotten so much worse. There were literally deep puddles that the drivers were having to drive through and I did find myself thinking that a red flag was imminent. It looks like race control agreed with me and, as I mentioned above, the session was stopped for an hour and a half with 6 minutes and 19 seconds of Q2 remaining. Fernando Alonso made his thoughts on the need for a red flag very clear on his team radio. He wasn't setting lap times good enough and was down in 16th before the red flag.

There was a lot of criticism of the decision to red flag the session. I was watching the BBC coverage and technical wizard Gary Anderson made his feelings very clear. The argument was that drivers should qualify whatever the condition and it should be that whoever is the best in those circumstances gets to reap the benefits. This is a very hazy area and there are varied opinions on it. I was one of those people thinking there had to be a red flag and that drivers couldn't possibly qualify or even drive in that rain. Hearing the arguments from the likes of Gary Anderson has made me think that a red flag may have been too drastic. But when you see the extent of the rain and how deep it was, was there anything else Charlie Whiting and co could have done? It was a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't! At least it meant there was time for a Mexican wave or two...

Topping the timesheets before the stop was Sergio Perez. Sauber had got everything right; tyre choice and when they sent their driver out to set a timed lap so they were set to be the real losers as a result of the red flag period. And lose it, they did! When the session resumed, Perez was unable to keep close to the rest of the pack. He blamed the tyre decision for this. He ended up coming last out of all the drivers in Q2 and qualifying in 17th. However, he gets to move up thanks to Vergne and his Sauber teammate. Kobayashi qualified in 12th but will start from 17th due to a penalty from Valencia when he crashed into Felipe Massa. Sauber looked strong in practice yesterday when conditions were fairly similar to today so it is a surprise to see them fail to progress to Q3.

Also failing to progress to Q3 were Paul Di Resta, Nico Rosberg, Daniel Ricciardo and Bruno Senna. All of them, apart from Ricciardo, had to see their teammates make it through which tells you just how mixed up the pack was. I'm sure they will be disappointed to be the teammate that didn't progress but they can take comfort from the fact that they saved tyres and with a wet race ahead they can still come out on top tomorrow, when it counts!

Now on to the top 10 shoot out; the climax of an exciting day's action! There were many contenders for pole position; Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso and Webber would all be up for the fight and no one was to be written off. Romain Grosjean beached his Lotus at the end of Q2 so, despite making it through to Q3, he was unable to run and starts 10th. A few drivers, including Hamilton, decided to come out on the full wets but it soon became apparent that the intermediate tyres would have to be the way to go! Alonso was consistently topping the leaderboard after, pretty much, every single lap he completed. Even Felipe Massa enjoyed some time at the top showing that Ferrari had managed to 'do a Vettel' and switch something on just when it mattered most! Webber went first, Schumacher went first; all were in for a real shot! The two obvious names missing from the battle were Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. Vettel would seemingly be on a fast lap but then towards the end of the middle sector it looked like he kept backing off. It was strange to see him so far away from his teammate's pace, to say the least. Nevertheless he ended up qualifying in 4th and on the second row; a respectable position! Lewis Hamilton was the big shock of Q3! Not only did he set a fairly average lap time to go 6th but then had to watch as drivers kept beating his time. He therefore starts from a lowly 8th on the grid. Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado are sandwiched between Vettel and Hamilton and they start 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.

Alonso, Webber and Schumacher were clearly the strongest drivers in the pole position shoot out and just found a lot more pace than their competitors. It was Alonso who came out on top as he took his first pole position of 2012. Webber joins him on the front row showing Red Bull do still have pace but it's just a different driver at the front for them. And Schumacher continues to prove his worth in an F1 seat by qualifying ahead of Vettel.

I don't think the qualifying positions will be that important for tomorrow's race. Naturally, it won't hurt to start at the front but drivers behind shouldn't feel disheartened. There is a long race ahead and it is guaranteed that a lot will happen. I wouldn't rule out a red flag out, let alone a safety car and tyre strategy may prove crucial. Decisions of when to change tyres to adapt to changing circumstances and track conditions will be an important part of who will manage a strong finish.

If today was anything to go by Sunday at Silverstone won't fail to disappoint the hundreds of thousands of fans who will show up in force, and have been told to do so by organisers, to the Grand Prix tomorrow. Make sure you are back here after the race to review everything that happens with me in my race review and other features throughout the week!

Who will win the race? I don't think anyone can give an answer with full confidence and I certainly have no predictions. I'm just ready to enjoy what the British Grand Prix will bring and, with a lot at stake championship-wise, the drivers won't hesitate to show us some fantastic racing, regardless of what Mother Nature will throw up!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Images: Mail Online)

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

The Silverstone weekend is well and truly under way! FP1 and FP2 took place today, obviously, but both sessions were affected by rain meaning we can't really learn too much from the final standings at the end of the sessions. Then again, it looks like Qualifying and the race will be rain-hit as well so maybe there was something to gain from the sessions.

Fernando Alonso would probably disagree. He only went out towards the end of FP1 and if you were watching the session on TV you would have seen him sitting very comfortably in his chair; and not the one in his Ferrari! As a result his time wasn't that fast in FP1 or 2. Like I said previously, I don't think we can learn a lot from these times. Alonso is fast and his Ferrari is capable of performing in the rain. The last race that was really affected by rain was in Malaysia; which, as you know, Fernando went on to win. I'm sure some teams were using the sessions to gain a better understanding of what their car can do in the rain at this circuit. Massa fared slightly better than Alonso in FP1 but did a lot more running; he ultimately finished in fifth. FP2 results for Alonso and Massa were 10th and 15th respectively. Ferrari and Alonso know what is at stake this weekend. Their decision to go for limited running does therefore seem slightly strange. We will find out the exact reasons, I'm sure, sooner or later and we will discover Ferrari's true form tomorrow in Qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton was the man topping the timesheets at the end of FP2 and a strong display in FP1 when he finished 3rd indicates that he may have a strong weekend at his home Grand Prix; which he is making everyone aware of with his helmet choice! Many have already started to talk of another win in the wet for Hamilton in Britain; his first was in his championship winning year 2008. These predictions may be a little premature as this weekend still has a long way to go. Setting the fastest time in FP2 does not mean you will have a strong Qualifying; think Vettel in Barcelona, and with ever-changing conditions, fuel loads and set-ups for cars nothing is set in stone. Nevertheless, this is a positive start to the weekend for the Brit and it certainly gave fans something to cheer about.

There was little to no running for almost an hour which, as Sebastian Vettel pointed out, was a real shame for the thousands of fans who endured hours of traffic and the pouring rain to watch some Formula 1 action. The rain was really heavy, something I hope does not continue for the weekend! I would hate to see Qualifying or the race disrupted by the rain; for fans at home, in the grandstands or those crazy, unfortunate few who are camping.

Speaking of Vettel, he also said that he thinks Red Bull have managed to save tyres by not running; tyre consumption is turning into a bit of a worry this weekend with only a limited set of intermediate tyres available. He admitted that he and team did not manage to learn a lot and with some new upgrades for the RB8 this may be a concern for Red Bull. Mark Webber did not even set a timed lap in FP2 and Vettel finished in 11th so they will be eager and hopeful of getting some running before Qualifying tomorrow. I also wanted tell you about the ESPYS, just quickly. The ESPYS are sports awards, run by ESPN, and include categories on all sorts of sports. 'Best Driver' is one category and Sebastian Vettel is nominated. He is the only F1 driver nominated. If you want to show some support and vote for him, click here. You can vote in the other categories as well, if you want to!

Sauber looked strong in both practice sessions today with both drivers finishing in the top 10 for both sessions. Malaysia saw Perez take his first ever F1 podium. Sauber clearly like the rain... This season they have been known for great tyre management and things are looking up for them this weekend. If they can manage the tyres better than those they qualify near they have a strong chance of yet another podium. With Kobayashi looking strong this weekend as well, they can pick up a nice batch of points for the Constructors' championship. I expect them to be qualifying near Force India and Jenson Button so we'll see how my prediction turns out.

I've already told you that we cannot gain a lot from these practice sessions. Even if the race is full of rain and the conditions are similar to today teams didn't get to run a lot or as much as they would have liked. This means they themselves don't really know what will happen, let alone us bystanders! One thing we do know is that we are in for a cracking weekend. Qualifying will be intense, as it has always been this season, but the weather makes it so much more unpredictable. In normal conditions I would have picked Vettel but I have no idea who will be on the front row tomorrow. It may not even matter that much with heavy rain often meaning safety cars and possibly even a red flag.

Kimi Raikkonen, as ever, summed up what we learnt from these sessions perfectly; "It was wet."


Aqsa, @aqsasformula

KEEP CALM AND... SILVERSTONE!

The moment is almost upon us; practice for the British Grand Prix will take place tomorrow, officially marking the beginning of, as a British fan, my own home Grand Prix. Sadly, I won't be watching from Silverstone but instead on my TV screen in Birmingham. Nevertheless, wherever you may be watching from, I can guarantee we will all enjoy it and relish the spectacle that Silverstone will bring.

Last time out, Valencia shocked us all, in the best way possible, to provide one of the most exciting races of the season so far. So if that's anything to go by, Silverstone will definitely give us a lot to talk about!

I guess the best thing to begin with in my preview will be to mention the weather forecast. It's not looking great! We can expect rain, rain and more rain for Qualifying and the race. This will certainly cause a bit of havoc and possibly ruin any expectations or predictions you may have had. Rain is commonplace in Silverstone and I think we are getting used to it by now but there's no doubt that it may lead to some unexpected outcomes. I just hope that it adds enough excitement without making the race and results too unpredictable. But it would be nice to get someone on the podium who may not have had a chance otherwise; almost like Perez in Malaysia.

In Valencia the thing that stood out, for me, was the immense pace of the Red Bull. Sebastian Vettel, who had dominated the race until his retirement caused by an engine failure, was lapping almost a second faster than anyone else. To find such pace, especially in a season as tight as this one, is a great achievement. Red Bull made updates to their car but they didn't seem too drastic and definitely not drastic enough to completely outperform the rest of the field. Mark Webber demonstrated this by climbing up from 19th on the grid to finish 4th. I don't think Red Bull will enjoy such dominance in Silverstone. The circuit is different to the one in Valencia and is a higher speed circuit as well. Furthermore, most teams will also be bringing upgrades for this race, most notably McLaren, so Red Bull's advantage may be cut. I still think they'll have a strong race this weekend! They seem to like Silverstone, with strong finishes in the past, and so if everything can come together for them this weekend; tyre management and strategy, engine reliability and so on, and they continue with the development of the RB8, I think they are definite challengers for the win and podium spots.

I mentioned McLaren bringing upgrades above and, putting it kindly, they really need them! They were simply off the pace in Valencia but have argued that Silverstone is a track that suits their car more; much like Montreal, where they won. Teams are always developing their cars so the fact that McLaren are bringing upgrades isn't groundbreaking but they need upgrades that will not only catch but also beat Red Bull. Will we see a repeat of 2011 when they left it far too late to close the gap to the reigning world champions? I don't think so as McLaren have been around long enough to learn from past mistakes and failures and regulation changes make it harder to dramatically change the cars. Lewis Hamilton had an unpleasant race in Valencia. A poor pit stop and race-ending collision with Pastor Maldonado were the worst aspects and so he will be looking to right some wrongs. He won in Canada and so that is one hurdle crossed. Things would have been much harder for him had he not won a race when his championship rivals already had so he can take comfort from that. As for Jenson Button, I can't imagine he is feeling very comfortable. It's no secret that he has been struggling as of late and has been unable to match his teammate in terms of performance; on Saturdays and Sundays. His home Grand Prix and in front of all of his most loyal fans would be the perfect setting for an almost heroic comeback to winning or at least podium-finishing ways. It's worth mentioning that Jenson has never won or been on the podium in the British Grand Prix; not the most encouraging fact! But runs like that are meant to be broken and after the season he has been having 2012 would be the best time to impress in Britain.

The next 'top team' I'll look at is Ferrari; struggling in the Constructors' championship but leading the Drivers' with Fernando Alonso. A bit of luck helped them to win the race in Valencia but they still deserve the credit of having the first driver to win two races. Realistically, I do think it may be too late for Ferrari to mount a challenge for the Constructors' as they currently stand in 4th. However, if there's one thing I've learnt from Formula 1 in 2012 it is to never say never. They do have some work to do, and a bit more luck would probably help greatly, to catch up with Red Bull and McLaren and they also require both drivers to be getting strong points finishes; yes Mr Massa, that was addressed to you! I can't write a preview to Silverstone without mentioning that the race in 2011 was Alonso's first and only win of the season; if he can win here in 2012 he will have incredibly won two races in a row. I'm sure he will be very hungry for the win, in a determined F1 champion sense not like a predator, and he knows what is at stake. Should he win this weekend the lead he will have in the Drivers' Championship will be staggering.

Lotus have been looking more and more likely to take a race win as the season has progressed but, so far, the best they have managed is 2nd place. The weather at Silverstone may do more harm than good for Lotus in terms of optimising performance but if it bunches the pack up a bit more, they have two drivers who have more than proven their overtaking ability this season. I am really interested in hearing your thoughts on this; who will win first out of the Lotus teammates? Kimi or Romain? I don't know if Lotus can win here in Britain but I'm sure they'll have a shot at it and I can definitely picture their black and gold on the podium!

Paul di Resta and Force India enjoyed a good weekend in Valencia and they will be hoping for more of the same in Britain. Paul is a British driver and so where better for him to win his first podium? His chances may not be great but if everything falls into his and the team's favour on Sunday then it is possible. When drivers like Perez finish on the podium for the first time they are never usually in anyone's predictions to do so! Di Resta may not be a favourite but the support at a home Grand Prix and the fact that this year isn't his rookie year could mean this may be his weekend.

I am totally confident that the race will be amazing! We will have overtakes, interesting (to say the least) weather, many drivers challenging for the win and crucial battles for both championships. I cannot wait!

So, are you as excited for the British Grand Prix as I am? How important will the weather be in determining the outcome of the race? Can British drivers Button and di Resta get on to the podium, finally? Will we get an all-British podium? There are now less than 24 hours for the weekend to kick off and, even though I won't be at the circuit, it feels great to have F1 in Britain.

I'll see you back here to look at all the events from the two practice sessions and look ahead to Qualifying...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Image 2, 3)  

SEB'S BULL REIGNS IN SPAIN

Sebastian Vettel pulled out a spectacular Q3 performance to take his 33rd career pole; putting him 3rd in the all-time list alongside the legends Jim Clark and Alain Prost. At just 24 years old this is a remarkable achievement and even if he may not have 8/8 poles this season, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the Qualifying king in the current generation of F1. His pole position in Valencia today also meant that he now has a hat-trick of poles at this circuit and he will be hoping to make that a hat-trick of wins tomorrow as well.

I described Vettel's performance as 'spectacular' and it was fully deserving of that accolade. After not really setting the timing screens alight during Q1 and Q2, it seemed that he would only run once in Q3. That was what he went on to do but his one lap was more than enough to guarantee his pole position. A few other drivers crossed the line after Sebastian but none of them could come close to his time. He eventually beat 2nd placed man Lewis Hamilton by 3 tenths of a second when the rest of the top 10 were separated by only 5 tenths. It really was astonishing to see how he did it and he put in a pretty much perfect lap to pull out this margin. Q2 was incredibly tight so I still can't fully comprehend how Vettel managed to do what he did in such a fashion. He himself said it was a "surprising gap". Vettel looked strong in practice yesterday but no one expected for him to be so strong today, especially as he was right in the middle of the pack during Q1 and 2. His pole position also means that, in an extremely competitive field, Red Bull now have three poles in a row; Mark in Monaco and Sebastian in Montreal and Valencia. But are we really surprised?

Sebastian's Red Bull teammate Mark Webber did surprise everyone with his Qualifying display but it was for all the wrong reasons. The Australian failed to make it through to Q, wait for it, TWO and starts in 19th for the Grand Prix tomorrow. He had extremely limited running in FP3, he only got to do 4 laps, due to hydraulics and brake problems. The team had been working on the car from FP3 to Qualifying but it seems Mark was still ridden with problems. Going out on the soft tyres straight away was an immediate indication that Red Bull and Webber weren't feeling too optimistic about the session. They would have, naturally, expected this move to at least take them through to the top 17 but it wasn't to be. So the season gets crazier; Heikki Kovalainen's Caterham outqualified a Red Bull. Wow... I'm sure Mark Webber will give us something to watch tomorrow as he has a lot of cars ahead of him that a Red Bull really should be eclipsing in terms of performance and pace. So, despite Valencia being a circuit not really famed for its overtaking possibilities, Webber will definitely be making up some places tomorrow and he has a choice of tyres to start the race on. If he can use tyre strategy to maximum effect, he can salvage this race weekend.


Lewis Hamilton qualified in 2nd but he said that he didn't actually expect to finish so high up. This means that the front row will be Vettel-Hamilton for three races now and for the other two Sebastian got a better start than Lewis. He will need to repeat this tomorrow and pull out of the DRS zone in time to avoid the McLaren getting the chance to overtake in what is a very long DRS straight in Valencia. He will be hoping that there isn't a repeat of Montreal and Red Bull must choose the correct strategy this time round. As I have said, Valencia is not really famous for overtaking so should Sebastian get his start and strategy perfect, this race is his to lose. McLaren have not brought updates to Valencia whilst Red Bull have made key developments to the RB8. Can this play in their favour tomorrow? If Lewis were to win he will open up a comfortable championship lead for himself so the pressure is on Messrs Vettel and Alonso to really optimise their performance and get the best result possible!

This will be more of a challenge for Alonso and he could find himself much further behind Hamilton and Vettel after the race tomorrow. This is because he, along with his Ferrari colleague Felipe Massa, failed to make it to Q3 and starts in 11th. Michael Schumacher is just behind him in 12th as his 'bad luck' continues. Fernando was only 0.2 seconds off the pace in Q2 again underlining how narrow the margins are and how there is no room for mistakes in the 2012 F1 season. Massa starts in 13th but was only 0.4 seconds away from Alonso. So he shouldn't feel too disheartened by this. Of course there will be some head-scratching going on at Ferrari. They looked to have made significant steps forward with their car but this seems to be a set-back. They still have a shot at winning some points, particularly with Alonso but it will be a challenge. The start is, therefore, crucial!

Capitalising on the misfortunes of Ferrari, Schumacher and Webber were the likes of Force India's Paul di Resta and Hulkenberg, they start 10th and 8th, and Kamui Kobayashi, who starts in 7th. And even Jenson Button who made it through to Q3 and will start from 9th. Force India and Kobayashi were very impressive today and looked strong throughout the session. For these teams making it through to Q3 despite the tight margins and minimal room for error is a huge achievement and the midfield battle is shaping up to be a very interesting one. Lotus are the midfield team that seem to be running away with that particular battle. There was high expectation from them today but, once again, the success on Saturday failed to materialise. Even when they do look very strong they can't seem to pose a consistent front-row challenge. Nevertheless, Grosjean did enjoy some time at the top of the timesheets today but ultimately starts in 4th; one place ahead of Kimi Raikkonen. It is quite exciting to think about which Lotus driver will be the first to get pole if the car is capable of it. Well, I think it's exciting...

Maldonado and Williams' Spanish success continued today as he rounded off the top 3. It may not be as high up as where he started in Barcelona but it is still an achievement. They start ahead of both Lotuses, both Mercedes' (Rosberg is starting from 6th), both Ferraris and a Red Bull. A very nice position to be in, I'm sure. However, they must ensure that this isn't just a rare occurrence and they need to become more consistent with their top 10 qualifying. Also, Maldonado can be an aggressive, slight understatement there, driver so he needs to keep a cool head and not get mixed up in all the traffic at the start. He needs to maintain his form today for tomorrow as well so that he can pick up a good batch of points for Williams. He fell from hero to zero within the space of one race weekend, Barcelona to Monaco, and was criticised for his aggression and slight immaturity. It is up to him to prove that he isn't just a one-race wonder!

So that sums up the main parts of Qualifying but, if I'm honest, this review could probably double in length if we looked at the performances of Toro Rosso, Mercedes, Perez and Senna. It was a dramatic and exciting session in Valencia and I have no qualms about the fact that the race will also be a good one. Valencia does get a lot of bad press but there is a lot to keep an eye out for tomorrow and there are a fair few drivers who will be looking to right some wrongs from today. Many will have chances to overtake and I'm sure there are places to be made, even in Valencia. I am really looking forward to the race and it may have a big impact on the two championships as well. Mark Webber's misfortunes are a positive for McLaren's Constructors' hopes and Alonso has given Vettel and Hamilton a golden opportunity to ensure that the title battle is a two horse race. So enjoy it, I know I will, and then join me back here to review it all.

See you then...

Aqsa

(Images: dailymail.co.uk)

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

Before I start talking about the day's action in Valencia I'd just like to say "I'm baaaack!" It feels like I've been away from the blog for a very long time and I hope you haven't felt neglected. As I mentioned in my last post, I have had my A-Level exams for the past fortnight but I am finished now and excited to be able to devote myself to my blog. So expect more regular posts and new features as well, not just race reviews and F1 news.

Now let's get down to business...

The Friday of a race weekend (usually) means we have 2 practice sessions to enjoy and today it was the turn of Valencia to host FP1 and FP2 as it is the European Grand Prix this weekend, of course! As has been the case all too often this season the practice sessions don't really give us much of an indication as to what will happen during Qualifying and even less so for the race. Teams' form doesn't only vary between Grands Prix; it can even change within the space of a couple of days. As we don't know what programmes teams are running during the sessions it is difficult to determine where their strengths lie. However, I think it's safe to assume that most teams will, at least, try to set a few fast, timed laps so that they know what to expect from Qualifying. That being said I doubt they even know what may happen...

I'll begin with looking at this Grand Prix's reigning champions Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull. The two-time Valencia winner, 2010 and 2011, went 2nd fastest in FP1 and fastest of all in FP2. Teammate Mark Webber was 3rd and 9th in FP1 and FP2 respectively. Judging by these positions it is clear that Red Bull will be strong this weekend. FP2 was very mixed up, which I'll get to later, but, despite this, it seems that Red Bull's updates have been successful ones. They have made modifications to their car for this race that are designed to increase the downforce at the rear of the car; something the team used to maximum advantage in 2010 and 2011 with their exhaust-blown diffuser. As this has been banned for 2012 the team have struggled with recapturing the same level of dominance and race wins they previously enjoyed. Could the new updates mean that the Red Bull team we are used to seeing is back? They have still performed well so far this season and during a lot of unpredictability and instability they still lead in the Constructors' championship. Vettel stated, after practice, that the team had a strict programme which they stuck to and that lap times are not yet allowing them to make any conclusions regrading their "new bits". 

Now let me get back to how crazy FP2 was, which I mentioned above. First of all, Force India's Nico Hulkenberg was second fastest in the session but I highly doubt that we'll see a Force India so high up in the rankings in Qualifying tomorrow. Paul di Resta was sixth and both Force India drivers have already proven that they can get in to Q3. They are just more used to being in the lower part of the top 10. The car clearly has pace so I think we can expect to see them in Q3 tomorrow. They will face stiff competition from fellow midfield runners Sauber. 

Out of all the midfield teams it is safe to say that Lotus and Sauber have definitely made the most progress. With 2 podiums already under their belt this season, Sauber will be looking for more of the same this weekend in Valencia. Kobayashi was 3rd in FP2. Lotus may be looking to go a step higher than Sauber and take a race win. They have looked likely to do so for a few races now but the highest they've ever managed is 2nd place. The higher temperatures in Valencia will favour Lotus. They have performed well in these conditions before because they are so easy on their tyres. Should they pull off the win, we will have 8 different winners from 8 races after Lewis became the 7th man to win a race last time out. I'm getting a little ahead of myself now, we have Qualifying to deal with first and Valencia is a track, unlike Montreal, where pole position is very important for eventually taking the win so Lotus will have to pull some pace out of the bag and grab their first pole of the 2012 season to increase their chances of a race win. Grosjean and Raikkonen were only eighth and eleventh fastest in the afternoon session but as I said, FP2 was very mixed up so I wouldn't look at these results as realistic expectations for Qualifying. The team know that they can make up a lot more positions for both drivers. 

McLaren will probably share these beliefs. A more than disappointing FP2 led to their drivers finishing 12th and 14th with Jenson Button ahead of Canadian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton. In the morning Button and Hamilton were fourth and eighth respectively. Button's struggles for the past three or four races have been well-documented but he was looking much more comfortable today. With getting through to Q3 being Button's main priority as of late, whilst Hamilton has a shot at pole, Jenson will be hoping he doesn't have it quite as hard tomorrow and McLaren have said that they understand what his problems were and have tried to solve them. Only time will tell whether they have been successful but, with the way this season is going, we will probably see him leading the championship at the end of the weekend...

So Qualifying tomorrow will be a very exciting one and there will be a lot to look out for. Have Button and McLaren ironed out their issues? Can Lotus present a strong challenge for pole position? Which of the midfield teams can make it to Q3? I should mention that Pastor Maldonado was the man who beat Vettel in FP1. Williams clearly like driving in Spain, so can they pull off another shock pole position? With the Qualifying position in Valencia being notoriously important for the eventual race outcome, everyone will be giving it their all tomorrow. I don't want to put a downer on the race already, especially as I've been looking forward to it as the light at the end of my metaphorical exam tunnel, but I have a feeling that Qualifying will be more exciting than the actual race. That being said, I can't wait for this entire weekend to kick off so bring on the European Grand Prix weekend! Oh and England vs. Italy in Euro 2012; what a great time to be a sports fan! Even if you don't like football I think you can appreciate the significance of this match! Anyway, I digress... 

I'll see you back here tomorrow afternoon, after Qualifying, to digest everything that happens!

Aqsa

SEB STUNS TO GET A GREAT POLE POSITION

Sebastian Vettel summed up everyone's expectations for the race tomorrow; "It's going to be interesting". But I think that is a definite understatement if today's Qualifying is anything to go by. The session had drama and excitement throughout and this only increased as we got closer and closer to the pole shoot-out! I remember thinking, halfway during Q3, "Oh my God there are still 5 minutes left, I don't know if I can take it!" And that sums my thoughts up, I could end this review right now...

After the end of Q1 your usual suspects were dropped with the addition of Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne. He was out-qualified by both of the Caterham cars and his teammate; adding to his Qualifying woes this season. He must improve his performances on Saturdays or at least match fellow Toro Rosso driver Daniel Ricciardo in order to reduce some of the pressure on him in the notoriously ruthless team.

Vettel topped the timesheets during Q1 and repeated this in Q2; he certainly looked like the man to beat! Alonso and Hamilton were also up there but Hamilton's teammate Button scraped through thanks to an error from Maldonado. The Spanish Grand Prix winner hit the Wall of Champions and spun to effectively end his shot at getting into the top 10. Also into the top 10 was the Force India of Paul Di Resta, who out-qualified his teammate Hulkenberg. An impressive drive from Di Resta saw him qualify in 8th, ahead of Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. Button's Qualifying troubles continued in Canada and he was struggling with locking up during the session. Of course, Montreal is a circuit Jenson Button knows well after his great performance in 2011; he moved from 24th to win the race! He may have been helped by the rain at the time but it still required immense driver skill. Let's see what he can do tomorrow from 10th...

Kimi Raikkonen, for the second weekend in a row, was lacklustre in Qualifying. This time, however, he failed to even make it to Q3. Lotus were again strong contenders, many had believed, for a front-row start but they failed to live up to those expectations. Raikkonen qualified 12th with Grosjean performing slightly better to finish 7th.

The star of the day was, however, Sebastian Vettel. Not only was he the fastest man throughout, he was also the only driver to pass the 1 minute 14 seconds barrier. His first Q3 time would have been enough to get him pole position but he only went and improved that meaning it was quite a comfortable session for him. You could tell that he was really pushing for it today and all of his hard work paid off. Pole was really Lewis' to lose after his form in FP1 and FP2.  He starts 2nd meaning the front row resembles that of Bahrain and after everyone talking about how exciting that battle at the start will be, it makes you remember how the same was being said then as well. Little came of it with Vettel getting a better start and driving to the chequered flag. Can he replicate this tomorrow? If he does, he'll become the first driver to take two wins this season and return to the top of the Drivers' Championship.

Current leader Fernando Alonso did a great job today by really challenging for pole and many had thought he would get it. Ok I don't know if a lot of you did because I certainly didn't so I'll rephrase... Johnny Herbert on Sky F1 thought he would get it. It's clear that Ferrari have stepped up their game and with a driver like Alonso they can challenge for possibly the win and definitely the podium tomorrow. Felipe Massa also performed well today by qualifying in sixth; he too is improving as Ferrari improve as a team. Could he grab a podium spot tomorrow? Probably not but he can pick up a handful of points...

Here's the top 10 in full:

1. Sebastian Vettel
2. Lewis Hamilton
3. Fernando Alonso
4. Mark Webber (who said he was surprised to even qualify in 4th)
5. Nico Rosberg (slightly disappointing for him and Merceded)
6. Felipe Massa
7. Romain Grosjean
8. Paul Di Resta
9. Michael Schumacher
10. Jenson Button

I cannot wait for tomorrow's Canadian Grand Prix and if previous races in Montreal are anything to go by, we are in for a treat.

Aqsa

P.S. Sorry for the late review! I will try to be more prompt with tomorrow's race review.

(Images)

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

As I write, FP3 for the Canadian Grand Prix is underway meaning we've already had 2 sessions over in Canada to try and learn something about what may happen this weekend. Lewis Hamilton  topped the timesheets in both sessions showing that he will be a definite pole contender for Qualifying in a few hours time. The McLaren driver showed impressive speed and is certainly the favourite for pole. He's already been on pole twice, three times if you're a McLaren fan, this season and he can add to his tally today. However, he will still face a challenge. In FP2 the top 3 cars were covered by just 0.151 seconds.

Behind Hamilton were the two Ferraris; Alonso and Massa were 2nd and 3rd respectively. Ferrari seem to have put their early season woes behind them and, they too, were impressive in practice. Despite the car seemingly much better in the race than in Qualfying a few races ago, the team demonstrated in Monaco that they are now fast enough on Saturday too. To get both of their cars in the top 3 in FP2 was no mean feat but the vital thing will be to replicate this form in Qualifying. However, as has been the case many times this season, the practice sessions can be misleading. So we will have to wait for Qualifying in Montreal to be over before we can pass judgement on the progress Ferrari seem to have made.

Red Bull had a satisfactory Friday and it does not look like having to change their floor has had much of an impact on their car's performance. Sebastian Vettel finished 2nd and then 4th but Mark Webber finished 5th and 11th in FP1 and FP2 in Canada. Following a great drive and win in Monaco for Mark and Red Bull after starting from pole position, we know that he can put the RB8 at the very front, or close to the very front, of the grid. However, the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal is a different beast altogether and we will have to wait and see what Red Bull can do this weekend. Will Sebastian Vettel, once again, not run in Q3? He seems to be fast, judging from the practice sessions, but that can all change in Qualifying if he can not optimise tyre performance. Running on the super-softs in FP1 and finishing 2nd indicates that he may have a shot at pole position.

Mercedes are also thought to be pole position contenders today. Many have speculated that they have not shown their true form during practice and with their 'super-DRS' they are capable of doing well in Canada. Michael Schumacher was declared to be 'back' after going fastest on Saturday in Monaco; can he make it 2 in a row? Or will his teammate Nico Rosberg take his second pole of the season? His first came a few races ago in China.

So I have focused on the frontrunners' performance in practice in this review but there's so much chopping and changing of pecking orders that the top 10 shoot-out will be one of the most exciting yet. Not only is it all "very close" in the words of Mr. Vettel but Canada offers a circuit that always manages to throw up a surprise or two. Of course, whilst the person who is favourite for pole always changes, so do the cars that make up the rest of the top 10 once the usual favourites go through. Can Force India improve on their strong performance in Monaco? Will Williams be able to challenge for the top spot again?

Qualifying in Canada will most certainly be thrilling and there is a lot to look out for as well. Not only will we be thinking about who gets pole or which cars from the 'midfield' make it through to Q3, we will want to look out for who actually runs in Q3, whether or not Jenson can make it out of Q2 (will it even matter to him? We know what he is capable of here!), and whether the man who gets pole position gets to stay there without being subjected to a penalty.

I can not wait for Qualifying to get started so, whether you're watching it in a few hours or waiting for BBC highlights later in the evening, make sure you're back here for my Qualifying review...

Aqsa

(Images)


UPDATE: FP3 is over and Vettel topped the results by, wait for it, six-thousandths of a second. My oh my, it really is so close. He was ahead of Alonso and Hamilton. Now tell me that hasn't made you a hundred times more excited for Qualifying... You can't, can you? Oh, and the top 16 were covered by ONE second!

CANADA'S COMING

So the glitz and glamour of the Monaco Grand Prix is over for another year and the attention of the F1 world now turns to the slightly less glamourous Montreal. No offence to Montreal or anything...

The Canadian Grand Prix has a lot to live up to following the record-breaking events that took place in Monaco! The race in Monte Carlo gave us 6 different winners from 6 races; the first time this has ever happened in Formula 1. At the beginning of the year, think all the way back to pre-season testing, we all knew that the 2012 season ahead was going to be tighter and more competitive than what we've been used to in recent years but no one could have predicted just how tight things would be. Can Canada give us the 7th winner from 7 winners and add to the history books?

From what I can gather from the Twitosphere and other places online, it seems that Lotus are again looking like favourites this weekend. I, like many of you, had pretty big expectations of the team in Monaco. Many had said Lotus could take their very first race win of the 2012 Formula 1 season but instead they came home with a DNF for Grosjean and a ninth place for Raikkonen. I'm sure the team were also disappointed with their results and it will be interesting to see whether they could become the sixth constructor to win a race in Canada. They are definitely capable and strong enough to challenge the other teams that will also be looking for a win.

Red Bull will be looking for their third win of the season after they became the first team to win twice last time out. However, issues with the floor of the RB8 may mean they aren't as competitive as they'd like to be or as they were in the last few races. Whether their now illegal floor gave them an unfair advantage over other teams will become apparent in Canada if they suffer from a dip in form. Helmut Marko said that Red Bull were planning to change their floor in Canada anyway but many have been skeptical about the truth of this; why fix something that isn't broken, right?

I'm sure the race in Canada won't fail to deliver the goods! All the races thus far have had their fair share of excitement and that excitement has come in various forms so there's no reason as to why Canada should be any less thrilling. F1 this season has been so unpredictable so there really is no way of knowing what may happen or who will be strong on the day. Form has varied for every team between the races and a strong performance one week does not mean you'll be strong in the next race. Of course, tyre strategy will play a big role and, what with this being Canada and all, I'm sure the weather will also throw up some surprises. I don't think Friday's practice sessions will help improve our understanding of what will happen on Sunday but it seems that's just all part of the fun and games this year!

I guess I am getting used to the way this season will shape up but is Jenson Button right? Will fans eventually get bored of the unpredictability and become disillusioned with the sport? I know I certainly won't!

Do you think this unpredictability of this season has run its course? Is it time to see some stability in team's form? Do you want to see a clear pecking order between teams? Get in touch and tell me what you think of how this season is playing out. Also, do you have any predictions for Canada- who will get pole and who will win?

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

A FLAWED FLOOR.

Following an investigation into the floor of Red Bull's RB8, the FIA has deemed it to be illegal. There was some concern amongst teams after the Bahrain Grand Prix but, on that occasion, the FIA sided with Red Bull on the matter. Clearly, teams still felt unsure about the legality of the Red Bull's floor design after Monaco and took the matter to the FIA again. After the race in Monte Carlo, Stefano Domenicali told the BBC that his team feels no reason to protest but it seems that pressure from Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes led to the FIA reviewing it's decision.

Christian Horner and Red Bull sought clarification from the governing body after some "fuss" was created after Bahrain to ensure that the car was in line with regulations. The feedback they received from the FIA was positive and so they continued to run with this version of their car; as far as they were concerned no rules were being breached. The team had also ran the car in Malaysia and then Barcelona and Horner also added "There are other cars running in similar situations."

After Qualifying in Monaco there was further controversy and Red Bull simply put it down to people complaining whenever a car is competitive; a fair point for them to make when Charlie Whiting himself apparently told Red Bull that he's convinced the floor is legal. The issue arose over a hole in the Red Bull floor that teams felt contravenes the rules. Fully enclosed holes are not allowed to be located on the surface of the step plane of the floor. Arguments had even centred around what constitutes a hole.


Nevertheless, regardless of what Red Bull argue, the FIA have taken their final decision and this means that the Red Bull team won't get to enjoy the Jubilee celebrations too much. They have a lot of work to do over in Milton Keynes so that they have a new, fully compliant floor that keeps them competitive for the next Grand Prix which takes place in Canada in a week's time.


How will this affect the team's hopes for the race? We'll have to wait and see...


Aqsa, @aqsasformula

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.

If you're feeling a little disorientated today and think that tomorrow marks the beginning of an F1 race weekend then you're not alone, my friend! It's because today the practice sessions for the Monaco Grand Prix took place instead of an a Friday like they usually do. So I'm just going to talk about them now and I'll begin by telling/reminding you that Jenson Button went fastest in FP2. After saying his McLaren car wasn't suited to this track, the Englishman went fastest from Lotus' Romain Grosjean. However, it is worth noting that he was one of a few number of drivers who managed to set times on the faster of the two tyre choices before rain disrupted the second session.

Running was fairly limited for drivers today. As mentioned above, the second session was hampered by rain and the first ended seven minutes early due to the engine in Heikki Kovaleinen's Caterham blowing up in the tunnel. This means teams will go in to FP3 and Qualifying on Saturday without some of the information they would probably like. However, there is a very strong chance of rain for the Qualifying session which means it is definitely going to be another one where no one has a clue as to what may happen.

It must be repeated that the Lotus duo look strong and they are definite contenders for pole or the race win. You might even say they're the 'favourites' although I wouldn't be placing any bets if I were you; anything can happen on the day! Kimi Raikkonen didn't have a brilliant practice session. He failed to set a time in FP1 due to problems with his steering rack and the rain didn't allow him to compete with teammate Grosjean's lap. Despite these problems, I can definitely foresee a strong performance from the pair and it's not like Kimi has a lack of experience at this circuit. An all-Lotus front row could be a very real possibility...

Overall there isn't a lot to be said about this practice session. And just like all the other FP1s and FP2s before it, it doesn't tell us much about what will happen during the race weekend. I wasn't able to watch the sessions (because of the immensely wonderful sunshine and heat in the UK right now) but my eyes will be firmly glued to the television for Qualifying on Saturday. I'm a bit disappointed that FP1 and 2 are on a Thursday because it makes the wait for the weekend feel so much more longer. It's a bit depressing, isn't it?

So, who do you think will get pole? Kimi or Romain? Could Lewis reclaim his place at the top? Or could Sebastian Vettel repeat what was a great pole lap last year? Don't bother asking me who I'm picking, I have not yet this season been right...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

MONACO, MALDONADO AND MERCEDES.

The highly-anticipated Monaco Grand Prix is the next race on the 2012 F1 calendar and in just two days the practice sessions will begin; they're on Thursday for Monaco instead of Friday! Following the incredible Spanish Grand Prix just under a fortnight ago we have been left craving more racing and Monaco will most certainly live up to our expectations.

The 2011 Grand Prix, the sixth on the 2011 calendar, was full of drama, controversy, excitement and it was the fifth win of the season for Sebastian Vettel. Oh how things have changed... We are now going in to this race with five different winners from five races; Button, Alonso, Rosberg, Vettel and Maldonado are the lucky ones who have been able to grab the top spot on the podium so far! So, if last year's race is anything to go by we are in for a good one! Throw in the fact that no one has any idea as to what will happen this year and the excitement factor just shoots upwards.

Maldonado won the last race in Spain and he has a good previous record in Monaco leading to some people suggesting that he could make it two wins in two races and become the first driver to win more than one. We know Williams have a good car, if we judge things on what happened two weeks ago, but we also know that means nothing considering the rate at which everything seems to be changing this season. A few of you replied to me on Twitter saying you don't think Pastor can take the win once again and, from what I can see, Hamilton seems to be the favourite on the Twittersphere. Hamilton's teammate, Jenson Button, doesn't believe the MP4-27, McLaren's car, is suited to the Monaco track and doesn't have high hopes for a win here. So if Button tells us the car isn't up to it, can we really argue? Of course, Button didn't seem to be pleased with the car's performance in Spain whereas Lewis set the fastest time in Qualifying and climbed a massive 16 places during the race. It's fair to say what suits one driver doesn't necessarily work for another.

I genuinely don't have any predictions for this race/weekend. Monaco can be home to some great overtakes so what we see on Saturday may not decide how the race ends and, as you should already know by now, tyres will also play a vital role. Once free practices 1 and 2 are over we may have more of an idea as to who the track is suited to and who can demonstrate good race pace but even then I highly doubt that many people will be certain of their predictions.

In other news, just briefly, Mercedes have confirmed their interest in Paul Di Resta, should 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher re-retire at the end of the season. I personally think Di Resta would be a good choice for Mercedes and a good partner for Nico Rosberg. There are quite a few contracts expiring at the end of this year and I think I might have to do a post on this at some point to examine who might be leaving who and who could replace them. There are a lot of great, young drivers on the grid at the moment who would be ideal to fill seats in more established teams and the likes of Di Resta and Perez and co. will have some big decisions to make before the 2013 season begins. However, that is too far into the future to start thinking about at the moment and for now they have a Grand Prix to get on with...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Image: redbull.com)