SPA; WE EXPECTED NOTHING LESS FROM YOU

Well, F1 certainly came back from the summer break with a bang! Yesterday's Grand Prix in Spa was an absolute pleasure to watch and left me feeling almost every single emotion it is possible to feel at some point during the race; shock, fear, relief, frustration, confusion, worry, happiness, joy and the list goes on... I'm also pretty sure that my heart rate was taken to levels it had never seen before and I have the likes of Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen and Schumacher to thank for that! More on that later...

The action from the race started before the lights had even gone out; yes, Pastor Maldonado that is directed to you! The ever controversial Venezuelan driver made a jump start at the beginning of the Grand Prix when he launched out of his grid spot a significant amount of time faster than anyone else. Race director Charlie Whiting's reaction said it all as he was seen shaking his head at Maldonado. As if that wasn't enough action for the beginning of a race, about 5 seconds later we would all have forgotten about what Maldonado had done and those of us that are too young to remember watching the start of Spa 1998 live were given the start of Spa 2012 to have with us forever. I'm sure you have all seen what happened by now so I won't describe the events as they happened but the fact that Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton; both of whom would have been very competitive in the race, were taken out is clearly something that will have significant title repercussions and we may look back on this race after Brazil as a real game-changer! 

As a result of these starting incidents the stewards were very busy after the race. Maldonado was given 2 5-place grid penalties, one for the jump start and one for colliding with Timo Glock after the T1 incident, and Grosjean was handed a one race ban; the first time we have seen this punishment for 18 years! That in itself shows the severity of the incident but, whilst I do think this is the appropriate punishment, the inconsistency constantly shown by the FIA when dealing with accidents is becoming more than slightly annoying! Is it too much to ask for everything to be dealt with appropriately and a clear rule book that gives clear punishments? You could say that the FIA are very consistent at being inconsistent...

Here is what Romain Grosjean had to say on his punishment and the incident;

“When your life is all about racing, not being allowed to attend an event is probably one of the worst experiences you can go through. That said, I do respect the verdict of the Stewards. I got a good start… and was heading into the first corner when the rear of my car made contact with the front of Lewis [Hamilton]’s. I honestly thought I was ahead of him and there was enough room for both cars; I didn’t deliberately try to squeeze him or anything like that. This first corner situation obviously isn’t what anyone would want to happen and thankfully no-one was hurt in the incident. I wish to apologise to the drivers who were involved and to their fans. I can only say that today is part of a process that will make me a better driver."

I completely commend Grosjean for accepting blame and apologising for what he caused. Many have said the incident was caused because of his immaturity as a driver but I think this shows that he is not immature and is looking at this as an experience that will make him a better driver. We can now ask of nothing more from him and hope that he can avoid incidents like this in the future; beginning with his next race in Singapore! 

Spa is famous for always allowing plenty of overtakes and boy did it deliver yesterday! Of course, the standout overtake from the Grand Prix was Kimi's overtake on Michael Schumacher up Eau Rouge. Oh that certainly got my heart rate rising and I can imagine Kimi would have had a little smile on his face as he carried all that speed out of the legendary corner and saw the German firmly behind him after the two had been battling it out for third place. 

Sebastian Vettel was also busy with overtaking yesterday and any critics of the reigning world champion's driving skills in traffic were firmly proved wrong as he went from 10th on the grid (to 12th after the accident at the start) to 2nd and picked up 18 points. One of the people Vettel had to overtake on his drive to 2nd was teammate Mark Webber. He overtook him, and many others, on the 'bus stop' chicane and both drivers showed the level of respect between them as a potentially race-ending overtake was completed smoothly and cleanly. Although, I did have to hold my breath as the two went into the chicane side by side. Vettel's 2nd place and Alonso's elimination from the race means that Vettel is now 24 points off the the championship lead.

There was also a lot of confusion at one point as Sebastian and Schumacher were involved in a bit of battle and as Vettel tried to overtake him at his favourite spot (the chicane) but Michael was planning on going into the pits. The layout of the circuit meant that Schumacher almost drove across the front of the Red Bull but luckily no damage was done! The incident was put under investigation by the stewards but no penalties were awarded. When asked about the incident afterwards Sebastian said this about Michael; "he is a wily fox and doesn’t give you a lot of space" but added that "that is the fun in fighting with him."

Nico Hulkenberg had a really great race at Spa and he achieved a career best finish of 4th! He lost out on the podium spot to Kimi Raikkonen but fourth is still an achievement in a Force India car. Naturally, Hulkenberg's fortune was partly thanks to many main contenders being eliminated from the race before it had really began but he still finished ahead of a Ferrari (Massa brought the only Ferrari in the race home in 5th) and the 6th-placed Red Bull of Mark Webber. Toro Rosso were also finally back in the points and Di Resta had to fight hard to take away 10th place and 1 point!

After all the excitement, I almost forgot to mention that Jenson Button won the race and proves he is officially back! The Brit showed that his form from Australia earlier this year has returned and he showed what he can do when he has a car he is comfortable with and has the right balance (he really overuses that word). Now that Button is back at the top we can expect him to be much more involved in battles for race wins, not that there was much of a battle for the win in Spa, and that just adds to the excitement of this season.

That race was incredible, amazing, magnificent and I just loved watching it! In fact, I'm just about to watch it for the fourth time, yes I really loved it! And it has certainly whet my appetite for the next 8 races that are all going to come by so fast; starting with Monza is only a few days time. *does celebratory dance*

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Full Vettel interview, Images) 

LEW TAKES TWO IN HUNGARY

I'll begin by telling you that the race in Hungary today did not really live up to the high level of excitement we have come to expect in 2012. There were no overtakes during the race, even with the use of DRS, and the only way places were going to be gained were through pit lane action and strategy. In my opinion, it wasn't the best way for Formula 1 to go into the summer break and it was a shame to see fast cars and drivers unable to capitalise on their pace and strategies because passing was seemingly impossible. We saw Vettel stuck behind Button, Button behind Senna, Webber behind several people, Kimi and Grosjean behind Lewis and the list goes on... We can, however, discuss what did happen during the race and what this means going into the summer break.

Lewis used his stunning domination of yesterday's Qualifying session to convert pole into a race win. He may not have been faster than the Lotus pair but a great start and the difficult overtaking conditions meant that, no matter how close other drivers got, Hamilton was able to retain his lead. This means Lewis took his second win of the season; a feat only accomplished by Alonso and Webber so far and puts him firmly back in the hunt for the title. There was some overtaking this weekend as Lewis was able to leapfrog Raikkonen in the championship standings. The problem now is that Alonso is gaining consistent points finishes, he's not far off Schumacher's record of consecutive races finished in the points and I believe he needs two more to break it, whilst other drivers are taking points and wins away from each other. All he needs to do is focus on gaining points at every race and as long as no driver keeps winning, which is unlikely this season, it may be the case that no one gains the points needed to close the gap.

Lewis' teammate Jenson had a great start as he gained a place on Sebastian Vettel. The German had tried to move past Romain Grosjean but was squeezed off the track and Jenson just accelerated past him. What followed was endless laps of Sebastian trailing Jenson and it seemed that the podium would go on to be Hamilton, Grosjean, Button. Then McLaren, after much deliberation over team radio, switched to 'Plan B' and it was clear that Jenson would most likely be pitting three times, not two! Sebastian clearly had more pace than Button so when McLaren tried to perform an undercut at the end of the second stint it did not work for them. Vettel emerged ahead of him and the position was lost. their 3-stop strategy didn't work and they had hoped that it would benefit them towards the end of the race when others' tyres began to fall away. That wasn't to be and Jenson eventually finished sixth. He will probably be very disappointed to go into the break after a race like that and after his great performance in Germany but some time away after a fairly difficulty 2012 so far could also be exactly what Jenson needs.

Red Bull were fast today; Sebastian was much faster than Jenson and at the end of the race he consistently set fastest lap after fastest lap following his third pit stop. It was clear that he was getting extremely frustrated throughout the race because he knew his car had the pace to challenge at the front and win but the nature of the track meant that he couldn't even climb to third. He was heard telling his team to try something different with strategy but there was little the team could do with limited data and tight margins. Their strategy did eventually pay off in overtaking Jenson but there was nothing they could do about Romain Grosjean at the end. Grosjean was on a two-stopper and so Vettel had a lot of time to make up if he were to pass him. He cut a lot of that time down and amazingly finished just over a second behind Grosjean. Fourth is definitely not the position they would have expected coming into this weekend at a track where Red Bull were meant to be particularly strong but they can be confident that they have a strong car and package and a bit of development can deliver them more race wins.

There was a lot of talk that the weather will benefit Lotus and that could mean they take their first win of the 2012 season. With Romain Grosjean starting on the front row it all started to become a very real possibility. However, the benefit the track gave them weather and traction wise was negated by the fact that overtaking was fairly impossible. Both of their drivers were fast, both got close to Lewis Hamilton, both were stuck behind him. Nevertheless, a double podium for the Enstone boys, Kimi 2nd and Grosjean 3rd, isn't to be sniffed at. It is their second of the season and it is remarkable to think Red Bull only have one. The team are also now ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors' and so they are doing a great job of officially breaking into the top 3 teams and getting in on the fun at the front. Their aims over the summer break are clear; improve Qualifying performances!

I have already mentioned that Alonso doesn't necessarily need race wins to wrap up this championship. He had a fairly poor race but, crucially, a better one than his nearest rival Mark Webber. That means he extends his lead at the top of the standings and heads into the summer with the knowledge that it will take some doing to beat him now. Alonso finished in 5th and his teammate Massa finished 9th meaning Ferrari have taken a beating in the Constructors' and are now fourth; this just underlines how much things can still change as Ferrari were trying to chase down Red Bull just last week.

Pastor Maldonado had another incident with another driver today and this time it was a case of forcing someone else off the track when completing an overtake; Paul Di Resta was the Venezuelan's victim this time round. The stewards chose to give Maldonado a drive-through penalty; I do think this penalty was a bit too harsh and I believed, at the time, that the incident could just be classed as a 'racing incident'. However, it is no secret that Maldonado had form for getting involved in racing incidents and I'm sure there would have been pressure on the stewards to show that Maldonado won't be able to get away with his aggressive driving. Had they given him a reprimand it would have resulted in a 10-place grid penalty because he has two reprimands already and that grid-drop would definitely have been too harsh. He eventually finished 13th meaning that's another race out of the points. His teammate Bruno Senna has had a great weekend from FP2 onwards. A top 10 qualifying was followed up with a seventh-place finish; ahead of Mark Webber's Red Bull.

The Hungaroring may have slightly disappointed but it certainly livened things up in the championship. We can now say that Alonso, Webber, Vettel, Hamilton and Raikkonen (the top 5) are now all in the hunt and we also see the Constructors' getting exciting and we realise that Red Bull aren't yet invincible. The first half of this season has been truly amazing and so great for fans and spectators. I will be doing a post on which of the races has been my favourite so far and I have other posts and opinion pieces planned for the summer break. I know 35 (approximately) days away from our favourite sport will be tough but stick with me and keep coming back regularly to see what's up on the blog.

I wish all the drivers, mechanics and team personnel a good break away from the F1 circus and hope that they can relax and refresh themselves to deliver us even better racing at the amazing tracks that await us! I hope you enjoy time away from F1 as well, if you are going away etc.


Now to find something else to do with my weekends...


Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Images)

ALONSO ÜBER ALLES

Fernando Alonso followed up his pole position from Saturday to win the German Grand Prix; making it his third victory of the season and, critically, extending his lead in the world championship. I said before the race that this weekend would be crucial in the way the championship eventually plays out and Alonso made sure that his was the name we would all be choosing as the firm favourite. He now holds a 34-point lead over Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel is a further 10 behind.

Running the same strategy as his rivals this weekend, as opposed to Silverstone when Ferrari went a different way and Alonso lost the lead in the closing stages of the race, meant that he had a better chance of taking the win. His lead was threatened at times by Vettel and Jenson Button. Button challenging the leader; there's something we haven't seen in a while! Despite the attempts at snatching his lead, Alonso defended well and no one was able to pass him; not even with the use of DRS and around the hairpin, a place Jenson had already completed several overtakes to get himself up to 3rd. Alonso's experience in F1 is showing; he knows who his main rivals are and focuses strategy and his race around beating them! He has a comfortable lead in the standings, he has a car capable of pole and race wins, he's feeling confident; can anyone stop Alonso now?

The battle for the remaining two podium spots was full of drama! During the middle stint Jenson has been closing in on Vettel but didn't seem to be able to get close enough to make a pass or overtake. Their tyres were degrading at a similar rate and they were evenly matched in terms of speed. Jenson's lapped teammate then joined in with the fun as he tried to unlap himself by passing Vettel. Sebastian allowed him to do with relative ease around the hairpin but as he tried to make his way past the back marker, which Lewis was then, Hamilton drove defensively thus holding Vettel up and allowing Jenson to get very close. The McLaren driver then headed into the pits where his team completed a stunning 2.4 second pit stop... Something that certainly helped their chances of taking 2nd. When Vettel emerged from the pits a lap later, after an average 3.4 second stop, Jenson was able to cruise past the German and claim second place. He was undoubtedly helped by his teammate and everyone will have different opinions on whether what Lewis did was right or wrong. All I'll say is if that was a HRT/Caterham/Marussia or even Sebastian doing that move on Lewis I'm sure a few people's opinions would change...

Then on lap 66, the penultimate lap, Sebastian had closed Jenson's lead and was in the DRS zone. As he tried to overtake around the hairpin, where else?, Vettel ran wide and accelerated on the paint to pass Jenson and take the position. Again, there are differing opinions on this. The stewards were of the opinion that Vettel gained an unfair advantage and had this happened earlier in the race Vettel would have been given a drive-through penalty. They, therefore, added 20 seconds to his final time demoting him from 2nd to 5th. There is no doubt in my mind that this penalty was too harsh. A drive-through would have cost Vettel approximately 12 seconds which would have left him in 3rd place. Make of that what you will.

Sebastian's penalty not only helped Alonso, but also Raikkonen. He took the final podium spot as a result, and didn't have to go to the press conference which would make the Iceman happier, and is now sitting 4th in the championship, ahead of Lewis Hamilton, despite not yet winning a race this season. Kimi is looking stronger as the season progresses and it clearly hasn't taken him long to readjust to F1. A win is imminent in my opinion and even though many fans believe Romain Grosjean will be the first Lotus driver to take a win, Kimi is the more consistent one. He and the team should now focus on their single lap pace. If they can qualify higher up the grid Kimi can and will win a race!

Sauber had a great Sunday, even though their Qualifying wasn't very strong, and Kobayashi and Perez finished 4th, thanks to Vettel's penalty, and 6th respectively. Another high points finish for the team indicates that they are capable of taking a few more podiums this season and are set to beat Force India and Toro Rosso this year. Out of these three teams they have made the best progress that showed in Malaysia and Valencia when they took podium spots. For Kobayashi 4th is his best ever finish in F1 so he must be hoping that he can go at least one better at some point this season.

Nico Rosberg also did well to finish in the points after a poor Qualifying followed by a 5-place grid penalty for a gearbox change meant he started from 21st. He finished in 10th just behind his compatriot Nico Hulkenberg. Rosberg's teammate Schumacher finished in a disappointing seventh after starting from third and having a shot at Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race. That means we had four German drivers in the top 10 at the German Grand Prix and both Mercedes' were in the top 10 too. Mercedes are falling behind in the Constructors now whilst Lotus are taking massive strides to battle with the top 3 teams. They would have started this season as contenders for many podiums and race wins but have failed to live up to these expectations. We are only halfway through the season now so they still have time to develop and catch up to the other teams in terms of performance.

Elsewhere, Maldonado had a fairly clean race and didn't end anyone else's race. He was involved in a few overtakes, admittedly he was the one being overtaken, but there were no crashes or penalties. He could be happy with that but finishing 15th will be a disappointment after a strong Qualifying in the wet. He still beat teammate Senna who was 17th so perhaps it was just the car that wasn't up to the challenge in Hockenheim.

F1 has now reached its halfway point in the 2012 season and some consistency has taken hold of the results. We will no longer see a run of 7 consecutive winners but there is still the opportunity to see some first-time winners in Raikkonen and Grosjean and the other podium spots will also be hotly contested. The season will remain competitive and Alonso has even said that his growing lead in the championship "means nothing". I would probably disagree... Sure, a lot can happen in the next 10 races but with the way Alonso has been driving this season, his consistency, he has now finished in the points for 22 consecutive races, and his maturity I cannot see him making many mistakes. It will take a string of great results from the two Red Bull drivers and some bad luck to be thrown Alonso's way for his lead to be threatened. All we can do is merely sit back and enjoy as F1 2012 charges into the final 10 rounds. I have no doubt that they will be as thrilling as the 10 before them...

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Images 1&2, 3)

MARK MAKES IT TWO UNDER THE SILVERSTONE SUN

I'll begin with apologies for the late review; I was recovering from that Wimbledon match! I can't go into detail as I'll just get emotional.

So the rain defied expectations, stayed away and we had a dry race in Silverstone. This meant all teams were essentially venturing into the unknown in terms of strategy and how they compared to others. Consequently, we had different teams and drivers going for alternative tyre strategies so before the race had even begun we knew tyres and strategy would play a vital role. If you follow me on Twitter you may have seen me tweet about how nothing quite excites me like alternative tyre strategy. This was not an exaggeration. As the drivers in the top 10 had qualified on the intermediates, they were able to choose what tyre they wanted to start on. Lewis Hamilton and pole-man Fernando Alonso notably decided to start on the  harder compound tyre whilst their rivals at Red Bull, and most others on the grid, chose the soft tyre to start the race. 

Anxious to not have a repeat of 2011 when Vettel overtook Mark, who was on pole, going into the first corner Fernando went defensive to retain his lead. Vettel got a bad start this year slipping behind Felipe Massa. After the race Vettel did say that the first stint and falling behind Massa and Schumacher hurt his chances of winning the race.

One of three British drivers at this weekend Paul Di Resta lost any hope of impressing in front of his home crowd just one corner into the Grand Prix. Contact with Romain Grosjean's Lotus led to a puncture on a rear tyre. Di Resta was able to make it to the pits for a change but in doing so sustained too much damage to the floor of the car and his race was over. I am sure Paul is feeling really disappointed with what happened and I don't know whether the fact that there was no one to blame helps that or not. There was another early retirement for one of the Caterhams. Vitaly Petrov's race was over before it had even begun. The team kindly tweeted me to confirm that it was an engine failure that caused the premature retirement but they will only know more once engine suppliers Renault "strip down the engine and find out what happened". It's fair to say that Renault have not had the best fortnight. Vettel and Grosjean retired due to problems with their alternators and now Petrov was unable to race.

During the first stint Alonso was able to maintain his lead to Webber, who also had a comfortable lead over Schumacher, Massa and Vettel. The latter two were all within the DRS zone to the man in front but only Massa was able to gain a place. Red Bull had to try the undercut and pit first to switch Vettel onto the harder tyre. They had to try a roll of the dice and were essentially the first team to blink. Luckily, it paid off. After Massa and Schumacher pitted they emerged behind Sebastian. Alonso stayed out longer than most, as he was on the harder tyre, but he did eventually pit and resume his place in front of Mark Webber. Hamilton didn't need to pit as soon as everyone else and so he enjoyed a brief period where he was leading the race; a real treat for the British fans!

Nevertheless, normality then resumed. Hamilton was shuffled down the pack and Alonso reclaimed the lead. It was all calm at the front, for a while...

Another race, another incident involving Pastor Maldonado. Whether you love him or hate him, there can be no denying that Maldonado had been involved in far too many collisions in his F1 career and, this season particularly, has cost his Williams team a lot of points. This time round he clashed with Sergio Perez and the young Mexican's race was ended. Looking at the collision I think it is something you would usually class as a racing incident and the stewards seem to agree by not awarding Maldonado with any grid-place penalties for the next race. However, Pastor is a driver with past form for getting involved in collisions that end others' races. Sergio Perez was damning in his verdict on Maldonado and even said that his dangerous driving is a concern amongst most drivers. Perhaps he does have some bad feeling towards him after the incident in Monaco a few races ago but his anger was clear. Maldonado has also been given a reprimand by the stewards and it is his second one so should he get one more it will be a grid-place penalty that awaits him.

Then followed the next rounds of pit stops. Those who had started on the soft tyre were following a strategy of soft, hard, hard. Those on the hard were mainly going for hard, hard, soft. Hamilton was an exception. He went for the soft tyre for the second stint and only used it for around 8 laps. It was strange strategy from McLaren but I think they knew that they would have to try something different if they were to challenge for the win. Qualifying, albeit the conditions were different, showed they didn't really match up in terms of pace.

By the time of the second round of pit stops Mark Webber had managed to reduce some of the lead Alonso had after Mark had pitted. He needed to reduce it by approximately a further four seconds but Alonso headed in, put on his soft tyres and emerged in front of Webber. Mark's Red Bull team told him to start cutting down the difference and to just be patient as Alonso's tyres would eventually fall away from him. Mark did as he was told and amazingly managed to but down a 6-second lead in a few number of laps. He then got incredibly close, tried to use DRS but had to settle for using it to reduce the gap rather than overtaking. When the time came Mark went round the outside of Alonso for a great overtake for the lead of the British Grand Prix. I do honestly think that if there were a few more laps of the race Sebastian Vettel could have had a go at Alonso as well...

Felipe Massa really impressed me during the race. He finished 4th; his best result of the season and I really hope that a podium is possible for him this season. It can't be easy for any driver to hear the rumours surrounding your future and hearing other drivers talk about the possibility of them having your seat next year. Despite what many say Massa is a good racing driver and he can overtake. His priority now must be to focus on Qualifying. Should he sort that out, I'm sure podiums await!

The race was really disappointing for the Brits on the grid. Paul had a DNF and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button finished 8th and 10th respectively. Clearly, this means that the car was just not up to it and, for once, it wasn't a problem with Button's balance and set-up. The issue didn't even seem to come from high tyre degradation, something Jenson had struggled with, and they were equal with other teams on making tyres last. McLaren did have upgrades for this race but Ferrari and Red Bull were still just out of reach for them. No doubt there will be some head-scratching at the MTC as the team try to pinpoint why they were so far off the pace and how they can recover some of that form in time for Hockenheim.

The British Grand Prix was a great one. Silverstone truly is one of the greatest circuits in the world, even if it doesn't traditionally throw up a lot of overtakes, and it was a pleasure to watch F1 come back to the UK. The weather forecast may have deceived us as the rain that was expected never came but all other promises were delivered. Silverstone lived up to the high standard of Formula 1 in 2012, in my opinion anyway, and it's a shame that we have to wait another year for it.

That's the end of my race recap and, I don't know how obvious this is, I have done it slightly differently to how I usually do. Let me know what you think about the review and the race itself and keep coming back as I have more post-race posts to add!

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Images: Mail Online)

MORE THOUGHTS ON VALENCIA...

In my race review of the European Grand Prix I promised to add more thoughts on the race to the blog. I didn't get a chance to look at Jenson Button's race in my review so that'd be a good place to start. 


Jenson finished the race in eighth place after qualifying in ninth. It is no secret that the 2009 world champion has been struggling as of late and his championship hopes have taken a bit of a bruising; he's won six points from the last five races. He hasn't been consistently finishing in the points; something that will be key in the outcome of this season. When he has finished in the points, he has been towards the lower end of the top 10. McLaren told us that they have understood what Jenson's problems with the car were and have taken steps to resolve it. Qualifying wasn't as hard for him as it has been for the last few races and he reached Q3 fairly comfortably. I'm sure 9th wasn't what he would have wanted but it may be a stepping stone to better Qualifying results. Jenson had a fairly uneventful race. He wasn't involved in any collisions etc... But it was clear that he still wasn't at one with the car. Tyre degradation was still a problem for him and he was also suffering from locking up. His position in the points was helped by the retirements of Hamilton, Vettel and Grosjean but I'm sure he thinks it's about time he had some luck.

The British Grand Prix is next up on the 2012 calendar and I'm sure it will be the one that means the most to Button. If his problems were to continue into this race his title hopes would be on some sort of metaphorical life support machine. Every driver wants to perform well and, at the very least, get on the podium at their home Grand Prix so Jenson's woes wouldn't be limited to his championship dreams. The fans will also be hoping there is a significant improvement in Button's performance. Can he and McLaren deliver the goods in a fortnight's time? They've had quite a few races to sort his problems out so Jenson may need a bit more luck.

Force India also stood out for me in this Grand Prix. Both of their drivers capitalised on their top 10 qualifying and won a good amount of points in Valencia. Most impressively, they gained more points than their rivals Williams and Sauber. Hulkenberg finished in 5th with Di Resta in 7th and the team will be aware that they must now bring the updates necessary to change this strong result into a podium in the near future. Both Sauber and Williams have finished on the podium so Force India will be eager to share some of that glory. Paul Di Resta said that he could have qualified higher up and felt he could have gotten a lot closer to the Lotus'. Had they succeeded with that, they may well have got a podium stop in such an eventful race. He is another driver who will want to impress at Silverstone and I'm sure he won't want to be beaten by his teammate again. The Force India drivers make a very interesting pair and I'm sure they will act as a motivation to each other as they are both young, ambitious and talented drivers who know that beating their teammate is their most important challenge. They're not exactly challenging for the Drivers' championship so the inter-team rivalry is what means the most to them.

That's the end of the brief extension to my European Grand Prix review and it just covered the two main points from the race results that I personally found interesting. They're also the most relevant for the British Grand Prix when Button and Di Resta, along with Hamilton, will be the main figures of attention.

My 'Setting the Scene' feature and thoughts on the penalties handed out after the race are still to come... I will also start adding new features to the blog, which is always exciting!

Aqsa

(Image)

VALENCIA THRILLS TO SILENCE CRITICS

The race finished a couple of hours ago now but I'm still in a state of shock as to how incredible it was! So much was going on and in Valencia of all places. I told you yesterday that I was really excited for the race because Qualifying showed us the potential it had to be a really great one.Valencia attracts a lot of negativity but it certainly silenced its critics today and it was, in my opinion, the most exciting race of the season so far. I hate to say I told you so, but...

Let's start with the winner of the race. Fernando Alonso won in front of his home fans to become the first double winner of 2012 and he ended the historical run of different winners. His win also means that he now leads the championship by a staggering 20 points from second-placed man Mark Webber. Yesterday, I said Alonso is in danger of falling behind Vettel and Hamilton following his poor 11th-position qualifying. Obviously Alonso read my review and was on a mission to prove me wrong... So let's look at just how Alonso won the race after starting in 11th.

A typically great start from the Spaniard meant that he was able to jump a few places straight off the line. Jenson Button was one of his victims as his woes continued. Then he pulled off some stunning overtakes to reach 4th at a track where we do not usually see a lot of overtakes. With a comfortable 4th position reached and seven places climbed a safety car was deployed. Taking this opportunity to make pit-stops for fresher tyres Alonso followed Lewis Hamilton in to the pit lane. However, despite strong first stops for both Button and Hamilton, McLaren returned to old ways and encountered yet another problem in the pits. This meant that Lewis was stationary for over 14 seconds and Ferrari were able to release Alonso ahead of the Brit. So Alonso was now up into 3rd and, with the pack bunched up again, Romain Grosjean was next on Alonso's hit list. Immediately after the restart Alonso got the job done and the Frenchman had no answers to Alonso's skill and experience. Sebastian Vettel, I'll look at him in more depth later on, got a comfortable getaway from the rest of the drivers but only a couple of corners later he came to a sudden stop. Alonso drove past him and that was it... He controlled his tyres and his pace to take the win with no one presenting a real challenge to him. So 11th to 1st and 111 points in the Drivers' championship. He must be pleased with that. He is also now the only driver to have finished in the points at every race so far. Showing consistency pays off, Alonso had been outperforming his car at the beginning of the season but the team seem to have made significant progress. However, contrasting Alonso's performances with Felipe Massa's shows that he is just a genuine racer and, many would argue, the most complete! He described this win as the most special of all his wins and I expect it means even more in a season like this one. This has been great weekend for Spanish sports fans, that's for sure. Of course, this Grand Prix shows just how, and this is becoming the most used word on my blog, unpredictable this season is so Alonso may have a comfortable lead right now but everything could change in just a short space of time.

Sebastian Vettel will be hoping that this is the case. He is now 26 points off the lead but has underlined that everything can change every fortnight. He also said that he takes confidence in Red Bull's updates and progress away from this weekend rather than anger. He had a "sensational" start, in his own words, and was significantly faster than everyone else before the first round of pit stops. Not only did he pull out of the DRS zone but he built a lead of approximately 10 seconds in a matter of laps. After he pitted, he retained the lead and went on to pull out a 20 second lead over Grosjean, who was running in second. The German clearly had pace in Qualifying and he had it in abundance again today. The news of a safety car deployment must have hurt considering how hard he had worked to pull out such a lead. Even at the start he pulled out a huge lead but didn't hurt his tyres any more than his competitors. Nevertheless, he used the opportunity to pit and he controlled the pack well behind the safety car. He also got a good restart and there was every possibility of him reopening the lead he had. Then, as I mentioned above, he had to immediately stop his car on the side of the track and watch as all of his championship rivals passed him. It is thought that a problem with the alternator was what ended his race prematurely but Red Bull are still investigating the cause. In a season so tight, consistency and finishes in the points will be the deciding factor and this is now Vettel's second no-points result. He is still in the hunt for the title but he will have to hope that he has had his share of bad luck this season and that Alonso's is yet to come.

Adding insult to injury, Vettel is now also behind his teammate Mark Webber in the Drivers' championship. Vettel is fourth and Mark second. Webber started the race in 19th and, with this being Valencia, many had written his chances off. His start wasn't that sensational but he was surrounded by cars that he was obviously significantly faster than. Despite this he spent a lot of the race out of the points positions but the safety car and some special overtakes helped him to climb through the pack. He finished in fourth and this high finish was helped by a few DNFs for those in front of him. Regardless, Webber drove a great drive and I think he is definitely in my top 2 for driver of the day. Climbing 15 places is no mean feat at any track but at Valencia, I think it will mean more for his confidence; especially considering Mark's history with this track. Beating Vettel in the championship will also be a nice comfort for him even if it is only by 6 points. Now, honestly, who had written him off for the title? *raises hand*

So whose misfortunes helped Webber? His teammate's for one but Romain Grosjean also lent a hand. After Vettel's retirement Grosjean was second behind leader Alonso. However, he then experienced a similar fate to Sebastian. Lotus have confirmed that his problem was with the alternator. Lotus were faster than Ferrari yesterday so had Grosjean not had this issue he could very well have become the eighth different winner from eight races. I'm sure he would have settled with second place though if it meant he could add to his podium tally. Even after this big disappointment, to know what you have done all you could but your car let you down, Grosjean was still smiling as he spoke to the media after his race had ended. I am really glad he has been given a second chance in Formula 1; not just because of his happy and humble personality but also because he has been giving world champions of the sport a run for their money. As the season goes on, his experience and confidence will increase so I expect big things to come from him in future races.

Kimi Raikkonen went on take 2nd place instead of his Lotus teammate. Grosjean's retirement meant Hamilton was now in 2nd and for a number of laps he defended well against the man we call the Iceman. At one point he even extended the gap between himself and Kimi as it seemed the Finn's tyres were wearing away. However, this breathing space only lasted a short while. A few mistakes from Hamilton, including running wide on the last corner twice, meant Raikkonen got very close once again and this time was able to pull off a clean and tidy pass against Hamilton to claim position. This is Raikkonen's second second-place finish, the first came in Bahrain, so his comeback is going strong. He still looked a bit downcast after the race as he basically said he wouldn't be happy unless he won. Could he go one better in the coming races? Lotus have looked capable of winning on several occasions now but have not yet managed to clinch the top-step on the podium. Should they win, will it be Kimi or Romain to do it for them? I think it is looking more likely to be the Frenchman right now but Kimi is more than capable also. Oh and I said above that Mark was in my top 2 drivers of the day. Kimi shares that position with him...

Michael Schumacher took the final podium spot and it was a really special moment for him. To say he's had a poor season would be an understatement so to finish so high up in the points, especially after Qualifying 12th, is a great achievement. And we can now say that the comeback is officially on. We know Mercedes are able to win races so could that be next on his return to his former glory? I genuinely hope so. I have been  slightly critical of him this season and doubted for how much longer we can put his form down to bad luck but I have wanted him to do well. Luck was on his side today. In a field of a handful of DNFs he did not fall victim to any incidents and finished ahead of his Chinese Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the veteran driver and not merely a 'one-off' incident.

Now on to Lewis Hamilton's race. He didn't get as good a start as Vettel but it wasn't bad. He was unable to get anywhere near Sebastian so DRS was out of the question. His focus had to be on retaining second as opposed to gaining on Vettel. He was unable to do so and lost position to Grosjean. He was shocked at his Qualifying performance indicating that McLaren didn't have a lot of pace so to see him losing out to a Lotus was not a huge surprise. Pit stops followed and it was a tidy one from McLaren. Lewis' tyres were off and on in a mighty impressive 2.9 seconds. I've already told you what happened to Lewis during the safety car phase, and I doubt McLaren fans will want it repeated, but his second stop cost over 14 seconds. Just as everyone was talking about how the practice McLaren put into stops seems to have paid off, they went and effectively ruined Lewis' race. That may be slightly harsh... This meant he was behind Alonso and any hopes of a win were gone. He was also closer to Pastor Maldonado. As the race went on he lost a place to Raikkonen and then Maldonado advanced on the 2008 champion. He came very close to passing him but Lewis retained the driving line and Maldonado was pushed off the race track. As he moved back onto it he collided straight into Lewis; sending Lewis into the barrier and out of the race. This was a golden opportunity for Hamilton to gain an advantage over Vettel but his lead remains at 3 points and he is now 23 off the lead. The stewards analysed the Maldonado incident and decided Pastor was at fault. They chose to give him a 20-second penalty. This means that he loses the one point he won by finishing 10th. His Williams teammate Bruno Senna now holds that point instead. Usually opinions on penalties really do vary but with regards to this one, it seems to me, that most fans are in agreement; it was not harsh enough. Maldonado's reckless driving here cost him and Lewis a lot of points. He had more pace than the McLaren and could have easily passed him before the end of the race. Raikkonen was gone by that point so he only needed to make one pass for a podium finish. Lewis definitely lost the most as a result of the incident and he may feel that the penalty is unjust.

A lot happened at this circuit; that much is clear! It was an extremely interesting and exciting race. The thrill of Valencia 2012 was thanks to, in no small part, the Pirelli tyres and if I see further criticism of what they've 
offered I will be shocked. Do we need further evidence of the positive impact they're having on Formula 1? So Valencia has been the race of the season so far, in my opinion. Would you agree? Get it touch and let me know.

There is honestly so much more that happened in the race that I haven't even covered. Just like yesterday, I could double this review in length but that will make for much longer reading for you. Therefore, I promise to add more posts all about Valencia and previewing what today's events mean for the British Grand Prix, which will take place in a couple of weeks' time. I will also add a 'Setting the Scene' for the race so look out for my choice; there are many events from the race that would be worthy as my pick!

So we have our first double winner of 2012 in Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari that was heavily criticised at the beginning of the season. I guess they are showing why they have the reputation that they do in Formula 1. Alonso now has a nice lead, can he continue to build on it or is his share of bad luck still to come? Can Vettel and Hamilton move onwards and upwards from their misfortunes today and keep Alonso on his toes? Everything is still to play for and everything could change instantly. Well not instantly but in a fortnight... As for the Constructors' championship, Red Bull have somehow increased their lead thanks to the performance of Mark Webber. Is everything still to play in this particular championship battle? We may be able to answer some of this questions after the British Grand Prix as the 2012 F1 season draws closer to it's halfway point.

Aqsa

P.S Jean-Eric Vergne has been given a 10 place grid-drop for Silverstone and a 25,000 Euro fine! More on that to come...

(Images)

HAMILTON MAKES HISTORY IN CANADA

It may not have lived up to its 2011 predecessor but the Canadian Grand Prix provided plenty of thrills and spills and added to the history books by giving Formula 1 its seventh different winner from the seventh race of the season. After a strong Qualifying yesterday, I did think Sebastian Vettel could run away with the win but it seems fate was on the side of Lewis Hamilton. He drove magnificently at the circuit that gave him his first ever win to win his first Grand Prix of the 2012 season and McLaren's first win since the first race in Melbourne (a lot of firsts)!

Despite Sebastian getting a good enough start and pulling out of the DRS zone when he needed to, he just did not have the pace he had in abundance yesterday. Once Lewis started getting close to him it was clear the McLaren was stronger on the day and the position would soon be lost. Red Bull turned to pit stop strategy but after McLaren's stint in the pits they emerged victorious meaning the undercut had not worked for the reigning champions. Alonso stayed out slightly longer than his rivals and led the race during that period and when he made the inevitable pit stop, he retained his lead. This was not to last for long though as Lewis eventually passed him with the help of DRS and McLaren's fine straight-line speed. As Hamilton was pulling away from Alonso, Alonso was pulling away from Vettel and all 3 had some clear air to run in. Tyre management was clearly crucial and, with no Pirelli data following last year's rain-filled race, a 2-stop strategy was what we were expecting. It was McLaren's plan and, as they kept telling Lewis, they also thought others would pit again. As it turned out they were the only team to pit their driver from the battle for the lead. Another error led to a delayed stint in the pit lane for Lewis and he knew he had some work to do. He began to cut the lead Alonso and Vettel had over him at an incredible rate and he demonstrated just what a car can do on fresh rubber. As the tyres fell away from Vettel and Alonso it was apparent that their 1-stop strategy would fail them and Lewis passed Vettel with great ease. The German didn't even put up a fight; with DRS and fresher tyres at his disposal there was no stopping Hamilton and Vettel would only have hurt his tyres more had he kept up the fight. 2 laps later Fernando Alonso would learn this very lesson. Lewis took a few glimpses at the Ferrari before he passed it on lap 64 to take the lead and his first win of the 2012 season. It was now just a matter of bringing it home for Hamilton and he did exactly that. 

Fernando Alonso's woes continued. He'd hurt his already pained tyres in the battle with Lewis and Romain Grosjean was hot on his back. 2 laps after Lewis passed him the Frenchman did the same. He was followed by Sergio Perez and the Mexican was able to do what he missed out on in Malaysia; he passed Alonso to take his second podium of the season so far! Sebastian Vettel couldn't manage his tyres any longer and had no choice but to switch to a 2-stop. Perhaps had he done this earlier, he too could have had a spot on the podium. Nevertheless, with new tyres, he too was able to add to Alonso's troubles and climbed up to fourth. He also set the fastest lap of the race at the end of the Grand Prix showing what he was capable of on newer tyres and low fuel. If the race was a few laps longer who knows where he would have finished...

Romain Grosjean and Sergio Perez performed astonishingly to take the two podium places behind Hamilton. Both are enjoying great starts to this season and even though Grosjean has faced criticisms because of his starts and the incidents he gets involved in, he came through the pack to take 2nd. Perez started in 13th and, as he was also on a 1-stop like Grosjean, used the degradation others were facing to his advantage. This means a lot for the drivers and their teams and I think Lotus needed this podium to boost the team and prove that they can return to podium winning ways. Kimi Raikkonen finished 8th in the other Lotus which, although not as high up as you'd expect, was an improvement on his Qualifying result. He will want to do better than this and return to his early-season form. Getting beaten in such a way by his younger, less experienced teammate won't feel too nice either... Kamui Kobayashi ended up in 9th meaning this was, all in all, a very positive race for the Sauber team and Chelsea FC are getting the dividends from their sponsorship deal. Results like this are crucial for a team like Sauber as it attracts the attention of more sponsors meaning more funding for research and development. I expect big things from this team next season and from their drivers. If they stay with Sauber, that is.

Let's talk about Mercedes... Nico Rosberg finished 6th and enjoyed a few battles along the way to this result. Tussles with Mark Webber and Felipe Massa stand out and he did beat both of them by the end of the race. He qualified in 5th so it would be slightly disappointing to lose a place but his disappointment won't compare to Michael Schumacher's. The veteran German driver's bad luck continued and he must be thinking that he just can't catch a break this season. This time it was a problem with his DRS wing that ended his race. Unusually, the flap wouldn't close and as that is a clear breach of rules, to have the wing open outside of DRS zones, the team frantically tried to force it shut. With no technology to do this they were using all the strength in their arms but the wing was having none of it. Another DNF for Schumacher means more questions over his F1 future will be raised.

The bad luck continued for Mr Jenson Button as well. He'd hoped his alternative tyre strategy would help him move up a few places but he made the mistake of using a set of tyres to set a timed lap in Q3. Has he followed Sebastian Vettel's strategy in Monaco he may have had a different race. Or maybe not... He struggled to get his tyres up to temperature and wasn't at one with them for the duration of the Grand Prix. Despite starting on the harder of the two tyres, Button couldn't stay out longer than others and his pit stops and customary lack of grip left him finishing in 16th position. His performances in recent races are of stark contrast to his teammate's. The incredibly lacklustre display we saw from him today means that he has only picked up 2 points from the last 4 races. He had a great start in Melbourne by winning the first race but form has slipped for the world champion since then and I'm sure he too is at a loss as to why this is happening. He told the BBC that he is "confused and very lost" after what he described as probably his "worst race for many, many years". Can he turn things around in time for Valencia and the European Grand Prix?

Felipe Massa didn't do very well by finishing in 10th after what was his best Qualifying this season. He dropped four places but the fact that his teammate lost the same amount of places during the last few laps of the race may act as some sort of comfort. Although I doubt that. He did still finish 5 places above him. Paul Di Resta also failed to capitalise on a strong Qualifying and he just missed out on points. He finished 11th, just ahead of teammate Niko Hulkenberg.

So Canada delivered the goods and helped to rewrite history. Lewis Hamilton's win helped McLaren reduce the gap to Red Bull in the Constructors' but they know that you need to get both drivers finishing solidly in the points to win that championship. As far as the drivers' championship is concerned, everything has been blown wide open. Hamilton leads it. Alonso is 2 points behind. Vettel is a further 1 behind. Who knows how this season will end but there are still 13 whole Grands Prix for us to enjoy before we see a champion being crowned. More pressing matters include the European Grand Prix which takes place in 2 weeks' time. Can we get 8 winners from 8 races? We'll find out soon enough...

Aqsa

(Images)

MARK MASTERS MONACO FOR A RED BULL HAT-TRICK

The Monaco Grand Prix today added to the spectacle that is the 2012 Formula 1 season. With Mark Webber's fantastic, historical win we now have six different winners in the first six races of the season; the first time this has ever happened in F1... I don't know how many times the unpredictability of this season can be underlined but there is just no other way to put it.

Red Bull have now won this race for the third year in succession with their 'number 2' driver Mark Webber. Despite many of the questions asked about Red Bull's performance, all unnecessary if you ask me, the team definitely delivered today. In what was one of the most exciting race ends I think I have ever seen Webber kept his cool and handled the pressure that the four cars behind him were piling on. Rosberg, Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton all went for a late charge in the hope of gaining places, perhaps in vain at this circuit. The cars were becoming much closer and literally anything could have happened in this closing stage. One tiny mistake would have changed things dramatically. Webber's teammate Vettel did well to even be involved in this battle for the win/podium. After starting the race in 9th position on the harder of the two tyre compounds Vettel proved his strategy was the best one he could have chosen. He managed his tyres incredibly well to maintain the lead of the Grand Prix for a number of laps after the drivers ahead of him went in for their pit-stops. Building a solid gap during this stage of the race benefited him as he came out in fourth after his turn in the pits. We saw just how hard overtaking in Monaco is as Vettel just couldn't pass Alonso no matter how close he came. Fourth was therefore the position he finished in but he did climb 5 places to get there; no mean feat in Monte Carlo. These results also mean that the two Red Bull drivers are now drawn on points in the drivers' Championship; they sit 2nd and 3rd behind, would you believe it?, a Ferrari.

The Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, that is, who took the final spot on the podium. He gained a couple of places from where he started the race and held his position well throughout. He even faced a challenge from teammate Massa but kept that third place during the race. Considering the position Ferrari were in just a few races ago it is astonishing to think that their driver is number 1 in the championship standings. They either made huge progress with the updates they brought to Mugello or have a driver who is capable of consistently outperforming his car. That being said, Felipe Massa had a great drive in Monaco today and, unlike in previous races, wasn't that far behind his Ferrari colleague. He finished 6th and, although I'm sure the pressure on him won't reduce by much, was able to silence a few of his critics, for a couple of weeks anyway. Felipe is definitely one of the drivers on the grid who must fight this season to keep a seat for 2013 but today he can relax in the knowledge that he picked up a good handful of points in Monaco to end what has been a more than satisfactory weekend for the Brazilian.

Someone who can't share this emotion would have to be Jenson Button. Yet another DNF for the Brit means another batch of points he misses out on and his championship winning dreams are fading fast. In a season as tight as this one a driver can't afford to lose valuable points and Button seems to be doing this on a rather regular basis in comparison to his rivals. And if you still needed further evidence that this year's F1 season is becoming increasingly unpredictable the sight of a McLaren car stuck behind a Caterham should have put your doubts to rest. The Caterham of Heikki Kovaleinen was responsible for frustrating Button and and when he did try to make a move on the so-called backmarker he spun and effectively ended his race.

McLaren's other driver Lewis Hamilton finished fifth in Monaco; two places lower than where he started. A poor start compared to those around him saw him stuck behind the Ferrari duo for the first stage of the race and then he lost out to Sebastian Vettel's alternative tyre strategy when the German emerged from the pit lane ahead of him. He did have a late attempt at making a move on Vettel in that stunning battle in the last few laps of the race but he, like the drivers in front of him, couldn't manage to move forward. Speaking to the BBC's Lee McKenzie after the race the disappointment on Hamilton's face was clear. A fifth position is hard for a driver still trying to win his first race of the season but it is increasingly harder when the two drivers ahead of you started behind you on the grid. However, Hamilton's title hopes are still alive; he is 10 points behind Vettel and Webber and 13 behind the leader Alonso.

Yesterday was definitely Michael Schumacher's day as the veteran German driver was fastest of all during Qualifying. Following his correct prediction of him getting pole position, Michael still thought he was in with a chance of winning the race but, sadly, it was another retirement for Schumacher. He was experiencing problems during the middle section of the race but his concerns started much earlier. He collided with the Lotus of Romain Grosjean at the start of the race and it is possible that he sustained damage here that affected his later on. He started losing places rather quickly and was forced to allow cars to pass him because he was simply unable to hold them off. His teammate Nico Rosberg finished on the podium in Monaco; in 2nd place. This means Rosberg has a 57 point lead over his experienced fellow Mercedes driver. As I stated in my Qualifying review, it is all very well to pull out strong Saturday performances but if he continues to follow them up with poor races, the criticism on Schumacher's comeback will continue. 2 points from 6 races is simply not good enough for a team trying to challenge for race wins.

Other drivers in the points were the Force India pair who made up for a poor Qualifying. They finished 7th and 8th with Paul Di Resta finishing a place higher than his teammate who out-qualified him yesterday. Bruno Senna was the last man in the points after Kimi Raikkonen who was 9th. Both Raikkonen and Senna's teammates had to retire from the race; Lotus' Grosjean at the start and Williams' Maldonado slightly later on. Following his race win in Spain Maldonado will be bitterly disappointed to not even finish in Monaco. He must now mature as a racing driver if he is to keep on impressing those watching and working in Formula 1.

To conclude, the Monaco Grand Prix was yet another great one and we F1 fans are certainly being spoiled this year. We have close and exciting racing in abundance and it's lucky I'm not a betting person as there is just no knowing what can or will happen. Red Bull wrap up their third Monaco victory and Mark Webber's second. The Red Bull lead at the top of the Constructors' championship is still increasing with both of their drivers gaining a strong points finish. However, the Drivers' championship tells a completely different story... It is tighter than ever at the top with 3 drivers being separated by 3 points. And I'm sure we'll see more change in those standings after the next race; the Canadian Grand Prix.

Aqsa

P.S. I am experiencing some problems with my Twitter account but I hope they will be resolved as soon as possible. If you do wish to get in contact please comment here or email me... Thank you!

(Images: dailymail.co.uk)

MALDONADO SHINES UNDER THE SPANISH SUN.

Pastor Maldonado took a pole to chequered flag victory in Barcelona today, despite many thinking he wouldn't be able to take the win. This marks Maldonado's first victory, a Venezuelan's first victory and the first victory for the Williams team in eight years. And what better way to do it than with not one but two world champions right behind you?

Fernando Alonso enjoyed a great start; something he's becoming well known for, and took the lead from Pastor in the run to the first corner. This led to a few more laps of domination before Pastor began to cut down the lead. A successful 'undercut' from the Williams team at the first round of pit stops allowed their driver to reclaim the lead. Fernando may not have won in front of his home fans but shouldn't be disappointed at all. Whilst a win may have been on the cards, he did well to finish second and fend off Kimi Raikkonen's advances. The updates Ferrari have introduced have obviously improved their car's performance and as development in F1 never stops who knows what this team, who had been written off a couple of months ago, could achieve in the future. Alonso is now level on points with championship leader Sebastian Vettel and has proven his raw driving ability. His teammate Felipe Massa finished 15th and is now a staggering 59 points behind Alonso in the standings.

I mentioned above that Kimi Raikkonen was getting close to Alonso in the final stages of the race and, if he had a few more laps, there's no doubt that the Finn, on newer tyres, could have taken second place. Sadly, it was not to be two 2nd place finishes in a row for him but if he can keep this consistency and Lotus keep pushing forward Kimi will definitely be a contender for a race win in the coming races. His Lotus teammate Grosjean did well to finish in a comfortable fourth despite a few close contact moments in the race. These two drivers are making races much more exciting and it is great to see another constructor establish itself as a front runner this year.

The constructor leading the rest in the standings at the moment is, however, Red Bull Racing. A fairly poor race judging by their usual standards saw Vettel finish 6th and Webber finish 11th. Both had to stop for new noses which cost them some time at pit-stops and Vettel also received a drive-through penalty for failing to slow down for a yellow flag. Taking this into consideration, he did a great job to finish where he did. He would have lost about 16 seconds compared to those who finished around him and managed some sensational overtakes on Button, Hamilton and Rosberg in the last few laps to pick up 8 points and retain his Championship lead.

The big story yesterday was, naturally, Lewis Hamilton's exclusion from qualifying but today he clawed his way through the pack to finish 8th overall. By running on a two-stop strategy, the only driver to do so, he ensured his tyres didn't give up on him and as a result finished in the points. Speaking to the BBC, Hamilton made his thoughts on other people's opinions on his driving style quite clear and his humble approach to what he had achieved showed we will be seeing a new Lewis this season. So far he has made no reckless mistakes but he must make this continue throughout the remaining 15 races. McLaren will also need to reduce their human error if they are to challenge for either of the world titles. Jenson Button finished behind Lewis in 9th in a race that was quite difficult for him. He continued to complain of grip issues today and it is crucial he finds a set-up he is comfortable with for the next race in Monaco, where traction and grip are crucial.

Michael Schumacher and Bruno Senna had a collision that ended both of their races but neither was going to accept the blame. I guess Senna should be glad Schumacher took his anger out on his steering wheel. The stewards have said they'll investigate the incident after the race but I think it will just be classed as a racing incident.

Sadly, following the celebrations the Williams team had earned after the race, incredible scenes caught by TV cameras showed a fire breaking out in their garage. There have been injuries reported, although not definitely confirmed, and my prayers are with all those that were present. Initial reports suggest a KERS-related explosion caused the fire but that is also to be confirmed. My praise goes out to the brave mechanics and team personnel of all the teams caught up in the incident.

I don't think I've even covered all the great moments that the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix brought us because there was so much going on. Although the weather remained calm and sunny, varying strategies, cars out of position and magnificent overtakes all contributed to another thrilling Grand Prix. We have now had five different winners from five different teams in the first five races of the season and could a Lotus win next time out make this six from six out of six in Monaco? We will just have to wait and see.

For now though, it's congratulations to Williams and Pastor Maldonado- a great win after a great race.

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

(Image 1: BBC Sport, Images 2,3: dailymail.co.uk)


UPDATE: Schumacher will receive a 5 place grid penalty in Monaco for running in to the back of Senna. He will have to eat his words after criticising Senna after the race.

Caterham have released a statement saying four of their team members have been injured. 3 have respiratory problems and one has a hand injury. Wishing them all a speedy recovery.

Furthermore, apparently the incident in the Williams garage was not caused by a KERS issue but by an electrical problem instead.

SEB (BAH)RAINS ON MCLAREN'S PARADE!

Who would have thought that only a week after failing to make it to Q3 Sebastian Vettel would not only win the next Grand Prix but find himself leading the Drivers' Championship? He had definitely not been written off but not many people expected the win to come so soon at race number 4. Red Bull got everything together for this weekend and it all paid off. Sebastian drove a very cool race in the Bahraini heat to take a pole to chequered flag victory.

Kimi Raikkonen was the only person to pose a real threat to Vettel's race win as he closed in on the German towards the end of the second stint. However, failure to undercut Red Bull at the final pit stop meant that the Iceman wasn't able to get close enough to overtake Vettel for the lead. Nevertheless, second place is still a great result for Raikkonen as he gets his comeback to Formula 1 firmly underway. I'm definitely glad to see Lotus challenge at the front with the final podium spot going to Kimi's team mate Romain Grosjean who is also making the most of his comeback and his joy at finishing on his first ever podium was very clear.

Lewis Hamilton could only manage eighth place in his McLaren but at least he got some points unlike team mate Jenson Button. Button unfortunately didn't even see the chequered flag making this the second time he has finished out of the points this season. Lewis suffered from two faulty pit-stops which took approximately 21 seconds collectively. He did pull off some great overtakes to finish eighth but something tells me that won't really be a consolation for him. McLaren's weaknesses today further highlight the unpredictability of this season and the fact that there definitely aren't any favourites for race wins or championships. Before McLaren start thinking that far ahead in to the future, however, they will need to sort those pit-stops out.

Elsewhere, Felipe Massa also won a few points in Bahrain and whilst this does not remove any of the pressure the Brazilian is under, it is at least one hurdle crossed. Daniel Ricciardio failed to capitalise on his 6th place start and this shows that although you can enjoy and be pleased with your qualifying performances, points aren't awarded on a Saturday and if you can't deliver the goods on race day you aren't guaranteed a seat in a car next season.

Paul Di Resta impressed in his Force India to finish in sixth position; ahead of both McLarens, Ferraris and a Mercedes. That's a nice bunch of points for the young Scot and a nice boost to carry into the European leg. Nico Rosberg finished ahead of Di Resta to come fifth after a race where he forced more than one other driver off the race track. He finished ahead of his victims, Alonso and Hamilton, but I'm sure he didn't have fifth place in his mind after his maiden victory in Shanghai. But in F1 these days that's the difference a week makes...

I don't think anyone can question how thrilling this race was and there was excitement and surprises up and down the grid. I spent so much of the race literally on the edge of my seat and my heart race was very unstable. A wonderful first win of 2012 for Sebastian blows this championship wide open and the double world-champions, Vettel and Red Bull, are certainly ready for the fight.

Aqsa

(Images: dailymail.co.uk)