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

VETTELMAN

See what I did there? ^ Like a celeb couple name thing? Ok, moving on...

This is just a really quick post (I have a German exam tomorrow!) to add the video of Sebastian Vettel on the Late Show with David Letterman for you. Most people have probably already seen it as it's been around for a while now but I thought I'd put on the old blog in case you haven't. So enjoy...

Seb is really quite funny, isn't he? I like that we can get to see his sense of humour but this interview is nowhere near as good as the one from Top Gear, which you should definitely have a little Youtube search for if you haven't seen it.

Aqsa

PS I have my A-Level exams, German is tomorrow as I've already told you, so that's why updating has been a little slow. Normal service will resume when I finally have my freedom back.

PPS I still wrote reviews for practice, qualifying and the race for the Canadian GP despite having an exam two days later. That's dedication, that is...

PPPS When I said freedom I didn't mean to be offensive. I know I have it a lot easier than many thousands of people out there. It was just the best way to describe my exam hell.

PPPPS Just kidding, I'm done!

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)

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!

SEB'S GOING TO NEW YORK

After the Canadian Grand Prix the majority of the F1 circus will be catching their planes on Sunday night to head back home to Europe. Sebastian Vettel won't be joining them...

The double world champion will, instead, be taking a slight detour and visiting the Big Apple instead. A man after my own heart... He will be visiting to undertake his role as Infiniti Global Ambassador and spend time promoting the brand. He will also be promoting next year's Grand Prix of America which will be held in New Jersey with the New York City skyline as it's backdrop. He will drive the planned circuit in an Infiniti IPL G Coupe road car; part of Infiniti's performance car division. There is no doubt that this race is highly anticipated and will be the jewel in F1's crown next year. Sebastian Vettel's visit will be a great PR stunt for the circuit planners and help them attract attention to the race and increase the buzz around it; as if they need to! I'm already excited beyond words and it's over a year away!

The German will also make an appearance on a popular American chat show; The Late Show with David Letterman. Following Vettel's infamous Top Gear performance his profile amongst British fans was significantly raised. I'm sure this appearance will be great not only for Seb and Red Bull but for the sport's profile in the USA aswell. Allowing a wide audience to get to know one of the sport's biggest personalities will, without doubt, increase at least a few people's appetite for F1. I think Sebastian is great with the media and fans so I'm definitely looking forward to watching the interview. I'll post the video on here if I can find it...

Aqsa

P.S. If there are any American fans reading this, will you be watching Vettel's appearance? And are you looking forward to the New Jersey race?

P.P.S. If anyone wants to buy me tickets for the aforementioned New Jersey race, I'll be more than happy for you to do so.

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

SAUBER GIVES YOU WINGS.

You've probably already seen this picture but I just think it's so cool so I had to post it on here. And if you haven't already seen it, you're welcome!

And Sauber succeed where Red Bull have failed.

Aqsa, @aqsasformula

THE QUESTION WE'RE ALL ASKING

Well I've asked it anyway. If you haven't, you really should be!

Lewis Hamilton is one of many drivers who aren't completely sure as to where they will be racing next season. However, unlike with some of them, I think we can be sure that Lewis will have a seat, it's just a matter of where. His McLaren contract is still valid for another 14 races but speculation has already begun over whether he will renew said contract. Or whether he should!

Many tabloids have reported that the new deal McLaren will offer Hamilton will make him the best paid driver in Formula 1; things aren't looking too bad for him, are they? The case for him staying at McLaren must include the fact that he's comfortable there. It's an environment he knows well and he has experienced a lot with the team; wins and losses alike. A move to another team would change the dynamic he's used to and, if the move is to another top team, could lead to driver line-ups Lewis may not feel very secure with. If he went to Ferrari he'd be reunited with Fernando Alonso. I can't think either of the pair would be too keen on such a reunion. A Red Bull move would mean he partners Sebastian Vettel. Vettel's relationship with Red Bull is similar to Lewis' with McLaren. Lewis may not feel appreciated in this team and would probably sense a bias towards the German; whether it was there or not. Of course, at either of these teams he would be the 'number 2' driver. This is the position he's in this season but I think he'll beat Jenson Button in the championship this year if he continues with his consistency in the points. The other option is a move to Mercedes. McLaren use Mercedes engines so it wouldn't be a move too alienating for the Brit. He'd partner Nico Rosberg and I don't think he'd feel too threatened by this. Therefore, if he were to move, I'd say Mercedes was his best option!

But why are we even talking of a potential move? The team seem eager to sign another contract with Lewis and he's won a world championship with them. The team haven't won a Constructors' championship since 1998 but that doesn't mean they can't provide Lewis with a car he can win the Drivers' championship with. They've already shown they can... Despite the team's issues during the 2011 season they picked things up towards the end and at the beginning of 2012 looked to be the team to beat. Form has slipped slightly as the races have gone by but this season is ever-changing and it won't be long before they can challenge for a win again.

Lewis has shown the raw pace the MP4-27 has. He is consistently fast in Saturday Qualifying sessions and always seems to be in with a chance of fighting for pole; can Red Bull/Vettel and Ferrari/Alonso say the same? He is fourth in the Drivers' championship at the moment but, as I've already said, things are always changing this season. More consistent results from Hamilton and he could be in the lead again. And his championship woes are seemingly insignificant compared to his teammate's...

Taking everything into consideration, I don't think Lewis should be thinking of moving away from McLaren. He is used to how the team operates and, it seems to me, he has a good relationship with team members and senior personnel. Despite McLaren slipping behind Red Bull in their championship battle, Lewis is still very much in the hunt for his second title. His car is, without doubt, competitive and fast. It will be long before contracts are read, considered and signed so Hamilton can still wait to see how the season plays out and see what other drivers and teams do. He can't move to another team if they've already signed a driver up. But if Lewis did want my advice I'd  tell him to stay with McLaren.

Do you agree with me? Should Lewis leave the team he's been with since he was a youngster for the likes of Red Bull, Ferrari or Mercedes? Or should he stay with a team he knows well and has proven it can win him championships?

Aqsa

P.S. It's my birthday today and if you left me a comment it would be a very nice present indeed!