F1 - 2010 Season.

[Pub247]

Webber says Red Bull ready to keep winning
Wednesday 25th August, 2010
Author: SpeedCafe ©

Australian F1 world title leader Mark Webber
Mark Webber says that Red Bull Racing is ready to continue its winning ways at this weekend’s Belgium Grand Prix.

The Australian World Championship leader is four points ahead of McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton and after a four-week break in the Formula One schedule, Webber is confident his team will still be on top of its game.

“I expect we can do well at Spa, whether it’s as well as I did in Budapest is a question for everyone, but I know our team is ready,” he said.

“I don’t think there is a driver on the grid that doesn’t look forward to Spa. It’s an incredible circuit to drive on.”

Webber says that he has taken life easy over the short mid-season break, living at home, rather than out of a suitcase.

“The most important thing for me during the break is to stay away from planes and hotels, as the last part of the championship includes plenty of those,” he said.

“The break helps the drivers get refreshed, away from the travel and the hotels – it’s not the driving that makes us tired.”


"The Formula One teams can look forward to a wet and wild weekend in Belgium - at least that's what the forecast is saying for now.

Heavy rain fall has been forecast for Friday's two practice sessions with a high of just 17'C while Saturday could see a repeat, although slightly colder.

As for Sunday's grand prix, the rain is expected to lighten up a bit but it should still fall throughout the day. Meanwhile, the high for Sunday is just 12'C and that could play havoc on the drivers' attempts to get heat into their tyres.

But, then again this is Spa so expect the forecast to change, probably within the next few minutes..."

 

[Pub247]

practice 1

1 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 2:00.797 17
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 2:01.567 0.770 7
3 11 Robert Kubica Renault 2:02.081 1.284 14
4 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 2:02.450 1.653 11
5 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 2:02.646 1.849 14
6 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 2:02.913 2.116 6
7 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 2:02.926 2.129 11
8 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 2:03.401 2.604 17
9 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 2:03.424 2.627 7
10 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 2:03.489 2.692 9
11 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 2:03.601 2.804 17
12 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 2:03.649 2.852 17
13 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 2:03.654 2.857 6
14 22 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 2:03.851 3.054 17
15 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 2:04.145 3.348 12
16 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 2:04.250 3.453 16
17 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 2:04.690 3.893 15
18 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 2:05.680 4.883 6
19 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2:05.697 4.900 18
20 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 2:06.695 5.898 14
21 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 2:07.189 6.392 15
22 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 2:07.737 6.940 13
23 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 2:07.955 7.158 15
24 20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 2:10.507 9.710 18


2nd Practice.

Pos. Driver Team Time Laps
1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 01:49.032 25
2. Adrian Sutil Force India F1 01:49.157 17
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren 01:49.248 14
4. Robert Kubica Renault 01:49.282 20
5. Felipe Massa Ferrari 01:49.588 13
6. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 01:49.689 19
7. Jenson Button McLaren 01:49.755 20
8. Pedro de la Rosa Sauber 01:50.081 27
9. Rubens Barrichello Williams 01:50.128 22
10. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 01:50.200 24
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault 01:50.251 24
12. Michael Schumacher Mercedes Grand Prix 01:50.341 23
13. Nico Rosberg Mercedes Grand Prix 01:50.382 21
14. Jaime Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso 01:50.682 25
15. Nico Hulkenberg Williams 01:50.831 20
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India F1 01:51.520 17
17. Sebastien Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 01:51.523 25
18. Mark Webber Red Bull 01:51.636 19
19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus F1 01:51.480 15
20. Jarno Trulli Lotus F1 01:53.639 21
21. Lucas Di Grassi Virgin Racing 01:54.325 17
22. Bruno Senna HRT F1 Team 01:55.751 24
23. Sakon Yamamoto HRT F1 Team 01:56.039 21
24. Timo Glock Virgin Racing 02:03.179 3

 

[Pub247]

3rd practice is on now and is a wet session. Mark webber at the top of time sheets as i type

 

[Pub247]

session is very wet theyre theyre a minute a lap slower session is now over mark webber at the top of time sheets bring on qaulifying tonight

 

[88GreenVN]

our network went down when MW had not completed a lap - but the clock still counted down on the browser window - it was like noooooooooooo his car is broken or something. But the net was not updating LOL.

 

[Pub247]

Lol seems like vettel had hydraulic problem and retired just before the rain hopefullyitll ruin his qualifying

Screw you channel 10 a 1.5 hours delay broadcast you got 3 channel yet you have to put shitty afl on all of them???

 

[Pub247]

Spa Webber takes Pole, Hamilton on the front row
Story from f1.com


The weather was expected to disrupt qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, and it certainly did that.

With more rain threatening as the cars streamed out for their final runs in Q3, the order from their first set of laps in the session was Mark Webber for Red Bull, Robert Kubica for Renault, Sebastian Vettel for Red Bull and Lewis Hamilton for McLaren. But even at that point it was so dark that it was inevitable these last attempts would be frustrated by rain. As the track became damp again in places, driver after driver failed to improve, until an heroic lap from Hamilton jumped him alongside Webber on the front row.

The Australian’s 1m 45.778s stood up for pole position - Red Bull's 12th of the season - but Hamilton somehow cut down from 1m 46.203s to 1m 45.863s to shove Kubica down to third with his 1m 46.100s and Vettel to fourth on his 1m 46.127s.

Jenson Button and Felipe Massa share the third row for McLaren and Ferrari on 1m 46.206s and 1m 46.314s, with Williams' Rubens Barrichello and Force India's Adrian Sutil on row four on 1m 46.602s and 1m 46.659s.

Nico Hulkenberg made it a good session for Williams by joining Barrichello in the top 10, with 1m 47.053s, but Fernando Alonso was not a happy man after a troubled first run yielded only 1m 47.441s in his Ferrari and the rain spoiled his second.

There were still damp patches to catch the unwary when Q2 began, and further showers were expected so everyone bar Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen got out as soon as the track opened again.

The track stayed dry as the sun came through, and as Hamilton and Button set the two fastest times, third place was squabbled over in rapid fire succession by the Red Bulls, Kubica and the Ferraris.

The two Mercedes were the first to miss going through to Q1. Michael Schumacher managed 1m 47.874s for 11th ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg on 1m 47.885s. Then came Jaime Alguersuari in the first of the Toro Rossos on 1m 48.267s, Tonio Liuzzi in the second Force India on 1m 48.680s, Sebastien Buemi on 1m 49.209s for Toro Rosso, Kovalainen on 1m 50.980s and Timo Glock in the Virgin on 1m 52.049s.

Yes, you read that correctly. Both Lotus and Virgin got cars through to Q2. This is how it happened. Q1 started with a bang when Vitaly Petrov dropped his Renault on his out-lap after putting the right-rear wheel on the still-wet kerb on the exit to the left-hander after Rivage. The session was briefly red-flagged as the damaged R30 was taken away.

After that, rain out the back of the circuit turned the whole thing into a crapshoot as cars slipped and slithered around. With seven minutes left the order was Hamilton, Button, Massa, Barrichello, Barrichello, Rosberg, Webber, Liuzzi, Schumacher, Alonso, Glock. Vettel was 17th… Then 18th, as he momentarily got bumped by Trulli. But by then it was drying slightly again, enough for the German to jump temporarily to third before another rash of improvements thanks to enhanced conditions pushed him back down to 11th as Rosberg, Hulkenberg, Barrichello, Kubica, and Schumacher jumped up.

In the end, a double set of offs for BMW Sauber, courtesy of Kamui Kobayashi and Pedro de la Rosa, saw neither of the Hinwil cars making it through to Q2. Trulli was the fastest faller in 18th on 2m 01.491s, then came Kobayashi on 2m 02.284s, Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto in the HRTs on 2m 03.612s and 2m 03.941s, De la Rosa on 2m 05.294s, Lucas di Grassi, who had spun his Virgin at unnamed Turn 14 (between Fagnes and Stavelot) on 2m 18.754s and Petrov, who didn’t set a time.

After qualifying, Glock was penalised five grid places for impeding Yamamoto during Q1, whilst Buemi was penalised three grid places for impeding Rosberg. So with Schumacher getting his 10-place penalty for his move on Barrichello in Hungary, and Rosberg getting five for changing his gearbox after this morning’s free practice, the grid from P11 backwards reads: Alguersuari, Liuzzi; Kovalainen, Rosberg; Trulli, Buemi; Kobayashi, Senna; Yamamoto, Glock; Schumacher, De la Rosa; Di Grassi, Petrov.

Thus, while it was a bad day ultimately for Mercedes, all three of the new teams had something to crow about. The forecast for tomorrow, however, is heavy rain, so this is truly going to be one of those races in which anything could happen.

 

[Pub247]

Qyalifying Results:
Pos No Driver Team qualifying
1 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:45.778
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:45.863
3 11 Robert Kubica Renault 1:46.100
4 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:46.127
5 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:46.206
6 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:46.314
7 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:46.602
8 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:46.659
9 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:47.053
10 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:47.441
11 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:47.874
12 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:47.885
13 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 1:48.267
14 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:48.680
15 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 1:49.209
16 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:50.980
17 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:52.049
18 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 2:01.491
19 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 2:02.284
20 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 2:03.612
21 20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 2:03.941
22 22 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari 2:05.294
23 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 2:18.754
24 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault

 

[88GreenVN]

Great race to watch last night. Some very good driving and some very poor. Button helped Hamiton get away in the early stages until Vettle had brain fade and smashed into Button.

Anyone that thinks/says F1 is boring nowdays is watching a different series to me. It was a spectacular event last night with action from start to finish. I'm watching the replay of this one as I dont think I took all the action in.

 

[Pub247]

good race defenite emontional rollacoaster if your a webber fan. I Think VEttel is a terrible over aggresive driver the AS and MS wannabe but doesnt have the skill to back it up.
I have to admit he took one for the team last night but what he did to button and sutil is plain stupidity.

Anyway GRe4at race dont like the fact that media saying webber blows the start and the race he clearly stated in post race conference that he had clutch issues and it was bogging down