British Grand Prix 2010: Teams and Drivers Preview – Part III
Mercedes GP
Championship Position: 4
Points: 109
This championship-winning team did not have a lot to show for this season except keeping Renault at some distance. Both drivers are not too sure about their car and have expressed concerns about its performance. After the European Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg lost all hope and said that the Mercedes car is going from bad to worse and he went on to term it as a ‘disaster’. He has specifically pointed out the tyre problems that the team was facing and mentioned the team’s inability to cope with the situation. Later on, Mercedes clarified that Rosberg is completely happy with the team and his comments were taken out of context. Schumacher is not sure of how the car is going to perform in the next race. He said that Valencia proved totally opposite to what the team expected and therefore predicting the result at Silverstone would not be possible. However, Damon Hill and Jean Todt have both backed Schumacher to pull off good performances sooner rather than later and have said that the former champion is not easy to write off. Team Principal Ross Brawn has said that Silverstone is always an interesting and challenging race and the team is continually improving to pull off a good performance in England. Mercedes believes that they have the race pace to do well but it is the qualifying that is a concern for them at the moment.
McLaren Mercedes
Champion Position: 1
Points: 248
McLaren team goes into the British GP as championship leaders and they believe that they have what it takes to win the home race. Both their drivers are eager to win the home race and many expect it to be a spectacular contest between Hamilton and Button. Hamilton has said that the team is working as a unit and everything is extremely smooth. Despite a lot of work in process, Hamilton is satisfied with the car and believes it is the best McLaren car he has had since he joined the team. Button is excited to race in front of his home fans and has said that a new track is also fun to try out and coming to grips with. Meanwhile drivers have played down Damon Hill’s comments about the rivalry between the two boiling over. Both drivers are of the view that despite the importance of the upcoming race, it is the championship that matter the most. McLaren will also carry their exhaust upgrades in to the race and they are expected to carry higher speed and down force.
Red Bull Racing
Championship Position: 2
Points:
Despite a comfortable victory in Valencia, Red Bull Team will not take the next grand prix that lightly. Christian Horner, the Red Bull Team Principal, believes that Vettel’s victory in Europe has given him a lot of confidence and their championship is back on track. Webber, who will be using Vettel’s chassis number three in next race, has recovered well from his accident and hopes to turn things around at Silverstone. Team Owner Dietrich Mateschitz has said that Red Bull has had it ration of bad luck in the season already and it’s about time the team started winning races to end the season as champions. This is however going to be an uphill battle for the team as Webber recently said that it will be a mistake to write Ferrari off while his teammate Vettel believes that from now on the contest is between McLaren and Red Bull after a very good recent run by the Woking based team.
Ferrari
Championship Position: 3
Points: 165
Ferrari has so far been overshadowed by McLaren and Red Bull and is currently placed third in the championship. While Alonso has tried to keep up the pace with Red Bulls and McLarens, Massa caused the team several worries with mediocre performances both in qualifying and races. However the team believes that Silverstone is the circuit where they can make the optimal use of their upgrades and get something out of the fast corners of the track. Despite a below par performance so far, Alonso is optimistic about the rest of the season and said that the team is ready with additional upgrades installed after Valencia. He has said that after an intensive development program, Ferrari will start seeing results from the next race. With a new gear box, new rear suspension layout and improved exhaust blown diffuser, Alonso will be up for the race at Silverstone.
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