Five races left to decide Formula One world champion
As the European season finishes in Formula One, the heat is on for the drivers’ world championship.
The top five drivers are separated by 24 points, and there is still no certainly about who will become world champion for 2010 as we enter the last five races.
Fernando Alonso’s victory in front of the tifosi at the Italian Grand Prix boosted his chances of winning a third world crown. Storming to pole position, he lost out on the start of the race to reigning world champion Jenson Button, but regained the position after the pit stops. After Ferrari got away with their team orders scandal in Germany, by not receiving further sanctions, Alonso delighted the home crowd on Ferrari territory to take his third win of the season, and go within 21 points of championship leader Mark Webber.
Alonso drove superbly to stay with Button for 37 laps up until the stops, and after coming out ahead of the McLaren driver when exiting the pits, the race win was never in doubt.
“We have to stay focused and do our best. We cannot allow ourselves [to make] the slightest mistake, because we are still behind, but we have definitely taken a good step forward,” said Alonso.
Button should be given credit for keeping Alonso, who was in a much-faster car, behind him up until the pit stops. A few tenths was all that decided the race, and Button had to settle for second place and a valuable 18 points. “I spent the first half of the race either looking in my mirrors or at the TV screens to see where Fernando was,” he said.
“When I saw Fernando emerge just [ahead] of me, I was very disappointed. But this weekend was definitely a good one - I scored some good points, and this second place is very useful for my world championship hopes. There’s still everything to play for over the next five races,” Button added.
Lewis Hamilton was leading the drivers’ standings heading into the race, but after he retired on the first lap after colliding with Felipe Massa, he surrendered his championship lead to Webber. The costly mistake has put him five points off the Red Bull driver, and Hamilton is concentrating on the next race in Singapore.
“I have to try to collect my thoughts for the next race and try to help the team score as many points as I can, for either Jenson or myself, to win the championship,” he said.
“Even though my championship is not over yet, it is days like this and mistakes like I made today that make you lose a championship. But then you always have to say that the glass is half full, rather than being half empty,” he added.
Sebastian Vettel managed to finish the Italian Grand Prix in fourth, and keep his chances of winning the title alive. Even though he is 24 points off, he still has a chance with 125 points still up for grabs. After it was looking like he would retire from the race with an engine failure, some clever-thinking in the strategy department got him to fourth ahead of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg.
“Our strategy was a risk today. If it works then you’re the king and if it doesn’t you can be the idiot. So, some good points and we achieved our maximum today, which was fourth place,” said Vettel.
Red Bull believed Monza would be their weakest circuit. Despite this, they come away leading both drivers’ and constructors’ titles. Not a bad day at the office then?
Webber is in the driving seat for the title as the tracks will now suit Red Bull. All have twisty circuit layouts and require a car with good downforce combined with good speed, which Red Bull happen to have.
Webber’s sixth place was the only blip to the race weekend. “We could have got more points today, so it’s a bit disappointing, but at least we got some,” he said. “I’ve had a better day than Lewis [Hamilton] and got more points, but Fernando [Alonso] won the race. It’s good to get some points, but you always want a bit more. It could have been worse for us today,” Webber added.
Alonso is the man of the moment, but along with Button and Hamilton will have his work cut out to take the fight to Red Bull for the rest of the season.
Tags: