Formula One: Red Bull’s Mark Webber Upbeat For This Weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix
Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber will be hoping to consolidate his championship lead at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. Fresh from Formula One’s traditional summer hiatus, the Australian driver has said that he is in high spirits for the upcoming challenge. Webber currently tops the championship standings after bagging 161 points (following a podium finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix). Close behind, however, are the 4 other contenders for this year’s Drivers’ title, which means the Australian cannot afford any mishaps if he is to maintain his lead. So close is the 2010 title race, that there are only 20 points between the top 5 contenders for the championship. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton is second in the standings behind Mark Webber with 157 points. He, in turn, is ahead of Webber’s Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, who has a score of 151 points to his name. And not far behind are McLaren’s Jenson Button and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso at 147 and 141 points respectively.
Webber said his team was all set to storm the tracks in Belgium, but cautioned that he was not offering any guarantees. Webber’s teammate Sebastian Vettel was similarly optimistic, but revealed that he was concerned about his car’s performance on the straights. The Red Bull RB6 has been seen to be at more of an advantage on the curvier tracks than those like the Belgian circuit, which host a multitude of straights. The RB6 has been the class of the field for much of the 2010 season, and it has been Webber who has managed to translate the technological edge into the championship lead rather than his German teammate.
34-year old Webber’s experience has given him the edge over his relatively inexperienced but noticeably talented German teammate. Vettel is now widely regarded as the heir apparent to fellow countryman and seven-time world champion, Michael Schumacher. However, the young German has fallen foul of his relative lack of experience on the grid, whereas his teammate has capitalized on that very factor.
The high speed turns such as Pouhon and Eau Rouge at the Belgium track are set to provide a significant challenge for drivers this weekend, promising fans a thrilling spectacle. Whereas Red Bull will go confidently into the race, the McLaren side, on the other hand, will be slightly anxious to overcome the team’s recent dip in form. In the past couple of races, both Hamilton and Button have found themselves at the receiving end of the McLaren MP4-25’s reliability problems. The team fell behind both Ferrari and Red Bull in the race for technical upgrades, and consequently Red Bull were able to take the lead in both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ standings, while Ferrari managed to make a move back into the title race.
Hot on the heels of a disappointing Hungarian Grand Prix campaign, McLaren have vowed to make a comeback to form with a bang at the upcoming Belgian campaign. The team will bring significant updates to this weekend’s Grand Prix and it is reckoned the plentiful straights at Spa will favour the MP4-25 design. Jenson Button said his side would be looking to make up for the lost opportunities this weekend, remarking that it was crucial to regain the form that won McLaren a total of 4 Grands Prix earlier this season.
Ferrari, too, are hoping to get their hands on some meaningful points this Sunday. The Italian side has plenty to deal with at the moment, as it faces the World Motor Sport Council’s (WMSC) verdict on its breach of regulations at the German Grand Prix earlier this year. However, Scuderia driver Fernando Alonso chose to put the Hockenheim controversy behind him, saying that he was enthusiastically waiting for the Belgian campaign to get underway. Refreshed after the four-week break, the Spaniard said that the circuit at Spa was for him the most enjoyable track to race on. Meanwhile, former Ferrari driver, Rubens Barrichello, will be looking to mark his record 300th Grand Prix appearance with team Williams this weekend.
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