British Grand Prix Analysis
As the dust settles on the 2010 British Grand Prix, it’s ironic that Mark Webber spoke candidly before the race about how McLaren teammates Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were due for a dust-up at some point in the season. After all, not only did Webber have his own row with his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel earlier in the season but it was clear after he won the British Grand Prix on Sunday that the in-team rivalry was far from settled.
Webber took the lead from Vettel at the start of the race from the second position. Webber made an aggressive move while Vettel had a horrible start. In fact, Vettel would go off course after slight contact with Hamilton and puncture a tire, forcing him to the pits and the back of the pack. Vettel would charge back to finish seventh but it was clearly Webber’s day as he was never threatened by Hamilton.
On the team radio during the cool down lap, Webber told his engineer that his victory wasn’t bad for a number two driver. This was a clear knock on the perceived pecking order within the Red Bull team that was reinforced before qualifying at Silverstone. Vettel suffered a damaged front wing in practice, leaving the team with just one new wing between two cars. Red Bull principle Christian Horner would make the decision to remove the new wing from Webber’s car and give it to Vettel, who was closer than Webber in the world title chase.
The move irked Webber, especially after Vettel claimed the pole while Webber (using an old wing) was second in qualifying. Claiming the lead from the opening corner was sweet revenge for Webber as evidenced by his comments on the radio after the race. He was no less acidic in his candour during the post-race press conference, claiming that if he knew that he was going to be treated like a second driver then he wouldn’t have signed a one-year contract extension with Red Bull midway through the season.
So while it was a Red Bull driver who won the race, it was hardly a red letter day for the team. The divide that appeared between Webber and Vettel following their incident at the Turkish Grand Prix earlier this year only widened following the team politics that came to pass at Silverstone. Webber moved ahead of Vettel in the series standings, rising to third as Vettel fell to fourth. The events of the weekend further clouded the team dynamic and seemingly make it difficult for the team to move forward through the rest of the season.
Meanwhile, as Red Bull continued to fall apart McLaren showcased its consistency and team unity at Silverstone. Hamilton and Button were very slow during Friday’s practice sessions as they struggled to integrate their new blown diffuser system. However, they improved throughout the week, with Hamilton moving up from fourth on the grid to second while Button made an even bigger move, climbing from a 14th place start to fourth. Not only did Hamilton extend his gap on the field in the Drivers’ Championship but McLaren was able to extend the gap in the Constructors’ Championship.
Mercedes had a strong weekend, even if their own internal team structure became more mixed-up after the race. Nico Rosberg continued his strong season by earning his third podium of the season after moving up to third from his fifth place starting position. That was better than his teammate and nominal Mercedes team leader Michael Schumacher, who started 10th and finished ninth. Still, it was the best finish for the seven-time world champion since he started fifth and finished fourth in Turkey.
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