Part 3 finds us at the wrong end of the grid with the new teams and Force India.

The image that defined a season? credit: Sutton Images/Autosport

Force India

• Qualifying: Sutil (19^th – including a five place grid penalty) Liuzzi (21^st)
• Race: Liuzzi (16^th) Sutil (17^th)

This weekend was not what you’d call ideal. In fact, it was probably one of the worst race weekends Force India have ever had to endue. Just to give you a picture of their strife, here’s a brief breakdown of their problems.

Sutil was forced to sit out practice 3 on Saturday morning due to problems with his drivetrain, which then led to a gearbox change. This meant that even before qualifying he knew he was going to be docked five places. Then, during qualifying, Liuzzi managed to smash up his car fairly comprehensively, so qualified 21^st. Sadly, it was only going to get worse (and considerably more embarrassing).

Come the race, the two team mates touched into the first corner, meaning Sutil didn’t make up any places and Liuzzi thought he’d damaged his front wing. They both then headed to the pits – Sutil for a change of tyres to get his stop out of the way and Liuzzi, unsurprisingly, for a new front wing.

Cue a mix up in the pits and one of Liuzzi’s super soft tyres was fitted to Sutils car. Cue another round of pitstops to correct the error and a referral to the stewards.

Carnage.

Badger’s best: Liuzzi

Virgin

• Qualifying: Glock (23^rd) di Grassi (24^th)
• Race: Glock (18^th) di Grassi (ret)

Another tale of woe for the Virgin team.

Glock managed to accrue a ten-place grid penalty in qualifying for changing the gear ratios. Really guys, how did you manage that? In the search for last place, he was only saved by his team mate not entering a lap in qualifying at all due to more gearbox problems.

The race was slightly more positive for young Lucas, making up four places at the start and generally being quite quick (relatively, anyway), until his suspension went. Cue yet another retirement.

Glock managed to get himself stuck behind Senna’s HRT until the pit stops and from then on maintained a steady if unspectacular pace. He made a very reasonable point after the race, saying he hopes the team “can find a way to get a smoother build-up over the weekend because it will make life a lot easier.” Never a truer word was spoken.

Badger’s best: Glock

HRT

• Qualifying: Senna (20^th) Yamamoto (22^nd)
• Race: Senna (19^th) Yamamoto (ret)

It was decided this weekend that everyone’s favourite Indian driver (sorry Narain Karthikeyan…) should take a break, to allow Yamamoto to stay and Senna to return. They’re just going crazy at HRT, aren’t they?

Not a terribly exciting weekend. Bruno thought he did well in qualifying, but presumably would have still only beaten his team mate in normal conditions. He got a slow puncture during the race, but managed to finish. Yamamoto had problems with his gearbox and retired reasonably early on.

While they keep changing their drivers, it’s going to be hard to compare their respective pace. When we’ll start to take a proper interest is if/when Klien gets put in the car.

Badger’s best: Senna

Lotus

• Qualifying: Trulli (17^th) Kovalainen (18^th)
• Race: Kovalainen (ret) Trulli (ret)

A mixed weekend for the Lotus team -  a good performance by Trulli in qualifying (nearly a second faster than Kovalainen) was followed by another gearbox failure early in the race and another retirement.

Kovalainen didn’t really have much pace throughout the weekend, with his main contribution being thwacking de la Rosa as he was being lapped.

All that said, Lotus are still the quickest of the new teams by quite a margin.

Badger’s best: Trulli

Badger’s series of team and driver analysis: The Top Dogs, the Chasing Dogs and the Sleeping Dogs…

The second part of this week’s Hot Rod or Hot Dog sees us taking a look at the midfield runners from Germany.

Still the best of friends? credit: LAT/Autosport

Mercedes

• Qualifying: Rosberg (9^th) Schumacher (11^th)
• Race: Rosberg (8^th) Schumacher (9^th)

A team now going backwards at quite a lick, it seems clear Mercedes have begun to focus on next year’s car to the detriment of this year’s model. From talking of the “big four” teams at the beginning of the year, we’re now down to the “big three”, with Mercedes not even certain of having the fourth quickest car on the grid any more.

At the home race for both Schumacher and Rosberg, both drivers were fairly evenly matched again, but it’s the younger of the two who continues to get more out of the car. What was Schumacher’s rustiness has now developed into his lack of testing time, rather than perhaps the more obvious answer that Rosberg is quicker.

On a completely different note, Rosberg will be hoping that they get it right next year. If he was going to trundling around in the midfield, he may as well have stayed at Williams.

Badger’s best: Rosberg

Sauber

• Qualifying: Kobayashi (12^th) de la Rosa (14^th)
• Race: Kobayashi (11^th) de la Rosa (14^th)

A frustrating race for Kamui Kobayashi by his own account. However, we at Badger see this as a positive sign for both him and the team. Frustration implies a hope of better things; something in very short supply earlier in the season.

Both drivers complained about the tyres after the race, remarking on the lack of grip offered when the car was fully fueled. However, both then had quite separate moans. Kamui was left to bemoan the car’s lack of top speed while fighting with Schumacher and Petrov, while Pedro was looking good for a very racy end to the Grand Prix after coming in for soft tyres close to the end. However, it all fell apart a bit when he was lapping Heikki Kovalainen, who closed the door on him while being lapped, leaving Pedro to come into the pits for a change of front wing with the knowledge his afternoon was thoroughly wrecked.

Overall, Kobayashi was quicker again, as expected. He’s cementing his place for next season (if sponsorship money hadn’t already done that) and putting Pedro under pressure. Just how cheap can he be?

Badger’s best: Kobayashi

Williams

• Qualifying: Barrichello (8^th) Hulkenberg (10^th)
• Race: Barrichello (12^th) Hulkenberg (13^th)

Another team who’ve made a large leap forward in recent races, but who slipped into bad old habits in Germany. It’s all very well starting in the top 10, but if you can’t stay there it rather defeats the point of being there in the first place.

Let’s start with the good. Two cars in the top ten is a result, if not a massive result in fact. Even Hulkenberg got himself in there.

Now, the not so good. Both drivers’ races were spoiled by their starts and, having lost track position, the car was quick enough to keep up but not to pass. That said, you’d have to have been driving a rocket ship to pass at Hockenheim, so we at Badger wouldn’t feel too sorry for yourselves, chaps. On another note, Hulkenberg described the race as “uneventful”. You’re telling us, Nico.

Badger’s best: Barrichello

Toro Rosso

• Qualifying: Alguersuari (15^th) Buemi (16^th)
• Race: Alguersuari (15^th) Buemi (ret.)

Quite an interesting race for the Toro Rosso team, all things considered.

Having seen some of the bigger teams get involved with scraps between the drivers, Alguersuari and Buemi obviously wanted some of the action. It’s probably best we let the drivers tell it in their own words:

JA: “I was on the inside going into Turn 6 and I braked well leaving enough space, but there seemed to be some problems in front of me, as the cars ahead all slowed much more than is normal. I braked again, but it was not enough and I drove into him [Buemi]. Naturally, I am sorry for that.”

SB: “I made a really good start and was able to pass three or four cars and then when we came to the hairpin, I was braking in the middle of the corner and my team-mate came from a long way back and ended up driving onto the top of my car.”

As you can see, a slight difference of interpretation. What they really needed to do was both go out and have some fisticuffs – that would have made it a lot more interesting. They’re both in helmets after all, so we at Badger think it would have been fine. A tip for next time, lads.

After all of that nonsense, Jaime trailed round to finish fifteenth. Needless to say he’s now “looking forward” to Hungary and doubtless having someone taste his food.

Badger’s best: Alguersuari

(c) Darren Heath

Many of you have been quite rightly angry about the incident.  Some disagree with the order being given at all, given that it was exactly a year since Massa’s life-threatening accident and was quite frankly a lot better than Alonso for the majority of the grand prix.

Some of you object to the crass way in which it was handled, with engineer Rob Smedley left to do the dirty work and making it very clear he wasn’t happy about doing it.  And possibly even more of you got properly narked when the Ferrari team proceeded to attempt the worst cover-up in the history of F1.  We certainly learnt one thing about Ferrari last weekend: they can’t lie for toffee.

Of course, there are some big Ferrari fans out there, and it has been interesting to gauge their reactions to the incident.  “The team comes first” has been the party line from Ferrari, but they would have had the full 43 points whether Massa or Alonso stood on the top step.  The switch only bolsters Alonso’s quest for the drivers’ championship.

For Massa fans it was a dark weekend.  What could, and should, have been a triumphant return to form a year to the day from the crash ended with Felipe’s reputation in some confusion.  Was it really “magnanimous” of him to give Alonso the lead, as Rob Smedley told him over the radio, or does it expose him to ridicule for not having the guts to go for a world championship himself?  We’re barely past the half-way mark of the season, and already Massa has ruled himself out.  Perhaps Massa should take a leaf out of Mark Webber’s book and go for the win anyway and suffer the wrath of the team later?  If he wants to call himself World Champion one day he will have to be that ruthless.

(c) Sutton

The Team Orders debate: were Ferrari out of order?

As many of you have pointed out, team orders have always happened in Formula 1, despite being ‘banned’ fully in 2002.  Here’s a selection of reader comments on the debate:

“If Fernando is as good a driver as he claims to be then he should be able to pass his teammate properly” – Spud

“There is still so much more to play for in this season’s championship, and there is no need for this to happen with 200 points still available in the season” – Richard Sobey

“Despite what has happened “in the past” the rules are quite clear that ‘team orders’ should play no part in the final position of the participants whilst the race is conducted” – Badvok

“The worst ‘crime’ here though is the inept way Ferrari executed the team orders” – Carlostastic Racing

Let’s get things back in order?

So should regulation 39.1 be repealed if it is effectively worthless?  The WMSC are yet to rule on this occasion, but with former Ferrari-boss Jean Todt at the helm of the FIA it seems extremely unlikely that Ferrari will get anything more than a slap on the wrist.  If indeed no action is taken is it even worth having the rule there at all if it does not serve purpose?

Perhaps not, but this incident has got everyone talking, and sometimes shouting, about the future of the ‘Team Orders’ rule.  If team orders are so prevalent, then should it be repealed?  Or should Ferrari just have some lessons in PR and the art of concealment?  In the words of Lotus chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne, “the bottom line is if you are going to do it then do so far more cleverly than they did.”

And here’s one more thought: had the race been, well, a bit racier would we have even cared so much about this incident?  Perhaps it all got blown way out of proportion simply because the 2010 German grand prix was such a yawn-fest?

Image credits: Sutton images and Darrren Heath

Badger’s series of team and driver analysis: The Top Dogs, the Chasing Dogs and the Sleeping Dogs.  First of all, here’s the Top Dogs after Germany

So, Hockenheim – to be honest, the racing wasn’t that interesting and your correspondent actually dozed off at one point (don’t worry, the wonders of modern technology allowed for rewinding). However, thankfully for this article and the wider F1 press, Ferrari managed to generate reams of copy by trying to play God yet again. When will they learn?

A picture is worth a thousand words... credit: Autosport/Sutton Images

Ferrari

• Qualifying: Alonso (2^nd) Massa (3^rd)
• Race: Alonso (1^st) Massa (2^nd)

Okay. Deep breath. The story of the race up to that incident is quickly told. Both Massa and Alonso beat Vettel off the line to take first and second respectively. They then trundled round until their pit stops, pitted and returned to the same positions.

Then on lap 49 Massa deliberately slowed to allow Alonso through after an instruction from the pit wall and sparked the incident that’s got F1 in the papers for all the wrong reasons.

The story’s genesis can really be traced back to Felipe Massa’s signing of a new two-year contract earlier this year. “That’s a bit odd” we thought, “he’s been no great shakes this season.” Now the reasons for that have become abundantly clear. Massa is a number two driver to Alonso, presumably only kept on to please the moody Spaniard who, after his season at McLaren, clearly doesn’t relish having a competitive team mate. Quick enough to be World Champion again, certainly, but willing to race for it? Not a chance.

The issue itself is different to Ferrari’s Austrian switch in 2002. For a start, it’s clear to anyone watching F1 this season that Alonso is quicker than Massa and that he needs the points, which Schumacher simply didn’t in 2002. Nevertheless, at only just over half way through the season, and with Massa clearly able to hold off Alonso for the race victory, the whole thing is decidedly murky. So you’re faster than him, Fernando? Well then, get into gear and pass him. Don’t go whining to the team to make him move over. Just as an aside, it’s against the rules. What price fixing a race? $100,000 you say? We’ll take four.

Then, to top it all off, came Ferrari’s insistence that it was purely Felipe’s decision. Come. Off. It. If you’re going to do it, don’t insult the intelligence of everyone watching. It’s not nice. Rob Smedley was presumably saying sorry for something in no way connected to making a not-terribly-well-coded radio message.

Grubby.

Badger’s best: Massa

Red Bull

• Qualifying: Vettel (1^st) Webber (4^th)
• Race: Vettel (3^rd) Webber (6^th)

Another race in which Red Bull managed to spoil their qualifying performance and come home lower than they started.

Vettel’s qualifying lap was brilliant, no doubt about it. However, there’s really no point in it if you then can’t sustain it. Then it becomes only a stat, a record to be cited in forthcoming seasons that no one will remember. Vettel said after the race that he got the maximum out of the car, but when Webber is finishing sixth and if he really wants to press home his advantage, he should have done better.

Webber, for his part, wasn’t really on form all weekend. Jumped by Hamilton and Button and then suffering from an oil consumption problem, he’ll just be glad Vettel could only manage third. A quieter weekend for the Red Bull drivers, but you get the feeling that their own personal battle isn’t finished. Expect more fireworks. Hopefully big ones.

Badger’s best: Vettel

McLaren

• Qualifying: Button (5^th) Hamilton (6^th)
• Race: Hamilton (4^th) Button (5^th)

When you don’t have the car, you don’t have the car.

A weekend in which the McLarens were never really anywhere near the ultimate pace and struggled to compete with the Ferraris and Red Bulls. Perhaps the upgrades on the car, perhaps the set up they’d gone for (surely no one needs that much of a straight-line speed advantage…), they’ll be looking for a big step in Hungary, lest their grip on the two titles loosens.

Button did well to out qualify Hamilton and was unlucky to be blocked by Vettel around the outside of turn one at the start of the race. After losing a few places and making one back almost immediately, he then ran a long first stint to jump Mark Webber and settled into a groove behind Lewis for a spot of formation flying.

Nothing too much of interest and nothing that tells us anything about the relationship between the two drivers. That’s your lot, folks.

Badger’s best: Hamilton

Renault

• Qualifying: Kubica (7^th) Petrov (13^th)
• Race: Kubica (7^th) Petrov (10^th)

Not bad for the Renault team, again finishing as the best of the rest.

A good scrap with Hamilton at the start led to Kubica losing a couple of places followed by holding off Schumacher. Realistically, barring retirements, seventh was the best he could have hoped for. Seeing as he achieved that, he’s done well. The question beginning to form in our minds is whether he could be going even faster if he had a good team mate to push him. Does it matter that much his team mate, even in a world of flying pigs and fairies, simply is never going to challenge him properly?

Speaking of whom, Petrov managed to score his first point in dry conditions. We’re pretty sure he didn’t enjoy being harangued by his engineer over the radio though. It almost sounded like he was directing the village idiot. Oh for the days of closed radio communications. He wasn’t helped by the fact he thought he was eleventh when he was, in fact, tenth. We suppose that’s a way to increase your happiness when you exit the car…

We still don’t think he’s doing enough to merit a seat next year, so he’s almost in the position of an American politician, having to raise enough money to even have a shot at being selected. It’s all about the roubles.

Badger’s best: Kubica

2000

“I had been told that when you are leading a race the last lap is the longest- it really felt like it.

Rubens Barrichello

© LAT/Autosport

The German GP of 2000 was memorable for two reasons. Firstly, it ended with the first F1 win for one of the paddock’s most popular characters. Secondly, it saw a disgruntled (and probably deranged) ex-Mercedes employee wander on to the track to vent his anger at his former employers.

In a rain hit qualifying session David Coulthard put his McLaren on pole ahead of the Ferrari of Michael Schumacher, with Giancarlo Fisichella (Benetton) and Mika Hakkinen behind them on the second row. Rubens Barrichello meanwhile could only manage 18th, having made a mistake on his final run.

A stunning getaway from 4th starter Hakkinen saw the Finn lead in to turn one, where Schumacher and Fisichella’s races would end. Coulthard veered in front of Fisi, who was left with nowhere to go but in to Schumacher’s car. Both were done for the day.

So the McLarens were one-two and looking comfortable, whilst Rubens was charging through from the back. By lap 13 the Brazilian had climbed to 3rd, but found himself over 12 seconds behind the leading pair. He’d been running light on fuel to make up positions, and soon stopped.

Then, on lap 25, the aforementioned madman appeared on the side of the track heading to the first chicane. It later transpired that he was protesting his dismissal by Mercedes, and he did give them a real headache by forcing the Merc-powered team to compromise one of their drivers by leaving them out for an extra lap behind the ensuing safety car. Not for the first time, Coulthard got the thin end of the wedge.

The race restarted with Hakkinen leading from Trulli’s Jordan and Barichello. Another safety car appeared after Pedro Diniz ran in to Jean Alesi’s Prost, resulting in a spectacular shunt that the Frenchman was lucky to walk away from. Soon after that pulled in heavy rain began to fall in the stadium section of the circuit.

This prompted many, including Hakkinen and Trulli, to pit for wet tyres- wrong choice. Barichello meanwhile stuck it out on his dries- right choice. With much of the track dry Rubens only had to play it safe in the wet stadium section, and did so skillfully. He began to edge away from Hakkienn, and despite the rain intensifying the Finn couldn’t peg the gap- Rubens had won his first grand prix.

And it was emotional. He half climbed out of his car on the in lap, visor up, tears streaming from his eyes. And this is part of why we love old Rubinho- he wears his heart on his sleeve. Be it weeping at his first victory or Blah-Blah-gate last season he doesn’t hide his emotions.

So with a combination of luck and brilliant car control Barrichello had won his first grand prix. It had been a real classic, and one that, for a number of reasons, is definitely one to remember.

1997

“I really felt I had some very special powers here this weekend”

Gerhard Berger

© Rainer Nyberg/FORIX

What can we say about Gerhard Berger? During his F1 career he developed a reputation for practical jokes (he once threw Ayrton Senna’s briefcase out of a helicopter), shrewd contract negotiation and being willing number two to Senna at McLaren. But he was also two other things. Firstly, he was a man who suffered from sinus problems; and secondly, on his day, he was a also a world class racing driver.

We mention the sinus woes because they’d kept him out of three grand prix in 1997, his swansong season.  Upon his return to the Benetton Gerhard was grieving the recent loss of his father. With personal issues still in his head (but thankfully no sinuses) he would surely be out of sorts at Hockenheim.

Not a bit of it. He was refreshed from his break and determined to make his late father proud, and stunned the paddock but putting his car on pole, ahead of impressive rookie Giancarlo Fisichella in the gloriously liveried Jordan-Peugeot. At the start these two held position, with Michael Schumacher third and Mika Hakkinen fourth.

By lap 14 Berger held a 10 second lead over Fischella, before making his first stop. He rejoined 4th, behind Hakkinen, but wasted no time in passing the McLaren driver. He then cruised up on the back of Fischella and Schumacher, who pitted before he could make a move.

With Fisichella one stopping Berger needed to increase his lead. By lap 23 it was 18 seconds, but he’d need to extend that by another 7 to get in and out ahead of the Italian. So Gerhard got his head down and reeled of some blistering laps, but following his stop on lap 33 he found himself just behind the Jordan. Could he make the pass?

Could he ever! With surprising ease Berger making the move exiting the Ostcurve and immediately set about building a lead, and the race seemed his.

So the day looked set to finish with the old fighter edging out the young pretender- but there was heartbreak in store for Fisi. He suffered a puncture just a few laps from home, and despite getting back to the pits for a fresh set, would soon pull out for good with an oil pipe failure.

But that was a mere sideline to the main event- Gerhard Berger’s winning return to Formula One. People had said he was no longer motivated by the racing, that he was just cashing a final cheque before bowing out of the sport. How wrong Gerhard proved them to be that day at Hockenheim.

1982

“I was very sensible to keep my helmet of after the crash!”

Eliseo Salazar

© FORIX

What was so memorable about the 1982 German Grand Prix? Why, a spot of kickboxing of course! And who else would we expect to have indulged in such activities but a rather angry Nelson Piquet, who directed his fists (and feet) of fury towards former buddy Eliseo Salazar. The Chilean driver was lucky he was wearing his crash helmet at the time- old Nelson was pretty ticked off.

Driving the tailend ATS car Salazar was about to be lapped by Piquet. Entering the chicane Nelson made his move, but moved a tad to early. Salazar clipped his rear, and both spun out of the race. A furious Piquet jumped from his car, briefly remonstrated with Eliseo before launching several kicks and punches at the Chilean.

The event has gone down in racing folklore. Compilations of F1 action from the eighties always find space for this one, and it’s at its best with the original Murray Walker commentary: “take that, and that- oh my word!” Murray chimes, briefly imagining he were Piquet dolling out retribution for Eliseo’s foolishness. Still, the Chilean isn’t too bitter that this embarrassing moment is the best remembered of his F1 career. “I actually had a lot of respect for Nelson. He was instrumental in helping me in my early career,” Salazar recounted many years later. “He took me to my very first McDonalds”. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

But the race wasn’t all crazy South American kickboxing bouts. It was also tinged with tragedy, what with Ferrari star Gilles Villeneuve having lost his life at the Belgian Grand Prix just 12 weeks earlier. His teammate (and since the San Marino race arch-enemy) Didier Pironi would suffer a crash in practice that ended his Formula One career, which in turn set him on powerboat racing. The Frenchman would eventually lose his life in this pursuit.

Oh, and by the way, the race was won by Patrick Tambay, replacing Villeneuve in the number 27 Ferrari. It was a glimmer of light for the Italian squad in what was one of the darker times in their history. Still, 1982 is best remembered for Piquet vs Salazar,

Back in May Badger picked out Pastor Maldonado as the strong title favourite, and the Venezeulan has spared our blushes by dominating the first half of the season. Three straight feature race wins in Istanbul, Valencia and last time out at Silverstone leave him with a healthy 19 point lead entering the second half of the championship.

© GP2 Media Service

After developing a reputation for being rapid-but-reckless in previous years Pastor’s shown a new maturity in 2010, biding his time and staying calm when the situation demands it. He’s been consistent in qualifying and clever in the races- it seems he’s grown up.

His lead is commanding, and with the competition looking a little inconsistent this one is now his to lose. The signs are that he won’t do that, that he’s got his act together enough to keep the good ship Maldonado on a course for victory. If he does we’d expect to see him in F1 next year, likely for a team looking for the magic combo of cash (he’s got hefty backing from his homeland) and success in GP2. Think of him as the new Vitaly Petrov.

So Pastor’s been the man this season, but who else has impressed? Well, a few people- but no one consistently. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from a few but none have done it regularly enough to keep up with Maldonado in the championship. The fact that he’s a few years older than his competitors partly explains that.

But arguably Pastor’s biggest rival in speed terms is Mexico’s Sergio Perez, who only turned 20 at the start of the year. At times he’s shown a stunning pace in the Barwa Addax car, but bad luck has prevented him turning this into title challenging points. He set out his stall with a brilliant victory at Monaco, dominating a race in which he looked untouchable. We all know Mark Webber was the most impressive man on the Monte Carlo streets that weekend, but Sergio was without doubt a close second.

Perez was dominant in the Monaco feature race, and also took sprint race honours at Silverstone. © Autosport

His bad luck has been telling, not least in Valencia- a race for which he’d taken pole- where he was taken out of both races by overambitious moves from drivers behind him.

Still, Perez is lightning quick, very young and supported to the hilt by Mexican telecom giants Telmex. He’s making a very strong case to become his country’s first F1 driver in three decades, and a strong run to the end of the season could well see him do it sooner rather than later. And, with his obvious talents, he’s not out of the title race just yet.

Though not the quickest man in the field, Spaniard Dani Clos has done a great job this season, and sits second in the championship despite not yet showing the ultimate pace of his rivals. But then success in F1 isn’t all about banzai laps and blinding speed- consistency is key, and Dani’s shown that in GP2 this year. He’s taken just the one win- and that came in the Turkish sprint race- but he’s racked up four additional podium finishes (including two at Silverstone), leaving him 19 shy of runaway leader Maldonado.

Clos (in the red and yellow Racing Engineering machine) took pole at Monaco but was beaten to victory by Sergio Perez. © Autosport

At just 21 Dani is a good few years younger than Pastor, and already has F1 testing experience with Williams under his belt. To top it all off he’s Spanish, which is pretty handy at the moment, what with the country having two grand prix and one team team (with the likely addition of a second for 2011). It’s the nationality to be in F1 at the moment, so Clos may be arriving at just the right time. Can he win the title? It’ll take some doing, but with his consistency could keep him in the hunt for a while yet.

Rookie-wise it’s the ART pairing of Jules Bianchi and Sam Bird who’ve shone brightest in 2010. No surprise considering the team’s superb record in the series.

One of the pre-season title favourites, Bianchi is almost living up to billing, sitting third in the standings at half distance. He’s had poles and podiums but no wins yet, which is a little less than would have been expected pre-season.

Bianchi lead Bird at Monaco, a race in which Sam suffered more technical woes. © Autosport

There have been mistakes, but Jules is a rookie, and there’s no question that he’s a very talented lad- so much so that Ferrari already have him on a long-term contract. There are wins in him yet,  and be warned: 2009 champ Nico Hulkenburg, driving for ART, only hit full tilt at the halfway point in the season. Jules could well make a run at the title if it all falls in to place.

Teammate Bird meanwhile has been beset by more bad luck than any GP2 driver this season. He’s had technical problems in qualifying, on the gird and in the race, hurting his chances of scoring points on several occasions.

But setbacks have also given him a chance to shine. After dropping to the back following a first lap collision he was superb at the opening race in Barcelona, driving like a man possessed to regain lost time. That alone told us that he’s got the ability, and that he possesses a Mansell-esque determination.

Had it not been for the failures he’d likely be on terms with his teammate in the points standings, but his form so far has been good. He may need another season in GP2 to earn an F1 drive, but the signs are he does have the ability.

Other drivers to single out for a bit of credit are rookies Marcus Ericsson and Fabio Leimer, both of whom have taken sprint race wins, and fellow new-boy Charles Pic, who won the opening feature race in Barcelona. Pic in particular looks a very capable young man. Giedo van der Garde has been solid alongside Perez at Addax, Virgin Racing test driver Luis Razia has been an able teammate to Maldonado, whilst Michael Herck has come on leaps and bounds in the family-owned DPR car.

But right now Maldonado looks a shoe-in for the title. One of the drivers below him needs to find some winning consistency if they’re to challenge him for the crown. If not- if they keep sharing the wins out- then the Venezuelan should be able to bring home the title come November. He’s finally starting to look the business, and F1 would seem to be within his grasp.

Classification

What’s more they gave Badger a rare treat, the sort of thing money can’t buy – a few hours hanging out backstage in the paddock and the pit lane on the Thursday afternoon.  We were collected in one of the oh so funky F1 golf carts and escorted to the paddock complete with fancy paddock passes.  It’s a somewhat surreal experience being free to roam around the paddock, having a chat with Peter Sauber who was enjoying a fat cigar, bumping into Liuzzi, Heidfeld and Virgin’s own, Timo Glock as well many other of F1’s unsung heroes (that’s the engineers folks!) before having a tour of Virgin’s hospitality area and enjoying the view.

We even had the chance to have good look around an F1 team’s pit garage, which resembles more of a laboratory than a garage with it being squeaky clean and organised with loads of odd but complicated looking gadgets neatly aligned.  The engineers were hard at work on the cars, ensuring they’re ready for Friday practice.  Seeing such activity close up really brings home how intricate and perfect F1 engineering is, check out the photos:

Car in progress

The F1 engineers tool box

Under the covers

We explored every nook and cranny of the VR garage and have compiled some facts that you may not have known already (we didn’t!)

• Smoke alarms – well things that look like one above the cars are there to monitor whether any work is being done during Parc Ferme (and no, putting a bag over it won’t work)
• While Virgin Racing is pretty much Manor GP, with Branson turning up only to selected GPs, the Virgin brand definitely helps with getting sponsors (have you seen Sauber’s blank canvas this season!?)
• Geoff, the wonderful Technical PR chap at VR often tweets direct from the pit wall
• The team’s CEO Graeme Lowden is a thoroughly nice gent and one of few (if any?) CEOs present in the paddock throughout the GP weekend
• How hot is F1 fuel – very, around 80 degrees – so hot that it begins to vapourise, so very special pumps are needed to pick up the fuel to feed the engine.
• The team’s new front wing for Silverstone had a camera mount that wasn’t machined, but ‘grown’ – a method formally known as sintering
• Under no circumstances must anyone (Badger or otherwise) photograph the floor pan of an F1 car
• Each car has over 300 sensors on it, which send data back to garage – a seriously bonkers amount (see one of the screens below)
• There actually is a bloke that says ‘gentlemen start your engines’ – he’s the one who’s monitoring all the data on the car before it leaves the garage.
• The front wishbones on an F1 car can’t support the weight of the car alone, without the suspension, dampers and what not – i.e. if one thing goes then it’s game over – there really is nothing extra in F1 car design, it’s playing at the limits of every single component.

Timo's controls

Datatastic

Geoff assured us that engineers aren't usually head-scratching

The 'smoke' alarm FIA Parc Ferme monitoring gizmo

The Cosworth engine with oil tank mounted on

Your editor with Badger's senior member, Uncle Badger

So there you have it, that’s Badger’s exploration of the Virgin Racing pit garage, if you have any other questions or comments, use the comments box below.

Here at Badger we wish VR all the best for the rest of the season and will be keeping a close eye on their progress during the 2nd half of the 2010 season.

• Follow the team on Twitter here: @VirginRacing
• Follow the Badger on Twitter too: @f1Badger
• Buy VR team merchandise here: VR Shop
• And read their reports and features: VR Online

To be honest, he may as well have lined up like this... credit: Sutton Images/Autosport

Ferrari

• Qualifying: Alonso (3^rd) Massa (7^th)
• Race: Alonso (14^th) Massa (15^th)

Another dog of a weekend for the boys in red.

Alonso, after qualifying very well, got off the line so slowly (a problem with the clutch apparently, not his fault…) that he was passed by any number of cars. Then, after passing Kubica while off the track, he was instructed to let Kubica back through, but Kubica was in the process of retiring from the race. He was then given a drive-through penalty instead which coincided with a safety car, equalling a very unhappy Spaniard. In this instance, we at Badger feel sorry for him. It feels wrong. Let’s never speak of this again.

A puncture at the beginning of the race ruined Massa’s efforts and he also spent the afternoon trailing round towards the back. They just can’t quite get it together can they?

Badger thought for the day: If Alonso didn’t clearly want an inferior driver alongside him, would Massa have signed a two year contract recently?

Badger’s best: Alonso

Lotus

• Qualifying: Kovalainen (18^th) Trulli (21^st)
• Race: Trulli (16^th) Kovalainen (17^th)

Fastest of the new teams yet again, the Lotus team will certainly be looking to make inroads next season, especially if a rumoured engine deal with Renault comes off.

Trulli endured a nightmare before qualifying, with his car spending most of the time in the garage being tended to by loving mechanics. We’ll leave it to the man himself to explain what happened: “my pace felt very good, especially when you consider that I didn’t have a chance to work on any set up changes, and I had to get used to the new section of the track in qualifying and during the first part of the race, so I think we all did a pretty good job!” We at Badger agree Jarno.

Kovalainen bemoaned that he wasn’t able to push flat out again because of the traffic (we assume he means people passing him, although we’re not sure, he could mean Glock), although fastest of the new team in qualifying isn’t to be sniffed at.

Badger’s best: Trulli

Virgin

• Qualifying: Glock (19^th) di Grassi (22^nd)
• Race: Glock (18^th) di Grassi (ret)

Another race, another retirement and more disappointment.

Glock did a fairly good job in the race to mix it with the Lotuses, but di Grassi continues to disappoint. If we’d had to bet on a driver being kicked out of the new teams, we’d have gone with him rather than Senna, but then what do we know? Quite.

Not really much more to say; di Grassi thinks the car’s improving, which is nice we suppose.

Badger’s best: Glock (but really the mechanics)

HRT

• Qualifying: Chandhok (23^rd) Yamamoto (24^th)
• Race: Chandhok (19^th) Yamamoto (20^th)

We don’t really know what’s going on here. Senna’s out, but then he’s back for the next race? Is it cash flow problems? Has he said something? What’s going on?

Anyway, his replacement, Yamamoto, he of a not terribly notable F1 career thus far, stepped into the breach and was, as expected, slow. Both he and Chandhok trailed round at the back, Chandhok was slightly faster, and there’s nothing much more to say.

Badger’s best: Chandhok

Read Part One here and check out Part Two as well.  Our Driver of the day to follow to follow shortly…

credit: Sutton Images/Autosport

Sauber

• Qualifying: de la Rosa (9^th) Kobayashi (12^th)
• Race: Kobayashi (6^th) de la Rosa (ret)

After being really quite nasty about Sauber earlier in the season, we have to confess their recent showings have much better, no, scrap that, very impressive. Both cars in and around the top 10 in qualifying and a strong race showing – whatever James Key’s done since taking over, it’s really worked. Hopefully the sponsors will now get on board for next season.

Kobayashi, after his great performance in Valencia and, most importantly, his Hot Rod prize, really performed well again to take a richly deserved sixth place, helped by the safety car and Alonso’s penalty. He’s really come into his own in recent weeks, displaying both speed and calmness in equal measure. It turns out he likes playing it cool as well, saying after the race that he “didn’t find it especially hard, [and] didn’t even sweat.” Alright for some, eh?

Unfortunately for de la Rosa, especially after his ninth place in qualifying, his race rather fell apart (quite literally in fact) when he was hit by Adrian Sutil and proceeded to drop bits of his car all over the circuit. Not ideal and led to the end of his Silverstone adventure.

Badger’s best: Kobayashi

Force India

• Qualifying: Sutil (11^th) Liuzzi (20^th – including a five place grid drop)
• Race: Sutil (8^th) Liuzzi (11^th)

This is another interesting team mate battle that, half way through the season, has swung back and forth. Sutil’s got the upper hand at the moment but Liuzzi’s shown enough promise to make him think twice. We at Badger just aren’t sure whether it’ll be enough to keep him in his race seat next season, especially if Paul di Resta is able to bring some sponsorship money into the team.

A good weekend for Sutil, even though his strategy had to be changed. After starting on the hard tyres with the intention of doing a long stint, he found that they didn’t hold up very well, so he came in for softs and really struggled for the last ten laps of the race or so. He managed to demonstrate yet again that he’s difficult to get past – even Vettel in the far quicker Red Bull wasn’t able to find a way through till the last lap.

Liuzzi’s race was spoilt on Saturday after his penalty for blocking Hulkenberg, although he seemed manically happy after the race, saying how much the enjoyed it and felt like he could have got into the points.

Badger’s best: Sutil

Toro Rosso

• Qualifying: Buemi (16^th) Alguersuari (17^th)
• Race: Buemi (12^th) Alguersuari (ret)

Another race in which Alguersuari qualified between 15^th and 18^th (that’s eight now, in case you were wondering). Going out with the new cars in Q1 isn’t cool. Just say no, Jaime, just say no. He’s very much a race day driver, whose 100% finishing record was brought to an abrupt halt at Silverstone after his brakes went. Not an ideal circuit for that to happen at either.

Buemi enjoyed a miserable time of it, coming out behind Liuzzi after the pit stops, getting stuck and graining his tyres. He was remarkably honest after the race, saying he thought a point would have been possible, but they just didn’t do a very good job. More of this honestly please. We like it.

Another interesting team mate battle here, and one which will be especially interesting as the season progresses. Look out for Alguersuari’s performances after Hungary – it’s where started last season.

Badger’s best: Buemi

Renault

• Qualifying: Kubica (6^th) Petrov (15^th)
• Race: Petrov (13^th) Kubica (ret)

The first time Robert Kubica hasn’t finished a race this season and, therefore, the first time he’s been beaten by Petrov. It’s a bit of a hollow victory, but you know what, Vitaly will take what he’s given. Result.

He’s still treading, much to our chagrin, the well worn comment boards with things like “it’s good to have finished the race because it gives us lots of data and gives me more experience of the track”. Data Vitaly, yes, that’s why you’re there. Data. You’re really like one of those Google streetview cars, just trundling round collecting lots of nice data. Honestly. Unless he a) picks up in the second half of the season or b) finds another massive wedge of cash, he might find himself out of a seat next season.

Kubica, fresh from signing a new contract, retired after 19 laps with a driveshaft problem. Before he departed though, he was involved with Alonso in the main stewards’ controversy of the day, being passed by the Spaniard off the track, resulting in a penalty for the Ferrari man. Apart from that, there wasn’t much else of note. One small thing though Robert. Cheer up, you miserable bastard.

Badger’s best: Kubica

Part One

Part three and Driver of the Day to follow…

Let us know what you think of this innovative and sparkling new method…

Super at Silverstone... credit: Red Bull, Malcolm Griffiths/Getty Images

Red Bull

• Qualifying: Vettel (1^st) Webber (2^nd)
• Race: Webber (1^st) Vettel (7^th)

The racing had to take a back seat this weekend, as Red Bull’s two drivers and the team managed to cause a huge scene by being, quite frankly, idiots.

Dominant in qualifying and the race, the real story of the weekend was the Tale of Two Front Wings. Practice 3 saw Vettel’s front wing decide it didn’t really fancy being stuck to the front of his car (after all, that’s what all the other front wings were doing…how dull) and partly fall off.

Now, seeing as this was one of only two new front wings Red Bull had available and the only other one was on Webber’s car, some bright spark thought it would be a good idea to move the wing from Webber to Vettel. Cue deep and profound anger from Webber and a lot of pointless self-justification from Red Bull. If there were two front wings prior to the weekend and one broke, then having to choose between the drivers would be difficult enough. However, to take the wing off one driver’s car and move it over to the others is ridiculous.

All of that just made Webber’s burst off the line, past Vettel, into the lead and waltz to victory more satisfying. The fact Vettel then got a puncture and had his race ruined was a not too unpleasant side effect. Is Vettel as bad as Red Bull? Did he actively encourage the switch? We’re not sure – let us know what you think below.

Badger’s best: Webber

McLaren

• Qualifying: Hamilton (4^th) Button (14^th)
• Race: Hamilton (2^nd) Button (4^th)

Not the perfect home GP for the McLaren team, but what’re you supposed to do when another team are simply so much faster?

Hamilton had the upper hand on Button all weekend, something that’s no longer a growing trend, but rather is a fully grown fact. Over the last few races Hamilton has looked, and been, faster than the current World Champion.

Another problem for Button, although a nice one to have we concede, is that he’s got very good at salvaging races expertly, which tends to paper over the rather large qualifying cracks. Another poor performance meant that he was always facing a hard task in the race, but it was one he performed, as ever, with aplomb. Is it that he can’t set up the car as well or as quickly as Hamilton, or simply that he’s being outraced? Answers on a postcard…

Well done to Hamilton for staying with Webber for as long as possible and for being the divine instrument responsible for puncturing Vettel’s tyre, but until McLaren find a bit more pace on a Saturday he’s going to find it hard to win without more Red Bull mistakes.

Badger’s best: Hamilton

Mercedes

• Qualifying: Rosberg (5^th) Schumacher (10^th)
• Race: Rosberg (3^rd) Schumacher (9^th)

The worm has turned. Rosberg is back on top, merely cementing that fact over the course of the race. Schumacher, by contrast, still looks off the pace both in terms of raw speed and race craft.

A podium finish for Rosberg (albeit helped by Vettel’s puncture and Alonso’s poor getaway) has to be counted as a great result, especially in terms of how fast their car actually looks. There wasn’t really that much to report for Nico from the race or qualifying – he’s done well, simple as that.

We don’t really want to spend any more time than is absolutely necessary going over old ground, but Schumacher’s looking off the pace. The manner in which he reacted to Jake Humphrey’s question during their “drive-in” interview on the BBC coverage suggested that, not only is he sick of the questions about his performance and future, but that he’s also acquiring quite a defensive posture on it all. Given that a racing seat with a) big manufacturer backing and b) Ross Brawn in charge is at stake, he must be feeling the pressure. Seeing him mugged towards the end for a couple of positions just wasn’t right – it’s like watching your Dad dance like he did thirty years ago.

Badger’s best: Rosberg

Williams

• Qualifying: Barrichello (8^th) Hulkenberg (13^th)
• Race: Barrichello (5^th) Hulkenberg (10^th)

Barrichello’s on a roll. Not only is he beating his young team mate handsomely, he’s also managed a fourth and a fifth place in two consecutive races. Not bad. Not bad at all.

The team really seem to have improved the car massively. From being on the outskirts of the top 10 on a good day, they’ve managed to force themselves upwards into the “take advantage of any of the big three/four teams making a mistake” slot. Let’s just hope they can keep the pace of development up, as to see a Williams on the podium would be a Job Well Done.

Hulkenberg, if we’re honest, continues to disappoint. Perhaps it was the hype, perhaps it’s the fact Willi Weber is his agent but, whatever it was, he’s not living up to it. We imagine he’ll stay at the team next season as he’s not yet proven himself good enough to progress to a top team and Williams kept a similarly young Rosberg around for a while when he wasn’t exactly convincing.

Badger’s best: Barrichello

Parts two, three and Driver of the Day to follow…

You’ve been away for a while Baby Badger, what have you been up to?

Been chilling out with my brother Teeny Badger!

Does he watch F1 yet?

No, but he likes playing with his F1 car toys.

Great stuff, so who was your driver of the day?

Alonso because he was so bad.

Why would you pick him then?

Because it’s just funny!

Did you think it was fair that he got the drive through penalty?

Yes because I think he did it on purpose just to overtake Kubica.

Who would be in the Baby Badger F1 team?

Because Webber can, like, drive really fast and has got good skills, and Jenson Button is just a really skilful and careful driver and can look after his tyres really well.

What did you think of the stewards at the race today?

[laughs] Yeah one fell over!

Which team did the best job at the race?

Probably Force India because they were driving faster than usual, because usually they’re quite slow. Sutil was stopping Vettel for nearly the whole of the race, even if he let him go in the end.

Did you like your signed autograph book by Jenson Button?

Yes because it was written to me! All my friends are really jealous. Not many people get Jenson Button’s autograph.

Were there any parts of the race you liked best?

When Vettel went off into the grass lots – he learnt his lesson about not staying in front for the whole race!

What is your championship prediction after today?

I think it’s going to be Mark Webber because he’s done really well in the past few races and should be for the whole year.

Do you think Ferrari are going to complain lots about the race today?

Yeah especially they’re going to shout at Alonso because he’s been like shouting at them and saying mean and rude stuff. So I think they’re going to have a go at him.

If you rename any team, what would you call them?

Probably McLaren. Something like Piquet?

I don’t think they’d like that very much!

Ah, who cares!

Who is your favourite commentator?

Definitely Martin Brundle as he’s not boring like Jonathan Legard.

Favourite Legardism?

“Up the hill!”

And yes, that microphone is laughably fake. Credit TAG Heuer.com

Since the switch to McLaren just over 6 months ago, a team which more resembles a corporate powerhouse than a racing outfit, Button has been thrown into a sea of corporate events, interviews, adverts, sponsorship and, well, you get the picture. It was thanks to TAG Heuer, McLaren corporate partners, that I ended up putting the questions to Jenson at their swanky boutique shop in London’s Westfield.

Jenson arrived perfectly on time, which was fortunate given that TAG Heuer, the luxury watch-makers, was organising the event. Despite having been on McLaren’s state-of-the-art simulator for 10 hours that day Jenson was chatty and relaxed, and even managed to blag himself some TAG freebies before he left.

To watch the full video of the interview CLICK HERE, but read on for a few snippets of the interview…

Credit: TAG Heuer.com

Jenson started off by revealing a surprising fact about himself. “I get more nervous about interviews than the racing” said Jenson. He also insisted that he wouldn’t change anything about his past, including his many frustrating years driving supremely uncompetitive cars. “If I didn’t have those difficult times then maybe I wouldn’t have won the world championship last year”.

They haven’t been allowed to take one home yet, but McLaren team-mates Jenson and Lewis have been able to test drive the hotly anticipated McLaren road-car which, if you were wondering, is what Ron Dennis has been keeping himself busy with since passing over the reigns of the F1 team to Martin Whitmarsh. “It was good fun … they didn’t let us go out on the circuit together, which you can understand, but it’s a good car … the balance is good, it just needed tweaking. The handling is great, I’ve never driven a road car quite like it.” After seeing one up-close at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, I can testify that it does indeed look mighty impressive, despite the garish metallic orange they’ve chosen as its defining colour.

Jenson was candid about his thoughts during the difficult period between Honda pulling out of F1, the eventual buy-out of the team by team principal Ross Brawn, and the fairytale ending with a double world championship last year. ” That was a time in my career when I thought wow I’ve won one race, it’s great and all, but there’s so much more I want to achieve, so that was a very difficult time in my career and in my life to know that my hobby and my passion might come to an end. So all I could do really was push hard, and to help out as much as I could to make sure the team continued in 2009, and it happened, and that’s how I became world champion.”

Are there any downsides to being an F1 driver? I certainly can’t think of any, and funnily enough Jenson agreed, “as a package there isn’t a downside, because it’s something I love doing and something I’ve loved from a very early age”. Jealous doesn’t even begin to describe it.

And don’t forget, check out the FULL video by clicking here!

Before putting the T127 through its paces Fairuz took some time out to speak to Badger yesterday. Read on to hear about his F1 debut on home soil, why he’s no fan of the test ban, and dabbling with Heikki Kovalainen in some classic Lotus F1 cars…

© Lotus Racing

First up, you’re in the car for first practice at Silverstone this weekend- how are you feeling about it?

It’s a great opportunity to be back in the car. The last time I drove it was in Sepang, and since then both the car and the team have progressed a lot- so it’ll be better this time! Also, Silverstone is special for me. I’m looking forward to driving the new track layout and I only live 50 metres from the circuit, so it’s like my second home. I’m really looking forward to it.

But the session is about the team and development work. Of course, it’d be great to do some quick lap times, but at the end of the day I have to work for the team. We’ve got a few things to test.

What upgrades do you have for this weekend?

We’ve got changes to the bodywork and also some new aero parts. We’re looking to gain up to half a second, and if we can achieve that it’d be great. I think Silverstone is going to be our final upgrade- we’re going to concentrate on the 2011 car after that. So I’ll be doing a programme to evaluate the aero, and hopefully we’ll have enough time to maximise everything, as time’s very tight to try everything. But it’ll be great to see how the comparisson goes.

You mentioned the new section of track at Silverstone- what do you make of it from what you’ve seen?

I think it looks fantastic. There’s a combination of slow-speed, medium-speed and really high-speed corners, and I think it’s going to create more opportunities for overtaking- there’s definitely a lot of corners where you can overtake, so I think it’s going to be interesting to watch. For us, the most difficult part is that we don’t know what the tyre wear is going to be like, and we’ll only find that out tomorrow. It’s probably going to be a bit like Valencia, but we don’t know yet.

© Lotus Racing

You did first practice in Malaysia earlier in the season- tell us a bit about that experience

Yeah, it was great to be there in an F1 car. I enjoyed racing in front of my home crowd in A1GP in the past, but to do it in an F1 car is something that I’ve always wanted to do and something I’ve always aimed for in my career. The session in Malaysia was the first time I officially drove in F1, so I was very happy, and it was an honour to drive in front of the home crowd. I hope I can do it as a race driver some day.

What’s it been like, as a racing driver, having to watch from the pit wall?

It’s been frustrating, but at the end of the day I’ve got to be professional about it- you need to start somewhere in F1. Heikki started as a test driver, but of course in those days there was no test ban, so it helped drivers like him get a seat. Now it’s a bit more difficult. They’re talking about maybe lifting the ban for next year, so we have to wait and see.

But from me, I just need to be prepared and work hard to stay in shape, physically and mentally. I just need to be positive and professional, because you never know. I need to be ready for my chance when it comes.

In Heikki and Jarno you’ve got two very experienced teammates with a lot of F1 milage- has it helped you to work with these guys, in terms of learning the ropes?

To be honest, experience is one thing, but I’ve got my own style of approaching things and I bring new things as well. To me, how I approach it is ‘don’t make mistakes’. You need to have a proper programme, don’t try to push too hard, because you’ve got to complete the mission that the team has set you.

Of course, tomorrow is my opportunity and everyone is saying ‘you need a lap time’, but to me it’s a job. It’s about allowing the team to evaluate things and gather data so I just need to do what I’ve been told. Of course, I’d love to nail a time, and if I’m given an opportunity on new tyres then I’ll do it.

© Lotus Racing

What’s it like working for a team with as much Formula One history as Lotus?

Lotus are like Ferrari- they’re one of the teams to beat- so for me to open my career with them is fantastic. It feels like being with a top team. Of course, this is a modern Lotus, but the spirit is the same as the old one. We’ve got the blessing of Clive Chapman, and it’s very important to have the family’s support.

I think the team has done a fantastic job this year. For a new team to come in and get stronger and stronger and get closer to the midfield is fantastic, and so far we’ve finished a lot of races, which is very important for us.

What’s the reaction to Lotus been like back home in Malaysia, because it’s essentially a Malaysian team?

It’s been good. I think they’ll properly understand it after a few years. They want a Malaysian to drive, so hopefully I can get my shot. Of course, Lotus is a Malaysian team, but every country wants to see their hero in the car. That’s the most important thing.

So you were at the Classic Team Lotus Festival at Snetterton a few weeks back- how did that go?

It was a fantastic weekend! To be able to drive the modern F1 car and classic F1 car on the same weekend was great, and I didn’t think the crowd was going to be that big. It definitely helped that the current Lotus team, with Heikki and Jarno, were there. So yeah, it was a really good experience for me and I’m looking forward to being back their again next year.

I had an opportunity to try the Lotus Type 72, the one that Emerson Fitipaldi won the championship in, and Heikki drove the Type 78. The car was unbelievable, and we had some fun! We did a bit of racing in the classic cars, which was really good fun for us and the crowd. Most of the day the classic cars were just doing demo laps, going round slowly, but me and Heikki were really nailing it, so that was good fun for the crowd!

Fauzy and Kovalainen do battle in a pair of classic Lotus F1 cars. © Classic Team Lotus

Finally, a question it’s always good to ask test drivers: do you feel more testing time is needed to allow guys like yourself, di Resta and other testers to get F1 experience and ultimately get a race drive?

Well, I don’t think the test ban makes a difference to the cars, because the teams will just spend a lot of money doing in-house research, so it’ll end up almost the same. But if they lifted the ban and restricted the development you’d create more competitive racing and it’ll provide better testing chances for the drivers.

So I think it’s very important for them to lift the ban, especially to help young drivers like myself. If they could create a session just for rookie drivers, like they used to do in A1GP, that’d be great. Maybe practice 1 could just be for rookie drivers. It would help them for sure, and if anything happens to the main driver the rookie is prepared- he knows what he’s going to face during the weekend. If you don’t do any testing or any Friday sessions and suddenly you’re in a race seat and you have to just jump in and qualify, I think that’s a bit unprofessional, and it can be dangerous as well.

After checking out the early years of the British Grand Prix Badger is bringing things up to date with a look at the races of the eighties, nineties and two-thousands.

The Eighties

Questionable hair and music; massive mobile phones; football hooligans; and a new era of British politics. That’s, ladies and gentlemen, is the eighties summed up in the most simplistic way possible. Now, on to the British Grand Prix…

Wattie en route to victory in 1981. © Rainer Nyberg/Forix

In 1981 two winless streaks came to an end at Silverstone: John Watson claimed his first race victory in 5 years, whilst for his McLaren team it was a first success in nearly four years. McLaren were now back on song in Britain, claiming further wins in 1982 and ‘84, both courtesy of Niki Lauda, and 1985, when Alain Prost took the second of his 5 British GP victories.

Nigel Mansell won back-to-back British Grand Prix in 1986 and ‘87, becoming the first Brit since Jim Clark to achieve the feat. The 1986 race, held at Brands Hatch, was marred by a startline crash that resulted in two broken legs- and earlier than planned retirement from F1- for French veteran Jacques Lafitte.

The second was a classic battle with teammate Nelson Piquet. The Brazilian outqualified Mansell by just seven hundredths of a second, and the scene was set for a belter. An unplanned tyre stop left Mansell nearly half a minute behind with 28 laps to go, but being on fresh tyres gave the Englishman the advantage, and he set a blistering pace to catch Piquet and harry him in to the closing laps.

Piquet defended with all his might, making the Williams as wide as possible. But, with under 3 laps to go, Mansell got the better of him. Heading down Hanger straight Mansell feinted left then quickly darted right, fooling his teammate and gaining the line for Stowe. Piquet squeezed him but Mansell held his nerve and took the lead- and two laps later the race victory. He ran out of fuel on the slowing down lap, and was joined on-track by many members of the overjoyed crowd.

The Nineties

Ah, the nineties. In Britain we saw the birth of Dolly, the cloned sheep; Chris Evans became inexplicably popular, then vanished behind the scenes for a few years; and, like people across the globe, the Brits were logging on to the internet, wandering what all the fuss was about. After 18 years the Conservatives were out and the Labour Party was in, and music took a turn for the worse with the dawn of the modern boy band and the massive success of the Spice Girls. In sport football became popular again after the dark years of the eighties, and at the British Grand Prix it was a British team leading the way.

In the nineties the race belonged to the Williams team, who took six wins at Silverstone between 1991 and 1997. Armed with the superb FW14 and FW14B Nigel Mansell once again took back-to-back victories at his home race, winning in 1991 and 1992. The ‘91 running saw Mansell give Ayrton Senna a lift back to the pits after his McLaren had expired, one of the classic images of this era in F1.

Mansell gives Senna a lift back in '92- classic. © LAT/Autosport

A year later Silverstone was Mansell’s 7th win in 9 races, and resulted in another track invasion as the fans greeted the champion in waiting. That day also saw the debut of a future British champion, as Damon Hill made his first start in a Brabham. He finished last, four laps down, but two years later claimed victory himself. With pole, the win and the fastest lap in ‘94 Damon had a perfect weekend, and achieved something his legendary father never managed- victory at his home grand prix.

Then there was 1998, one we simply can’t forget. Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari led with just two laps to go, but he was issued with a stop-go penalty for overtaking under the safety car earlier in the race. It seemed he’d lose top spot to Mika Haikkinen, but Michael didn’t enter the pits until the very last lap. He crossed the finish line- and won the race- in the pitlane, before he’d even reached his pit stall. Everyone was mighty confused, but Michael would hold on to his victory, partly because the stewards had failed to issue the penalty in the correct time. McLaren’s protests were rejected by the FIA, and the German legend had added another controversial chapter to his career.

The Two-Thousands

In twenty years time there will no doubt be a nostalgic TV show looking back at how fantastic the decade just gone was. Was it really that good? That’s for the historians (and talking heads on the aforementioned TV shows) to decide. What we do know is that there were some cracking British Grand Prix, so we’ll just focus on them. It’s our job, after all.

The decade kicked off with a British winner, David Coulthard following up his 1999 success with a repeat Silverstone victory. Teammate Mika Haikkinen bagged another McLaren victory in 2001, the penultimate win of the great Finn’s F1 career.

2003 provided one of the oddest moments in British Grand Prix history, not to mention one of the more scary. On lap 11 a man dressed in a green beret and orange kilt somehow found his way on to the track. Brandishing a banner with a religious message the man ran up Hanger straight in the direction of oncoming cars. That he wasn’t hit is quite remarkable, and a safety car was immediately deployed as the man was removed.

He turned out to be one Neil Horan, a defrocked priest who has since attempted invasions of several other sporting events, including the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 football World Cup. The invasion worked in the favour of Ferrari’s Rubens Barichello, who used the safety car period to leap to the front and win the race. This is definitely one incident we won’t ever forget- and never want to see again.

Close encounter of the blurred kind- madcap priest Neil Horan's 2003 track invasion. © Reuters/Autosport

2005 saw a great battle between the McLaren of Juan Pablo Montoya and Renault’s Fernando Alonso. The two traded fastest lap times at the head of the field, with the Colombian eventually coming out on top, winning by under 3 seconds from Alonso. Fernando would take the victory the following year, beating title rival Michael Schumacher.

In 2008 Lewis Hamilton produced a stunning wet weather drive that cemented his place among the current F1 grid’s elite. Whilst title rival Felipe Massa seemed unable to go more than a lap without spinning Lewis was serene out front, and deservedly won by over a minute from Nick Heidfeld’s BMW. In the process Lewis lapped world champion Kimi Riakonnen, teammate Heikki Kovalainen and Fernando Alonso. Dominant stuff.

Which brings us up to the most recent race, won by Sebastian Vettel in the Red Bull. Silverstone was the first glimpse of just how mighty the RB5 was, and we’re expecting a similar show of strength from the team at this year’s race. Whoever takes victory this weekend we’re hoping for a real belter of a race. After the excitement seen at the British GP over the past six decades this year’s running certainly has a lot to live up to.

© LAT/Autosport

In preparation for Sunday’s race Badger has taken a look back at all six decades of the British Grand Prix, as well as throwing in a bit of British culture from each decade. In part one we’re focusing on the first thirty years of the race, from the fifties to the seventies. Enjoy!

The Fifties

The fifties: Britain was rebuilding following World War Two, and got a new Queen when Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953; Roger Bannister ran a mile in under four minutes, and one hundred thousand people were packing in to Wembley for FA Cup finals; TV increased its grip on the nation, whilst Samuel Beckett was perplexing theatre goers with plays like Waiting For Godot. And, as all this went on, Formula One made its debut in 1950, with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

That was won by Nino Farina, who was driving an Alfa Romeo. Italians made a good go of the race back then, with Alberto Ascari winning for Ferrari in 1952 and 1953. But that was to be the last Italian victory at the British Grand Prix to date- anyone fancy Tonio Liuzzi or Jarno Trulli to end the drought this weekend? Thought not.

Farina on his way to victory at the first ever Formula One race, held at Silverstone. © LAT/Autosport

In 1955 Stirling Moss became the first British driver to win his home grand prix, triumphing at the Aintree circuit in a Mercedes. It was a great day for the Silver Arrows, as they took a clean sweep of the top four positions, Juan Manuel Fangio crossing the line just 0.2 seconds shy of Moss.

Held at Aintree, the 1957 race victory was shared- the only time this has happened at the British GP. Stirling Moss and fellow Brit Tony Brooks shared driving duties in a Vanwall that day, thus claiming the first F1 win for a British built car. Peter Collins claimed victory a year later, this time at Silverstone, heading an all-British top four.

Also a success on British soil in the fifties was José Froilán González, known to his fans as The Pampas Bull. González claimed victory at the 1951 and ‘53 races, and the first was very significant: it was Ferrari’s first Formula One victory. This Grand Prix has more history than we know what to do with.

The Sixties

What to say about Britain’s contribution to the sixties? It was the decade that introduced the world to a group of mop-topped Liverpudlians who called themselves The Beatles; England won football’s World Cup, kicking off five decades of expectation and disappointment; and in 1963 Doctor Who made its first appearance on TV screens.

And the 1960s were also a golden era for British drivers at their home grand prix, with one man in particular staking a claim to be regarded as the greatest in the event’s history.

Because in the sixties the British Grand Prix belonged to Jim Clark. He won the race five times in eight attempts during the decade (a record he shares with Alain Prost), three of them at Silverstone and one apiece at Brands Hatch and Aintree.

Clark (left) claimed 5 wins from 8 at the British GP between 1960 and 1967. © LAT/Autosport

In 1963 it was a British 1-2-3, with Clark heading John Surtees and Graham Hill. A year later, this time at Silverstone, Clark did it again, and once more topped an all British podium, with Hill second this time and Surtees third. And when Clark took his third British win in 1965 who do you think joined him on the podium? Hill and Surtees of course! 5th in that race was a young Scott making his first start on home soil: Jackie Stewart. Sir Jackie would take a British Grand Prix victory of his own during this decade, winning the 1969 running- a race in which he lapped the entire field.

Incredibly, neither Hill nor Surtees, two of the great British talents of this era, ever won their home race, in no small part due to Clark’s domination of the event. As such Badger must salute Clark, perhaps the greatest British driver to contest his home grand prix. Had he not perished in an F2 race in 1968 there’s little doubt Clark would have added to his tally.

The Seventies

In the seventies Led Zepplin confused the world by playing deeply American influenced music and singing in very American accents but actually being British; the nation’s car industry took a mighty walloping from the growing power of Japan; and a generation of the nation’s teenagers suffered permenant injury thanks to arcade games like Space Invaders. Was it worth it?

During the seventies the British Grand Prix alternated between Brands Hatch and Silverstone, as it had since 1963. It was a decade in which McLaren asserted themselves as an F1 force, not least in Britian, where they claimed three victories- all at Silverstone.

Their first came courtesy of Peter Revson in 1973, in a race best remembered for hugh pile-up that eliminated a gaggle of cars. Beginning lap 2 Jody Scheckter spun his McLaren on the pit straight causing mayhem behind him, as several cars piled in to the South African or took eachother out trying to avoid him. Revson won from Ronnie Peterson’s Lotus and fellow McLaren drver Denny Hulme, the top 3 separated by just 3 seconds.

1976 was an odd one. Starting from 2nd on the grid British hope James Hunt was involved in a first corner collision caused by Clay Regazzoni’s spinning Ferrari. The race was red flagged, and the cars made their way back to the pits. But Hunt took a shortcut, using an access road to make his return, and the stewards declared that, being as he had been off-track when the red dropped, Hunt couldn’t take part in the restart. But after some consideration, and a lot of pressure from the home fans, Hunt was allowed to take part in the grand prix- and duly won it from arch-rival Niki Lauda.

Teddy Mayer and James Hunt in 1978. Those were the days! © LAT/Autosport

Ferrari and Tyrrell protested the result, but had their complaints rejected by the stewards. It would be another two months before the result was finally made official- Hunt was disqualified, handing Lauda victory. But, 12 months later, Hunt got his home victory, as he defeated Lauda to claim triumph in the 1977 event. It’s a funny thing, F1, and was even more so in the seventies.

Finally, whilst we’re on ‘77, it has to be mentioned that this race saw a stunning debut from Canadian senastion Gilles Villeneuve. Driving a third McLaren- and an out of date one at that- Gilles qualified 9th, beating teammate Jochen Mass (who had the latest car), and ran an impressive 6th before being forced to pit. He’d go on to finish 11th, but he’d done enough to impress: 4 months later he was  Ferrari driver, and the rest is history.

Badger’s look at the history of the British GP continues tomorrow, when we’ll be looking at the 1980s, ’90s and 2000s.