Wednesday 19 August 2009

It feels like I'm destined to never write this !

I've started it 3 times now and have yet to get even half way.

Okay big breath, last go.

We're off to Spain and the sleepy little port of Valencia. It's a tight dusty circuit, first used last year and was devoid of any sort of soul or passion. Yes there are a gazillion Spaniards cheering on Alonso, but they're miles back and the tight street circuit isn't like Monaco with houses over looking the circuit from all angles. It's a harbor race but it's more like Portsmouth docks than the Cote D'azure. I've seen more spectators at the Chinese race.
Being tight and dusty means that it only has the one line around it. It's wide enough for three cars in places, but anyone going off line finds out how hard the wall is at the next turn. Last year Massa led Hamilton and Kubica home in a fairly dull race. The highlight being Massa taking his turn to try and drive a Ferrari into Sutil in the Force India. It's almost certainly not going to be a thrill a minute race ... I'm pretty sure.

However, this race is going to be important for all of the teams. It's the break point between, "We can still win something here lads" and "Okay, okay it's a Dog, time to fire up the PC and plan next years car chaps"

Brawn currently lead the championship, but the last three races have been dire, with 5th and 6th instead of romps home to win. they lead has been cut to 15.5 points and the car looks to be a right old handful on old/new/shiny blue/pink/or a spear set of radials off Ross's car. It over steers and under steers all over the show. For a car that once dominated, it's lost that winning feeling hasn't it. They thinks it's something they've bolted onto the car either at Turkey or Britain, the question is what is the bit that's gone wrong. Button can still win the championship. But not if continues to come 5th for the rest of the season. Barrichello will continue to complain until Brawn points out that he is slow, a nice guy .. but slow.

Redbull need to continue to beat Brawn to give their boys a chance at the title. They look focused these days, no longer the playboys in the paddock having a bit of a laugh and selling soft drinks to the punters. They can smell Bernie's cheap aftershave as he hands over the prize at the end of the season. However. Vettel looked very outclassed in Germany and lost in Hungary. After being the bright new thing that could stop the Brawn wagon, now he's casting around trying to find the edge that took him to victory in China and and Britain. Meanwhile Webber looks to have finally found a car that can deliver his potential. A good top 3 run since Turkey has seen him move in 2nd place behind Button.

Bizarrely Ferrari are currently 3rd in the championship. I have no idea how, Kimi is still on his sabbatical after winning the championship in 2007 and Massa, has had to retire home after Barrichello tried to brain him. Mickey Shoes almost got the nod for Valencia, but fell off his motor bike earlier in the year and the doctor told him to forget it. So Luca Badoer get's the nod from here on in. maybe to the end of the season if he doesn't hit anything. Ferrari 58 points behind Redbull are playing for pride now. But they'll still give it a go.

Toyota Have failed when they should be fighting for wins. They had a whizz bang car and a flash diffuser and they still contrived to cock it all up. Trulli has a nice vineyard ..... that is all. Glock has been unlucky with some good drives up the field from the back of the grid. He's running out of races to prove he isn't another Trulli.

McLaren, have staged one of the greatest turnarounds in modern formula one history, Spain onwards saw them floundering around racing Force Indies and Torro Rosso, Then in Germany but for a wild Ozzy move they 'could' Have won, then in Hungary .... a circuit not unlike Valencia ..... a blinding win with time 'for a cup of tea half way round. Hamilton, after a bit of a shaky start has got the team working in the right direction and has got them to build a winning car. Can he do it again ? I 'm not going to bet against it. Kovalainen has been told to buck his ideas up, i expect he'll get his P45 come the end of the season.

Williams ... see Toyota. Rosberg is doing what he can, but needs to put a whole GP weekend together to deliver some of this promise. Nakajima continues to trouble the armco more than the score board.

Renault, have finally fired Piquet for being utterly rubbish, and have now brought in some chap called Romain Grosjean. Part of the Renault young pups club, he did alright in F3 and is doing *cough* okay *cough* in GP2, although he does appear to be at the scene of a lot of accidents recently. Still give the chap a chance, he'll be nowhere near as fast as Alonso. Who is allowed to race at his home GP after the FIA realized that their stewards are idiots and they banning the only Spanish team at the next Spanish race would be stupid. If not very financially damaging to all and sundry. Alonso for pole ... it's a good bet i think.


BMW...... utter rubbish, soon to be gone, and can't even do the descent think and sell the team back to Sauber. What could have been.

Torro Rosso, have fired Bourdais, for no apparent reason and have employed Alguersuari. He didn't hit anything in Hungary (unlike Massa (sorry)), so let's see what he can do here. Buemi continues to be underwhelming.

Finally, Force India have looked almost racy at times. Who knows, they might do well this time and not get hit by a Ferrari.

There you go, I think the McLaren's and Ferrari, will be mixing it up with the Brawns and Redbull s again. I think the Brawns might just have the edge here, but only if they can fix the car. Throw Alonso into the mix and it has the makings of the good race. If only it wasn't at Valencia.

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