FORMULA 1 - 2010

[OZCUBAN]

I'm watching the Formula 1 race show and I see Bernie Ecclestone on track with his 'Lady' and I can't believe it's Michelle Yeoh from the old Jackie Chan/Hong Kong movies.

She's gorgeous, what on earth is she doing with crusty old Harry Potter?

I will tell you why because he is filthy rich and has power and influence

[sje]

In your face Horner and your love child Vettel

[Warren]

For the life of me I can't understand why Vettel is the No. 1 driver for Redbull.

Webber has been more consistent this season and yet they still pull **** like take the nose off Webbers car and give it to the idiot who broke his.

Well done Mark Webber.

[MIKA27]

For the life of me I can't understand why Vettel is the No. 1 driver for Redbull.

Webber has been more consistent this season and yet they still pull **** like take the nose off Webbers car and give it to the idiot who broke his.

Well done Mark Webber.

I really loved Webbers comments back to the pit wall when Christian Horner went on air congratulating Webber (Which sounded very flat by the way) and Webber said "Not bad for a number 2 driver!

Vettel has been below average in his racing, very erratic and agressive driving attitude also.

[MIKA27]

Tension evident as Webber wins

Mark Webber may have claimed the victory in the British GP but comments passed over the team radio made it evident there's tension within the camp.

In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's qualifying it became clear that all was not well at Red Bull Racing after the team handed Webber's new specification front wing to his team-mate, Sebastian Vettel, literally taking it off the Aussie's car.

And Webber was not happy.

'I would never have signed a contract for next year if I believed that was the way going forward'...

Mark Webber

The Aussie, though, rose above it to take the victory in Sunday's British GP, surviving a start-line tussle with his team-mate, which saw Vettel attempt to close the door on Webber only to be pushed wide.

After Webber crossed the line for the victory, team boss Christian Horner said over the in-car radio, said: "Well done Mark, you can smile now."

And while the more cynical of us repeat those words with a rather facetious tone, Webber's response said it all.

"Well done guys - not bad for a number two driver!" he said.

Webber's disgust with his team's behaviour carried over into the post-race press conference where he clearly stated what many must have been thinking.

"Yesterday was really a unique situation, and it was the first time we had one bit.

"I would never have signed a contract for next year if I believed that was the way going forward.

"I was disappointed. We will see how it goes in the future, I will keep doing what I am doing and I hope it is enough.

"I have had a few hurdles in my career, sometimes privately as well, so I think you can judge a person's character by how they come back from adversity. Some drivers have that, I've had a bit more than others.

"It can work but obviously it is not how long is a piece of string - you have to make sure it is not constantly happening because it can test you too much but if the balance is right it can put some fuel on the fire."

The 33-year-old now plans to have a little chat with his team about this weekend's events.

"Yesterday I wasn't happy, clearly, and I am sure we will have some pretty decent chats tomorrow."

But for Sunday at least, it "went well for me... and that is it.

"An appointment with Karma? Yeah."

[MIKA27]

Vettel: I have my own opinion

Sebastian Vettel would not be drawn on Red Bull's intrateam tension, saying he has his own thoughts on the matter.

Not for the first time this season, Red Bull Racing courted controversy when they gave Vettel the new spec front wing off Mark Webber's car ahead of Saturday's qualifying.

The team denied favouring the German, insisting it was a decision based on the fact that Vettel - at the time - was ahead of Webber in the Drivers' standings.

That, though, changed on Sunday when Webber put it behind him to claim the victory afterward broadcasting his thoughts on the matter by telling the team over the in-car radio: "Not bad for a number two driver!"

Asked about his team-mate's comments, Vettel refused to be drawn on the matter.

"I am obviously focused on myself but, especially with what has happened in the past, people have their opinions and I have mine," he told the BBC.

"You get to know people a bit better and, I think, see their true faces.

"I think I learnt my lesson and I'll focus on myself."

As for his grand prix, Vettel lost out to his team-mate at the start and then suffered a puncture, dropping him down the order. He did, however, managed to work his way up from the back of the pack into a credible seventh place.

"I had a bad start and tried a bit too hard, perhaps, but that's life," he said.

"People said that Lewis (Hamilton) touched me but I didn't feel anything - surely it was never his intention to give me a puncture, if he did.

"It was very unfortunate, though, that I had a puncture. Fortunately the Safety Car came out, so I had some more entertainment and I think the fans appreciated it."

MIKA: What the hell will Christian Horner and RBR do the remainder of this season, treat both Vettel and Webber as number one and two drivers on a race by race basis as both drivers have been switching between Championship lead standings.

This is not good management of a team and I am sure both drivers will be evaluating the way the team treats them and move on.

I wonder if Webber sticks around regardless of contract should he win the 2010 World Championship?

[MIKA27]

Schumi's unhappy run continues

Despite returning to the points, Michael Schumacher was not a happy chappy in the wake of Sunday's British GP.

Starting tenth on the grid, Schumacher was caught up in traffic for much of the race and pitted relatively early in the hope of finding clean air. But all he found was more traffic.

When the pit stops played out, the seven-time World Champion was seventh on track but lost that position to Adrian Sutil before being demoted another place by Sebastian Vettel.

"Again a race which I am not really happy about today. It was okay and seeing Nico on the podium is good for the team but my race was obviously less rewarding," he said.

"I was in traffic for most of the race and did not really have a clear track.

"After the pit stop where I had to push really hard to make it in front of Rubens, I unfortunately made a mistake out of a slow corner which put me off the track. That cost me a lot of time plus two positions and that was it for today.

"We now look towards Hockenheim where we obviously will do everything to perform in the best possible way."

Meanwhile, team boss Ross Brawn revealed that Schumacher also suffered some damage to his car during the 52-lap race.

"Michael also had a good start and his position was looking interesting. We made an early pit stop to put him in fresh air, as he told us the guys around him were holding him up, but unfortunately he made a mistake and lost the advantage that we were gaining from the early stop.

"When the others made their stops, they were out in front of him, and with some damage to the car, that was really his race."

[MIKA27]

No complaints from Alonso

There were no complaints from Fernando Alonso over the drive-through penalty he received during the British Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver was slapped with the penalty after he cut a corner while overtaking Renault's Robert Kubica. Alonso failed to immediately give the place back and with Kubica forced to retire a few laps later, the stewards opted to punish him with a drive-through penalty.

Alonso, though, accepted his fine after the race.

"I accept everything they do. They are the judges," he told Spanish television.

Alonso's 14th place finish at Silverstone means he is now 47 points behind Championship pacesetter Lewis Hamilton.

However, the Spaniard insists they are not giving up with nine races still to go.

"This is just the halfway point of the season, so all the points that we have lost in this first half is because we haven't done things as well as the others," he said.

"So in the second half of the Championship we are going to try to do better than the others and recover one point more than what they have now.

"The season is very long and we are not going to give up."

MIKA: Wow, has Alonso lost his voice or waiting for Dominchelli at Ferrari to purchase him a box of Kleenex!?

This will not be the end of it, Alonso wont complain but Ferrari will.

The only reason Alonso himself isn't complaining is due to Kubicas' DNF.

[MIKA27]

Sutil unhappy with Vettel move

Sebastian Vettel's overtaking move on Adrian Sutil on the penultimate lap of the British Grand Prix has not gone down well with the Force India driver.

The duo had battle royale for seventh place in the closing stages of the race and it was Vettel in his Red Bull who came out tops.

Sutil, though, feels his compatriot forced him out of the way.

"It was good racing and I defended my position well against Vettel until the final lap, but then he just seemed to drive into me and I lost the racing line and had to move over," Sutil said. "Otherwise I don't think he would have got past me.

"All the same eighth position was a good result in the end, it's more points and it keeps that momentum going. I'm really looking forward to my home Grand Prix in Germany next."

[MIKA27]

Fastest lap: Consolation prize for Ferrari

Ferrari may have missed out on points at the British Grand Prix, but at least they walked away with the two fastest laps.

Fernando Alonso finished 14th at Silverstone following a drive-through penalty for cutting a corner while overtaking Robert Kubica and a left-rear puncture in the closing stages of the race.

However, the unschedule pit stop had it's benefits in the end as he set the fastest time of 1:30.874 on the final lap. It was nearly one second faster than that of his team-mate Felipe Massa who was also forced to make a pit stop close to the finish.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel was third fastest and he set his best time of 1:31.967 as he was blitzing through the field late in the race to score eight valuable Championship points. Race winner Mark Webber was fourth and 0.397 off his team-mate Vettel's time.

Renault's Vitaly Petrov closed out the top five with a 1:32.484 while McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was sixth and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg seventh.

Times

1. F Alonso Ferrari 1:30.874

2. F Massa Ferrari 1:31.646

3. S Vettel Red Bull 1:31.967

4. M Webber Red Bull 1:32.364

5. V Petrov Renault 1:32.484

6. L Hamilton McLaren 1:32.758

7. N Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:32.952

8. S Buemi Toro Rosso 1:32.980

9. J Button McLaren 1:33.003

10. K Kobayashi Sauber 1:33.558

11. R Barrichello Williams 1:33.615

12. J Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1:33.748

13. N Hulkenberg Williams 1:33.989

14. T Liuzzi Force India 1:34.018

15. M Schumacher Mercedes GP 1:34.171

16. A Sutil Force India 1:34.337

17. P de la Rosa Sauber 1:35.883

18. H Kovalainen Lotus 1:36.251

19. T Glock Virgin 1:36.415

20. J Trulli Lotus 1:36.519

21. R Kubica Renault 1:36.846

22. S Yamamoto Hispania 1:38.309

23. K Chandhok Hispania 1:38.798

24. L di Grassi Virgin 1:40.641

[MIKA27]

Rosberg delighted to bounce back

Nico Rosberg was quite chuffed with Mercedes' ability to bounce back in Britain following a disastrous European Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old German claimed his third podium of the season with a P3 at Silverstone on Sunday. This was in stark contrast to Mercedes' performance at Valencia where he finished 10th and team-mate Michael Schumacher settled for 15th place.

Rosberg admits there was no way that he was going to catch the Red Bull of Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton's McLaren.

"Mark and Lewis were very fast in front, no way to keep up, but we have made such a great step forward from Valencia," said Rosberg. "It was such a disastrous weekend, we analysed where we went wrong.

"And we're on the podium, nearly out of merit apart from Sebastian [Vettel's puncture] I guess - and we can make more because things like the F-duct aren't working properly on our car."

[MIKA27]

Button delighted to make up ten places

Jenson Button says he is delighted to have made up so many places, enabling him to finish 4th, despite starting ten places further down in 14th.

The Brit struggled in qualifying, but a brief safety car period enabled him to jump through the field, before battling with Nico Rosberg at the finish.

"That was a great race, and I'm so happy to have made up 10 places," he said. "But it's hard to overtake around here, so I knew I had to make up a lot of places off the start-line.

"In the event I made up six places, but I then had to push really hard on the Option tyre in the first stint. That strategy worked for us and I came out behind Fernando, who had a drive-through, so I picked up fourth."

The battle with Rosberg could have seen Button take a podium finish behind his team-mate, however it wasn't to be, which Button declared a pity in front of his home crowd.

"It's a pity I couldn't get onto the podium in front of my home crowd, who have been absolutely amazing all weekend.

"You can never forget the fans around here - I genuinely think they helped Lewis and me to a good result today. And they got to see and cheer Lewis on the podium too, so it's not been a bad weekend for them overall, I hope."

MIKA: A great drive from Jensen.

[MIKA27]

Barrichello hails Williams progress

Rubens Barrichello praised his Williams team's progress after its second consecutive top-five finish.

The Brazilian driver had achieved a season-best result after finishing in fourth place at the European Grand Prix, and he continued with his momentum at Silverstone today, winding up fifth.

"It was a good race today," said Barrichello. "It started well on the opening lap and I managed to claim some positions without too much trouble. Around the stops and the safety car, we gained a position from Alonso and lost one to Jenson, but overall we were in a safe position to come home in fifth.

"It is a great effort from the team to achieve a top five finish two races in a row - not so much in absolute results, but the direction of improvement.

"The team is still not quite where it belongs, but we are quite happy with our performance today. We will continue to think and work positively and continue our forward progress."

Team-mate Nico Hulkenberg finished 10th to give Williams its first double points finish of the season.

"All in all that was a positive race," Hulkenberg said. "It's a shame I lost places at the start though and going down the Hangar Straight Petrov just managed to overtake me round the outside.

"That, combined with not being able to get past Michael at the end, meant tenth for me today. A long first stint on the option tyre was the right strategy call and a good effort by the team."

[MIKA27]

Vettel blames clutch for poor start

Sebastian Vettel was left lamenting his slow start in the British Grand Prix, something he reckons was down to having the wrong settings for the clutch.

"I think we were a little bit out of the window with the clutch," said Vettel, who lost the lead of the race to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber at the first corner.

"I had a bad start, lots of wheelspin, so I lost the immediate pull-away. I think we tried probably a bit too hard [with start settings], but that's life - you try hard to get the optimum."

Vettel appeared to be hit by the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton at the first corner, and the German suffered a puncture as a result of the contact.

He had to complete the lap slowly and pit, returning to the track at the back of the field.

"Into Turn 1 obviously I had to let Mark past and then I don't know if - I didn't feel anything – people said that Lewis touched me. As I said, I didn't feel anything," Vettel added.

"Probably he achieved this time what he [Hamilton] didn't achieve in Valencia. Surely it wasn't his intention to give me a puncture, if it was like that [contact with Hamilton], but with a puncture early on in the race it's a big minus.

"I had to come back slowly to the pits. Then I was on the same set of tyres for the rest of the race. Fortunately the safety car came out so I had a bit of entertaining the last couple of laps."

He added: "From my point of view he had a better start, so obviously I moved to the right trying to defend but he was already there – I knew that because I could see him in the mirror. I knew he didn't stall.

"Then he was there so there was no point in doing something stupid. The race is longer than just one corner. It's a shame I couldn't fight him then, but it's good for the team. I'm happy for the team."

Webber went on to win the race while Vettel recovered to seventh position.

The Australian, however, made it clear he was still angry with the team following its decision to give Vettel one of his front wings.

Vettel refused to comment on Webber's remarks, with the Australian saying on the radio that his performance was "not bad for a number two driver."

"Well, I obviously focus on myself and sort of see, I guess," said Vettel. "Especially after what happened in the past. People have different opinions, I have my opinion, I have made my experiences, sometimes good and bad, and you get to know people probably a bit better and see their true faces. I think I learned my lesson, and I focus on myself."

[MIKA27]

Kovalainen: Webber right to feel 'hurt'

Heikki Kovalainen believes that Mark Webber has every reason to feel 'hurt' by the way Red Bull Racing opted to swap front wings on its cars at the British Grand Prix.

A new front wing design was taken off Webber's RB6 before qualifying and handed to team-mate Sebastian Vettel - prompting a fresh favouritism controversy at the Red Bull outfit.

And although Red Bull chiefs are adamant they did the right thing because Vettel is ahead in the championship, Kovalainen - who has close experience of the difficulties team face with equality through his spell at McLaren – believes that Webber's faith in his team could be dented by what has happened.

"It is very important to have the trust in the team and, if you have to do something like [what Red Bull Racing did], if you have to give the new part to another driver, then there has got to be a good explanation and you have to be able to sort it out with the team," Kovalainen told AUTOSPORT.

"If it surprises the driver, if he doesn't know until the race weekend for example – 'by the way your car is not up to spec' - then that can hurt a lot and it is really difficult to regain that confidence again."

Kovalainen had one experience at McLaren last year when only one new upgrade package was available – and it was handed to his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

But he says the fact the team was so transparent about the matter meant it was not such a problem.

"During my time at McLaren there was a lot of talk about things, and there were a couple of occasions when Lewis had a new part in his car, but together with the team this was actually discussed beforehand and they were clear about it," he said.

"Especially last year, which was a difficult year for McLaren and they really needed to push. Lewis was in a better position in the championship so... If you explain it to the driver and make them both understand the situation then it's okay."

He added: "The key is to keep the trust between the drivers, and then in the future if there is a situation where this has to happen again and the decision that has to be made about something which is not 100 per cent equal, then there has got to be a balance.

"There has got to be a payback. This is crucial: this is how it needs to work. The driver has to be flexible sometimes if it is to the team's benefit."

Kovalainen actually believes that in a situation where drivers are fighting for the championship, and only one part is available, then it may even be better for team harmony if neither contender gets the better part.

"The easiest thing is, if you don't have enough parts for both drivers, then not to give it to anyone," he said. "It is a tricky one. But the experience from McLaren, when we had to do those kinds of things, they were discussed beforehand and nothing came to me as a surprise."

Veteran Pedro de la Rosa could not see why there was such a fuss about the situation though – especially because Vettel is currently best placed in the title chase.

"When there are only a few parts this is something that is normal and the team must give it to the guy that is in front in the world championship," he said.

"In my case, [Kamui] Kobayashi is in front of me and I have zero points, so if there is any new part and it has to go to someone, then it always has to go to the guy that is in front in the championship, no matter what. This is my view. It should not change.

"For me the most important thing is that the people [in the team] trust you. They do not question your job and whether you could go quicker or slower.

"If the people in your team are behind you it doesn't really matter, if for one qualifying session or for one race the other guy has the upgrade and you don't. It's just part of the job."

[MIKA27]

Kobayashi says Sauber is on the up

Kamui Kobayashi says his relatively undramatic run to a season-best sixth in Britain is anything sign of how Sauber is getting ever better.

In contrast to his dynamic charge to seventh in Valencia, this time Kobayashi gained places from his 12th place on the grid thanks to a good start, wise strategy, swift pit work and relentless race pace.

"I'm really happy, but actually I don't have much to tell," he said.

"I had a very good start from 12th, the team did a great pit stop and the race pace today was as good as I thought it would be.

"I was pretty confident before the race because I can really feel how the car is getting better and better now.

"I had no chance to overtake anybody this time, but I still enjoyed the race.

"I didn't find it especially hard, I didn't even sweat."

Team boss Peter Sauber was again very impressed with Kobayashi's performance.

"This was another strong and successful race for Kamui," Sauber said.

"But the difference to the recent grand prix in Valencia is this time he had to withstand a lot of pressure over the entire race distance.

"There was never a real gap ahead or behind him.

"He managed this tight situation very well and I think he could have gone even faster."

Kobayashi's team-mate Pedro de la Rosa had out-qualified him and taken ninth on the grid, but was elbowed back on the first lap and later retired with rear wing damage following contact with Adrian Sutil's Force India.

"It is a great shame for Pedro, because he really deserved a good race result," said Sauber's technical chief James Key.

"But after the collision the rear wing endplate and diffuser were damaged, and once we have had a first look at it we decided to retire Pedro from the race because we were uncertain about further structural damage."

[MIKA27]

'Lotus closing in on Renault engine deal'

Lotus are reportedly looking to drop Cosworth in favour of Renault power for next year's Championship.

The Lotus name returned to Formula One this season, powered by Cosworth engines, and have proven to be the more competitive of the three new outfits.

But in a bid to move further up the grid, the team is already considering swapping to Renault power.

According to the BBC, team boss Tony Fernandes and tech director Mike Gascoyne held talks with Renault at Silverstone on Sunday morning.

However, when asked about the situation, Gascoyne refused to comment, saying: "We have a contract with Cosworth and we're discussing with them ways to work together in the future."

MIKA: If Lotus do drop Cosworth, that would be a positive move in the right direction. Perhaps Williams should follow suit.

[MIKA27]

Domenicali: Alonso's penalty was harsh

Team boss Stefano Domenicali bemoaned Ferrari's wretched run of misfortune after his cars finished outside the points at Sunday's incident-packed British GP.

For the first time this season, the Scuderia came away from a grand prix without adding to their points tally, leaving Domenicali to concede that a "curse" has descended on the team.

Ferrari were outraged at the end of the previous race in Valencia after becoming embroiled in a Safety Car wrangle that cost them dear.

Two weeks on and the fates remain against the Maranello marque, with Domenicali critical of a drive-through penalty handed to Alonso in Sunday's race.

"We seem to be really cursed at the moment, when everything that could go wrong, does," said Domenicali.

"We are not happy, but we must not feel sorry for ourselves. Instead, we have to react calmly, remaining focused and continuing to work in the way we did over the past few weeks."

Alonso was hit with his drive-through penalty after cutting Vale corner in his bid to pass Renault's Robert Kubica.

The Spaniard appeared to have nowhere to go as the cars entered the corner side by side and his actions avoided a collision, but he failed to cede back the place as per the rulebook.

Ferrari asked the race director whether Alonso should give the place back, but by the time they received confirmation they should, Kubica had dropped back with a mechanical problem that would lead to his retirement.

The race stewards nevertheless issued the penalty.

"You can have a situation where immediately there is a possibility to give position back to a driver if you feel there is really an advantage to be gained, but we felt that was not the case, otherwise we would have done it," Domenicali continued.

"As soon as we received the information that in the opinion of the stewards Fernando should have given back position to Robert, he was already very far behind and was really slowing down because he had a problem.

"We feel [the penalty] is very harsh."

MIKA: Why would Ferrari wait for the stewards to tell them weather they should fall back and allow Kubica to regain his rightful position? Rules are rules and these rules have been in place for some time now, its common sense that should you overtake another after 'cutting' another driver off, you should yield immediately to avoid a penalty.

This just shows and is IMO, I believe Ferrari have simply not psychologically adjusted to the fact that they no longer have the FIA in their pocket. It's likely that they did not give back the position because they still somehow expect the FIA to bend the rules in their favor. They tried to game the system, and got shot down (Good one Mansell! ) It was a stupid move - even had Kubica not had a mechanical problem, there was a high probability he'd have been passed by someone else, but Ferrari probably believed if that happened they'd get out of giving the place back, instead of facing a penalty. And in the Mosley/Donnelly era, that probably would have been true.

[MIKA27]

Hamilton: We were really fortunate

Lewis Hamilton came away from the British GP aware luck had been on his side after extending his lead in the Drivers' standings.

Hamilton finished second to Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber, whilst McLaren team-mate Jenson Button conjured a fine fourth from 14th on the grid.

Reigning Champion Button narrowly missed out on breaking his podium duck at Silverstone at the 11th attempt, but nevertheless equaled his best finish for the race.

After all of McLaren's troubles in the build-up, to finish second and fourth, and so remain one and two in the Championship, was a remarkable effort.

"We cannot complain with two second places in the last two races where we really have been on the back foot," said Hamilton, who was runner-up to Sebastian Vettel in the European Grand Prix 15 days ago in Valencia.

"The other teams have made a step forward in development and we're trying to, but the component didn't work at the weekend.

"That should have put us back into a real fighting position with the Red Bulls, but no, we couldn't have asked for more really.

"To come into these weekends, knowing we don't have the true, pure pace of the Red Bulls, and maybe the Ferraris and sometimes even a Mercedes, to be so far up we're really fortunate."

Button was naturally relieved to come away with 12 points, even though he is now the same amount adrift of Hamilton at the top of the Championship, with Webber just five behind in third.

Given McLaren ditched their exhaust blown diffuser on Friday night and the engineers worked through to 3am on Saturday morning to return their cars to the set-up used in Valencia, they conjured a result against the odds.

"It's a pity I couldn't get on the podium in front of the home crowd, who I must say have been absolutely amazing," said Button.

"But it is a fantastic result. After Friday, to be second and fourth is great, and I'm still second in the Championship.

"The only pain is my team-mate's pulled away a bit."

Even though it is not the one-two, or even a victory many fans had been seeking, Hamilton is hoping the British fans did not leave too disappointed.

"Jenson did a fantastic job, so that's great points for the team," said Hamilton.

"The fans have been phenomenal all weekend, so I am glad for myself and Jenson who did so well to get back up there.

"Hopefully it is not a real disappointment for the Brits. I think we still put on a good show.

"It's been a real pleasure and honour to represent my country here.

"When you have a race like this you step forward. Okay, we didn't win, but I did everything I could and I feel proud of the result we got."

[MIKA27]

Whitmarsh: Raikkonen should be in F1

Martin Whitmarsh believes F1 would be "richer" for having former World Champion Kimi Raikkonen back.

Raikkonen quit the sport at the end of the 2009 Championship after failing to land a race deal with McLaren, who opted instead to sign Jenson Button.

Moving over to the World Rally Championship with Citroen, the Finn has been dogged by rumour of his pending return to F1 with Renault admitting they would be interested in having him partner Robert Kubica next season.

Added to that, rumours in the Silverstone paddock claim both Red Bull and Mercedes GP could be keen on securing his services should they lose Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher.

One man who would welcome Raikkonen's return is McLaren team boss Whitmarsh, who believes the Finn "should" be in F1

"Formula One would be richer for having Kimi back," Whitmarsh told the Daily Star.

"He is a very talented and intelligent driver, which is something that people underestimated. That's because he wasn't the most communicative of people on occasions."

He added: "Kimi is one of the most exciting drivers in the world and, frankly, he should be in Formula One.

"If I could wave a magic wand for an F1 grid it would certainly include Kimi. That's why last year we were talking to him."

[MIKA27]

Horner: Webber won't walk away

Christian Horner is confident Red Bull's latest controversy will not result in Mark Webber walking away from the team, insisting he does not have a "number two driver" deal.

Not for the first time this season, allegations of favouritism towards Sebastian Vettel are being thrown about after Red Bull took the new spec lighter front wing off Webber's car at Silverstone and gave it to his team-mate.

The team's decision didn't stop Webber from clinching the victory in Sunday's British GP, telling the team "not bad for a number two driver" as he took the chequered flag.

The Aussie, who recently signed a new one-year extension with Red Bull, later said in the press conference that he would "never have signed a contract for next year if I believed that was the way going forward."

However, Horner insists Webber is not Red Bull's number two, a fact that he should know better than anyone outside the team.

"Mark has not signed a contract as a number two driver. He knows the lengths that the team has gone to, with the weight difference between the two drivers, to try and achieve parity," he said.

"He knows how much we have done to support him. I have no doubt that when he has a chance to reflect on this - yes, lessons can be learned. But looking objectively at it - he as a sportsman will recognise that sometimes difficult decisions have to be made."

He added: "Mark has a contract with us for the future. We've provided him with a car that has enabled him to run at the front, win grands prix and challenge for the World Championship. I doubt very much that he is going to be walk away from that."

[MIKA27]

Alonso: I will win the championship

Despite being at the centre of some of the more controversial stewards decisions this season, and sitting 47-points behind championship leader, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso is still adamant that he will walk away with the championship in Abu Dhabi.

The Spaniard had a poor start at Sunday's British Grand-Prix before clashing with his team-mate and was then given a drive-through penalty for gaining an advantage on Robert Kubica after going off the circuit leaving him down in 14th position.

Alonso, who has had a highly-publicised rivalry with Hamilton since they were team-mates in 2007, has said that despite the set-backs in Valencia and Britain he can go on to win the title.

"I think we will win. Yes," said the 29-year old. "I think we lacked points in Valencia and Silverstone, but these are some moments of the championship where we needed to show that we want the championship. I am more convinced than before this race that we will win the championship."

Following the Kubica incident, the Pole was forced to retire leaving the Spaniard with no-one to give the position back to. However, the stewards ruled that a drive-through penalty must be served, costing Alonso 14 places.

Asked what his feelings were on the penalty, Alonso was a little less vocal than on earlier penalties and chuckled, "It is not my job. I drive the car. What the stewards say is always right, so that is it."

MIKA: ...and then Alonso awoke and found he was dreaming.

Its funny because factually, there is no real reason as to why Ferrari shouldn't be at the very top, they clearly have the second fastest car on track, they just can't keep it together with inconsistent driving from both Massa and Fernando.

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Q+A: Cosworth's Mark Gallagher

Cosworth enjoyed their first double points finish since their return to the F1 fold this season, as Williams' Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hülkenberg finished fifth and tenth at Silverstone yesterday afternoon. After the race, the general manager of Cosworth's F1 operations Mark Gallagher spoke about the weekend, the performance of his engines and Cosworth's home Grand Prix in general.

Q: Cosworth must be pleased with a two-car points finish this afternoon?

Mark Gallagher, Cosworth (General Manager): Absolutely. It was another competitive performance from the AT&T Williams team this afternoon and we are delighted to see both Rubens and Nico in the points. Rubens continued his positive result from Valencia and a second consecutive top five finish underlines just what progress has been made by the team and in the overall strength of the chassis-engine package. To see the three new teams enjoy solid race performances and finishes, with only one car retiring, is further evidence of the fantastic progress made by Lotus Racing, Virgin Racing and HRT since the start of the season.

Q: How was engine performance in the race?

MG: None of our teams experienced any engine-related problems in qualifying or today's race which is obviously very pleasing, particularly considering this is the first time that we have run at the new, longer version of the Silverstone circuit. All four of our teams reaffirmed the continued reliability of the Cosworth CA2010 engine today, and the performances of the Williams-Cosworths in the midst of the battles for points was good to see.

Q: How do you rate the British Grand Prix weekend as a whole?

MG: It has been an outstanding weekend for British motorsport with record breaking crowd attendance at SIlverstone and a terrific atmosphere from the fans. As Cosworth's home grand prix, it has been a pleasure for us to showcase our latest engine and electronics technology to such a receptive audience and to enjoy a good result in this afternoon's race. Cosworth's run of British summertime events continues with the Farnborough Airshow in just over one week's time, at which we will be showcasing our work in the aerospace industry.

Q: Would you say this has been one of the busiest Grands Prix of the season?

MG: Yes, it has been quite remarkable how many people attended the event on each day. There was a real feeling that this event marked a key point in the season, and to see the AT&T Williams, Virgin Racing, Lotus Racing and HRT motorhome and hospitality units busy with sponsors and VIP guests is an indication of the huge interest that exists in Formula One. Several of our teams have announced commercial partnerships in recent races, so it's a good sign for the commercial health of the sport.

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Buoyant Silverstone thrilled with crowds

Silverstone has vowed to continue improving the British Grand Prix experience for fans on the back of last weekend’s event which attracted a 305,000-strong crowd over the three days.

This year’s British GP was the first under the circuit’s new long-term contract with Bernie Ecclestone – which could stretch up to 17 years – with the weekend seeing Formula 1 cars race on the track’s revised 3.7-mile layout for the first time.

Silverstone says it attracted record-equalling attendances of 85,000 and 105,000 for Friday practice and Saturday qualifying respectively, while a near-capacity crowd of 115,00 turned up to see Red Bull’s Mark Webber sweep to victory on Sunday.

The Northamptonshire circuit’s managing director Richard Phillips was delighted with both the turnout and the general reaction to the event from drivers and fans, and has promised that there’s more to come when the second phase of the track’s redevelopment is completed in time for next year’s race.

“This time last year we didn’t have a Formula 1 contract; 12 months on and we’ve just enjoyed a fantastic British Grand Prix and a great race on the new circuit layout,” Phillips said.

“Early feedback from the fans has been very positive and the drivers have loved the new circuit layout that provided good overtaking opportunities. It’s been a fantastic three days and I have to pay tribute to the fans.

“We had more fans at Silverstone for practice on Friday than most circuits get on race day. They really are fantastic and we have to make sure we continue improving their experience.

“This time next year we’ll have a new Pit and Paddock Complex, a new start/finish straight and further improvements to spectator facilities. It’s an exciting time for Silverstone.”

Silverstone also confirmed that 20,000 stayed on after the race to attend Grand Prix Party, where a host of F1 stars, including McLaren’s championship-challenging pair Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, along with race winner Webber, came on stage to entertain the crowds.

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James Allen's British GP verdict

Source: ITV-F1.com

I’ve enjoyed this British Grand Prix weekend more than any I can remember for a long time.

The atmosphere was second to none, with a large knowledgeable and passionate crowd thoroughly enjoying their experience. The weather helped a lot too.

The action on track on race day was fantastic, with some great racing, lots of overtaking and plenty of talking points.

I suppose we have to start with Mark Webber’s win.

He called it an “appointment with Karma” after he was given the number two treatment prior to qualifying when the team prioritised Sebastian Vettel with the new front wing.

To my mind the team has made an own goal here by taking a decision which will haunt them for some time to come.

If it was absolutely essential to use the new wing, as the engineers said, then once the one on Vettel’s car was damaged they should have tossed a coin to decide who would use it in qualifying and the race.

But given the car advantage they enjoyed here it would have been far better to put both drivers on the same wing and not have any of the problems both internally and externally that they now have created.

As long as they have this driver pairing – in fact as long as Vettel is one of the drivers – there will now always be a perception that the team is geared around him. The same thing happened with Hakkinen and Coulthard at McLaren and Schumacher and Barrichello at Ferrari.

Webber drove a good race after making the better start. In fact quite a few of the drivers on the ‘dirty’ side of the grid gained places off the start line.

Vettel showed some anger as he tried to go around the outside into the first corner and it brought him a puncture for his pains, which ended his chances.

It would have been fascinating to see how Red Bull would have managed the race had they been one and two at the end of lap one.

Alonso had a horrible afternoon, again. He had a poor start and was swallowed up by Hamilton and Kubica and then he got caught up in a vicious spiral after he passed Kubica when off the track.

He was unable to give the place back because the Renault was ailing and retired, but the stewards gave him a drive-through penalty anyway.

Then before he could serve it the safety car was deployed so he had to serve it at the restart and went to the back of the field.

Like in Valencia, this seemed unfair in some ways but rules are rules and Alonso and Ferrari were not given any leeway.

Alonso had some strong things to say about the stewards after Valencia and that will not have won him any sympathy in this latest decision, but I do not think this was ‘payback’ for calling the result in Spain “manipulated".

He will no doubt have more to say in time about this incident. Meanwhile, Massa is simply fading off the radar at the moment. He just isn’t ‘on it’ like he was in 2008 and the first half of 2009.

Button had a great day after a poor qualifying performance. Fourteenth to fourth is a great recovery and keeps him right there in the championship hunt.

Hamilton had one of his most effective weekends, wrestling an unbalanced car to fourth on the grid and turning that into a second place finish which keeps him on top in the championship.

He was my driver of the day, although special mention should be made of Rubens Barrichello, who got another great result for Williams in fifth place, and Kamui Kobayashi who played the tactical game very well again and scored a sixth.

Vettel’s recover from last on lap one to seventh was also strong and was helped by the safety car which destroyed Alonso’s race.

So at the half-way stage in the championship, Red Bull have had nine poles from 10 races and have won five of them. But they still trail McLaren in both championships.

Webber was teasing Hamilton in the unilateral room after the race saying, ‘wait until we get our blown diffuser working, wait until we get our blown front wing’ and so on.

It’s going to be a close fight to the finish this year. McLaren will come back stronger when they get their blown diffuser working and Red Bull has a powderkeg situation between the drivers to manage.

But I wouldn’t like to call which team and driver will come out on top.