Last year’s performance here is a good omen – he had pole position, and pretty
much had that race in his pocket until his tyre blew. Rosberg has definitely
upped his game since 2013, however. Hamilton will need to do the same.
Sandbagging at Mercedes
On the subject of the Rosberg-Hamilton rivalry, Toto Wolff’s comments in
Austria – expressing concern about transparency and the atmosphere inside
the team – have been thoroughly chewed over in the days since. (Here’s
my full-length thoughts from last weekend)
Mercedes pointed out that Wolff was referring to mere hints more than anything
else, but now we have a chance to see if those hints are somewhat fuller
bodied.
One driver going a second faster in qualifying than free practice three?
Expect some eyebrows to be raised.
Button breaking his duck?
Ever since his stunning debut there in Formula One with Williams, Jenson
Button’s record at Silverstone has been so poor – not necessarily
always through his fault – that it has almost become legendary. But this is
his 15th race here in Formula One, and with the #PinkforPapa campaign, to
commemorate his father’s passing, it is a little bit more special. So can he
turn the tide?
Button’s record at Silverstone
2000 – 5th; 2001 – 15th; 2002 – 12th; 2003 – 8th; 2004 – 4th; 2005 – 5th;
2006 – retired; 2007 – 10th; 2008 – retired; 2009 – 6th; 2010 – 4th; 2011 –
retired; 2012 – 10th; 2013 – 13th.
By Button’s own admission, that seems highly unlikely. Speaking on Sunday
night in Austria, admittedly pretty down after an eighth place there, this
is how he rated his chances.
“We won’t get on the podium at Silverstone, no chance. Being a home race it
will give me a lift, but it won’t make us go any quicker. I wish it would.
We have a few other things that should help us around there, but this is not
a car that works in high speed corners.”
Sadly for Button, Silverstone is a circuit renowned for high-speed corners.
Copse, Maggots, Beckets: these are the tests which it is likely this year’s
McLaren will fail. Divine intervention or torrential rain aside, don’t
expect to see Button on the podium, although it would be the most popular in
the paddock.
#Silverstone50 parade
This is the 50th Grand Prix at Silverstone (it comes with an obligatory
hashtag, #Silverstone50), and it’s fair to say they want you to know about
it, and you should. Apart from the windowless media centre and a few
questionable design flaws when the spectacular new wing was built, we love
Silverstone, and we should. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, and
the home of Formula One in many respects (the first world championship race
was held here in 1950).
The organisers – one of just two on the F1 calendar that sustains itself
through private funding and ticket sales, not government backing – have also
a feast of special activities planned for its 50th grand prix.
The centrepiece is a special parade for each day of the event (they are also
opening up access to the centre of the circuit for the first time since
2003).
The details of the parades will be music to the ears of petrolheads and F1
fans:
– Sir Jackie Stewart, driving his 1969 British Grand Prix winning Matra MS80
– Rubens Barrichello, driving the Williams FW07b, a tribute to the 1979
British Grand Prix winning Williams FW07
– David Brabham, driving his late father Sir Jack Brabham’s 1960 British
Grand Prix winning Cooper Climax T53
– Dario Franchitti in Jim Clark’s 1963 British Grand Prix winning Lotus 25
– Adrian Newey who will drive Ronnie Peterson’s March 711 from 1971
The whole weekend should be a particularly special celebration of British
motorsport, and don’t forget to watch out for our man, Gregory Walton,
reporting live from the campsites…
The mood at the revamped Caterham F1
We finally heard the news we had been expecting for weeks yesterday that
Caterham has been sold, to a group of Swiss and Middle Eastern investors.
Tony Fernandes, the QPR owner, has had his time in Formula One, and has had
enough. To a certain degree, who can blame him? All that money for no points
in five years and a car that is still woefully off the pace.
Although there are new owners, these are still uncertain times for the team.
The team principal, Cyril Abiteboul, has gone – he will probably head back
to Renault – and expect more changes to the team’s technical leadership too.
This new deal does not indicate that all of a sudden the team’s fortunes will
be transformed. First, this group of investors have been awfully quiet about
who they actually are. Do they want to avoid being associated with failure
for now? And second, the leadership does not exactly inspire confidence.
Romanian Colin Kolles, who did not have roaring success with HRT, Spyker,
among others, is a consultant. It still remains unclear how that will sit
with his attempts to get a Romanian F1 project, Forza Rossa, off the ground.
Christijan Albers, now running the team on a day-to-basis, does not have a
great deal of Formula One pedigree either. Just four points in three seasons
in F1 (they came at the infamous six-car race at Indianapolis in 2005), and
next to no experience as a team principal. Hard to see them moving forward
anytime soon.