Hamilton's hopes take a hit

Not the worlds most exciting race from the perspective of pure spectacle.

Alonso drove very well, as did Vettel. Still prefers Hamiltons approach - actually TRYING to race and to overtake, to try and create something. Ditto Kubica - great comeback.

Form has to be with Alonso right now, doesn't it?

Hamilton vs Webber - whatever happened to rule that "the car with even just a nose infront has the right to choose his line through the corner"?

You are loving it aren't you Benson.

Don't worry Lewis will have the last laugh on you!

Terrific post as always, Andrew. I agree that Alonso showed himself the class of the field today. Vettel kept saying on his radio that he wasn't pushing, but I think it might have been a bluff - Alonso had the measure of Vettel all race. It's tough for me to say because I don't like the guy, but Alonso has been peerless both at Monza and Singapore.

The points system being the way it is, I'd be surprised if the Championship doesn't go down to the wire, and wouldn't it be ironic if Alonso wins it all by the difference between a 1st and 2nd? I don't want to moan about the ridiculousness of just a fine for Ferrari for breaching the team orders ban at Hockenheim, but things are so close it could really be the difference between winning and losing the Championship.

By the way, if Alonso was the driver of the day, another was very close behind him, if not on the track. After the way he passed four cars in the closing stages, Kubica has shown again why he deserves to drive a car capable of winning races.

Roll on Suzuka. Come on Webber!

Although I agree that the Hamilton/Webber incident was rightly called a ~racing Incident~ I can't but help remember Webber's comment in his pre-race interview where he seemed to have slightly changed his approach from a may the best man win (and he believed he was the best) to a I will win it however I can. He is rightly the popular favourite for the title as he is genuinely a good guy and this is probably his one and only chance, but nontheless he has now shown (or developed) a ruthless streak that, lets all be honest, you must have to win the title.
Hamilton's time will come again, Vettel is still too young and a win now would be more a reflection on others problems or weaknesses, Alonso isthe complete package, warts and all, Button has had histime and I don't really believe he is that motivated, Webber has his one and only chance (like Button last year?) and it should be his. But Alonso will win, he is just that ruthless and good in my opinion. Shame.

This is were i agree with sir stirling moss webber would of back out of the corner if he had known that an impact would result in harm of the other driver

I also want to add that the covarge of today race was poor at the five live team didn't kick in on tv intil the en dof the parade lap and cut out many times durring the race, this isn't the first time this has happened

Add to the fact that Ferrari are backing one man, and both Red Bull and McLaren are both backing two drivers, the odds are stacking up in favour of the Spaniard. Oh that the winner may come down to the points swapped by Alonso/Massa or by points that Vettel/Webber could have swapped today. I wonder what the reaction is going to be.

It would seem Webber has a horse shoe hidden away somewhere.
Re#2 that rule doesn't apply to MW. He is quite ruthless and thinks nothing of defending his position to the hilt. His record is quite clear.It stops others from attempting to overtake him unless they really know they can make it stick- not a bad tactic.. LH should have know better than to attempt such a low percentage maneuver against MW when he had everything to loose and not much to gain.
Shades of Monza- As much as I like LH, I sure wish he'd think ahead a little.
As for the race itself- boring except for RK on fresh tires managing some good overtaking after his second pit stop.
As exciting as Singapore is as avenue- these tracks where you can't overtake unless you have a clear advantage should be taken out of the Calendar and replaced with ones that reward driving skill and innovative engineering. The tracks shouldn't be THE deciding factor they are now.

I enjoyed the race today. Vettel showed he has learned from his mistakes, and took away a vital 18 points. He has to show Red Bull and the world that he is the one to back. I can't help but feel Webber should have been punished, and that Hamilton was hard done by. Do I detect a cocky Webber emerging. I have to say I am proud of Vettel, and fel he would have won if it had gone on two more laps. Good luck Vettel in Japan. Commiserations Hamilton. And what a championship we have on our hands. I am LOVING it.

Could someone explain what is the situation with the Ferrari engines, and how that would affect the Championship?

Thanks.

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@11

https://www.formula1.com/news/features/2010/9/11273.html

RE #9 "these tracks where you can't overtake unless you have a clear advantage should be taken out of the Calendar" - Maybe not completely out of the calendar - but fair point. The one thing F1 lacks the most is overtaking opportunities. As polished as some of these venues look on camera it doesn't hide the total lack of exciting racing.

Apart from RK on fresh tyres; about the most exciting part of the race was two multi-million pound cars, packed with the most advanced automobile technology on earth, racing at 40mph down the pit lane to see who could change the tyres the quickest!!

Not the best of races. feel sorry for lewis, he had the line and was in front of webber but he was having none of it, he should have been penalised. Good result for Alonso but i think it's short lived, engines will be his downfall. Four races to go, look on the bright side Lewis "you can still do it".

Sorry andrew but you have shown (unsurprisingly) unfair double standards against Lewis.

If this incident was 50/50 between webber and hamilton. Then surely 50/50 would be aportioned to hamilton AND massa in monza.

I actually find it quite disgusting the lengths of critisims the British press give our BRITISH driver Lewis Hamilton. BTW Im british.

No surprise with the tone of your article about Lewis.

Without wanting to sound whingey, being an Alonso fan has been pretty hard going this year, especially an Alonso fan in the UK, but to see such exceptional driving from him in the last 5 races and the other contenders waining slightly, it only adds to the thought that had Alonso not made such errors over the season he would be head and shoulders above everyone after todays race.

I was on the edge of my seat during Monza but today I was hiding behind the sofa - Vettel should have obliterated Alonso and he didn't....nay.....COULDN'T. The best driver in F1 won today, again, and I hope that this amazing run of form continues all the way to Abu Dhabi.

Love him or loathe him, the man's a genius on track and a real F1 great.........

For the love of God I can't understand why they have removable steering wheels. Are they crazy?

Press the wrong button and whoops....! Sooner or later one is going to come off at 190 mph and that can only spell trouble.

@18 How else are they supposed to get out? There is not much room in the cockpit!

Do you people have any problems comprehending English? How can you say Andrew Benson is biased against Hamilton?

"The biggest winner and biggest loser were the two men regarded by so many as the finest racing drivers in the world - Alonso and Lewis Hamilton."

Do you mean that Andrew does not flatter Hamilton enough? Well, thank god for that! I have enough of some Spanish reporters and journalists talking about Alonso as if it were a national hero. And then a horde of Spaniards insulting the same driver for not being as good a poser as he is a driver.

Personally, I was hoping to see a great start from Hamilton to challenge Vettel and Alonso, but it did not happen. He is still the most fun driver to watch and I am sure he will give a good fight against the better cars of Red Bull and Ferrari in the next few races.

And Kubica was just superb. He should occupy Massa's seat. Nothing personal against the Brazilian, but among the three leading constructors, he is the worst driver by far. Someone more talented, like Kubica or Rosberg, should be seating in that Ferrari.

Button is not at Hamilton's level but at least he has managed to stay within the title contenders. And Webber, even though he is not as talented as Vettel, has been able to squeeze more points than his teammate and make less errors.

Still, I think the title will go to Vettel, or to Alonso if Webber gets in between. It is up to Vettel to win or lose this championship. He has the best car and he is fast enough to win against Webber, Alonso or Hamilton.

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Hi Andrew,

You seem to have missed the important and informative views of Nicole Scherzinger in your post race analysis. Everyone else on the BBC team is fascinated by her - clearly you haven't been given the message.

To demonstrate - a rough quote from todays gridwalk - "I've been told Jenson is walking up the grid" - yes that's Jenson, current world champion - but look there's Nicole, let's go chat to her instead !!!

What am I missing?

I don't know why the BBC is so pro Webber, it does seem odd. Hamilton is an amazing talent and British, we should be proud of that instead of having a go at him for being brave.

As to the 'it's the only chance Webber will have, thus let's support him' brigade...why is it his only chance? He is 34, he has been in f1 for a long time. If he was deserving of being a world champion he would have forced himself into a top car well before now. He is simply lucky in being in the right car at the right time. That is not the type of world champion I want to see. F1 needs to see drivers of great ability who manage to bring more out of a car than others in a similar position. e.g. Alonso and Hamilton.

Can anyone say why some drivers/cars suffer from intense tire graining? I saw Schumacher complaining about this? Why is it so unpredictable?

Alonso is indeed shining and he has really wired up his team. If he conquers Suzuka too... that might be it.

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Hard to believe that British media trying to undermine THE best F1 driver England ever produced! Pity!!!

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I love the BBC's coverage but Jake's, EJ's, DC's & MB's impartiality to who they want to win is getting a bit annoying.

It must be the only sport on TV where they don't back the Brits. They talk about Alonso like he is British (with more enthusiasm etc).

They should give more bias to Hamilton and Button, we are British aren't we BBC???????

I see the Lewis lovers are out in force already.

Webber sat on the inside line, Hamilton misjudged where the Red Bull's position was in relation to his own car (he's already admitted he wasn't aware of where Webber's car was), did not allow enough room and turned across Webber resulting in the collision. He was half a car in front of Webber and for me that is an incomplete overtake so he did not have the position. I'm sure my view I've just given is the same one the stewards took. In this scenario it could be argued Hamilton could be punished himself for causing an avoidable collision but that would've been a harsh decision, same as punishing Webber.

@ 16
To claim Andrew is showing a bias against Hamilton is a strange one. I regularly walk past newspapers who devote the headline of their sport section to a Hamilton win hailing it as a classic and then see little coverage given to races without a British driver on the podium. Drivers should be criticised when they deserve it such as in this situation, your nationality shouldn't absolve you from this.

By the way, why did Lewis abandon? I understand he just punctured his left rear tyre (or am I wrong?) Couldn't he have limped back to the pits?

Best to all.
PS: Lewis is good/talented anyway, even if BBC commentators appreciate rivals too.

RE BBC coverage. On another point; as much as I like David Coulthard, his post-match analysis is highly skewed in favour of Red Bull. I've never heard him say anything that may slightly criticise Red Bull. His response to the Webber/Hamilton question was totally pointless. He just avoided the question. The fact he didn't offer an opinion told more about him than the racing.

I suppose in retrospect Hamilton would have been better settling for fourth place, but of course that's not really in his make up, and having been egged on by his team he had to take even just half a chance. - A few more centimetres and he would most likely been in third place. - Very bad luck and Webber was indeed very lucky to survive and make it to the finish. Ironically had Button pressured Webber a bit more the extra stress may have taken him out which would have put a different complexion on the standings. - However it's not over yet and Hamilton needs to keep pushing as anything can happen in the run up to the finish. McLaren were not able to use all their upgrades at Singapore because of reliability issues, - with those resolved for Suzuka maybe McLaren can push their car level with the front runners for the first time this year.

I can't see how everyone on here are trying to lay the blame for the collision on Webber. Hamilton has admitted he did not know where Webber was. What is Webber just supposed to stand aside just because all the Lewis-Lovers say he should. Give me a break. Webber had every right to defend his position that's why it is called RACING.

Oh and by the way to all you Lewis-Lovers you might want to read his comments after the Monza race in which he admits that he made a mistake and he was at fault for the collision with Massa.

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WHY did Button yield to Hamilton at the first corner? He was probably a car length ahead but braked suspiciously early. I don't know about everyone else but I can't help thinking a team order was involved there, that Button wasn't allowed to be in front of Lewis.

I still back Webber for the title.

Also great drive by Kubica....should replace Massa at Ferrari.

Watch the line Kubica takes , at the same corner later in the race, he leaves enough room , by going wide to avoid a collision, no problem...

35: i agree and i am white british and i am ashamed to call the likes of EJ and Jake DC countrymen. As i said before: they keep spouting on about Jenson being consistant but his team mate has had 4 DNF and is still in front of him.

How does that make Jenson more consistant? It really shows that he is no match for Lewis. How can you call yourself brittish when you are supporting a non british driver over a british driver?

It's like me wanting Australia to win the ashes even though l am british.

Great article.

Hats off to Andrew, the best motor sport journalist out there (as well as the most unbiased)

I cannot believe anyone who has actually taken the time to analyse the Webber-Hamilton incident can honestly say it was Webber's fault. LH left him nowhere to go (MW had half the car on the piano trying not to hit him). But in the end it was just a racing accident, caused by Hamilton thinking he'd won the line when he hadn't.
Quite what Corporal Hicks was referring to when he 'quoted' a rule which says "the car with even just a nose infront [sic] has the right to choose his line through the corner" I don't know. The 'Lewis Hamilton-I-wish-FIA-rule-book' I imagine.

Guys- get over it! Playing the race card or having jingoism raise its ugly head is NOT called for in F1. I dislike Alonso because he is a cry baby- but credit where credit is due, he performed very well today and couldn't be forced into a mistake- which is more than could be said for a couple of the other drivers, including other contenders.
IF Alonso ends up winning the championship by less than 7 points, it will be tainted because of Ferrari's team orders in Germany. I hope it doesn't come to that- given his engine situation, it will be tough not to have to take a grid penalty at some time, or risk having an engine failure during a race which is still a real possibility.
Webber has the best cards if he can consistently finish in the top 4 and especially if the Korean GP is cancelled.

@ 37 Hamilton took the same line as Kubica and left webber the same amount of room. Take your anti hamilton goggles off. No way was webber ever going to concede. Webber is a dangerous driver to over take and we have seen it before in the past. He seems to use other drivers as breaks.

Fernando + Alonso = Genius.

I side totally with No 17 (Nadaliator), I am also a U.K fan of the awesome Alonso whom as already mentioned, has made the odd unlikely error this season... but it is drive's like he performed today that excuse his lesser Grand Prix'... Yep Hockenhiem I lay the blame (blame for what though after all?) at Ferrari's feet - nothing to do at all with the driver/engineers etc, but again after looking at today's race, Fernando, ultimately excused (but the forever shadow of controversy that follows him around, not forgotten).
Alonso is a steam-train - if F1 cars could show emotion I bet Fernandos' nose-cone (as with the coming-great Kubica) would be seen wincing at every turn, though safely with the knowledge that all would be well. Webber had a good race too, Button a solid drive also.

You can tell from Webber's on car camera that lewis had the lead coming up to the corner by half a car. Webber wasn't on the racing line, he was slower than the car on the racing line and shouldn't have left his nose in there. Remember Prost and Senna first corner in Japan 1990- this was similar Prost was quicker on the outside and had a half car lead and senna left his nose in there - everyone new that accident was Senna's fault.

Christopher Horner's comments regarding the accident are worth laughing at, as have been his comments for all Red Bull incidents this season. Eddie Jordan is equally in a world of his own - he clearly wants Webber to win and will hold that support regardless of Webbers racing. Webber is a slower driver than Vettel, but Vettel has made silly errors which he will stop doing as the season ends. Webber has very frequently shown he is not as fast as Vettel and has had to rely in the Germans errors to beat him.

Out of the 5 drivers in this championship race Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso are ahead of the other two in terms of talent and racing speed. The title in my opinion will be between Vettel and Alonso, as Hamilton cannot compete in the McLaren. Vettel has more speed and a faster car, Alonso more consistency.

RB seemed to really mess up not getting Vettel out in front of Alonso at the pit stops. I heard someone say that Ferrari and RB were reacting to McLaren pitting but they were 20+ seconds down the track. Surely with the faster car, leaving him out an extra lap or two would have got him ahead?

Hamilton was unlucky to go out I think, I've watched it a few times and I suppose it was a racing incident, but I think Webber might have done a bit more to avoid the accident, as 9 times out of 10 he would have ended up losing a front wheel with an impact like that. He was very lucky to be able to continue. Can't criticise Lewis really, at least he was trying to over take, something that Button and Vettel seem unwilling to attempt.

Alonso is showing the doubters of only a few races ago what a talented driver he is, he is certainly in form but looking ahead I think you'd have to favour the Red Bulls. They've had the fasted car all season and it's only through their own mistakes they are not both clear at the top. Plus they have more engines than Ferrari. So it looks like it will be one of the two drivers in the fastest car, rather than either of the two fastest drivers, that will win this year.

To all the posters who are alleging that that the bbc team is biased, you are wrong!
LH is a fantastic talent, he has made mistakes, that's a fact.
MW is a fair driver, he has made few mistakes and is in probably the fastest car, that is why he's near the top of the championship.
FA is probably the most complete driver on the grid and is driving probably the second best car on the grid, that is why he is in second place in the championship!
Please, al you LH lovers, stop criticiseing the bbc, they are informed, involved in the sport, intelligent and for anybody to say basically 'racist', is absolutely ridiculous!

@ 33

On the Hamilton/Webber incident, it is not one's divine right to defend a corner to the point of no return. 'Thrills and spills' are all part of racing but there are codes to be observed. If you watch the replay of the incident, on the run-up to the corner Hamilton was easily ahead (which is why he said he didn't know where Webber was) and, if anything, had left too much room for Webber to keep his foot in it that little bit longer, try his luck and hang Lewis out to dry.

That was a tight corner not a long, flowing bend where they could tough it out, side-by-side, so I completely disagree with you and with AB. Webber was half on the kerbs in a desperate attempt soften the blow as he knew he'd over-cooked the corner to keep Lewis out and that there was going to be an impact. As he said after the race "It was a key part of the race for me to keep him out and there was contact, so it is not something you want to do all the time". Yeah, just some of the time is OK, eh?

Now, back to the racing and stewards' decision. I may be wrong but I think it has set a bad precedent. The usual decision is handing a penalty for 'causing an avoidable collision' to the instigator of the move, if it fails. I'm not totally happy with that because it gives an aggressive driver like Webber (whom has never been known for his generosity) the OK never to conede, even when the corner is lost, which it effectively was in the Hamilton incident. So, he can keep his foot in it and the chances are that the other driver will more likely be punished for instigating the move, not him for preventing the completion of that move without a collision

So Davico, if the stewards' decision has drivers now thinking that they can get away with moves like that, and a collision happens at every overtaking opportunity, then to me that's absolutely not racing.

Fianlly, it seems that it's impossible to get intelligent discussion without the defence/support of one driver over another being seen as some sort of love-in. Particularly vile comments appear to be from those whom are not Hamilton fans… "all you Lewis-Lovers". Now, I don't watch F1 on the Beeb, so know nothing of any pro or anti-Webber/Hamiton bias but, please give this wretched and tedious bickering a rest!

@41 & @46 - All I am asking is that they talk up Jenson and Lewis more. If we watch Wimbledon there is a bias to Murray (or previously Henman), if England play Germany at football we are not talking about how great the Germans are all the time, if England play cricket we talk up their chances etc etc.

When you follow an international sport, you (including the BBC) should back the Brits to win - but none of the guys do.

I am not accusing them of being racist, inciting jingoism or any of the rest of the ridiculous extremities - I am asking why F1 has to be different from the other sports?

Btw, what's all this talk of Kubica joining Ferrari? Surely Alonso would not allow a driver who could actually compete with him to join the team?

Webber should've stayed in GP2. He's one of those drivers who's got where he is because of hard work and not talent. Justin Wilson is a much better driver but his "face didn't fit" whereas Webber's does.

@44. I agree with most of your comments apart from Vettel, he has proved time and time again that like Raikonen he can put in fast laps but can't race.

Whatever the situation about the Ferrari "team orders" incident, this had nothing to do with Alonso himself, if a driver sees a car in front of him slow, he's going to overtake it, regardless of whether it's his team mate or not...the issue comes down to the Ferrari team 'asking' Massa to let Alonso past, and the fact that Massa did slow on the exit of a corner so that Alonso could overtake.
If Ferrari had called Massa into the pits for a spurious stop, nobody would've been any the wiser...

Gotta love Hamilton fans seeing conspiracy everywhere and melting down when their man doesn't get his way: "it was definitely Webber's fault", "the Stewards don't know what they are doing", "the BBC is anti-Hamilton", "Andrew Benson loves it when Lewis has a bad race", blah blah blah....

Honestly, some of you people need to get a grip and accept that sometimes it goes the way of your man and sometimes it doesn't. It's the same with other drivers and your beloved Swiss resident is no different.

@48 The BBC probably doesn't support your guys as much you might want because they are catering to a world wide audience, not just the UK.
I'm watching in Canada. I have no choice of watching other F1 coverage eg SPEED from the USA thanks to Bernie and his marketing arrangements. If the BBC wants to retain their particular marketing rights, they have to cater to their whole (English) market, not just the UK one. Does that shed some light on things??

MacauBlau: I've just watched the incident for the nth time to make sure: you say 'on the run-up to the corner Hamilton was easily ahead' but before either car had started to turn in, Hamilton's rear wheels were still behind Webber's rears. Webber braked later so as they turned in, Webber's front wheels were level with LH's cockpit and that always used to be the criterion for obliging both drivers to take comprise lines. However LH continues to turn in and his left front is less than a car's width from the apex while Webber has two wheels the wrong side of the piano. LH leaves him nowhere to go and the inevitable collision occurs. It's a racing accident. The stewards reach the same conclusion and not even LH blames Webber so why can't you 'Lewis lovers' (and I think you're really one of them, MacauBlau) accept the evidence of your own eyes? I think Lewis was furious with himself, not with Webber! (Oh and does that 'steering wheel abuse' incident make him a 'cry baby' like Alonso is in the eyes of all you LH fans?)

@ 53

… I guess that comment means you just love pouring petrol on the fire, doesn't it?

You can choose to discuss, expand on or simply comment on the sensible stuff, you know.

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To all the guys who critisise some BBC commentators being biased vs. Hamilton: can't you stop and think for a minute that your partisan attitude is blinding you ...Hamilton has screwed up 50 points in two consecutive races with practically identical errors.
...one would have thought (as he put it himself) that Hamilton would have learnt from Monza's mistake ...he is v. fast and exiting, but obviously still not a Great. Greats show up when it really matters: I this context, Alonso clearly edges Hamilton out.
...and how easy it has been to critise Vettel (and Alonso, to a lesser extent) when he threw those races ...well guys it's Hamilton's turn now. Like it or not the guy deserves what's coming his way since he only has himself to blame.
Much as I simpathise with Button, Webber permitting, this championship is for Alonso and Vettel to lose.

38: dane wrote:

"i agree and i am white british and i am ashamed to call the likes of EJ and Jake DC countrymen. As i said before: they keep spouting on about Jenson being consistant but his team mate has had 4 DNF and is still in front of him.

How does that make Jenson more consistant? It really shows that he is no match for Lewis."


Hamilton's driving for the same F1 team he started with. That team has been moulded around him even at the expense of a man like Alonso in the past. For Button to come to McLaren and be as good as he has been, when it's arguable that the McLaren is the third best car out there, is pretty impressive. Hamilton should be ahead of him. That he isn't light years ahead is partly down to Button's ability and Hamilton's poor judgement behind the wheel.

When it comes to consistency, Button's two DNFs this season have both come from the errors of others rather than his own. His retirement in Monaco was down to a mechanic failing to remove a cover and his retirement at Spa was courtesy of a Vettel error. He was also the victim at Monza of another driver making an error, going up his rear end and causing damage. Button isn't the quickest out there but he does make very few errors on the race track and therefore doesn't lose points often because of his own errors.

Hamilton's last two DNFs have been because of errors he has made. Spain he was unlucky, Hungary the car let him down. Today he tried to make something happen that simply wasn't there. At no point could he claim that he'd overtaken Webber. There was no obligation for Webber to yield. Had Schumacher pulled a stunt like this, you'd have people claiming it demonstrated his usual arrogance on track. Hamilton is a fantastic driver, no doubt about it, but he and Vettel have shown this season that all that ability is worthless if you regularly overcook things and cause your own retirement from a race.

Seriously, in real life.....

Are some of you people calling the racist card???????

I've never heard such utter rubbish in all of my life.

EJ is a plank sometimes, Jake is innocent and honest, DC is wheels and carbon fibre..........but under no illusion have I ever found the BBC or its crew racist.

Please be careful what you post here.....claiming racism is a very VERY serious accusation, and a ridiculous one too.

No 16 Supasix:
Interesting point.
Lewis gets squeezed by Massa last race when he was half a length behind - result Lewis's front wheel is bust & Massa unhurt.
This race Lewis squeezes Mark Weber when he was half a length ahead - result Lewis' back wheel is bust & Weber unhurt.

Surely if luck evens out Lewis is due some good luck. Keep going for it Lewis !

And if Alonso blows an engine under pressure !

"Btw, what's all this talk of Kubica joining Ferrari? Surely Alonso would not allow a driver who could actually compete with him to join the team?"

Grow up.

Really boring how the Lewis fanboys play the 'race card' every time their guy has a bad race or the BBC don't fawn all over him. The other week someone even accused McLaren of being 'racist' against Lewis.. yes, the same McLaren who supported him from an early age and gave him a drive in a top team as soon as possible. If only we could all be victims of such prejudice. Seriously, get a grip.

Lewis has had 2 DNFs in a row and those who backed Lewis in the previous incident would surely have to back Webber now the situation is reversed.

I say this as someone who 'supports' both British drivers, although since he moved to Switzerland I guess we'll have to call him Swiss eventually. Remember that Lewis refuses to talk to the BBC on the grid and generally makes himself less available than some other drivers so the coverage will sometimes seem less focused on him than would otherwise be the case. Why not think before making wild accusations.

No. 37 Abrupt1:

look again. Kubica took a line very similar to Lewis's. Sutil went over the curb to avoid him. Weber didn't.

Hamilton got hit on the front wheel and broke the drive shaft.
Today he got hit on the rear wheel and broke the drive shaft.
I would suggest to the McLaren boffins that a critical update, would be to beef-up the drive shafts.

The policy of the front-runners, in this latter stage seem to be 'its you or me'

The Massa and Webber incidents were avoidable, given that in both cases all four drivers had enough room to negotiate the corners, IF THEY WANTED TO.

The stewards, to a man, wanted to make a safe and comfortable exit from the stadium.

Is Webber the new Schummacher.

I can't recall Hamilton hitting anybody this season, but he seems to be attracting every front-end on the racing track.

Just wanted to say I also think the bbc have something against Hamilton. He was clearly the driver who was ahead. It was completely Webbers decision whether he was going to run in to him. And he chose to run in to him. And then Hamilton is blamed for it. Typical. Iv had enough of this.

Tamburello

Well, well, well. I'm sure you've checked a dozen times or more but what you say is complete nonsense… "before either car had started to turn in, Hamilton's rear wheels were still behind Webber's rears. Webber braked later so as they turned in, Webber's front wheels were level with LH's cockpit…"

So does that mean Hamilton was behind Webber but Webber braked later and still ended up not being in front of Hamilton??? You're not making sense, man!

As for getting nasty and personal, calling me a Lewis-Lover, Tamburello, it's my business whom I support… but as you seem so curious, I've been following the sport for over 40 years and my favourite drivers have been Jim Clark, Chris Amon, Gilles Villeneuve, Ayrton Senna, Mikka Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen and yes, Lewis Hamilton – but contrary to your cynical dig, I love F1 and racing above any driver and can acknowledge the merits of those drivers whom are not my favourite.

The incident today has nothing to do with Hamilton/Webber. I happen to like Webber but I've always thought – even in his Williams days – that he could be World Champion material if only he was slightly less aggressive. It's the stewards inconsistencies that bug me and if you have agreed with every single stewards decision over the last few years then more fool you! There have been some absolutely shockers… and todays, in my opinion – which I have a right to – was not necessarily the correct one.

Of course Hamilton is not going to come out and say it was Webber's fault because it will be seen as bad-mouthing another driver and I think he's just trying hard to avoid the controversy that follows him everywhere. And I'm sure he's angry with himself for trying that because he ought to have known better than to have taken risks (after his stupid error at Monza)… and with Webber of all drivers.

I don't get the steering wheel comment. Although he's no longer my favourite driver, I have nothing against Alonso as an exceptional talent and I've never implied that he was a cry baby… are you getting me mixed up with someone else per chance?

I also want to add that im not calling the bbc racist. Im not sure why they are reluctant to fight Hamiltons corner or give him the praise he sometimes deserves. I think it may be that hes a tad less friendly towards the media eg not wanting to give interviews on the starting grid. I think this may rub off on the bbc team or maybe not it could be something else. But they favor button theres not doubt about that. Maybe they get on with him better and hes more of a likable guy. But thats no excuse, the bbc is meant to be unbiased.

@59 "Hamilton is a fantastic driver, no doubt about it, but he and Vettel have shown this season that all that ability is worthless if you regularly overcook things and cause your own retirement from a race."

To be fair, Webber and Alonso have also made mistakes this season. The race before was definitely Hamilton's fault, but this time round I'd say it was more 50/50. Slow-but=steady Button is the only driver who hasn't really made a big mistake. I'm not a fan of his, but the points he's got with only 4 races left, I suppose he must be doing something right!

Ok, perspective neede here.

ITV were so biased for Lewis it was shamefully embarrasing. Now we have a more open and honest forum for F1. Maybe we need to be remembering how poor F1 coverage was before the BBC. I love the fact that Kobayashi and Alguersuari are getting air time alongside the top 5. A few years ago all Lewis had to do was fart and we'd hear about it. F1 is a GLOBAL sport, and the fact that the BBC understands that makes UK commentary the best, hence Kangaroo coverage.

@62 - "Grow up"

That's very insightful, well done you.

Alonso is always going to demand number one status in a team, like Schumacher. You might say he's entitled to this, being a two times world champion. But look what happened when he didn't get preferential treatment at McLaren. Ferrari seem to favour this approach too, which worked so well for them during the Schumacher era. In many ways it makes sense, and could in the end earn them the WDC.

But that's a well thought out response Nadaliator..

I still have a feeling that Vettel is going to get the title. He should have won this weekend, but brought good points home that keeps him well in contention. He raced well at Monza, as he kept his head there after Webber had out qualified him. He seems to have calmed down a little since the start of the season. Suzuka will suit him and I can see him winning there. As for Hamilton, it was just a racing incident. Webber wasn't going to yield and Hamilton always has a go when he can, which has to be admired, he is one of the real racers in the field. It was racing and the stewards made the correct decision in not penalising Webber, as he was just defending his position and unfortunately they had a coming together.

Good gracious there's a lot of childish comments been posted above today.

I'm a McLaren fan, so I'm obviously disappointed with what occured during the race, but I fully acknowledge that the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix was fantastically exciting!

Yet we have silly comments about racism, the BBC pundits, crying when someone expresses an opinion. This is a sport, so everyone has favourites and opinions! People need to get a grip.

When folk are ready to discuss what a cracking race we saw today, I'll come back to this page, but for now, this is just stupid.

69: Button has raced okay but when his team mate has had 4 DNF and is still ahead of him it really doesn't say anything consistent about Button.

Anyway you look at it Jenson should be in front of Lewis but he isn't.Ask yourself who really has been the most consistent out of the two drivers.

Lewis has plenty more years to win and the only thing letting Lewis down at the moment is his team with the sub par car they have had for the last two years.

Even so Lewis has been pushing all the way so he can hold his head up high if he does not win. As for Jake and his judas BBC f1 team supporting a non British driver over Button and Lewis,they really need to be ashamed of themselves.

@54 - I guess that explains a little but what other audiences are watching? I didn't know it was worldwide. Even so, if I was in Canada I would still expect a little British bias - wouldn't you? The British people pay for the BBC after all.

One further thing I would like to add is that. Everyone always hails Button as being 'Mr Consistent' and how great he is for it. But Lewis has failed to finish 4 races and is still ahead of him. So either Jenson isn't consistent or he just isnt that good. OR Lewis is simply brilliant compared to Jenson. Its your choice but one of those statements is true.

@73 Yes, I am sure a child could have a reasoned debate about why F1 should differ from other international sports in terms of its commentary.

PS. Yes, the race was good but nothing special.

74 - Yeah, don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to big-up Button, Hamilton is definitely the superior driver, and if he doesn't make it this year, he'll have plenty of opportunities for WDCs in the future I'm sure.

REF 17

Couldn't agree with you more....

I can't believe all the jibberish on here in defense of their beloved Hamilton. The incident with Webber was definitely a 50/50 accident. You cannot blame one more than the other. What was good to see in this incident was that Webber has what it takes to win a championship. That took guts to hold his line. Ruthless, yes, and that is what it takes, not giving up corners to avoid collisions and being intimidated by other drivers. To criticize Webber for this is pathetic. Hamilton would have done the same, as to Alonso or Schumacher.

In my view...

The stewards got it badly wrong today. Lewis overtook, was clearly ahead and Webber took him out. Where did Mark think that move was going to end? How did he think he was going to get from the braking point to the corner exit without hitting the McLaren?

BBC = BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation. I've no problem with the world watching the feed, but if I was watching Spanish TV I'd expect and understand them being a little biased towards Alonso.

I like the new approach of Hamilton being ahead in the championship so he must be better. It is a 5 point gap, a 7th place if you will, so not greatly impressive. Button has failed to finish 2 GPs, 1 driver error. Hamilton has failed to finish 4, 2 from driver error. This is the point, Hamilton has crashed out 2 times, Button once. At this point Button's retirement should be acknowledged as being entirely not of his own doing. This brings back the age old argument of which style is better, flamboyant or tactical? This championship so far, as shown by Prost and Senna before, shows they are equally suited. Throwing the car around and making daring moves allows Hamilton to score highly. Button has driven more cautiously and scored less highly but is just 5 points behind having finished 1 race more, discounting mechanical retirements. There is next to no difference between the two so to claim one is better over the other, at least in my mind, is ludicrous.

Well played Alonso and Vettel.I am really disappointed for Lewis Hamilton.I have always given the F1 sterwards some benefit of doubt even though some or most of their decisions have been biasied.Today, after watching F1 for almost twenty five years, the incident between Weber and Hamilton to be called a racing incident beggars belief. Clearly Hamilton was in front of Weber anyone with an average eyesight could see that.

Weber clearly took out Hamilton knowing fully well that if both of them DNF Weber will retain the championship lead. This should have formed the basis of the sterwards investigations. I am 100% convinced that the other way round and Hamilton would have been punished. To be fair Weber should not have been allowed to collect maximum points, but is their anything fair in F1. I hope its not because Lewis Hamilton is black.

Webber being ruthless is one thing, but he knew full well he was never going to avoid a collision with Hamilton if he went in there, he did and with a gross amount of luck for him, he took out a title contender and got away with any damage or penalty.

Mark was fully within his rights to keep the inside line, that's racing of course, but he also knows he got away with murder big time today. And Red Bull are going to walk it in Suzuka.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Cobweb's is way too old for F1, his desperation and his reaction times are very telling, and I find it all pretty much menacing.

2 Incidents involving Cobwebs and Hamilton, which has resulting in Lewis NOT leading the title, this is not good enough, CobWebs is not capable of handling that superior car at all, he reminds me of a Barrichello coming to grips with the power of the Brawn last season and all his clobberish moves.

If that was a racing incidents, where exactly are the Reprimands? The fact that none was giving only proves the stewards were covering up for the reckless CobWeb's.

Webber is old, and his age is catching up on him, he will lose this title to a much more ready and experience Alonso or Hamilton.

And I cannot believe Webber heads the F1 safety drivers meeting, now he is in the thick of things, he is the worst driver I have laid eyes on this season, just very very very lucky to be in a powerful superior car in clean air, must drivers in his position would have wrapped the title up with by now with that advantage.

Good, even and well thought out as usuall Mr Benson.
unlike many of the replys, especialy the ones claiming the BBC pundits are racist.

Cobwebs, ClobberWebber, Old Man Web-Old! Enough said!

Interesting reading, as always. Here's my take. Webber/Hamilton - Racing Incident. Think about it, what benefit would there be for Webber to potentially take himself out and lose valuable points in the Championship race? That just makes no sense at all. These incidents happen so quickly, it is easy for us to sit back and watch and pontificate on what's right and wrong, but it is over in an instant. As for Monza, well that was different, it was Lewis' fault, which he readily admitted. I would have to agree that the two most talented drivers in F1 are Alonso and Hamilton. Alonso was faultless today, and deserves respect for being a fine racing driver. Whatever personality 'faults' he has, they surely pale into insignificance compared to Schumacher. You don't see Alonso running people off the road. Yes he may be a whinger, but believe me you don't really become as successful as him without having a rather healthy sized ego. Self belief is everything in a top sportsman. I do think it is wrong to question the BBC's bias against Hamilton. If I am honest, it comes across to me that they are more pro Button. But that may be because Jenson is more open to being interviewed etc. Having had the pleasure to meet Jenson, I can attest to the fact that he is really a very nice guy and is very down to earth, so it is hard not to warm to him. That is not to say that Lewis is not a good guy, I'm sure he is, he may just not be as approachable. I really don't think race plays a part, at least I sincerely hope not.

Interesting reading, as always. Here's my take. Webber/Hamilton - Racing Incident. Think about it, what benefit would there be for Webber to potentially take himself out and lose valuable points in the Championship race?


Gee wiz Sherlocks Holmes one would never guess FFS!

Personally I think alot of what we saw boiled down to COBWEBS old age and desperation.

Accusing people of playing the race card has now become the quickest and easiest way of calling attention to race issue. It's getting stale and predictable now. The fact is that the story of BBC bias against Hamilton is not a new one, and didnt just start today. It's been like that all season, and from last year actually. And anyone that doesnt see the obvious glee on their faces and comments today - the bbc f1 presenters- was watching another race. I mean, they appeared more excited that Hamilton did not finish as much as that Alonso won. Of course they dont care what anyone says on here. If they do they would have changed their ways since. And soon the mob will soon appearing here hurling abuse and insults on those they deem playing the race card!

I mean " accusing people of playing the race card has become the quickest and easiest way of shutting down those calling attention to real race issues..."

For all of you who seem to think the BBC is anti Hamilton. I use this website very frequently and when Hamilton wins it is full of nothing but praise for him. At this point you all sit there and congratulate the BBC on it's fine journalism and great coverage. However the moment they dare to criticise Hamilton you leap on them and claim they are anti-british, bias and some of you claim racist. Then follow this up and claim anyone who criticises him in posts are also anti-british and racist.

At what point in this article and others before it has Andrew ever made Hamilton's race an issue? At what point have the TV crew ever made race an issue? The answer is never. The simple fact is a British driver has made a mistake but you cannot accept that. The criticism is aimed at his driving during the GP, it has nothing to do with Hamilton as a person. I have made comments on these forums before criticising Hamilton and been called a racist

For people who turn this into a race issue I would say you have more problem with Hamilton being black than any of his critics. Your fear at being called racist for criticising him is simply a defence, a way for you to show that you aren't racist. If he has done something wrong I will say so, not because he is black but because he has done it as a driver. Black or white, male or female, homosexual or heterosexual, all drivers are judged as a driver. To relate anything to a driver's ethnicity, sex or sexual orientation when no link has been made simply shows that the person who made that link has a greater problem with it than the person they seek to incriminate.

I'm sorry for the outburst but I feel this had to be said.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

@75 I'm sure the BBC is rewarded handsomely for the privilege of their commentary being used around the world. Besides the world and F1 is multi national, cultural and not everybody lives in Blighty- thus the less nationalism displayed by the BBC team.

#90: You make some good points, although I think there are others who will have a different opinion as regards who is more approachable of Button and Hamilton, and your own opinion, and theirs, will be equally valid. But that's not the point. The point is that journalists are professionals, and in the case of bbc presenters supported by license fee payers. As such they re expected to do their job professionally, and not with the kind of blatant bias we get from the BBC F1 presenters against Hamilton. But then again they dont really care do they?

Loving all the comments posted about what could be a defining GP.
Also loving the JB/LH debate.
Will be controversial and say I personally believe that Hamiltons over zelousness has again been his downfall. If he was just a little more patient he would be 2nd overall at this time!
1st place would belong to Mr Vettel. If he hed driven like he did today the championship would have been his about three races ago. However overexcitedness has flawed his season.
Webber is still having the charmed season. It will be his one(and only) chance of a title, and to finish 3rd from 10th at one stage keeps him in the hunt. I personally believe he is the least talented of the top 5, and cannot believe he is in the position he his. Sublime driving at times, however amateurish and dangerous at others, it was a certainty he and Hamilton were destined to clash.
Jenson had another uninspiring performance, however it still bagged 4th(Hamilton will have been screaming at that result). Button is a cool laid back guy, and if he had a fraction of Hamilton or Vettels aggression he would be right there for a 2nd crown.
Which brings me to Alonso. What can I say about the guy who is by far the best on the circuit. He totally had Vettel in his pocket and has had a phenomenal return over the last four races. Not bad for a car (apart from the opening race) has been spoken has third best, for most of the season. He has the speed of Vettel and Hamilton, but more importantly the driving brain of past masters like Senna and Prost, which make him such an exciting proposition.
Hears hoping the final four races deliver the same has the season has so far, what is a dramatic and exciting spectacle for all to behold.
I would finally like to salute Kubica who had an inspired race, and showed what raw skill is all about. Heres hoping it was enough for Ferrari to open the chequebook and make their dreamteam come true.

Firstly, I really enjoyed today's race. Alonso and Vettel's battle was brilliant. The Master and the Apprentice going hammer and tongs.

I'm not a Hamilton fan, but Webber clearly took him out.

I'm a big Alonso fan, and this year has belonged to Spain(WC for the soccer team and Nadal destroying all before him), so destiny could be on Alonso's side!

Kubica replacing Massa? Massa is low on confidence after a life threatening injury. He'll get back into the groove, sooner rather than later. Massa's not a mug by any means, he destroyed Kimi in 2008.

Guess ill have to take out Webber myself even if it's not the real thing.

https://www.youtube.com/user/broken9999#p/u/2/QjMalYLkxOw