Well, we learned that sometimes the sun does shine in the UK. Rain was even forgotten about with the action packed race holding everyone’s attention – but most of it for all the wrong reasons.
History has repeated itself, it would seem. The farce that was Indianapolis in 2005 with exploding Michelins has now been replaced by the farce of Silverstone and exploding Pirelli’s. And this is after the highly publicized “illegal” Pirelli tyre test with Mercedes. With five tyre failures over the weekend, just what did they test, one wonders?
It would seem that Pirelli has mastered the manufacture of tyres that last 10 laps (if the driver is lucky), and have now perfected exploding tyres, which add to the drama of an F1 Grand Prix. A technological tour de farce!
So what will happen now before the German GP this weekend? Pirelli are promising a full investigation. The FIA are going to be holding their own investigation. And the drivers are muttering threats of a boycott.
Quite frankly, none of the above are going to cure the problem. There is a basic problem with the tyres, that will not be cured by administrators, the same people who brought on this short tyre life scenario, to ‘spice up’ the racing. Well done, FIA.
In the short term, let Pirelli use tyres from last year, which didn’t explode, while devising stronger tyres for the rest of this year. Some that might even last for half a Grand Prix! How radical concept is that?
And so to the racing itself. The final 10 laps were a blinder, but to get the cars so bunched up was brought about by manipulation, not by driver or team design, which cheapened it all from my ‘purist’ point of view.
Up to the first exploding Pirelli, it had looked like a Mercedes/Lewis Hamilton walkover, but with Hamilton rejoining way down the order, it then looked like a Vettel/Red Bull walkover, but after a few more Safety Car periods, the order changed again with more dramatic explosions.
Quote of the race day was eventual winner Rosberg (Mercedes) who said, “When Sebastian (Vettel) stopped, to be honest, I won’t lie, I wasn’t disappointed by that one.” And neither were 100,000 British fans at Silverstone, or for that matter, the majority of the fans watching in Jameson’s Irish Pub! “The Finger” exudes an arrogance that does not sit well with many people.
Mark Webber, who seemed much more relaxed now he has given a virtual finger to Red Bull, was unlucky not to take the win, another one lap and the trophy would have been his.
And you can never discount Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), who plugs away throughout the whole race and ends up on the podium almost every time. He has changed so much from being the Sulky Spaniard of a few years ago. We seem to say this every year, but his team mate Massa is crashing too many times, and surely this will be his last year with the Scuderia.
Driver of the day? With so much artificial meddling upsetting the natural order, it is difficult to say, but DiResta coming from stone motherless last to ninth must be in the running for the accolade.
With the German GP this weekend, Pirelli have had a week to find the answer. I predict Pirelli will fall on their sword at the end of the year, and we will see another manufacturer supplying tyres.
