'What might have been, (if the officials had got it "right")', seems an appropriate theme for both the England - Germany World Cup match and the European Grand Prix Valencia.

The approaches to 'officialdom' of the two sports could not be more different. Football has avoided any move towards technology helping the referees in spotting rule infringements, or as we witnessed on Sunday goal line technology. If England's second 'goal' was allowed, how might the game have changed?  F1 has embraced technology, the stewards and race officials are supplied with a plethora of images and data that allow them to review the incidents on the track and react. However, the speed of decisions and the penalties imposed are subject to human input. And on Sunday that human element went wrong and as a consequence the race result is questionable.

Valencia, should be one of the great tracks; its location on the Spanish Med' coast and the expensive development and gentrification of the port city, the fabulous weather, the long straights and numerous corners. All should make for classic racing; sadly, it does not quite live up to the billing. The weekend race was fine, but will (except for Mark Webber's spectacular crash) be quickly forgotten.



Qualifying on Saturday again produced a Red Bull front line, with Vettel just besting Webber to pole position, Hamilton was a fine third and Fernando Alonso an encouraging forth. Jenson Button was a little disappointing in seventh, but it was the poorly performing Mercedes of Nico Rosberg (12) and Michael Schumacher in fifteenth that was most troubling. (A German owned team not having its own way this weekend).

Webber returned to his performance of old, by having a terrible start in the race and rapidly falling back to ninth place. Vettel by contrast held off the attacking Hamilton, the small coming together between the two at the second corner not damaging his car, (Hamilton's McLaren was damaged and he was fortunate to be able to pit stop for tyres and a new nose cone whilst under safety car conditions, and thereby not lose track position).

Mark Webber made an early pit-stop, he was in traffic and the team changed strategy to try and find a way back in to contention for their erratic driver. Webber on new tyres and perhaps with a descending red midst of frustration, attempted to overtake the Lotus of Heikki Kovalainen by driving over the top of the slower Finn. The Red Bull Car hit the back of the Lotus and reared into the air, crashing upside-down onto the track, rolling and sledding at high speed into the tyre wall. The watching crowned held their breath; surely, Webber would be severely hurt, and maybe worse. Almost immediately, Webber could be seen removing the steering wheel and climbing unscathed out of the badly damaged car.

 
Mark Webber's spectacular crash

It is a great testament to the F1 car designers and the safety regulations that Webber should be fit and well after such a crash, truly remarkable technology. The fans of Webber and Red Bull argued that fault for the incident lay with Kovalainen, that he [Kovalainen] should have moved over because he is in a slower car. In our view, such is nonsense. Firstly and most importantly, Webber was not hurt and the rest pales in comparison, but F1 is about racing, not deciding at outset, which is the faster car, and thus who has the right to insist that other 'slower' car move over. A decent driver in a Red Bull should be able to overtake a Lotus with little difficulty. Webber made a mistake, at such speeds it does not signify he lacks ability, just that he made a driving error. (Such happens even to the very best group of drivers, of which Webber is not a member, and Webber making such a mistake is not uncommon for him).

The deployment of the safety car seemed a little slow, and Vettel had managed to pass the pit lane exit prior the safety car emerging onto the track. Hamilton slowed down, slowing down Alonso and Massa who were following. Hamilton then accelerated and passed the safety car, leaving Alonso and Massa behind the Safety car. Hamilton clearly had broken the rules in passing the safety car, but the drive though penalty punishment was not ordered for another 15 laps (about half an hour), by which time Hamilton was able to serve the drive though penalty without loss of track position.

Hamilton had raced clear of the rest of the pack before following Vettel into the pits,
(Alonso and Massa who were third and fourth respectively had to follow the safety car and pitted one lap latter). Button who was in sixth position was able to dive into the pits immediately the race went under caution and emerged from the pits in fourth behind the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, who had elected not to pit while the race was under caution.  Amazingly, Button could not pass the young Japanese, who drove brilliantly, and justified why his team holds him in such regard.



Kobayashi pitted with six laps remaining, rejoining in ninth place. With fresh tyres, he was able to pass both Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Buemi for a marvellous seventh place finish.

Nine drivers were penalised after the race with a five seconds penalty, but it made no difference to the main places, with Vettel winning, Hamilton second and Button third. Williams's Barrichello took fourth, (his team's best result of the season), Renault's Robert Kubica, fifth and Force India's Adrian Sutil, sixth.

The very unlucky Fernando Alonso was eighth.

The result means that Webber and Alonso have slipped down the Championship standings to fourth and fifth respectably. Vettel now occupies the third spot with the two British drivers, Hamilton and Button going to the British Grand Prix in first and second place.

Alonso must produce a result at Silverstone to keep his championship hopes alive, but with the McLarens due a major upgrade for the race, his task will be even harder.

Silverstone often produces the best racing of the season, and with the increased antagonism amongst the teams and drivers it could well be a classic.

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