The European Grand Prix - Highlights Formula 1

Well koum to the fourth Grand Prix from the Valencia street circuit. A

venue that hasn't impressed since entering the Formula One calendar.

All the action from the race coming your way. Here are the highlights

of qualifying. Anyone who came to Valencia hoping

for a surprise result in qualifying would have left the track sorely

disappointed. Sebastian Vettel was quickest again, so starts on pole

for the seventh time after this season's eight races. Jarno Trulli

showed how tricky the track is, with lazy spin, the pits were

nearby. Today we just went for one go, and

on the first lap, I got big traffic I couldn't do it on the first lap

and then on the second lap the tyre was already gone. Faced with a

failing fuel pump, he couldn't find the hard shoulder and parked his

car in the middle of the track and suspended the session.

Into the top ten shootout everyone qual satisfied where they wanted to.

Toro Rosso has an advantage to the - Nico Rosberg has an advantage for

the race. Where we are there isn't much

chance to look forward, so it will be more staying in position and

driving to the end and take the points that we can take. From the

highs of Canada, Jenson Button was brought back to earth with a bump,

only sixth on the grid, the rear of the car getting away from him,

meaning the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso start

ahead of the McLaren on the grid a great result for Alonso on home

soil. We know that this is our maximum position at the moment, Red

Bull is out of reach as the last 13 pole positions regarding the last

races of last year. This is no magic tricks from one day to

another, the real goal was to beat the McLaren, one in front and one

behind, the goal is achieved. We will be starting between them and

hopefully tomorrow we can fight for podium, which is the main goal for

this weekend. For the top three, as they were at

this track last year, Lewis Hamilton felt he drove a brilliant

lap and outdrove the car for a brilliant position. Mark Webber was

under pressure on the final run. Sebastian Vettel called off his

final attempt and retired to consider his genius behind the

wheel. He has 20 pole positions, tenth in the list, only two behind

Nicky Lauder. I would love to finish in my position, I would be

more than happy. Race pace has been pretty good over the last few races,

as Jensen proved. See how it isth goes. It was a good time to peak

and get the last time on the last lap, it was good lap to put me

pretty close to him, ahead of the two McLarens and Ferrari. I would

have taken that in the middle of qualifying. It is difficult to

predict, especially with the races we have seen so far, surely, when

you start from pole, you don't want to finish second.

So Vettel, the only driver smiling after qualifying, Mark Webber

alongside at track the Australian dislikes. Lewis Hamilton will be

looking to overtake one Red Bull from the start. An early six

followed by Schumacher, Adrian are looking at the back of the

field for a man with a Green Flag. They are on, they stayed on for

just three seconds in all of the other races we have seen this

weekend. They are off. Vettel looked a bit tardy off pole

position, Webber is going up the outside, he's close in, the

Ferraris are away, Massa with a tremendous start. Massa up the

inside, and Webber, and he has to yield, so Alonso takes the place

back. Ferrari then, third and fourth. Not great start for Lewis

Hamilton, as Alonso maintain that is position into the turn, four and

five shi cane. Look at Vettel doing exactly what he needs to do.

great go from Di Resta. No contact, unusual from this track. It seems

the winner was Alonso, Hamilton and Button, both dropping back, bad

starts from the McLarens. We have Rosberg up in sixth place, look at

the lead Vettel has already. It will be very interesting now to see

what Ferrari can do about Mark Webber. We have Lewis Hamilton in

fifth, then Rosberg, Jenson Button, and Paul di Resta then attacking

like crazy. He has lost a front wing in the last few races, it

doesn't seem to slow him down in terms of aggressive overtakes.

think that is exhaust smoke coming out of the front of the Renault T

blows smoke out where the inlet is for the radiator. It was blowing

dust that has been put down to soak up oil from the cement. Full tanks

of fuel, around 150 kilograms of fuel on board.

I love this camera shot. You can really see the cars, even at that

speed, doing 160 miles an hour, sliding around. Tremendous camera

angle, hopefully we will see more of that in the race. Vettel leads.

Alonso, Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Sutil up to ninth.

That is the first lap. 8.6 seconds Barrichello was hin the

leader. That is the field spread you get inevitably in Grand Prix.

Petrov had a poor start. Perez 16th, Alguersuari 17th. Lotus are 19 and

20. Maldonado is 22nd, D'Ambrosio 23rd, Karthikeyan remains in 24th

place. As Webber begins to pull a gap on the Ferrari, but Hamilton is

hanging on to them. Hopefully we will get a replay of the start.

Rosberg absolutely flying off the start again. If the Mercedes is

struggling on tyre degradation as we are led to believe, that could

be a headache for Button today. has obvious lie the use of the DRS

to find out - obviously has the use of the DRS and we will find out if

that is working. This is the corner just after where

Mark Webber went flying last year. Getting back on to the Mercedes.

They have said they have been eating up the rear tyres in the

long run. One of the big challenges, with this replay of the start, you

were quite right, initially the gettaway for Vettel was tartdy, but

so much better than - tardy, but so much better than Hamilton, he was

overtaken from turn one. Massa goes at Vettel, backs out of it, aweth

allows Alonso to go around his team-mate and take the place. There

is Rosberg getting the outside of Button.

Watch Massa flick past Alonso, he just can't seem to get the starts

right. Massa has himself up into third, challenging for second,

Alonso, a wiley old fox that he is, goes down the outside and takes

third place back. A greet run down to the first corner, tremendous

skill, Massa was the man getting the work done there. At the moment

Button is fine, but he's around the outside, Rosberg gets on the trot

early and drives clean past him. Some how they all make it work.

Vettel is.8 seconds ahead. They enter on to the third lap. Sorry,

terrible start for Petrov. As you you were counting off there,

Renault in the past, we have Toro Rosso up the outside. The Russian

called it home in the time, it was not a homely feeling off the grid.

In car with Lewis Hamilton, absolutely bogging down as he goes

off the line. And Massa making an absolute flyer. He has a look down

outside, not really committed. I feel if mass Mass Hamilton he would

have made the pass stick. Ross Rosberg having to go defensive into

the - Nico Rosberg having to go defensive in the last corner.

Button brakes later into turn two. You sense it is only a matter of

time, he's ten seconds off the leader is Button, as he's got car

underneath him now, I think he's faster than the Mercedes. We heard

the measuring spinning up its wheels which will damage the tyres.

It is difficult to see how the pace goes. There is no doubt the McLaren

is quicker, but there are areas where the Mercedes is quicker. See

there, the Mercedes drives off turn ten. That means with the point

where Jensen crosses the line to open his DRS he's too far back. He

hasn't used any of his K-Rs. There maybe a problem.

Maybe he wants to keep that, so you can use it for DRS, and indeed, he

wants both the toys to play with, and so he's got extra power, and

now he has extra straight lines. As we said yesterday, the Mercedes

topped the speed traps in every session, practice and qualifying.

These two cars have identical engine, but the downforce to drag

of the Mercedes, or the decision they have made on their car, as we

see a great shot here. This is the one where you love them coming

round the wall at turn 24. A much better drive this time. A

concertina effect. He has so much better speed through turn one. He

has to have a look down inside turn two. Superb. Great overtake from

Jensen. The brakes are so powerful, they stop you at 5.5 times the

force of gravity, that is the speed you see, if you are on the brakes

five metres later, that was incredible footage. Watch this,

watch the difference as Jensen brakes later. I think nick co-was

almost a little bit surprised by him there. Steaming past and

committed to the braking, he needed to get the pass done. He's a dozen

seconds off the leader. We will wait to see. Let's have a look up

front. That is interesting. The Ferraris in the last two laps have

matched Vettel and Webber's time. So it seems as if it is just coming

to them gently now, the gap, it is only two seconds geen Vettel and

Webber. Alonso is now 1.1 behind Webber, and closing fast in the

first sector, will he get the advantage of the DRS any time soon?

Hamilton deciding he has enough of the tyres. We will keep an eye on

his lap times. Will that mean that Massa has to respond? Otherwise the

undercut, the fresh boots on that car will give Hamilton such a lot

of grip. The pit exit and outlap, and the in

lap, it is so easy to lose time. They are as closely analyses than

anything else you other do. It is hard to find an intense performance

from the car. If the driver doesn't get his in lap or out lap, when

you're trying to find out where are the tyres performing and where is

the extra grip, if he's hesitant that can giveaway half a lap. That

is crucial later in the race. clock is always running, whether in

the pit lane or 190 miles an hour in the braking zone. Vettel leads

Webber by 3.5 seconds, Alonso third, Massa fourth. Button free of

Hamilton has pitted. Schumacher stayed out, Rosberg has also pitted,

we have a big oversteer, that is a set of rear tyre that is are drying

Heidfeld passes Sutil. Sutil having just pitted, Heidfeld sorts him out.

Sorry, I can see Red Bull mechanics getting out on the pit lane,

Ferrari are poised as well. Indeed we have Webber in the pit. 40 miles

an hour the pit lane speed lane, 60kms an hour. Webber on the soft

tyres too. Massa didn't come in, I had a feeling Massa was coming in

but he didn't. He hasn't responded. Let's have a look at Hamilton's

times. He's just done the fastest final sector of the Grand Prix. His

outlap was a 1.53.3. Include thank included getting up to speed out of

the pit lane, that could put him right in amongst the Ferraris I

would have thought. Ferrari has not reacted at this time. I would have

thought that McLaren would be pretty pleased about that. They pay

a hef heer price in the Grand Prix, their tyres have gone further.

Track position is everything. Hamilton's stop on 14 is bang on

for a three stop. We expect to see him in at 28 and 42, they are

threading tyres potentially for Jenson Button. Ferrari want to go

as long as they can, they feel they haven't reached the cliff with

these it atyres and feel they can go for a few more - tyres and feel

they can go for a few more laps. Hamilton flying on these fresh tyre,

unsurprisingly. Maybe fare vary, then, are going to try to do one

less stop, instead of the pace that ham is put anything out there, that

may chaink their tune. - change their tune? Ferrari and McLaren are

coming in for a pit stop. We have Mercedes as well, the bottom end of

this pit lane, all of the four teams, McLaren, Mercedes, and Red

Bull are servicing their cars. Pretty busy down there, one pit

crew to service both drivers. They have to scarper out of the way with

the Jacks. And as we watch the Ferrari get up to the speed,

unsurprisingly they are all putting on soft tyres. Hamilton has done a

new time for the lap, where exactly is he in relation to the Ferrari.

He's still behind them. Hamilton hasn't made the difference. He's

right there. That's button leaving the pits. He lost a lot of time.

Mark Webber, with his mirrors full of scarlet Ferrari. The Red Shoes

bulls are charging, the prancing mass marks he's beginning to get

pace again. Rosberg is nine seconds behind. Sutil is in eighth, having

a good run for India. Webber, increasingly coming under pressure.

This gets really difficult, not only is he trying to focus on

extracting the maximum from these tyres.

Try one click rear wards if you need more frontal entry. Rear

temperatures, that is tyre temperatures or brakes, he says try

one brake click forward, it is brakes, that is the only thing to

control from the cockpit. He's driving to be defensive, you don't

explore the breaking point as much as you would if you are running

alone with the ability to search out the grip. This car constantly

changes. You are burning off two- and-a-half kilos of fuel each lap

or slightly less. The performance of the car is getting lighter,

playing off against the degradation of the tyre, which is getting tired.

It is losing performance. I thought he said one click rear ward, I

wondered if it was the differential. There are centres on the tyres

reading tyre temperatures. The teams know exactly what is going on.

Look how close Alonso is now. He's diving around the back and up the

inside. Will Webber yield? He has to. Fantastic form, Fernando Alonso

there. Absolutely opportunist, and the crowd enjoyed that one.

Alonso from nowhere pounced and the job was done. What can he do about

the leader. Look at the gap he has pulled

already, that was a key part of this Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso,

really earned ...there is dust coming up, it is still the cement

dust. It is coming behind Webber's car. We Mark Webber seems to be

struggling with the rear of his car. You have a massive run into turn 12,

this is the area where Webber went flying last year, a clean manoeuvre,

he doesn't fight it too much. almost sells him a dummy, he goes

left and switches right, and then gets the turning point to the

corner, runs wide so he can't come back at him. Another set of soft

tyres going on for Lewis Hamilton, what's going on there?

He went too early, there was a sign from the people there.

It says 4.4 for the stop, does it include the hesitation after the

stop was nearly over there. Webber then goes into the pit lane.

Eches getting very close behind Alonso. So Webber pits first.

Will this give him the undercut as well. That could put a lot of

pressure on Ferrari, that would take the pressure off Vettel up

front as well. This is a key pit stop for Red Bull. Holding the revs

easily so the car doesn't rock with torque on the Jacks, or they can't

get the guns on to the spindle. It is a 3.7 for Red Bull, it is

Ferrari's decision to make r they going to have to? Definitely a

three stop for Webber, he has the option again, they go into

qualifying with three sets of the each of the tyre compounds, in a

dry race they must use both of them. If you are new to Formula One we

will remind you of that. They have to get out on both the tyres at

some point. They want to use the lower tyres, somewhere between 1.5-

2 seconds slower, depending on the team. Alonso, it all looks so

steady, doesn't it. That looks very steady to me.

Alonso struggling for grip, he will pit, he will have to respond, there

is a bunch of traffic as well. We have Sebastian Vettel coming up

behind Petrov, is that Maldonado there amongst them. We can see the

Ferrari mechanics are out in the pit lane. If it is a stop, yes,

Fernando Alonso coming in for another set of options. There is

oversteering going into the pit lane, no rear braking power. It is

an early warning system. You run out of rubber compound on the rear

tyre, Alonso was really struggling on that in lap. Where is Webberer?

Massa goes through. He's going to jump him, or pass him. That is the

undercut for you, pitted one lap earlier, had the extra grip, he was

over a second behind him as we got to Maldonado, preparing to come

from another race track somewhere, the other Valencia circuit.

Webber back in front. They blinked and got it right. Great stuff from

Red Bull strategy. Now Fernando Alonso has to do it all again.

turns the tables, that puts Red Bull back in charge now? One thing

I didn't finish is to say Ferrari have been strulling with the tie -

struggling with the tyres. Rear tyre temperatures are very hot.

can't go any slower. Understood. He can't go any slower? We both

know that is not the case. There is a clear message to his engineer,

please stop talking to me. I'm frustrated, I'm trying to drive

this car quickly, and you just can't make the tyres last. It would

be an indication of lack of downforce. Massa is ahead of Webber

at the moment. Coasting in when it suits them. Jensen is in the pits

as well. Another set of the soft tyres going on to confirm they will

stop again. Both Red Bull and at least Alonso have to stop. Massa

leads the Grand Prix, but is yet to do the second spot. Massa didn't

quite lead the Grand Prix, he didn't get through. Massa could

come into play with Webber, if Ferrari went strategic, they could

put Massa out for lap, let's not worry about him he will be fourth,

let's use him to back into Webber. You are right, he can really 1308

spoil T he's struggling for rear grip. Webber won't be athere for

long. He last the DRS on, it is the perfect place. Massa goes defensive,

so much slower and earlier on the brakes.

Massa is holding up Alonso now. Look at the gap that is giving

Webber up front. Traffic ahead, has he seen him. How do they find time

to make hand signals while trying not to have an accident. He ran out

of tyre grip. Candy from the baby, as Webber drove outside him. The

top three are covered now by 3.1 seconds. A set of used soft tyres

and a very long pit stop indeed. Left rear didn't go on properly.

I think we need to try to up our pace again for the next few laps.

This is as fast as I can go. He couldn't go any slower before

with the tyres now he can't go any faster. They are getting jumpy is

because Felipe Massa is closing in on a second a lap now, aiming at

fourth place. This is intriguing, what has happened to McLaren's race

place, they were looking like the nearest challenger to Red Bull. In

terms of underlying race pace, the quickest at the last three Grand

Prixs, what is wrong here. There are eight traction zones on this

track, the high-speed corners you are not pulling lateral G, or high-

speeds necessarily, it is all about traction keeping the rear tyres in,

that is the difference, I agree. Silverstone will cause challenge,

high-speed corners, a lot of them. Possibly the fastest section, the

Beckett section. I recommend anyone going to the Grand Prix, to hang

out and watch the cars at high- speed. It is very much a case of

point and squirt around the street Sir sit. Massa still catching. We

are on board with Button, let's see if we can see any dramas. This pace

is OK, without K-RS, the best thing is to stay on this tyre as long as

possible. The final phase of pit stops. McLaren in the pit lane as

well. Lewis Hamilton in on this lap,

we're hearing. We are hearing an important stop there, it looked

good enough. Now we will see how this medium compound tyre works.

And 6.3 stop for Webber, not too bad. It is all about now getting on

it, on the outlap. Whether it exits the pits as Lewis Hamilton enters.

So, brand-new set of tyres that they saved from qualifying, they

are going to go on that car. If we go back to Webber, he has come out

behind Petrov and Barrichello, battling for position. That could

be be costly if he can't run a clean run on the outlap and extract

the maximum from the prime towers. That was Webber getting out of

shape, heading for the pit lane. Presumably, they knew he was in

that lap. I really has it all wound up

through there. Talking about it earlier, up to maximise in laps and

out lap, they will be critical when you rejoin the track. He is in the

clean air, the fastest middle sector, it is only two tenth slower

than Sebastian Vettel's last lap. It is key what Mark Webber can

deliver on the tyres. He hasn't done a personal best in the first

two sectors of the out lap. Webber goes over the line with a 54.9.

He's dropping back, the traffic isn't holding him up. Mark looked

like he was having a problem and really close after the pit lane and

now look at him. Alonso is in the pit. I'm surprised

they didn't leave him out longer? They would have lost too much time

trying to get past the guys inbetween them. Webber has done a

1.42.7, horrible traffic in front of him. So, where is he, it's not

enough. Look that too, it works out

perfectly for Alonso. He manages to get past Petrov, and so does Webber.

Loot of traffic ahead, that will be there. Di Resta, Glock in there,

Barrichello, all trying to get out of the way. That, of course, is for

position. Paul di Resta has just come out

from his second stop. Barrichello right behind him. Alonso getting

caught up in that. Mark Webber right behind him now. Unusual to

see so many cars fighting all the way down the field, no retirement

and that's giving extra problems for the tragedyist to work out just

how they can feed their drivers' back into some clean air. All sorts

of action in the last corner. That is Di Resta. Kovalainen, Petrov, Di

Resta comes back at him for position. At the moment Di Resta

has just finish add pit stop, side by side, just as they meet, Toro

Rosso coming out of the pit lane as well just for good measure. There

it is, good racing all the way down the field. Vettel pits, the leader

pits. Ten laps to go. Sebastian Vettel finally will come in for

those medium compound tyres. He obviously felt these rears

beginning to go for. He has gone right to the edge of them and

decided that now is a good time, how is traffic going to work for

him. They will have to get out of the

way pretty quickly, they are lapped, effectively. Mark we have a gear

box problem wrecks need you to short shift in the low gears.

were seeing that earlier, it is the case, we have said it before with

Mark Webber, if he didn't have bad luck he wouldn't have any luck at

all. They have detected something in the software which has told them

to be careful and redouse the gears. You can hear him, second, third,

fourth, he has enough of a window, and 3 second window with Hamilton

behind. Any hopes in the last three laps of securing second place have

all the way, not taking the extra grip when available. Playing the

long game. Keeping the car in good track position. So calm behind the

wheel of this Red Bull Renault. We will see how many tear-offs in his

advisor, he hasn't had to use any this afternoon - visor, he hasn't

had to use any. He led from the lights going out, other than the

pit stop place, this is again a study in dominance for Sebastian

haven't seen him put a wheel wrong. Other than possibly just

fractionally slow off the start line. That is all you could say was

not perfect for him today. As he heads towards the end of the 57th

and final lap. That is the Grand Prix in Valencia, Sebastian Vettel

will take his sixth win in eight races of this Grand Prix season. An

utterly dominant performance, yet again, from Sebastian Vettel. Red

Bull will not get a 1-2. Because this man, in the back of your

picture, Fernando Alonso, at least, has kept Bullingham honest this

afternoon with a strong second place. Mark Webber protecting the

gear box has fallen a long way behind, and has yet to cross the

line. There he is, for the final step on the podium. We wait 20

seconds for Lewis Hamilton to come through that final section. He too

is calm and coasting, not under pressure. Massa was 4.5 seconds, he

he sees his cars win yet again. They take on the might of Ferrari,

McLaren and Mercedes, and they keep on winning. Fantastic drive,

brilliant, pole fastest lap, what a brilliant afternoon, well done.

(screaming) yes, yes. Fantastic place, it is better than anything

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 45 seconds

you could imagine. This was such a centre of the action. We had a

faultless race, the team obviously at the pit everything was under

control, the communication from the car to the pit wall and to the car

was great today. It helped me a lot to know where I am and what is the

plan. All in all, I really enjoyed that race. Even though it might

have been boring to watch. Still when you challenge yourself and the

car. To maintain the gap behind and try to get a little bit away every

gap. Everything works the way you plan things to work t feels great.

When you cross the line and see the checkered flag, all the weight is

checkered flag, all the weight is falling off, it is fantastic.

very encouraging for the team to have the result, to move in the

right direction. We were worried, overall we can be positive for

Ferrari. We saw today Sebastian and Mark were between three or four

seconds within the leader of the race. That is good news for us, but

obviously we want to win every race we go in, at the moment it is not

possible. Even if it is a fantastic week for us, we are not 100% happy

because we want to win that one. was my best race of the year, the

result isn't phenomenal but good. To be in the ball park up to the

last stop, Seb within range, and hiccups we could have pounced.

Pitting for the last time on the harder tyres, Fernando did two more

laps, that was enough. How would you sum up today? Good result

compared to the last race. Nice to see the checkered flag t sounded

frustrating out there, sometimes told to slow down and other times

to get more. How hard is it to take in as a driver and get on with your

job? It wasn't frustrating, we got a poor start. And lost out to the

Ferrari, but in all honesty, we weren't as quick. Even if I was I

would have struggled to stay ahead. Nico's start was not OK, it was the

only fun part of the race getting ahead of him in turn two. Apart

from that, not the most exciting race. From your seat? From my seat,

I didn't see another car for the whole race. It seems we have taken

a step backwards this weekend in terms of performance. The others

have taken a step forward maybe. To be able to finish at least fourth

is still good points from other races I have had. To finish eight

seconds behind a Ferrari with all the issues wasn't so bad. We need

good upgrades, we need to get our heads down and improve the car, the

package, aerodie namically we need an improvement for Silverstone, we

are not moving forward. The DRS wasn't as effective as I thought. A

few times in the zone but not really. I didn't get overtaken, I

suppose it is positive from that. It was a difficult weekend right

from the start losing Friday. I suppose when you miss that it is

crucial just to make the car right. I think I was slightly off Adrian's

place. But I could match it at some points. It was an OK race, let's

discuss it with David Coulthard and sum it up in a minute. I suppose

you would say, great for some, good for some, pretty bad for others.

What I take out of the race is Ferrari were contenders, one slip

from Sebastian Vettel, we saw a few minutes ago, they could have come

through and had an amazing victory. Sebastian Vettel was supreme out

front and picked up win number six. Sell us something about Sebastian,

it - tell us something about Sebastian, it tells us something

about a few weeks ago? acknowledged he gave away a victory

within half a lap of the checkered flag within one of the most

challenging races this year. McLaren where is the race pace?

is all about tyres, the option tyres were significantly quicker