Five candidates for a crown

Mark Webber (Red Bull)
Points : 161; Victories: 4

Career : Today favorite with four victories, Mark Webber was certainly the least expected of the five candidates. An experienced driver but never present on the front of the stage, he waited 132 Grands Prix before winning his first race. F1 in 2009. This year, Sebastian Vettel was expected but the multiple errors of the German, also sometimes betrayed by his car, allowed Mark Webber to step into the breach. Determined and determined, the Australian never lined up behind his teammate and was able to benefit from the – often – egalitarian treatment reserved for Red Bull drivers. Motivated like never before, having jumped at the slightest opportunity presented to him, Webber experienced the success which has sometimes neglected him in recent seasons.

Perspective : Leader of the World Championship, winner four times in twelve races, he presents himself as a serious candidate for the supreme title. Often considered a second knife, the Australian has earned the respect of the paddock, particularly thanks to his performance this season. He now wants to show that he has the makings of a World Champion. The advantage given to Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone (a more advanced front wing), even if the incident is forgotten, only strengthened his motivation.

Decla : " Believe me, Webber is on his way to winning the World Championship this year, believes Flavio Briatore. I don't say that because he is one of my drivers but because anyone who has watched his races can see it. Mark is a driver who can achieve extraordinary performances, while displaying his maturity. »

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
Points : 157; Victories: 2

Career : Often well placed, the Briton let slip quite a few points that his car allowed him to glean. Having remained behind during the first races of the season despite an impressive number of overtakes (32 in 4 races), the 2008 World Champion returned to the forefront during the return of F1 to Europe. But success also counted in his victories: in Turkey, he took advantage of the Vettel-Webber clash and, in Canada, he was able to count on a good tire strategy. He then finished second twice despite a less efficient MP4-25 and, in Hungary, he had to quickly retire, thereby letting go of the reins of the drivers' standings.

Perspective : the Englishman is only four points behind Mark Webber but expresses his concerns about the level of his car. Now the third car in the field, the MP4-25 is having difficulty competing with the RB6 and even the F10. The development phase leading to the home stretch of the championship will be decisive but, if Red Bull and Ferrari keep their advantages, it will be hard for McLaren to stay at the top of the bill.

Decla : " These seven races are going to be difficult, comments Lewis Hamilton. If the Red Bulls stay at this level with the pace we have, we won't have high hopes. We must now give everything we have, in terms of team resources, the knowledge we have, and to be more united than we have ever been »

Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
Points : 151; Victories: 2

Career : The German is clearly not where he hoped to be at this stage of the season, nor where he was expected. Vice-World Champion in 2009, the pilot seemed to have the weapons to seek a world crown. But the start of the season did not conform to his expectations. Leader in Bahrain, he sees a candle fail him; in Melbourne, a defective nut sends it into the gravel trap; in Istanbul, he collides with Mark Webber while the two men are in the lead; at Silverstone, he was overtaken by Mark Webber at the start, just like by the Ferrari drivers at Hockenheim; finally, in Budapest, an error during a restart sent him to a pit stop penalty. Thus, despite a very good drive and seven pole positions (out of twelve possible), the German only won twice. The list of missed opportunities is starting to get long. Too much, no doubt.

Perspective : Vettel can still believe in the title, being mathematically very close to Webber. He also benefits from the best car in the field and knows how to be faster than everyone else on a lap. But his success in racing poses a problem and could well prevent him from being World Champion.

Decla : " He is a very emotional person, confides his boss, Christian Horner. He is on edge and, after Hungary, we could see that he was very disappointed at having let a promised victory slip away. Unfortunately, he has had a dark cloud following him since the beginning of the year. Now we have to make him see the bright side of things. It's part of his learning. »

Jenson Button (McLaren)
Points : 147; Victories: 2

Career : Jenson Button took up the first challenge he had to face, competing against Lewis Hamilton, within a team in which the latter feels at home. Winner of two of the first four races of the year on pneumatic poker shots, the Briton showed off his smooth driving, in opposition to Hamilton's attacking driving. Since then, the reigning World Champion has often played in position and scored points in each race, except in Monaco, where he was betrayed by an overheating engine. Having been on the podium five times, he still has every chance of going to the end.

Perspective : If he was not “eaten” by Lewis Hamilton upon his arrival at the Woking team, Jenson Button no longer has the wind in his sails. Not counting Hamilton?s retirement in Hungary, Button has not been ahead of his teammate for more than three months. The McLaren having been beaten in the last races, it would take a combination of circumstances favorable to the native of Frome for him to retain his title.

Decla : " I am sure we will be more competitive at Spa and Monza, believes the Briton. As we saw earlier, regularity is essential. I think we can maintain this consistency, to score big points, even if luck is not on our side. »

Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
Points : 141; Victories: 2

Career : The Spaniard has alternated hot and cold this season. After his victory in Bahrain, many placed him as favorite for the world title; by the end of June, he seemed to be lost in the title race. But, despite several unfavorable racing events, Fernando Alonso was able to catch up. By force of will and team strategy (which has caused a lot of ink to flow and which will bring Ferrari before the FIA ​​World Council), the native of Oviedo has put himself back in the title race, at 20 points from Mark Webber. In addition, the F10 gained in efficiency during the first summer Grands Prix, allowing the Scuderia to return to the podium.

Perspective : The double World Champion can believe it! Coming back from afar, he always claimed that he was waiting for the summer break to set end-of-season goals. He can rejoice, the title is still accessible. Red Bull does not always manage to convert its poles into victories, the Spaniard can hope to win other races between now and the end of the season. If the “C” version of the F10 proves to be a match for the Red Bull RB6, the former driver Renault will be able to set the highest objective.

Decla : " It's still open, but it will still be difficult, so we stay calm, tempers Alonso. We know we will have to make further improvements to win the Championship. There are still very important races remaining. It was very important to reduce the gap to less than 25 points before the break. »