So much has been happening in F1 it’s hard for even the most dedicated follower to keep up with. Like many, I have grown weary of the politics, posturing and ego parades that have overshadowed the racing and was profoundly relieved when it was finally announced that peace had broken out between FOTA and the FIA and there would not be a breakaway manufacturers’ series over the proposed budget-capped, two-tier F1.

This had to be inevitable outcome as Bernie Ecclestone and FOM would have seen a large percentage of their income disappear and it was fairly unlikely that Bernie would let that happen.  Part of the deal was that Max Mosley agreed not to stand for re-election as FIA President when his current tenure comes to an end in October.  However, rather than go gracefully, no sooner had the FOTA bosses started to thank him for his invaluable contribution to the sport, wished him a long and happy retirement whilst having a whip-round (to buy a clock of course), than he announced he might change his mind! 

This is basically because he is annoyed by, amongst other things, that FOTA representatives have claimed that FIA Senate president Michel Boeri is now in charge of F1, that he was forced out of office and that he would have no role in the FIA once he steps down in October.

Definitely going are the planned £40m budget cap and the two-tier regulations.  In return the FOTA teams will sign up to a new Concorde agreement until 2012 and agree to reduce the cost competing “to the level of the early 1990s”.  Anyone know what the heck that is supposed to mean?

When the 2010 F1 Championship entry list was published, this included the three teams who had entered under the proposed budget-capped regulations.  Where this leaves them is unclear, though FOTA have said they will help the independents.

The three new teams whose entries were accepted were something of a surprise in that they do not included Prodrive, whom I would have thought were a shoo-in. Also not getting an entry was Lola, who said they were well on with their car.

15 teams submitted entries and those not initially accepted were put on a reserve list, including Italian team N.Technology.  As a Ferrarista, I knew they were responsible for the largely unsuccessful 575GT1 car, but didn’t realise they ran the works Alfas and took three European Touring car titles.  Apparently they are also responsible for Formula Master, whatever that is.

Anyway, they withdrew their entry after being put on the reserve list, as did Lola.  There were some other interesting entries rejected, like Epsilon Euskadi, as were all of the teams who had attempted to resurrect such once-great names as Team Lotus and Brabham Grand Prix!  The former was the name for the Norfolk-based Litespeed F3 team bid and the latter for Formtech, who own many of the assets of the defunct Super Aguri (before that Arrows) team. 

Whereas Litespeed were granted the right to use the iconic name by rights holder David Hunt, the Brabham family were reported to be taking legal action to prevent the name being used.  At one time it was reported that another defunct F1 name would be submitting an entry, March.  If this had happened, maybe the wheel could have gone full circle with the former FIA President becoming a team principal again!  I think this is about as likely as we are to actually see a new March-Cosworth 101, but would not be at all surprised to see an Aston-Martin (Prodrive) appear, should one of the teams who have been accepted fall by the wayside.  I wonder if their car would be front-engined like last time? Aston/Prodrive is different, but I wish people would let these great historic marques rest in peace.

So who did get in?  The much talked about USF1 was no surprise, though I will be surprised if it actually does happen, neither was current GP2 title holder Campos Meta.  Their entry gains even more weight when you see that their car will be built by Dallara.  The third successful entrant was a complete surprise; there was not a whisper that Manor Grand Prix would submit an entry, in marked contrast to some who were clearly dreamers.  I was gutted that my Gleed MG badged entry stalled when I found my local Post Office had closed and I couldn't get it in on time.

Manor GP is based on the highly successful F3 and F Renault team.  Their car will be produced by Wirth Research Limited, the company owned by former F1 engineer and team boss Nick Wirth who did the technically interesting Simtek.  Lately the company has produced the race-winning Acura ALMS car.  
 
All will be powered by Cosworth engines, who describe themselves thus: “Cosworth is a leading provider of high performance technologies to a diverse range of global industries including aerospace, defence, automotive, marine, motorsport and energy generation. Cosworth leverages its unique combination of advanced technologies, engineering expertise and globally recognized brand to deliver performance solutions.”  Wonder what their plain-speaking late founder would have made of this!

Whilst all this was going on we’ve had two Grand Prix.  In Turkey Button and Brawn continued their winning ways.  Sebastian Vettel qualified on pole ahead of Button and Barrichello.  Vettel’s Red Bull was lighter, so he had to stay ahead.  This he failed to do, sliding wide in turn 9, Jenson was through and that was pretty well it.  Rubens had another disastrous start with the anti-stall kicking in and the car bogging down.  He then had a wild race with a spin and clipping a front wing against Sutil before retiring with gearbox problems.

Vettel was on a three-stop strategy which failed when he couldn’t pass Button.  Insult was added to injury when he fell behind his two-stopping team mate Mark Webber.  Button, Webber and a sulky Vettel comprised the first three.  Toyota returned to form with Trulli finishing fourth after winning the place in the pit-stops from Nico Rosberg.  For the last three years Felipe Massa totally dominated this race.  This year he had to settle for sixth.  Sauber BMW’s Robert Kubica came home seventh to score his first points of the year.  Glock completed the points scorers for Toyota. 

Kimi trundled home ninth after making a bad start and hitting Alonso’s Renault.  Things were even worse for Ferrari’s rival over the last few years, McLaren finishing 13th and 14th, with Kovalainen ahead of the World Champion, who could not make it through Q1.  Another boring race attended by very few spectators.

In marked contrast, there were very many thousands at Silverstone a fortnight later for the British GP, the last to be held there - possibly.  The difference between Turkey and Silverstone, particularly in spectator levels and the way this was treated, seemed to me to somehow represent the difference between Max and Bernie’s vision of F1 and that of the traditional fans. 

FOTA had talked about making the show better and cheaper for the fans in their alternative series.  They looked determined to break away and the fans and the media seemed to be with them.  There was a sense that most had had enough of the way things have been run, revolution was in the air, Then things beginning to change....

Out of the blue Bernie announced that it would be possible for the race to be held there if Donington was not ready.  He said this was because of new initiatives by the team managing the place, but Silverstone being a prime candidate for the UK round of a FOTA breakaway series which was looking extremely likely cannot have hurt either

Max cannot have sensed it because he gave an extraordinary TV interview in which he was as articulate and uncompromising as ever and where he described some of FOTA as “loonies”.  I wonder if after this Bernie had a quiet word, or whether it was the palpable air of rebellion; whatever, on the Wednesday afterwards peace was declared and Max was on his way out. Despite his final flurry (still going on) I believe his days really are drawing to their end (remember Bernie’s money).

With five wins from the first six races, the huge partisan crowd was eagerly anticipating a British Button victory.  I had to smile as I saw a little lad wearing Vodafone McLaren overalls and a Brawn GP cap; that sums up the difference a year makes in the relative fortunes of Hamilton and Button and the fickle nature of fame. 

However, things did not go to plan.  The Brawn car is easy on its tyres, which has been a good thing in the hot races up to now, but was less than ideal in the British "summer".  Jenson was struggling to get heat into his tyres and was slow.  He could only qualify sixth and it looked like we were set for another Henmanesque performance.  However, I have to say that I didn’t think he was anything like as good as this year has shown him to be. 

Rubens did better, qualifying second, but he could do nothing about the flying Vettel.  With Red Bull running a big upgrade, unlike Brawn, he took pole by over three-tenths.  The post-qualifying weights showed he was heavier than the Brawns, so cock-up or breakdowns apart, it looked like job done and thus it proved.  In the race Vettel charged away extending his lead by over a second a lap.  Team mate Webber got trapped behind Rubens.  He only stopped a lap later than the Brawn, but did enough to come out of the pits just in front of him, and then it was a comfortable cruise to another Red Bull 1-2 ahead of Rubens in third. 

Button got swamped at the start and ended up sixth, though he did find some pace in his last stint on the softer tyres.  Massa was fourth for Ferrari, a good effort after he could only qualify 11th. The Ice(cream)man qualied ninth, ran fifth early on, had one lap in fourth before losing out to Rosberg (fifth) Button (sixth) and Trulli (seventh) in pit-stops over the race, finally coming home eighth. Ferrari was the only team to run KERS, a Mosley initiative which all have admitted has been an expensive red herring and will be dumped next year.

One of the sights of the race was two World Champions, Alonso and Hamilton scrapping for 14th place in their recalcitrant carriages.  Alonso’s Renault had got no traction and the Hamilton’s McLaren no grip.  It seems that the downforce just lets go at a certain speed and the Macca was 15kph slower through Copse than the Force India! 

He came home 16th after a late race spin.  Knowing it was hopeless, he was actually quite cheery, even treating the crowd to a few post-race burnouts.  If he’d done that after his sublime win in the wet last year, what’s the betting he would have been disqualified?

Finally, with Brawn and Newey cars dominating the year, I thought I’d look back and see just how long these two have been at the top.  From 1992-1994 it was Newey at Williams, ‘95 Brawn (Benetton), ’96 & ’97 Newey (Williams), ’98 Newey (McLaren) ’99-2004 Brawn (Ferrari); so it’s only been in the last four of the previous 17 seasons that one of these two hasn’t been a Big Cheese in the team winning.