Back in gear: Hamilton making waves in BelgiumJenson Button returns to Formula One via a summer break in St Tropez. Lewis Hamilton after time in Miami, Hawaii and Los Angeles.
Both must now grasp the live wire of their championship ambitions amid the mist and rain of Belgium.
The Spa-Francorchamps track, host of tomorrow's Belgian Grand Prix, is meant to favour the McLarens driven by the British boys over the Red Bulls, if not over their other rivals, Ferrari.
Yet yesterday, as low cloud blew in and out over the tops of the trees in the Ardennes, the evidence to support the theory was patchy. Much like the precipitation.
It fell sporadically during three hours of practice, curtailing the testing and information-gathering process.
So did the snaking throng of fans who ventured too close to the track to be safe.
They caused a 10-minute break in the afternoon's running.
'A frustrating day,' concluded Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren's team principal.
The fact is that Fernando Alonso, of Ferrari, was fastest. The Spaniard looked as if he was running on rails.
You could venture to say he is slight favourite to win this race, the first since the summer break.
As for the Red Bulls, Sebastian Vettel was fourth quickest and the championship- leader Mar k Webber a distant 18th.
Virgin's Timo Glock was the unlucky one making a mess of his car in a smash.
The pointers, though, are flimsy. Are the Red Bulls, for example, hiding their true pace? Definitive judgments should be suspended.
Glock stopped: The car of Timo Glock remains on the track after he crashed yesterdayThat's good news for Button, who recognises the importance of this weekend - and the next race in Italy - to his and Hamilton's hopes of finishing the season as the world's supreme driver.
It's pretty much make-or-break time, he opined.
'I think if our car was as competitive as the Red Bulls it would be easier,' said Button, the defending champion.
'You know you cannot make mistakes.
'It is a tough position to be in. All you can do is work hard. We know these next two races are important for us. They will suit us for one reason or another - lower downforce or aerodynamic parts on the car - but our pace will be a lot closer and we need to make that count before we get back to high downforce tracks.
'We will make improvements by then but it's a lot of time to make up with the pace they've got.'
This track is thought to favour McLaren because their Mercedes engine has marginally more horsepower than the Ferrari engine and way more than the Renault engine, which powers the Red Bulls.
The climb through the venerated Eau Rouge corner and along the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes, therefore, suits McLaren's greater grunt.
So will Monza on September 12, with its low downforce characteristics.
It's time McLaren cashed in. Otherwise, with the remaining venues supposedly favouring Red Bull, it could mark an end to British title aspirations.
Dark day: Red Bull Formula One driver Mark Webber endured plenty of frustrationWebber was not downcast by his poor showing yesterday.
'Today was a bit messy, with the changing conditions, but it was actually pretty good for us,' said the Australian.
'There are a few quick guys out there, but we're not slow either. It's just difficult to get a feel for what everyone's doing in the changing weather.'
The weather is forecast to be pertinent to the outcome, in qualifying today and the race tomorrow.
It is traditionally capricious here and this year is no exception. Alonso expanded on the theme.
'You need to gamble in qualifying and the race,' said the 2005 and 2006 champion, one of the five drivers in title contention.
'You need to make the right decision at the right moment because you can gain two or three seconds in one lap.'
The fascination as we enter the last seven races of the season is that the fight is finely balanced between progress in the factory and nerve on the track.
There has been much talk of the FIA, the sport's governing body, outlawing the f lexible wing used by Red Bull.
Not so. It has again passed scrutineering despite a more stringent test.
Then we heard the floor of the car was of dubious design. It remains in use.
'We take it as a compliment,' said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
'It is a tribute to the ingenuity the team have shown. If our rivals can't work out what we have devised, the easiest thing for them to do is to object to it.
'It's so close between the top five that whoever strings a few results together over the next seven races will make the difference.'
Or as Hamilton said: 'We've really got to optimise and capitalise on these two races.'
So they, at least, know what's needed.
source :dailymail
