TheChequeredFlag

McLaren head to Canada in buoyant mood on the bounce of their somewhat fortuitous one-two in Turkey two weeks ago. The term fortuitous may be a little unfair as the British duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were on the leaders’ pace all weekend, and had it not have been for the aerodynamic occlusion in F1 currently, the pair may well have been celebrating a one-two anyway.

They are both likely to be on the pace again this weekend, and should be the team to beat. The McLaren’s have a power advantage because of their strong engine and excellent f-duct system, therefore, the car should work well on Montreal’s long-straights.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren CEO, had to clear-up some rumours of miscommunication and discomfort surrounding Hamilton’s first win of the season this week before heading to North America. The 2008 world champion appeared very subdued on the podium, prompting stories of team unhappiness.

The incident in question relates to Lap 48 where Button attempted to overtake Hamilton heading into Turn 12, and initially taking the lead. Hamilton, though, emerged into Turn 1 with his lead back after another great overtaking maneuver.

The issue that Hamilton had is that he was under the impression that Button had been ordered not to overtake because the pair were attempting to save fuel. The command given by Phil Prew was, in fact, an opinion, not an order, and subsequently that opinion was wrong, this is according to Whitmarsh.

The pair appear to have put this mishap behind them, and now appear to back on good form with each other. How much of a problem there was in the first place remains a mystery though, and it’s quite possible the situation has been sensationalized. However, another incident involving the pair may have the paparazzi screaming ‘Alonso – Hamilton 2007′ and we all know how that ended.

The term fortuitous may have sounded a little harsh regarding McLaren’s victory. The term idiocy is a spot-on portrayal of what happened in the Red Bull team. With the McLaren drivers needing to save fuel, another one-two finish was almost a certainty for the Milton Keynes squad. Then enter Lap 41.

The first rule of overtaking is not to crash into your opponent, particularly not your team-mate. F1 drivers may be a different breed in terms of wealth, fitness and lifestyles. Nevertheless they are still human beings, and human beings make mistakes, especially when travelling 180mph for the lead of a Grand Prix.

Vettel, all hot-headed, suggested Webber was crazy and used the infamous finger swirling on the side of the head to make his point. Webber in the post-race conference blamed his young team-mate, and frankly, the video evidence sides with the 33-year-old Australian. Either way, in the heat of the moment things are said and apologies follow afterwards, unwelcome but that’s what adrenalin does.

The unacceptable mistake, where the term idiocy is appropriate, came within the management. Immediately after the race Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko pointed the finger at Webber’s door, suggesting the owner Dietrich Mateschitz “wasn’t happy” with him.

Team principal Christian Horner also insinuated that it was Webber’s fault, prompting more reports of team bias towards Vettel and further rumours that Webber would be leaving at the end of the season.

Thankfully for Red Bull, some of the damage it seems has been repaired. Their PR have gone into overdrive this week; firstly releasing pictures of the the two drivers laughing and joking, and then announcing the re-signing of Mark Webber for another year.

Webber was expected to sign for another year anyway, but the incident in Turkey most likely hastened the statement. Christian Horner also tried to mend his reputation this week by doing an interview with the BBC.

He blamed the high emotions for the comments made, and admitted mistakes had been made straight after the race.

“There were a few opinions that were voiced without all the facts made available. Emotions are running high, one or two comments were made without all the facts to hand,” he said.

“In the cold light of day it was a racing accident, nothing more, nothing less. It was wrong to blame either driver,” the team boss continued.

The incident seems to have been swept under the carpet, and the team is now desperate to move on from their disastrous weekend. The team must now follow up their words and make sure a situation doesn’t arise again. Racing accidents happen, they have done since the birth of F1, and will continue.

What mustn’t continue is the management getting involved in driver squabbles before knowing the facts. The management have a job to manage, and in Istanbul, the Red Bull management failed massively.

Meanwhile, the return of the Canadian Grand Prix has perked up the drivers as it is one of the all-time favourite circuits on the F1 calendar. It promises to be an amazing weekend, and an uncertain one with McLaren and Red Bull expected to fight for victory, which can only lead to high-drama once again. Who says F1 is boring?