2010 European Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hamilton leads the Drivers’ Championship with 109 points, three ahead of teammate Button in second and Webber in third. Alonso is fourth on 94 points, four ahead of Vettel in fifth. McLaren lead the Constructors’ Championship with 215 points; Red Bull are second with 193 and Ferrari third with 161.

Previous race

Hamilton won in Canada to take back-to-back victories after Turkey. Alonso, by contrast, has scored just four points in the previous two rounds after reliability issues and safety car misfortune, and is now 15 points behind Hamilton. Button has become concerned about losing the team’s recent momentum.

Between-race developments

The FIA clarified the safety car rules following a final-lap incident involving Schumacher and Alonso at Monaco: no car may overtake until it has passed the first safety car line for the first time when the safety car is returning to the pits. If the safety car is still deployed at the start of the last lap, it will enter the pits at the end of the lap and cars will take the chequered flag without overtaking.

Car upgrades

Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault all introduce blown diffuser designs inspired by the Red Bull RB6, which has generated extra downforce by directing exhaust gases over the diffuser’s surface. Ferrari’s design reroutes the exhaust system and adds a larger radiator. Mercedes introduces a new rear diffuser to fully utilise exhaust airflow without a new gearbox casing. Renault redesigns the gearbox casing to accommodate the system.

Red Bull runs their F-duct device from Friday practice and retains it for the rest of the weekend after earlier evaluations.

Milestones

Lotus celebrates the 500th Grand Prix for the Lotus name. The team runs a special livery marking the occasion with the number 500 between laurels on the rear of the car. The family of original Team Lotus founder Colin Chapman attends the celebration.

Practice

Three practice sessions were held on a hot, sunny Friday with a dusty track that sent several drivers onto the run-off areas. Rosberg set the first session’s fastest lap at 1:41.175, ahead of Hamilton and Button. Bruno Senna’s left-side mirror detached from his Hispania and grazed his helmet; the debris was then run over by Buemi heading into turn 12, causing the session to be stopped for marshals to clear the track.

Alonso set the day’s fastest lap in the second session at 1:39.283, with Vettel and Webber second and third. Massa caused a disruption after spinning at turn four and narrowly avoiding a barrier; the session was stopped to clear his car from the middle of the track. Glock lost his car’s fifth gear and pulled over at turn 12. Petrov spun at turn 14 and reversed back to rejoin without a red flag.

Vettel was fastest in Saturday’s session at 1:38.052, with Kubica second and Webber third. Sutil was fourth; Alonso, Barrichello, Liuzzi, Massa, Button, and Hamilton completed the top ten.