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Pit Stop

As pool parties go, Red Bull's was pretty impressive after their triumph in Monaco. In the old days, drivers were in danger of ending up in the harbour, bobbing up and down in the Med. The Red Bull pool was in the paddock - on top of their motor home. Obviously, no one has told them that Formula One is looking to cut costs. In these difficult financial times, F1 is still able to master excess.

It was a pretty good back flip from Mark Webber to enter the pool after his comprehensive victory. And there may well be a pretty sharp back flip from the team, too, when it comes to contract negotiations. What a difference a week makes. Webber is in the last year of his contract at Red Bull and speculation has been rife that Kimi Raikkonen, currently kicking his heels rallying, will take over in 2011.

Two pole positions and two wins have put Webber in a strong position. The line from the team and the driver himself is that everything is 'relaxed' and negotiations will follow in good time. However, Webber has gone from hoping Red Bull will keep him on to being able to see what other offers might float his way.

If he's sensible, which he is, he will stay focused on this season. He tops the drivers' championship, albeit by the narrowest margin from teammate Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull proved at Monaco that they are the real deal. Before the race we knew they were fast on fast circuits but had historically struggled on slower tracks. That perception has well and truly been put to bed. Drivers from other top teams have been talking about chasing the Red Bulls and hoping they slip up. Psychologically, Webber and Vettel have the edge.

For Webber, it's a gilt-edged chance to be the first Australian champion since Alan Jones in 1980. He's 34 in August and he knows an opportunity has presented itself that must be taken. He's in form, in the form car and he's not too old to compete at the highest level. If any one of those factors change next year in what is a very volatile sport, he could be out of the reckoning.

His eyes will be on the prize, make no mistake, and he'll back himself throughout the season. His focus will be on this weekend's race in Turkey. It's got the super fast and testing turn eight and overall there is nothing that will worry Red Bull. Other teams will hope that reliability will be an issue again for the pace setters, because at the moment they are on a roll.

One man who thought he was on a roll in Monte Carlo was Michael Schumacher. The old fox thought he'd deployed his trademark low cunning to overtake Fernando Alonso on the last corner after the safety car pulled in. Problem was, he wasn't allowed to, and the stewards saw to it that he was demoted by 20 seconds.

In a delicious irony, the drivers' steward that day was Damon Hill. The Briton was the subject of Schumacher's low cunning several times in the early 1990s. There's no suggestion that Hill acted in any way improperly - despite the old adage that revenge is a dish best served cold.

Set to appear before a slightly more serious court is Lewis Hamilton. The McLaren driver has been charged over his stunt at Albert Park when he performed 'burn outs' as he drove out of the Australian circuit. Melbourne magistrates will hear the case on August 24.

Hamilton will be hoping he doesn't have to appear in person. The Belgium Grand Prix is five days later, hardly ideal preparation.

Finally, spare a thought for Bruno Senna in Turkey this weekend. It's the first time he's driven here in Formula One, but he knows the track from his GP2 days. In 2008, he wrecked his car during a race when he crashed into a stray dog at high speed. The car was a mess; it was a lot messier for the dog.

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