MOTORSPORT By Tony Brunskill

Last updated 09:14, Friday, 11 July 2008

WHAT a change at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone this year!

As part of an in-depth bit of research I spent a great deal of time at great personal sacrifice in every team’s paddock hospitality unit to get the low down and I accurately report there has been a major upset from last years GP as Red Bull lost a grid place down to a shock second place behind McLaren.

Yes, despite the best efforts of the Red Bull crew behind the scenes, the 2008 McLaren food was decidedly better as was the perfectly chilled Chablis in superior glasses!

Perhaps the situation echoed things on the track as the media corps was shocked to hear that Red Bull driver, Twynholm’s finest and the oldest F1 driver, David Coulthard, below, was hanging up his racing boots after 13 wins, 61 podiums and 12 poles to enjoy his wealth, though he will still be involved in the team as a test driver and PR face to keep his bank balance topped up.

Meanwhile, in the McLaren camp young Hamilton fought hard to restore his reputation after a couple of naff mistakes earlier in the season to claim third best in practice behind team mate Heikki Kovalainen.

In Saturday’s qualifying when posting the fastest time he stupidly over-cooked, ran wide and lost time to end up fourth on the grid for the GP.

And what difference a year makes to drivers when they get to the top Lewis was much more aloof and strictly controlled by his father as he concentrated on his performance on the track.

And that is just what he did on Sunday’s GP where in the rain his bravery and supreme car control overcame the awful conditions and was is 2nd place by the end of the first straight and in few laps was in the lead and never lost while the rest of the pack slid out of contention.

To win by over a minute was awesome and will silence many of the media but as he said it was the enthusiasm of the 90,000 crowd and his family which made the difference and this he should never forget.

Silverstone was the series half-way point with the next round in Germany on July 18 so with Hamilton, Massa and Raikkonen all on 48 in the driver championship and the constuctor’s standing at  Ferrari 96, BMW 82 and McLaren 72 it’s going to be one heck of second half!

The driver whom I have follwoe for three years is Jarno Trulli who had a great race because of his very smooth style to gain 7th place.

Toyota has the only car designed and built by the team from scratch and then they have said it would take time to win but in talks with them at Silverstone they said they will start winning next year which  I am glad about as they are a friendly, helpful and exciting team.

However in the more approachable and friendly end of motor racing, Cumbria was well represented by veteran Ed Glaister who in his equally venerable but very familiar Ford 105, now with a smaller 1100cc motor, was part of the supporting classic car race.

But what a shock to have Bernie’s announcement that Donington will host the British GP from 2010 but if it happens, as much as I love the track but not the facilities, I will show my nether regions in Burton’s window if it happens because the track will have to lengthened and widened, the infrastructure blown up and started again, the road system changed and planning permission sought but with an airport at the end, somehow I doubt it.

Call me cynical but I think it is Bernie kicking the BRDC and Hill in the painful place and I can envisage an announcement in early 20010 saying that “As Donington is not ready it will return to Silverstone."

It’s all about big money politics!