After leaving Montreal Canada the Formula One season returned to Europe in Valencia Spain.

The circuit has been designed around a docklands type area where yachts can berth parallel to the racing track and the apartment suites overlook the best part of the straight making great party atmosphere venues for this unique race.

The Red Bull team continue to dominate with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber qualifying on the front row of the racing grid for Sunday’s race just gone. A good start was had by all, with all 24 cars to finish a race. The young German taking the win with Mark Webber gambling on the use of the medium tyre losing second place to Ferrari rival Fernando Alonso on his last pit stop.

Mark was in third behind Alonso on his new medium tyres as Alonso stayed out longer on used soft tyres. Webber’s gearbox started playing up and Mark was short-shifting to keep the revs and pace up as his team informed him to stay safe, not push any harder, and try to finish the race. He held on to finish third.

Mercedes were perplexed with Nico Rosberg finishing seventh and his team mate, seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, one lap down, ended his race in 17th place.

Sebastian Vettel leads the world championship on 186 points, with Mark Webber and Jenson Button second with 109 points each.

The constructor’s championship is led by Red Bull Renault, then McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes, Sauber-Ferrari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, Force India-Mercedes and Williams-Cosworth.

Latest news on my old team Williams is that they may re-enter a new agreement and change to Renault engine power for 2013, perhaps 2012.

Mugello hosts the next round of MotoGP on July 3 where Casey Stoner will look to increase his championship lead, also welcome his injured team mate Dani Pedrosa back after collar bone surgery.

No doubt Valentino Rossi who lives nearby, will be looking to improve his season ride on Ducati and perhaps go for a win.

Keep an eye on it at One.

Anything you need on F1 or MotoGP contact me at my website www.alanjones.com.au.

Enjoy the rest of your week and the weekend coming up.

Well the Formula One season has encountered one of its most historic events in Canada a fortnight ago with the race taking 4 hours to complete instead of the regulated 2 hours. The delays came from wet weather, plenty of accidents and errors by some top name drivers – one in particular, Lewis Hamilton who watched the second half of his race with Rihanna and some NFL legends at McLaren VIP team hospitality.

Jenson Button was given a drive through pit lane penalty for speeding in pit lane; pitted four times for new tyres; then from the back of the grid – chased leader at the time Sebastian Vettel down, to force an error two corners to the chequered flag and won the race.

As the rain bucketed down, spectators left after 30 mins hoping, in torrential rain, for a quick re-start that took longer than expected and for those who stayed it was another hour and three quarters before wheels turned again in race mode and they would witness one of the historic races ever seen.

The circuit brings back great memories for me as I won the 1980 world championship there with a great crowd in the stands and the party atmosphere outside never stops.

In 2012 we are taking a tour there as the following week, USA’s Austin Texas will host their first ever Formula One Grand Prix. So it’s an F1 FEST ‘back-to-back’ for two weeks and includes Canada and North America. More info contact me at www.alanjones.com.au or via www.thatsgold.net.

This weekend we are in Valencia, Spain with some ECU engine mapping changes made by the governing body FIA to ’spice-up the show’ as well as a new medium tyre introduced by Pirelli.

Valencia is a good looking venue though a relatively safe track for everyone so if you get a good run on the others the chances of winning are good, of course mistake-free is the key ingredient.

Casey Stoner continues to dominate MotoGP in Assen. Three races back we saw Dani Pedrosa on the Repsol Honda break his other collarbone and Cal Crutchlow two weeks ago at Silverstone break his collarbone in five places to put his bike into 6th place for the Saturday race, a fanatical event on the MotoGP calendar for the Dutch fans.

Valentino Rossi ordered the 2012 chassis for Assen to try and grab back some points to recover in a season that may since 1996 be his worse one ever now riding the Italian Ducati. Rossi is the guy to count on who from any position always moves forward, the team of course hope he does it with points faster and faster before they get to the backend of their racing season together. Stoner won a world title on the Ducati so we are all sure at the moment the king on a Ducati is Stoner, who now races a Honda and again looks good for another world title.

With Valentino Rossi finally announcing his plan to race on the Italian Ducati for 2011 and 2012, leaving Yamaha after four championships together, the big question is whether the engineering legend Jeremy Burgess will follow.

Rossi was quoted to say “”Unfortunately even the most beautiful love stories finish, but they leave a lot of wonderful memories, like when my M1 and I kissed for the first time on the grass at Welkom, when she looked straight in my eyes and told me ‘I love you!’”

Burgess says he has no defined interest to move from Yamaha as he is very happy there. Rossi says he would always want Jeremy in his corner. Ducati are not committing to any comment nor the Yamaha camp. So watch this space!

Australian Casey Stoner is still having a tough time sorting his Ducati machine out during the race and it has been the cause for concern as he finds it hard to get any better than a third place each week. Not like Stoner to have such a hard season, the flexing carbon chassis may be the reason so next year he will take all of his hopes to Honda as Rossi steps in to replace him.

Mark Webber has been taking some time out with the F1 summer break to rest and prepare for his part in the season remaining, where he could take a world championship title. There are four other drivers close to him so the competition is high, Hamilton the 2008 world champion, Button the 2009 world champion, Alonso the 2005 and 2006 world champion and Vettel his German-born team mate chasing his first title, just like Mark. The Red Bull F1 car is the best on the grid, and the McLarens and Ferrari are right on their tail too.

Next F1 race is in Belgium at the Spa Francorchamps circuit, almost the Bathurst track equal in hills and dippers, race day is 29 August, the same day the MotoGP bikes race in the USA at Indianapolis.

Enjoy your weekend, the weather is fantastic, I’ll be back next week with more on F1 and MotoGP.

Another successful weekend for the Aussies overseas with Casey Stoner holding off Valentino Rossi at the German Sachsenring MotoGP to finish third and Will Power taking a last turn victory in the Toronto IndyCar race.

Rossi was back after a leg break, only 31 days ago, limping but not prepared to sit and watch at home, made his return prepared to take every risk possible to come an estimated fourth from his pre race strategy. Well he did that and only on the last corner of a 28 lap race did he concede third to Stoner, as the Ducati rider played a card from his past and pretended to go wide and keeping a tight line into the corner as Rossi then went wide, Stoner jumped ahead. With their engines running at 17000 RPM, these guys are on the edge from the start of the race until they cross the finish line and taking every risk necessary to get to the illustrious podium.

With Stoner going to Honda next season and Rossi a 31 year old nine times world champion on the bikes we believe the deal has been done for Rossi to move over and take Ducati forward to another world title.

Mark Webber had a week off and plenty to do after the British Grand Prix battle on and off the track with his team mate. The politics moved up a gear just like our own Federal one is at present though Webber tells it like it really is so let’s hope he can win again in Hockenheim Germany next weekend.

Will Power won his fourth race this season in Toronto Canada at the IndyCar Grand Prix. Plenty of action with another last turn pass on a competitor Power took victory and the overall lead in the championship with seven rounds left in their series.

Come and join us in Malaysia for a Tour to Sepang from the 5th to the 11th October 2010, VIP track passes as you stay with the Riders at their hotel and meet everyone on a casual basis over the MotoGP. Call The Motorsport Shop on 02 9546 2654 or go to www.gpshop.net for all the details.

Have a great week and I will blog back after the F1 in Germany this weekend as well as MotoGP at Laguna Seca in the USA.

Qatar delivered another good night race though an 11pm start at night for the riders is a bit different to the normal schedule of a MotoGP rider.

On lap six Casey Stoner made an error and lost the bike to bring a close to his race far too early. That played into the golden gloves of Valentino Rossi who took victory with Casey’s Ducati team mate Nicky Hayden in fourth making it the first 1-2 for Yamaha to open their season of MotoGP.

There was talk of starting the race earlier after a lot of night dew fell on Saturday night prior to raceday, but a warmer day on Sunday kept the race organisers to their original time.

This weekend we are in Shanghai for the fourth round of Formula One where Mark Webber would like the victory to get back up towards the top of the points ladder. Red Bull F1 is quick and reliable team, THE target for Mercedes, McLaren Mercedes and Ferrari as they add a new step to their cars chasing valuable championship points.

Shanghai has several fast long straights that make passing quite difficult when the top three teams are close to each other on straight line speed. The driver taking a tow behind another lead car is always at risk right at the end of a straight when they break the tow and brake at the same time, anything can happen.

There is a lot of car development going on in Formula One at this time of the season as teams try to jump others with new design upgrades. The F-Duct that McLaren designed is now a design other teams are working to design and add to their cars. There is a valve inside the driver’s cockpit that he closes off on a straightline so it helps stall the rear wing, reducing drag on his car’s rear wing allowing him to go faster. Once the sport’s governing body the FIA rule on the legality of this design, if it’s given the approval, then teams watch and push their engineers and designers back at their factory to step up a design change so they can also go faster.

It’s written to sound easy, but in real life, it is hard work because you have to make sure it can be applied on your car design. This is where a big portion of the team financial budget is consumed. The teams strive for perfection and over time pass this on to improve normal road cars.

Enjoy your weekend, please remember The Motorsport Shop at www.gpshop.net can be contacted on 0418 356 789 if you are keen for one of my signed prints or a perfect replica 1980 helmet specially prepared and released for my 30th Anniversary of the 1980 Formula One World Championship.