Paul Gilham/Getty ImagesMark Webber has the points lead, but it is getting slimmer.

Flash back to early July and Fernando Alonso had just finished 14th in Great Britain after being penalized for overtaking Robert Kubica by cutting a corner.

Alonso was fifth in the standings and 47 points shy of leader Lewis Hamilton. And while the focus was on the turmoil within Red Bull and the victory by Mark Webber, Alonso was making back-page headlines.

"I think we will win," he told Autosport then. "Yes. I think we lacked points in Valencia and Silverstone, but these are some moments of the championship where we needed to show that we want the championship and that we are a contender.

"I am more convinced than before this race that we will win the championship."

Singapore was certainly one of those moments where he showed he is a contender.

Even at the low point of his season, Alonso was convinced he would still win the championship, and he's since backed up his words, winning three of the five events since and finishing on the podium in all but one. While he is still 11 points shy of Webber for the lead, it is looking as if Alonso may be right after all.

Of all the title contenders this year, he's arguably the most dangerous, as he's a two-time world champion who previously tangled with Michael Schumacher in his prime all season and came out on top.

Alonso's win in Singapore was his 25th career victory, tying him with greats Niki Lauda and Jim Clark for sixth on Formula One's all-time wins list.

Imagine, however, if Alonso does go on to win the title by only a handful of points. If that happens, his victory in Germany -- in which the Ferrari team was suspected of imposing team orders allowing Alonso to win -- will no doubt become all the more controversial, and could end of overshadowing his accomplishments of this season.

Another key mistake for Hamilton has placed him 20 points shy of Webber in the standings, and while his title prospects look bleak, they are not completely gone.

After all, Hamilton knows all too well how a late-season surge can mean everything, as back in 2007 Kimi Raikkonen marched back from an 18-point deficit with four races to go to win the world championship.

That title came at the expense of Hamilton, and Raikkonen faced arguably a tougher comeback than Hamilton does now, as only 10 points were awarded for a race victory that year (two more than second place) instead of the 25 that are awarded now, with just 18 going to the second-place finisher.

While his comeback benefited from several slip-ups by Hamilton down the stretch in 2007, Raikkonen won three of the last four races of the season. Hamilton, then, is down but not yet out this season.

What makes the rest of this season so intriguing is that the men chasing Webber aren't even sure how many events they have left to catch the Australian. With the readiness of the track for the Korean Grand Prix in doubt, Alonso, Hamilton and the rest may soon discover that they have just three races left to make their move, rather than four.

Nevertheless, the spectacle that is Singapore again showed why it is fast becoming a favorite on the calendar.

While passing is understandably limited on a street circuit, the fight between Alonso and Vettel was enjoyable, and the uncertain weather played a considerable role in practice sessions.

Night racing adds another exciting element to the sport, and it makes the F1 World Championship that much more of a respected title, as the eventual winner will have persevered in every conceivable scenario throughout the season.

Next up is the challenging Suzuka circuit in Japan, a place where Vettel won last season. It's a classic circuit, one that has fueled the intense rivalry of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost as well as seen Schumacher clinch a record sixth F1 title in 2003.

Ferrari has won there seven times, or the equivalent of a third of the races held at Suzuka since it joined the calendar in 1987.

It's been anything but predictable recently, however, as five different drivers have crossed the line first in the past five events.

"Singapore is one of the hardest races of the entire season. The circuit layout is very bumpy and you're fighting the car all the time. You're continually in the corners and the only place where you get a breather for a couple of seconds is on the start-finish straight.

"After this, you also have the strange timetable that means we work late, go to bed late and wake up in the afternoon.

"There are lots of bumps, [curbs] and bits of track where you have to keep some margin for mistakes because the walls are very close -- especially in the last sector. I always enjoy driving there and, although the race is very long and demanding, it's a good track for racing."

Those were the words of Renault's Robert Kubica as he previewed the upcoming race to reporters, and it's an apt description for a circuit that has few comparisons to anything else on the schedule.

Monaco is typically referenced as a similar track, but when the night element is added, it becomes an entirely different animal for a driver.

It's certainly not the fastest track on the calendar, as drivers are in their top gear for any significant amount of time just twice per lap. The Marina Bay circuit is also rather unforgiving, with 23 turns and a relatively rough surface (some of which has been smoothed for this year's event).

Add in the fact that there are seven drivers, including Michael Schumacher, who have yet to compete at night in Formula One, and you have all the makings of what promises to be a great race.

But it may not go far in determining the driver's championship.

Last year, four of the top five title contenders from 2010 finished among the top five in the race.

Points leader Mark Webber was the only outsider, retiring after 45 laps.

The 2008 winner, Fernando Alonso, seems to have all the momentum right now, having just won at Monza. He's finished on the podium at Singapore both times, but of course his 2008 finish was the result of one of the biggest controversies in F1 history as he was aided by team orders.

He's also now part of a Ferrari squad that has never collected a single point at Singapore, although the team did qualify well here in the inaugural event.

Qualifying will likely be crucial. Lewis Hamilton won from the pole last year, and the past 10 events of this season have been won from a front-row starting spot, the longest single-season stretch since 1997, which also saw 10 straight winners start from the top two positions.

A man who has qualified well in both years at Singapore finds himself once again back in the Formula One mix.

Nick Heidfeld, a longtime Sauber driver, replaces the struggling Pedro de la Rosa on the grid starting this weekend. In both of his previous appearances at Singapore, he has reached Q3 in qualifying, but that would prove a mighty task in 2010, as Heidfeld will not have much time to become accustomed to the team's car for this season.

Still, Heidfeld has been tabbed as an underrated driver who can make the most of the car he's given, and a finish near the points is possible. After all, he has the dubious distinction of earning the most career F1 points without a race win.

With five races to go, recent history says that this is Webber's title to lose. Since 2001, only once has the leader in the standings with five races remaining failed to win the title. That was in 2007, when Lewis Hamilton, the leader with five to go, finished second in the world championship after disastrous outings in his final two races.

It's getting evident that anyone who wants to win the 2010 F1 World Championship better start on the front row.

Fernando Alonso's victory for Ferrari in its home grand prix means that 10 straight winners this season have now started from the top two spots on the grid.

Furthermore, of the four remaining tracks that have previously hosted events, each saw the eventual winner start from the front row last year.

Of the contenders, points leader Mark Webber has to be feeling fairly confident, as he has the most front-row starts of any realistic title competitor in 2010, and has four victories when starting from the front two positions, also the most among his title foes.

Webber's outlook down the stretch is no doubt optimistic, as he's the only driver of the five title contenders to earn points in each of the last two races.

Fernando Alonso may have something to say about that, however, as he moved up two places in the driver standings with his Monza victory and is surging at just the right time. Ferrari has come back strong after tailing off midseason, and Alonso is benefiting greatly from that, scoring three top-two finishes in his past four races.

On Sunday, he became the first driver since Vettel in 2009 at Silverstone to complete the weekend hat trick (pole, win and fastest lap), and the first Ferrari driver since Felipe Massa in the 2008 finale. It was no doubt a big win for Ferrari, as the passion from the marque's fans is always evident when F1 comes to Monza.

The Prancing Horse now has 18 wins in 61 Italian Grand Prix events, while no other make has more than nine.

Anyone who may not have seen the race would think that it was an absolutely dominant showing by Alonso, but that simply was not the case.

While his race was impressive, he was consistently challenged by Jenson Button, who benefited from an excellent start to claim the top spot after the first lap.

It took a very quick pit stop from the Ferrari squad to put Alonso in the lead, and that was by the slimmest of margins. The time in the pits was the difference, however, as Alonso's total pit time was nearly a second briefer than Button's.

It made for a thrilling conclusion to a race that provided some early-lap fireworks with Lewis Hamilton's retirement.

At the time, it looked as if Hamilton's hopes of a second title may have taken a considerable hit, but that ended up not being the case. Red Bull was never much of a factor, with Vettel and Webber fighting for fourth- and sixth-place finishes respectively.

Elsewhere, Alonso and Button finished 1-2, but their failure to score points at Spa means that they are still hunting down Hamilton in the standings. After everything was said and done, Hamilton left Italy just five points shy of leader Webber, with the five contenders separated by less than 25 points.

While Alonso stole the show on the F1 side, congratulations are also in order to the newest GP2 champion, Pastor Maldonado. His subpar weekend in Italy belies his dominant season, one that includes six race wins, and his title is certainly well deserved. More importantly, it further paves the way for a future F1 seat, as recent GP2 champions have often been provided an opportunity to compete in Formula One nearly immediately after their title.

Among GP2 champions, only Giorgio Pantano has not competed in F1 since, but he had his shot with Jordan in 2004. Hulkenberg, Glock, Hamilton and Rosberg all claimed F1 rides the season following their GP2 titles, so Maldonado's future certainly looks bright.

Also of note from Italy is that Michael Schumacher was mathematically eliminated from the title hunt. While he never had a realistic chance of claiming this year's crown, it does seem remarkable to be discussing Schumacher's elimination from title contention with still two months remaining in the season.

"I will take the title."

Those were the words Sebastian Vettel used when speaking with Auto Bild Motorsport after a nightmare race at Spa. Although they certainly hold significant gravity, Vettel went on to say that this is the way he must think if he wants to win the Formula One world championship. Although he's right, it no doubt raises the eyebrows of the competition, as this is a man who sits third in points and has just one victory in his past 10 competitions.

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Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesSebastian Vettel trails Formula One points leader Lewis Hamilton by 31 heading into Monza.

Vettel's past 10 races
Wins -- 1
Podiums -- 5
Fastest laps -- 3
Points lost to leader -- 33

Vettel has posted some respectable results in that span, but his mistakes have been far too costly. His game-ender at Turkey with teammate Mark Webber is a well-documented example, but he also has committed costly errors in each of the past two events. When you couple that with a terrible first lap at Silverstone after starting on the pole, it's clear Vettel has not had the best of fortunes lately. Some have been self-inflicted, some maybe not. Either way, Vettel will have to be near perfect down the stretch if he wants to become the youngest F1 champion in history at age 23.

Fortunately for Vettel, Monza is the site of arguably his most impressive victory. In 2008, he dominated the competition from the pole in wet conditions en route to his first F1 victory, becoming the youngest winner in Formula One history.

The Monza circuit itself, which is remarkably fast in dry weather, will be hosting its 60th grand prix this weekend. Although the layout has changed through the years, the spirit of speed certainly has not. Some of the dangers have been eliminated by the addition of chicanes as well as the removal of the high-speed banked ovals long ago, but drivers know the inherent risks of racing here. It's a track that sadly has claimed the lives of many, including Jochen Rindt, Ronnie Peterson, Wolfgang von Trips and Alberto Ascari.

Most F1 grand prix events hosted*
Monza -- 60
Monaco -- 57
Silverstone -- 44
Spa -- 43
* Includes 2010

Despite Monza's extensive history, it has not been a place where Italian drivers have had much success. After all, it's remarkable, almost unthinkable, that an Italian driver has not won the Italian Grand Prix since Ludovico Scarfiotti in 1966. Additionally, no Italian has even posted a fast lap there since Michele Alboreto in 1988. With Vitantonio Liuzzi and Jarno Trulli as the only representatives from Italy in this event for 2010, that trend isn't likely to change.

Italian drivers at Monza
Last winner -- Ludovico Scarfiotti, 1966
Last fastest lap -- Michele Alboreto, 1988
Last podium -- Giancarlo Fisichella, 2005

It wasn't always this way, though. The first three Italian Grand Prix events saw native drivers take the checkered first. In 1950, Nino Farina won en route to claiming the inaugural F1 world championship. The next two years, Italian Alberto Ascari was victorious. Ascari was also in great position to win the 1953 edition of the race before a last-lap accident cost him the win.

In recent years, this is a race that has emphasized qualifying even more than normal. In the past 12 years at Monza, the winner has emerged from the front row 10 times. In that span, the pole sitter has come away victorious eight times. The only exceptions to the front-row dominance have come in 2002 and last year (both were won by Rubens Barrichello).

Lastly, Spa winner Lewis Hamilton will look to complete his set of victories on the four most historic F1 tracks (Monaco, Monza, Silverstone and Spa) when he heads to Monza. The iconic Italian circuit is the only one of the four he has not won at, and, after his latest win, he told his official website, "I've always looked at those four circuits on the calendar as being a little more special than the others." If he does win this weekend, he'll join a rather exclusive list, as only five drivers have won all four of the most prestigious Formula One races (David Coulthard, Juan Manuel Fangio, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna).

AP Photo/Michel SpinglerLewis Hamilton made one miscue at Spa, but it wasn't enough to prevent him from winning.

We may look back and view Spa as the race that ultimately decided the fates of several Formula One title contenders.

A hectic qualifying session set the tone early, with teams scrambling to set a fast lap before the rains set in.

When the rain came, it was typical for Belgium, with only part of the track being affected initially. Those who survived early qualifying saw the track dry again, and the flying laps ensued. Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton came out on top, but it was a fascinating session to witness.

Hamilton carried that momentum into Sunday, quickly taking the lead from second and never looking back, although he did provide considerable drama after his off-track excursion late in the race.

Incredibly, he was able to keep his McLaren moving without hitting the wall. It was no doubt a hard-earned victory, and Hamilton now has wins at two of the most prestigious F1 races on the schedule, Spa and Monaco.

He's one of just 10 drivers to have wins at both venues on his résumé, and at just over 25 years of age, he's one of the youngest drivers to claim wins at both events.

Only Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher have won both races at a younger age, and it's only by a slim margin. More importantly, the vaults Hamilton back into the championship lead, and regardless of what happens at Monza it will be either Hamilton or Webber leading the World Championship.

That scenario exists because of disastrous days for Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso. None of the three drivers scored points, and Button's day was ended after Vettel appeared to simply be pushing too hard. With six races to go, all three have some serious work to do to catch Hamilton and Webber.

In order to ensure a World Championship, Fernando Alonso, for example, would have to earn on average seven more points than the leader for each of the remaining six events. That is going to prove exceedingly difficult, as Alonso has outgained Hamilton by at least seven points in just four grand prix events this season. The outlooks for Button and Vettel aren't much brighter.

As an event, Spa certainly delivered. The chaotic weather left teams at its mercy, and the constantly shuffling strategies employed by various teams were fascinating.

By the conclusion, 53 total pit stops had been made Sunday, the third-most of any race this season. It's quickly emerging that McLaren has been the best at adapting to adverse conditions this year, as the outfit also came out victorious in Canada (excessive tire wear) and China (rain), the two events that saw the most pit stops made.

One driver who had very little fanfare entering Spa was Robert Kubica, who ended up leaving with one of the most impressive performances of the weekend.

Not only was he among the top five quickest in all three practice sessions, but Kubica also qualified third and finished in the same position for his first podium since Monaco. Kubica was not without a mistake or two.

"Nobody was expecting us to be at this level in Spa," he told reporters after the race. "So I think we can be pleased with the work we have done."

While Spa did its part to sort out some of the championship contenders, there are still many questions that remain.

Of the six races left, one is at a new track (Korea) no driver has seen, while another, Yas Marina, has hosted only one event. All the top teams know tracks like Monza, Suzuka and Interlagos well, but the ones that can adapt quickest to the newer circuits (Korea, Singapore and Abu Dhabi) will likely find the most success.

Right now, that team looks like McLaren.

AP Photo/Jens Meyer/PoolRound up the usual suspects? Felipe Massa, Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso would certainly be among those you would expect could win at Spa.

As teams pack for Belgium, a strong sense of uncertainty looms.

Formula One cars have remained dormant for nearly a month, with mandatory factory shutdowns in place for a span of two weeks. In an attempt to put that length of time in perspective, Sebastian Vettel's crushing penalty with the safety car on the track -- which seems like ages ago -- was only just last race.

No team heads to Spa as the overwhelming favorite. Red Bull is concerned about its straight-line speeds; both current McLaren drivers made it less than a full lap last year at Spa and are coming off dismal results in Hungary; and Ferrari, although showing improvement in the past several race weekends, still has some speed to make up.

The Maranello outfit does, however, have the advantage of employing one of just two active winners at Spa-Francorchamps (Felipe Massa in 2008). The other is of course Michael Schumacher, but if he were to win Sunday, it would be the most surprising victory of his career.

This season, among circuits that have hosted at least three F1 events, no track has had fewer previous race winners entered (Turkey also had just two entering 2010, but didn't start hosting F1 races until 2005). That likely means a first-time winner will emerge at Spa, one of the most prestigious races of the year.

So, who is the likeliest first-time candidate? If recent history has anything to say, it's that momentum matters, even if the series has been on holiday for nearly a month. Consider that the past three winners at Spa have finished on the podium in the race immediately before Belgium.

Additionally, no points leader entering Spa has left victorious since Schumacher in 2002, which leaves Fernando Alonso and Vettel (who both finished on the podium in Hungary behind Mark Webber) as the men to watch this weekend. Vettel finished on the podium here last year, and Alonso did so in 2007. The odds seem favorable for one of them to find himself on the top step Sunday, but, as we've witnessed this season, nothing is guaranteed.

Spa-Francorchamps has a remarkable history.

It held its first race in the early 1920s, about when the 24 Hours of Le Mans was introduced in France. Throughout the 1950s and 60s in Formula One, it ran approximately twice the length of its current layout and could best be described as having long straightaways that were broken up by even longer straightaways.

The sheer speed of the track made it very dangerous, and many drivers perished there in those decades. Jackie Stewart nearly died in the 1966 edition and, because of his experiences, led the rally for significant safety improvements throughout Formula One.

The track today is still one of the fastest on the planet and is well regarded among drivers for its various challenges: flat-out straights, elevation changes, and slow- and high-speed corners alike.

Spa's position on the calendar is fitting, as it's the perfect tuneup directly before another very quick circuit: Monza.

The most successful makes in F1 history, Ferrari and McLaren, have taken this track by storm in recent seasons.

Although the two have always been good at Spa, they have been sensational in the past nine events.

The manufacturers have combined to sweep all nine races, with a total of five drivers experiencing victory in that span. Not since Jordan in 1998 has another make taken the checkered flag here, and that run could continue, pending Red Bull's performance.

Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty ImagesKimi Raikkonen won't be around to kick the competition at Spa this season.

One of the biggest headlines approaching Spa is the absence of a driver who has dominated this course in recent years.

With Kimi Raikkonen off on the World Rally scene, Spa has lost one of its greatest conquerors, and somewhat of a new era is likely to begin as this year's race gets underway.

After unsuccessful trips to Belgium in 2001 and 2002, the Iceman took the track by storm recently, winning four of the past five events here. In turn, he equaled the record for the most victories at the track in a five-race span, matching phenomenal company in the process.

Raikkonen still holds the track record, a mark he set back in 2004. In 2009, Spa was the site of his only victory of the season. It was a significant win for Ferrari, as the marque had struggled all season to match the speed of the Brawn and Red Bull squads. He was able to overtake and hold off Giancarlo Fisichella thanks much in part to his use of KERS, but it was a fantastic battle, and it's pretty remarkable that neither driver will be competing at the event this year.

The Finn even provided an unreal battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2008s edition in the lone race he did not win in Belgium during that span, and when you factor in that Spa is one of the fastest and most demanding circuits on the schedule, it's an even more impressive run by Raikkonen from 2004-09, where he won four times in five races, sat on one pole and turned two fastest laps.

The circuit itself was established in the early 1920s and today is a favorite among many drivers for the challenges and overtaking opportunities that it provides. Its speed is arguably rivaled only by Monza, and the combination of slow and high-speed corners the track provides is mirrored by few worldwide. La Source, the slowest turn on the track, is immediately followed by Eau Rouge, one of the most harrowing bends in motorsports, and in a few weeks' time, it will be the most daring drivers who likely will be richly rewarded.

Although this year's rookie class has some past Spa experience, none of the F1 first-years won the GP2 events here last year. So it will likely be a challenging event to score points in for the rookies, much as it has been all season for the newer drivers.

There's a clear divide between the rookie class, and while much of that may be due to team strength, that's often the difference between having the chance at a lengthy F1 career or being cast aside at the end of the season.

Of the three top rookies, Nico Hulkenberg has been the most impressive qualifier, reaching Q2 in all 12 races. He's also reached Q3 the most often (four times). Kamui Kobayashi and Vitaly Petrov have shown promise during races; Petrov finished a career-best fifth in Hungary while Kobayashi has finished in the points in four of his past six events (more than Michael Schumacher in that span).

The Japanese driver has also out-qualified his decade-and-a-half older Sauber teammate (Pedro de la Rosa) five times this year, while Hulkenberg has posted a better grid position four times in comparison to teammate Rubens Barrichello, who holds the record for most grand prix starts.

While there are no future guarantees, all three have proven that they deserve a seat going forward, whichever team that may be with.

Rookies aren't the only ones who must be wary at Spa, as it is not a track that has been kind to defending world champions. Last year, 2008 title winner Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap. The previous year, Raikkonen, after taking the title by one point in 2007, crashed after veering off-track late in the race. And the 2005 edition saw Schumacher (2004 title winner) retire after getting run into by Takuma Sato.

The only defending world champion to find success in that span was Fernando Alonso, who finished third in 2007.

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty ImagesLewis Hamilton, front, and Fernando Alonso are the two best closers in recent seasons.

With the summer recess spanning several weeks, it's the ideal time to reflect back on the season while also taking a glance into the future. The 2010 F1 World Championship certainly has delivered to this point, and we've already seen something that has never previously happened in Formula One.

With only seven races remaining, the F1 standings have been led by six drivers, the most leaders through 12 races in series history.

It tops the previous record of four drivers pacing the standings through 12 events, done most recently in 2008. That season saw one of the best conclusions in motorsports history, when Lewis Hamilton overtook Timo Glock on the final corner in Brazil to seize the title from Felipe Massa. This year, the duos from Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren all have led or shared the lead at one point.

The 1986 battle was a classic, as Nigel Mansell looked primed to take his first career title when his left-rear tire burst in Australia, handing the championship to Alain Prost by a slim 2-point margin. The 1974 season was equally thrilling, as Emerson Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni entered the final race at Watkins Glen tied for the points lead, with South African Jody Scheckter in striking distance. Fittipaldi ended up claiming the championship.

History is a clear indicator that this year's title chase likely will be just as riveting. Five of the drivers to lead this season -- minus Massa, who trails by 64 points -- have a fantastic chance to earn a world championship, and depending on how things shuffle out in Spa, any one of those men could be leading the standings heading to Monza.

But does any of them have an edge? While that might be difficult to say, recent years have shown that two drivers have been superior after the traditional summer break. Hamilton, who typically is strong during the summer months, also has been a top performer after the late-summer recess in his career. Since his inaugural season in 2007, his 95 combined points earned after the break in that span paces all five contenders. Fernando Alonso is second with 92 points driving for both McLaren and Renault. Those two might be the ones to keep an eye on down the stretch.

Despite only 30 points earned by Button during that span, his level of concern should not be very high. Two of those seasons were with Honda, and despite a less-than-strong second-half performance last season, Button still earned 25 points after the break, only five shy of Hamilton.

The man who might be a bit apprehensive about the remaining seven races is Webber. While Red Bull did not truly become a top runner until last season, his 18 points after the 2009 summer recess was roughly half that of teammate Vettel's 37.

The series' next stop, Spa, has been harsh on Webber as well. In six races, he's never finished on the podium and collected just eight points in that span. In his rookie season with Minardi in 2002, Webber made it just four laps before having to retire with gearbox issues.

His next race at Spa came in 2004, and it was less than memorable, as he got caught up in a chaotic start and crashed in Eau Rouge on the opening lap. The following year, Webber took home fourth place for Williams but was more than a minute behind winner Kimi Raikkonen. In 2007 and 2008, Webber finished seventh and eighth, respectively. Last season, he finished one place outside the points.

Still, momentum is on the Australian's side, as he has won half of the past eight races and is at the top of the standings.

As long as things keep playing out as they have thus far, we could very well be looking at one of the best championship conclusions in Formula One history.

Two recent seasons brought us title battles that went down to the wire: Lewis Hamilton claimed the Drivers Championship in 2008 with an overtake on the final corner in Brazil; in 2007, Kimi Raikkonen took the title by a single point over Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. This year, five drivers are separated by just 20 points, which can, of course, be made up in a single race. All have looked strong at times but vulnerable at others.

AP Photo/Petr David JosekMark Webber, left, did his part in Hungary to keep the Formula One championship chase close in a race that was Sebastian Vettel's to lose.

Red Bull displayed both sides Sunday. Sebastian Vettel's mistake seemed to exemplify Red Bull's entire season, but Mark Webber's incredible drive on soft tires illustrated the RB6's sheer speed.

In parts of May and June, McLaren appeared untouchable. Hamilton had won in Canada after starting from pole, with Jenson Button checking in second and clear of the field by a good seven seconds. This was fresh off a 1-2 finish in Turkey after Red Bull's disastrous effort. But Hungary was a cruel twist: Hamilton retired with gearbox issues, and Button fell to 15th early after failing to reach the third qualifying session on Saturday.

Ferrari has been up and down all season. The 1-2 finish in Bahrain to start the year wasn't exactly a prelude for the season. Felipe Massa finished outside the points in three straight events in June and July, and Alonso failed to reach the podium in five of the six events after Bahrain.

F1 this season has been a story of checks and balances. When one team seems at its hottest, another emerges to quell the fire. And when another appears down and out, a strong performance puts it right back in the picture. The flaws of Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari make the title fight that much more interesting, and Abu Dhabi likely will see several drivers in the championship hunt.

It was Vettel's race to lose in Hungary, but, like so many times this season, a costly mistake -- this time behind the safety car -- cost him a victory. He still finished on the podium, his sixth such result this year.

Teammate Webber's daring drive and sound strategy put him back in the lead in the driver standings, four points clear of Hamilton. There's still quite a ways to go, but if Webber were to win his first F1 title, he would be just the fifth driver since 1985 to earn a world title having entered that championship season with two or fewer career wins in Formula One. Two of those drivers, Button and Alonso, have done it in the past five years.

Further back in the field, Michael Schumacher's move that nearly caused Rubens Barrichello to hit the pit wall was as clear a representation of desperation as you'll find. Clinging to the final points position, Schumacher was trying to avoid his fifth finish outside of the points this season, already just two shy of matching his most finishes out of the points in a single year of his career. Schumacher must put together a strong showing at Spa, the track where he made his F1 debut and earned his first career win. He certainly will have enough time to think it over, as Formula One has begun its summer recess and won't return until late August.

An additional notable occurrence at Hungary was more wheel issues on pit lane. Nico Rosberg's day ended abruptly when his right rear wheel flew off in pit road after it wasn't properly attached by his Mercedes pit crew. It's the third notable tire gaffe in the past two race weekends, as Force India had a mix-up in Germany in which the wrong tires were given to its drivers. Both Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi had to come back in as a result. Then, in Hungary, the team was fined for using an incorrect set of tires in the first practice.

Meanwhile, Spa should provide a fantastic race in several weeks. Last year, it hosted a thrilling battle between Ferrari driver Raikkonen and Giancarlo Fisichella after the Force India driver claimed a shocking pole position. It was also the stage of one of the greatest overtakes in history, when Mika Hakkinen overtook Schumacher on the straight leading up to Les Combes in 2000, putting Ricardo Zonta in the middle of it all.

At 7 kilometers (4.35 miles), it's the longest track on the schedule -- and one of the most dangerous. Speed is everything here, and we're fortunate to see the circuit still on the calendar after numerous noise complaints from nearby residents last year threatened to close the track for an unknown period of time. Losing one of the classic venues in motorsports would have been almost unimaginable.

AP Photo/Martin MeissnerFernando Alonso, right, stood at the top of the podium in Germany, but it appeared Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa deserved the victory.

Sunday had all the makings of one of the best stories of the season.

A year to the day after Felipe Massa sustained life-threatening injuries in qualifying at Hungary, the Brazilian was marching toward his first victory since his return to the grid. All the uncertainties and underperformances of the year were momentarily forgotten as Massa led after a fantastic start in which Sebastian Vettel was overtaken on both sides by Ferrari drivers.

But with fewer than 20 laps to go, shades of Formula One's past emerged again.

Team orders have been and likely always will be a part of Formula One, whether they are banned or not. One could not help but think back to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari in 2002 as Massa moved aside Sunday to let Fernando Alonso assume the lead.

In the previous example, Schumacher already had a commanding lead in the World Championship when Rubens Barrichello was ordered to move aside by Ferrari and let Schumacher take the top step on the podium.

This time around, Alonso is simply trying to stay in the title hunt, and it remains debatable whether it will make any difference. The Spaniard had been reeling in his teammate in the laps leading up to Massa stepping aside, but if Alonso was truly faster, then he should have been able to overtake his teammate in the nearly 20 remaining laps. Nevertheless, it was Alonso who was celebrating his 23rd grand prix win, tying him with Nelson Piquet for ninth on F1's all-time list.

Most Wins, F1 History (fifth to ninth)
Rank -- Driver -- Victories -- Starts
5. -- Jackie Stewart -- 27 -- 99
t6. -- Jim Clark -- 25 -- 72
t6. -- Niki Lauda -- 25 -- 171
8. -- Juan Manuel Fangio -- 24 -- 51
t9. -- Fernando Alonso -- 23 -- 149
t9. -- Nelson Piquet -- 23 -- 204

Two of Alonso's wins have now come amid considerable controversy, as Alonso also came out victorious at Singapore in 2008 with Renault after teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. was ordered to intentionally crash.

A story that likely would have gotten much more play had Ferrari's sleight-of-hand not occurred was that of McLaren's weekend. While Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button remain the leaders in the standings, the team struggled to find speed throughout the weekend, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Both were more than 25 seconds behind Alonso, and Hamilton voiced his concerns to reporters after the race.

"We've got to make up some pace on our main rivals," he said. "We need to go back and figure out where we can improve and pick it up again very quickly."

Fortunately for McLaren, this weekend's venue, Hungary, emphasizes downforce rather than pure speed. It's a track that McLaren has been successful at in recent years, having won each of the past three events and four of the past five overall. Drivers constantly compare the car setup to that of Monaco, as the majority of corners are relatively slow. But that does not mean you should expect this year's winner in Monte Carlo, Mark Webber, to be the first to the checkered flag.

Hungary result by Monaco winner, same season past five years
Season -- Driver -- Hungary finish
2010 -- Mark Webber -- ?
2009 -- Jenson Button -- Seventh
2008 -- Lewis Hamilton -- Fifth
2007 -- Fernando Alonso -- Fourth
2006 -- Fernando Alonso -- 14th

Since 2006, no Monaco winner has reached the podium at the Hungaroring that same season. Kimi Raikkonen is the last driver to win both races in the same year (2005), and since 1993, only three times has a driver won both races in a single season. Clearly, Webber has his work cut out for him.

Hungary has not often yielded close finishes, especially recently. The past two events have been decided by more than 10 seconds, and both 2005 and 2006 were won by more than 30 seconds. The 2007 edition provided a close finish, with Hamilton edging Raikkonen by less than a second. It was also the race when then-teammate Alonso blocked Hamilton in pit lane during qualifying in an attempt to hinder Hamilton from completing a final lap, which gave the pole to Alonso. Suffice to say, while extremely talented, Alonso has never been far from controversy.