Magny Cours is always the low spot of the year for non-Ferrari supporters. The track has been a happy hunting ground for the Italian team for so long that we approach it with gritted teeth and leave in despair at yet another victory for the enemy. And this year is no exception, with dire predictions from all sides of Ferrari dominance for the coming races, all of which are high speed, low downforce tracks similar to the Nevers circuit.
Jarno Trulli
I cheer myself up with the thought that things might not have been so easy for Ferrari if McLaren had not been penalized out of the hunt. Both Hamilton and Kovalainen were very quick on occasion during the race, if not in qualifying, and both would have pushed Kimi and Massa hard had all things been equal.
The disappointment was BMW, of course, although this was to be expected. Word is that the F1.08 is not happy on circuits where aerodynamics are most important, so it should have been no surprise that Kubica and Heidfeld struggled for balance here. The good news was that Nick seems to be getting closer to Kubica in qualifying, only the split between Q2 and Q3 disguising the German's improvement.
But hope springs eternal in a BMW supporter's heart and so I put much store by Dr Theissen's assurance that things will be better at Silverstone. In fact, I fully expect other teams to fare better there as well, remembering other years in which the gloom of Magny Cours has been dispelled by closer competition in the races that follow.
Perhaps the most interesting point to ponder will be the performance of the Toyotas. They leap-frogged BMW in the French race, proving that the car likes Ferrari circuits, and should continue this in the next few races. But will they?
I must admit that I doubt it, so often have they promised well in the past only to disappoint. There is something about the team that prevents them having a long run of success and I can see them dropping back to the midfield in Britain. Trulli continues to do an amazing job in qualifying but his team mate, Glock, gave ominous evidence of their usual tailing off in performance through the French race. Jarno may have managed to hold on to 3rd place but the fact remains that he could do little to close the gap to an ailing Ferrari ahead of him.
Red Bull seem to be getting their act together at last and I would not be surprised to see Webber and Coulthard in Q3 again at Silverstone. Renault, too, are beavering away at their car and are likely to be improving from now onwards. The competition behind the first three teams is likely to become very fierce from now on.
Which leaves Williams, Toro Rosso, Honda and Force India. I am unconvinced by the promise shown by the STR3 since its debut, just as I am disappointed with Williams' failure to keep up with the pace of development. There may be races where these teams shine but I doubt their ability to be consistent challengers. Honda are looking towards next year and so are not really pushing hard and Force India still struggle to close the gap.
With luck, therefore, the mid-season races should be closely fought and the championships remain undecided until quite late in the year. That is good for the sport and the fans and a much rosier outlook than we might have entertained in France. And I'm still hoping for a win for Heidfeld this year.