OPEN SEASON FOR TEAMS IN SEASON OPENER.
The time to see who's made good first choices and who has not has arrived. It could have gone anyone's way after Rosberg's fantastic practice session pace, and then the front row qualifying from the Brawn drivers. Let's start with the plus points. Jackele Racing has claimed an early lead with such star turns as Brawn GP, Timo Glock and Jenson Button in its line-up. Rosberg likewise had a strong race but it faded in the latter stages and he was lucky to salvage anything from it. Kimi Raikkonen made a costly blunder, yet still this team is sitting atop the table. Just a whisker behind was Crazy's Barmy Army - with Button and Barrichello making brilliant contributions to the scoring there. Third goes to Phil's Bangers at this early stage, following good results for Button, Barrichello and Alonso. Fernando Alonso came good for a lot of teams despite an uninspiring run to fifth in the race.

Kubica and Vettel consigned teams such as Vulkan Racing and Super Jon Racing - both of whom used both drivers - to the lower midfield, with perhaps disappointing points hauls for them. Bourdais, Glock and Barrichello were among the names making up for it - but three of Vulkan's drivers could have finished second, third and fourth were it not for the crash. Expect more from these teams in the next race.

Roughly 20pts behind Team Afro at the foot of the table are The Handsom Chaps and Kartbreaker. These teams relied rather heavily on Kimi Raikkonen - most notably the Chaps, who had Raikkonen and Ferrari in the team. Neither scored points this weekend. Bourdais and Sutil, surprisingly, made up for it in both cases, but it wasn't enough to make a difference. Team O'Glock's only certifiable front-runner is Robert Kubica, who scored just one point, yet the team is fifth in the standings after one round because the others such as Barrichello and Glock (arguably natural midfield runners) really brought home the bacon. Putting everything on a top drawer driver like Kimi has really backfired this weekend - and the same can be said for Felipe Massa at Team Afro. It won't be like this all the time - but compromise on the driver line-up has aided teams such as O'Glock and a lack thereof has hindered others, such as the two stragglers.

It is possible to understand why Nelsinho Piquet has been selected twice - poor qualifying can translate into big points if he scythes his way through the pack in the races - but his mid-race at Albert Park crash showed exactly why he is a gamble-and-a-half! Jackele Racing seems to have hit the nail on the head, as the only squad to edge past the 100pts mark after just one race. Will all other squads follows its lead? Doubtful. The BMWs, Ferraris and Kovalainen should be prepared to make an impact in Malaysia - particularly with two long straights on which to exercise their KERS devices to their full potential. That's not to say the Brawns won't win again, or that Rosberg's electric Australian pace was in fact a one-off - but there can be no guarantees as to the results of round two until the chequered flag has fallen (or even until quite some time afterwards, as proven today). What shouldn't dishearten the rest of the team owners is that Jackele Racing's bonus round is next weekend - so expect a giant lead to open up, and expect to have to fight to claw it back by the season's end.

After just one race, Piquet has been booted off Team O'Glock, following yet another brain-fade from the young Brazillian. Following the promising performance of Red Bull, Mark Webber will take his place, for Malaysia at least. His luck was out yet again, but his luck has surely got to change soon.

In other news, Team Ego owner Nick Drewett must be wishing he had gone for Timo Glock instead of Jarno Trulli.

Hahaha!

following several repeat showings of the Nelson Piquet incident, a tactical change early for Phil's Bangers, switching Renault for Toyota

TRULLI TRAIN REACHES ITS DESTINATION AT LAST.
Finally the stewards have seen sense, and Trulli has been reinstated as the man who finished last weekend's Australian Grand Prix in third position. The story detailing the hows, whys and so ons is not important here. Is Hamilton a liar? Should Trulli have in fact been fourth? Should either man have been excluded at all? It doesn't matter. The facts are that Hamilton's hard-earned points are gone - and Trulli has all of his back.

Thus; the table has been revised to show Team Ego sitting atop it. Jackele Racing trails by a single point - but don't forget its bonus round is imminent and a massive points advantage will surely emerge after the Malaysian GP. In the midtable, much remains the same, save for Team Afro's sudden arrival in the top six. Jarno Trulli's work really paid off for this team after all. Down at the bottom of the bunch lies The Handsom Chaps, a team only slightly ahead of Kartbreaker before the revision. Team Miller Time loses out because McLaren scored no points in the end. Optional Extras is a team now floundering, down eight positions in a direct swap with Team Afro. Trulli really has prevailed over the world champion.

Who will win this weekend? Jackele Racing, of course. As long as Button, Glock, Rosberg and Vettel can make it home, then there are double points on offer. Surprisingly, despite eventually winning all of his points back, Team Afro's principal has elected to replace Jarno Trulli with Jenson Button. That's the biggest transfer news ahead of this race - but more will follow in the Malaysian GP round-up...

HEIDFELD MOTIVATES TEAM TO TOP.
It's bad news for anyone who had hoped the FHUGS series would receive half points like the F1 series did; full marks to Jenson Button sees Jackele Racing darting off into an impressive lead after its bonus round was played out at Sepang this morning. Jenson Button took a personal best for this year of 27pts - but it was Nick Heidfeld, ranked second after the red flag fell, who claimed 28pts and the 'Best In Show' in FHUGS today, taking the mantle from last week's holder, Jarno Trulli, who only clocked 13pts this time. Jackele Racing's lead spans almost 100pts over second-placed Phil's Bangers - but Vettel really threw a spanner in the works for the league leader when he retired from the action.

Does this result make Jackele Racing uncatchable? Certainly not. The new league leader wasn't even the best overall, if you discount those flattering bonus points. Remember, flattery gets you nowhere! Team Motivator was the most impressive squad, with Nick Heidfeld in particular paying dividends. Kimi Raikkonen proved something of a let-down after a failed stab in the dark on tyre choice, part-way through the race. But this doesn't deter from Motivator's dominance on the day - 4.5pts clear of the next best competitor, which was Team Afro, of all teams!

Team Afro was not expected to be such a hit in FHUGS - but the reversal of the 'Liegate' decision, which saw Jarno Trulli reinstated, catapulted the team into the top six. Piquet, Massa, Barrichello and Button flew the flag for it this week. Now Team Afro is fourth, equal on points with Team Ego, which flopped by comparison with its top-end rivals. Team Ego would have placed eighth if the table had been based on today's results alone. Crazy's Barmy Army has slipped after mechanical gremlims robbed Robert Kubica of the chance to compete beyond the start line. The team is now in the clutches of Team Jeff Gordon and Team Motivator - both of whom can thank Nick Heidfeld for his excellent timing where the all-important tyre switch was concerned.

At the bottom of the table Super Jon Racing's score justifies its placement above only the lowest four teams, 61.5pts being the worst haul of the top 12. Nevertheless, that team had the fortune to score 17.5pts more than the next best - Kartbreaker - which isn't even the next team in the league. That is Team Miller Time, whose McLaren car is still failing to impress after Kovalainen frolicked in the gravel before grinding to a halt. Buemi and Fisichella underperformed likewise, making TMT the worst-scoring FHUGS team on the day. Moving up to 14th place is Kartbreaker after Ferrari added to its points haul from Australia of half-a-point. Optional Extras falls down a place to 15th because its drivers - barring Hamilton - were nothing if not a disappointment. And finally The Handsom Chaps is the team which remains planted at the foot of the table. Jackele Racing has almost three times its picayune 82pts. Bourdais was easily its best driver today - and last weekend - but that could change in China...

Ahead of this weekend, the Brawn car was picked to replace the STR at Team Pole and Super Jon Racing. Button started for Team Motivator instead of Bourdais and again for Team Afro in Trulli's place, while Vettel substituted for Raikkonen at Jackele Racing, and Webber joined Team O'Glock in place of Piquet. RBR made an appearance as the second car at Forest Rule! - with Renault on the out. Renault was also dispensed with at Phil's Bangers. Toyota filled the hole.

Frenchman Bourdais still offers good value after a points haul of 11 this weekend, while Webber improved, and Hamilton, Massa and Piquet all got off the mark. In transfer news, Fisichella has been sacked by The Handsom Chaps in favour of Rubens Barrichello, who should quickly establish himself as an asset to the team. Super Jon Racing has, however, replaced Bourdais with the promising German driver Nico Rosberg. As things stand, Bourdais is the one to have - and is good for the money - but Rosberg could be atop the winner's rostrum before so very long.

Team Motivator will continue their climb up the charts once Kimi is sufficiently full of Magnums

Team Kartbreaker has started to slowly gain ground from its very poor start.

hopefully the future for this team is as bright as their cars!!

VETTEL'S DOMINATION TELLS IN FHUGS.
Lead squad Jackele Racing, fresh from its bonus round in Malaysia, traded BMW power for Toyota cars in China. Phil's Bangers added Timo Glock to its line-up, removing double world champion Fernando Alonso. Team Ego added Toyota power, too - replacing McLaren. Team Afro, having sacked Jarno Trulli after the fracas in Australia, reinstated the Italian after his points haul was rewarded by the FIA there; Piquet was dropped. Making its first change, Team Jeff Gordon hired chief title contender Jenson Button to replace Mark Webber. Team Motivator attempted to sign Sebastian Vettel but the deal went through too late for this race. He will start for the team in Bahrain. Vulkan Racing released Nick Heidfeld, hiring fellow German Timo Glock in his place. Nico Rosberg joined the line-up at Super Jon Racing, in place of Sebastien Bourdais. Vettel was dropped by Optional Extras for Jenson Button. The Brawn cars entered the fray at Kartbreaker instead of the Ferraris. Rubens Barrichello replaced Giancarlo Fisichella at The Handsom Chaps.

Onto the racing, and a top drawer performance from Sebastian Vettel saw him claim 'Best In Show' this weekend, with a points haul of 25. Several teams would benefit from this perhaps overdue effort, namely Kartbreaker, Team Pole, Super Jon Racing and Vulkan Racing - four of the five teams claiming more than 100pts without the assistance of bonus marks. Mark Webber's result poured scorn on Team Jeff Gordon's decision to drop him for twice winner Jenson Button, who only scored 18 compared with Webber's 21. In any case that is a decent return for little money spent on the Briton. Robert Kubica and Kimi Raikkonen offered their best results yet (gaining nine and and six points, respectively), but both are still lacking and proving bad value for money. Nick Heidfeld also dropped the ball after a superb Malaysian GP, scoring just four for teams Team Motivator and Team Jeff Gordon. Vulkan Racing's ploy to dispense with Heidfeld's services for this race at least worked out fantastically, with a scrappy Timo Glock clawing his way up the order to net 22pts.

It is this clutch of points from Glock, together with Vettel's win, Barrichello's fourth, and points haul bonanzas over at Brawn and RBR, that has vaulted Vulkan Racing into fourth place in the standings. Vulkan claimed 118pts without using its bonus - the highest single score for any non-bonus team so far this season, and a record to be beaten. Among the teams in its wake were Optional Extras, scoring 106pts with its bonus in play. Hiring Jenson Button proved less fruitful than expected after Vettel found his form and scorched to victory. A costly mistake from Sutil consigned the Extras to a poor result, despite reasonable hauls from Buemi (10pts) and Hamilton (13pts). The Williams car was a grave disappointment, garnering only half-a-point this weekend. Super Jon Racing scored an impressive 104pts - but the team languishes in 12th. Team Pole and Kartbreaker scored 102pts apiece.

In stark contrast to its early performances, Team Afro plummeted this weekend, after Massa and Trulli retired from the race. Piquet failed to score as well, making Barrichello the sole bread-winner here. Today's haul of just 61pts would rank the team 15th - but previous success renders the team a lucky 11th. Jarno Trulli's misfortune drops Team Ego to fifth, while in sixth and seventh are two teams on equal points! Team O'Glock, seventh, also claimed the same points haul as the eighth placed side, Forest Rule!, on the day. Team Motivator has sunk to tenth - but the gaps are very small in this tight midfield, and having Vettel in the team during today's race could have made all the difference. Not even 20 points cover third to tenth.

Outside the top 12 there is still work to be done. Team Miller Time took the 14th best result today and ends up 15th. The Handsom Chaps is a team in decline - if that's possible when it's been 16th and last since the opening round. The inclusion of Rubens Barrichello helped the team to a paltry 33.5pts - and the Ferrari influence did not help. Optional Extras' bonus round pushes it up into 13th - but it would have remained a weak 15th without its bonus points. Even now, Kartbreaker is not far behind, with only 3.5pts between them. It will, therefore, be disheartening for Optional Extras to realise it has not even troubled the top 12 today. Jackele Racing remains far out in front, at least until the next bonus round (Rd5, Spain, for Forest Rule!), and has already struck off one outfit with considerable ease. Remember, even without its bonus points, Jackele Racing would still boast an 8.5pt advantage over everyone else, further highlighting the team's competitiveness. Will the other 14 challenge Sam Jackson's imperious lead?

BRAWN HITS THE BUTTON.
Changes for this weekend included the following: Team Motivator replaced Nick Heidfeld with Sebastian Vettel; Kartbreaker replaced Adrian Sutil with Rubens Barrichello; Super Jon Racing replaced Nico Rosberg with Jenson Button; Vulkan Racing replaced Robert Kubica with Fernando Alonso; Phil's Bangers replaced Kimi Raikkonen with Sebastian Vettel; Team Jeff Gordon replaced Fernando Alonso with Mark Webber; Team Ego replaced its Toyota cars with McLarens, which it had been using in the first two rounds before it signed for Toyotas. In addition, three new teams join the FHUGS league. The Rock Hard Fairies is a team switching to the official Formula HUGS racing league from the amateur ranks. All points have been carried across, meaning it started Rd4 with a hefty 275.5pts and its bonus round still to come, in Germany. The line-up within the squad remained unchanged since the season opener; Vettel, Button, Massa and Barrichello would share Brawn and Toyota machinery for a fourth consecutive race weekend. Team boss Paul Hutton will be hoping for success. Brawny Buttons is a new entrant fielded by Will Russell, also choosing to make use of Brawn and Toyota equipment. Bahrain pole-sitter Jarno Trulli was joined by Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button and Nick Heidfeld for its season opener, at which it also announced the imminent deployment of its bonus round. The nineteenth entrant, Team Glockdog, owned and managed by Mark Foley, would have hoped to play catch-up against fellow newcomer Brawny Buttons, but as its bonus round isn't until the Belgian Grand Prix, it will be chasing the rest by itself, and from quite some way behind. This team signed Barrichello, Buemi, Sutil and, quite naturally, Timo Glock, as well as the Williams and Renault cars - an interesting selection not used elsewhere.

In the race, Jenson Button's performance has not failed to benefit the team using him. He was 'Best In Show' today with a haul of 28pts. Vettel was the only other driver scraping clear of the 20pt barrier, with 21pts to his name. The combined success of these drivers shows best at Team Motivator, which has moved five places into fifth place. Super Jon Racing, poised and ready after last weekend's good showing, has claimed several scalps of its own, moving into ninth. Team Ego has regained fourth place. Heidfeld and Kubica are still present in five of the 19 teams; neither contributing to today's results. Kubica's timely dismissal from Vulkan Racing helped the team to net an additional eight points from new signing Fernando Alonso. Piquet scored an impressive 11pts today - possibly for the first and last time. Webber's charge was noteworthy, with him netting 12. Kimi Raikkonen finally came good for Team Motivator, grabbing 14.

Team Ego was, in fact, the team to beat today, with 113.5pts scored. But it's Brawny Buttons - a newcomer - who has grabbed the headlines with a handy 215 scored through use of its bonus round at its debut race. Fellow debutant Team Glockdog scored a dire 39.5 - but that's not the worst we've had all season, so there is hope yet, and a bonus race still to come in Belgium. Brawny Buttons is already well-placed to capitalise on this race weekend, with The Handsom Chaps already defeated (until the German race, at least) and others such as Team Miller Time and Optional Extras well within reach. Incoming team Rock Hard Fairies scored an impressive 103.5 on its FHUGS debut, but that wasn't enough to contain Phil's Bangers, which held on to second place. It will only take a cracking result from any of the other top 12 teams to radically change the order near the top, as second to 12th is covered by just 50pts. Forest Rule! has to be the favourite to make the biggest impression next - after new team Brawny Buttons got a "leg-up" from its bonus today, to put it on near-level terms with the 14th-16th teams, and after Optional Extras failed to improve despite its own bonus race - so Jackele Racing will have to prepare for the dogfight ahead.

Team O'Glock has taken a bit of a battering and has fallen to 13th, while Kartbreaker, in 14th, appears to be breaking away from the former "bottom four" - now a bottom six. Brawny Buttons could challenge. Only the top five scored more than 100pts (the bonus team excepted).

[KART]BREAKING THE [FOREST] RULE!
Changes for this race: Team Pole switched Rosberg out, for Button in; The Handsom Chaps appointed Button in place of Sutil; Kartbreaker brought in Button for Bourdais; Vulkan Racing hired Button and released Alonso; Crazy's Barmy Army brought in Vettel for Kubica; at Super Jon Racing Kubica was ousted for Hamilton; at Team Jeff Gordon Heidfeld made way for Trulli; Heidfeld also left Brawny Buttons for Alonso. At both Jackele Racing and Team O'Glock the Red Bull chassis replaces the Toyota and BMW, respectively. Team Afro has brought in Toyota in place of Renault. Clearly teams are moving towards the Button/Vettel tandem - with ten of the teams using it! Only three teams have neither driver. Kubica and Heidfeld are becoming increasingly unpopular. Nine teams now have a Brawn/RBR combination of cars, too. Kartbreaker is using Brawn/RBR components only. Can it make an impression on the top thirteen teams?

Race day revealed that yes, Kartbreaker could make an impact. Having both Brawn and RBR drivers - and cars - finish in the top four has enabled the team to close on the top 13, with the gap up to 13th precarious at just one point. Team O'Glock will be getting nervous, as drivers such as Robert Kubica and Timo Glock failed to flourish today. A haul of 99pts was not enough to see off Kartbreaker, which pulled an incredible 126pts, not using its bonus! Speaking of bonuses, Forest Rule! used its today. Ordinarily the 100pts scored would have ranked it only eighth or ninth today, alongside Jackele Racing, which also scored 100pts - but the doubling up puts the team on 200pts scored today and moves it up to an expected second place. The bad news is that Forest Rule! is still 20pts adrift of Jackele Racing, whose commanding lead has belittled the efforts of two other bonus-using teams, including Optional Extras, now. At the root of Forest Rule's shortcomings was the retirement of Kimi Raikkonen, who, from a lowly grid position, could have scored points aplenty today. The same problem has also cut short the aspirations of Team Motivator and our resident straggler The Handsom Chaps.

Crazy's Barmy Army flew up four positions after dazzling performances from drivers Alonso, Barrichello, Button and Vettel. Alonso was a sound selection ahead of this grand prix - but only Brawny Buttons had the foresight to hire him especially for it. When one team goes up another must come down, and swapping ends with Forest Rule! is Team Ego, which suffered immensely as Jarno Trulli and Sebastien Bourdais flunked out of the race after just a few hundred yards. Rumours are now rife that the McLaren component of the team will be ditched in favour of the RBR car, after Kovalainen dropped out of contention very early on, possibly - though not certainly - so that he could join his countryman in the ice cream parlour. Crazy's Barmy Army edged Vulkan Racing by half-a-point to make the top three on today's efforts alone, suggesting that Vulkan Racing's decision to hire Button as a replacement for Alonso, instead of Glock, was not a very good one.

Brawny Buttons continues to impress despite a meagre attempt to score well today. The team moves up one place. Team Miller Time slips down one. Fellow newcomer Team Glockdog improved on its last effort, racking up 52pts today - but that still leaves it trailing The Handsom Chaps by over 100pts. Without its bonus deployed in Bahrain, Brawny Buttons would only have been 100pts clear of Team Glockdog, and definitely catchable. Meanwhile, Team Miller Time stands to gain positions should its bonus round work out. Forest Rule! was expected to move into second but would have remained eighth without bonus points, and Jackele Racing, in the middle of a great season, would still be outshining its rivals in first without its bonus track in Malaysia.

Next time out the top six should retain Team Jeff Gordon, but should also welcome Team Ego, Super Jon Racing and Team O'Glock, as all four have their bonuses in Monaco. Team Jeff Gordon and Team O'Glock share Barrichello and Webber, while SJR and Team Ego share Button and Vettel. If Team Ego makes its proposed change, then all four will run Brawn and RBR cars. It will either end in glory for all, or total disaster, and other teams might well look into fielding different drivers or cars in the hope of picking up points where this quartet misses out through poor strategy or on-track accidents.

As if you needed confirmation, Button was again the highest scorer this weekend.

Roll on Monaco...

[i]VETTELMANIA HELPS TEAM JEFF GORDON INTO FIRST.[/i]
Changes ahead of this race included: Team Ego (McLaren out, Red Bull in); Team Afro (Toyota out, Red Bull in); Brawny Buttons (Toyota out, Red Bull in); Phil's Bangers (Toyota out, Red Bull in). Perhaps Phil's Bangers' team boss will consider apologising to the boss over at Vulkan Racing after condemning his own selection of the Red Bull car as "a weak link". Other changes included: The Handsom Chaps (Bourdais out, Sutil in); Vulkan Racing (Glock out, Hamilton in); and two of the four bonus teams this weekend - Super Jon Racing and Team O'Glock - selected Rosberg and Vettel in place of Glock and Kubica, respectively. Who could make the time on track count out of SJR, Team O'Glock, Team Jeff Gordon and everyone's favourite, Team Ego...?

Team O'Glock took the first hit in qualifying when Jenson Button - not a member of his team - claimed pole. But this was the only team to lock out the second row, which suitably made up for it. Glock (Team O'Glock), Hamilton (SJR) and Trulli (Team Jeff Gordon and Team Ego) all got knocked out in Qualifying One, along with the BMWs - but as Kubica is the only driver in this league, for Forest Rules!, that was of little consequence.

In the race Sebastian Vettel upset the applecart for 12 of 19 the teams - least notably for Team Jeff Gordon, which doesn't run the young German driver - when he crashed out at turn one. The only other FHUGS drivers to fall by the wayside were Robert Kubica and Team Miller Time's Sebastien Buemi. But for Team Miller Time Alonso, Bourdais and Fisichella scored more than 10pts each, and it went on to net 43.5pts in total on the day. Vettel's demise also spelled trouble for the 14 teams using the Red Bull car, allowing, of all teams, The Handsom Chaps to capitalise on its Ferrari/Williams combination. The Handsom Chaps would have ranked equal seventh after today's race were it not for the previous five rounds which anchored it at the foot of the table.

Button and Barrichello were the highest scoring drivers (25pts and 21pts, respectively), while Raikkonen and Glock both scored 16pts - a better end total than Hamilton's 11pts. That news would come as a disappointment to Vulkan Racing, who traded Glock for Hamilton before the weekend got underway.

Turning attention to the league table, Team Jeff Gordon's impressive result puts it on 671pts at the top. 202pts in a bonus round is the second-highest haul after Brawny Buttons' debut race in Bahrain. This also puts Jackele Racing in the shade after a long run at the front of the queue. Forest Rule! clings on to third place, though it's a drop of one after the last event, ahead of Team Ego, the third-lowest scoring of the bonus teams so far this season. As expected, Super Jon Racing and Team O'Glock advanced to the top six, but both should be unenthused by their tallies, as Team O'Glock hangs just four points clear of non-bonus team Rock Hard Fairies. Oh dear. As a result of these teams moving up, the vast majority has moved down. The Handsom Chaps and Brawny Buttons have both made gains over their rivals at the bottom - but Team Miller Time can seek solace in the fact that Optional Extras is not far ahead and has used its bonus. After a brilliant recovery last time out, Kartbreaker remains 14th, unable to break the seal on the mid-grid.

Ignoring bonuses for a second, The Handsom Chaps would have ranked third this weekend, behind Team Jeff Gordon and the high-scoring Team Afro. The table would have seen Rock Hard Fairies and Phil's Bangers in the top two positions - a big worry for times to come. Optional Extras would still have been ahead of Brawny Buttons, which gives Team Glockdog, with a late-coming bonus round, some hope. As expected by some, this has been one of the highest-risk and lowest-scoring events of the season to date. Roll on Rd7 so that we can see Vulkan Racing's bonus round plays out...

RUBENS BARRICHELLO: UNLUCKY FOR SOME.
Rubens Barrichello's race cost 13 teams the chance to score points with him at the Turkish Grand Prix. The worst-affected, arguably, was Vulkan Racing, which was using this round as its bonus race. Unfortunately it was only the fourth best bonus result of the season - but it was also the second time that Vulkan Racing topped the result sheet, making it the first team to do so. Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel did the lion's share of the work, and Felipe Massa certainly helped - but the among the reasonly high-scoring drivers this weekend to outscore the Brazilian were names like Glock, Rosberg, Trulli and Kubica. Currently neither BMW driver is in use in FHUGS, but this weekend was certainly an improvement for them both. Jenson Button's 26pts make him the highest scorer of the race, with Mark Webber a comfortable second. Toyota followed Red Bull as second-best constructor. For Vulkan Racing, the absence of Barrichello was costly, yet still the team rose to third in the championship table, behind Team Jeff Gordon and Jackele Racing. All outscored Forest Rule! - which has slipped to fourth. The rest of the "Monaco" teams complete the top seven, with Super Jon Racing's performance aiding it past Team Ego, which struggled to top 80pts with a line-up that included not only Barrichello, but also Sebastien Bourdais.

Phil's Bangers put in a reasonable performance to leapfrog Rock Hard Fairies in the standings, which is good news ahead of the Fairies' bonus race in a few weeks' time, in Germany. The gap between the Monaco teams and the highest-ranking non-bonus team has increased from four points to six - still the tiniest of margins when general performance is taken into account. Team O'Glock outscored Team Ego on the day but pre-bonus the team was floundering in the lower reaches of the division. In order to remain in front of the non-bonus competitors, it will have to up its game considerably and widen the gap even more so! As Vulkan Racing proved today, time is limited for O'Glock if it intends to climb the ladder any further.

Having caught the chasing pack, Kartbreaker is now mounting a serious challenge. It has moved up into 13th place ahead of the plummeting Crazy's Barmy Army. Kartbreaker's score equalled that of both Super Jon Racing and Team Motivator, making it the joint-second-best team on the day. Team Pole has replaced the Barmy Army in 11th with an impressive score that just came short of a round hundred. Brawny Buttons is leaving Optional Extras for dead while The Handsom Chaps and Team Miller Time instigate their respective charges. Both teams could have done better after the advantage of hiring Brawn cars was nullified by Barrichello's exit. That said, the Chaps still outscored the Extras. Team Glockdog, like a pair of unbelted trousers, is falling down, as if that were possible when it was already bottom. But the relative gains are not there and the team's bonus race might not be anywhere near good enough to catapult it into the mainstream of the championship table.

With the Brawns still unflappable - barring this race's exceptional retirement - and the Red Bulls still a potent threat, will Ferrari's improvement be enough to get some more teams thinking? Massa and Raikkonen made a combined total of eight appearances this weekend, and could become yet more popular as the weeks progress. Team Jeff Gordon has a small cushion of advantage over his rivals, with Vulkan Racing now poised to take the fight to Jackele Racing for second place. Can Jackele Racing hold on, after only one team has surpassed its brilliant run of success to date?

VETTEL SERVES TEAMS WELL AGAIN.
A grand effort from several teams, including Team O'Glock, Phil's Bangers, Team Afro and this week's top scorers, Kartbreaker and Brawny Buttons, sees each of these teams increase the pressure on its rivals. Kartbreaker and Brawny Buttons, 12th and 15th respectively, are running identical line-ups, which means they will get no closer to or further apart from one another. The gap is currently 149pts - more than the gap from Kartbreaker to league leader Team Jeff Gordon. If Kartbreaker really is running the best team possible, then the easiest way to keep him at bay is to run the same team likewise - but its end-of-season bonus could yet elevate it a few positions.

The biggest losers this time were to be found at the foot of the table, with six of the bottom seven scoring fewer than 100pts. Optional Extras has dropped a place to The Handsom Chaps, while Team Miller Time is now mounting serious pressure. Further up Phil's Bangers has equalled the score of the already bonus-ed Team Ego, suggesting that Phil's Bangers is still exceptionally well positioned to capitalise on its bonus in Japan. Rock Hard Fairies is still in the mix - so watch out for it after its bonus round in Germany very soon (a bonus round it shares with The Handsom Chaps and Team Miller Time in the lower reaches of the table). Near the top, though still close to 100pts adrift, Team O'Glock took good points to close in on Super Jon Racing and to overcome Team Ego - an important move for a team that, not too long ago, looked to be on shaky ground.

Right at the top Forest Rule! remains fourth and just half a point behind Vulkan Racing, which has let Team Jeff Gordon and Jackele Racing open up a lead. It was a good score for Jackele Racing at Silverstone, outstripping Team Jeff Gordon - but a bunch of incredible scores was returned from the weekend, so there were several teams doing better.

In Germany, watch out for Kartbreaker and Brawny Buttons - they are likely to continue to improve with arguably the six best components in the game. For Brawny Buttons it will be a while before Crazy's Barmy Army is reeled in - but it is possible. Kartbreaker could be troubling the top ten. Rock Hard Fairies has its bonus round to play and could move very high up indeed. Doubling its score this weekend would have pushed it five points clear of Team Jeff Gordon at the top of the table, so the threat is definitely there.

This is the first update for a while so let's just make it an overview of what each team in the league is up to...

19. TEAM GLOCKDOG. 327.5pts
Entering the championship at Round 4 (we're now past Round 10) it was always going to be hard for this little team to make up ground on the rest. The instant bonus of Brawny Buttons catapulted its main rival into the stratusphere, meaning it would be some time before it got the same chance to double any points. The current line-up comprises Williams and Renault cars. In them are drivers Barrichello, Sutil, Glock and Buemi, the Swiss having netted just seven points for the team in seven races. "Wow, that's really bad value for the team", comments Nelson Piquet.
PREDICTION: 19th.

18. OPTIONAL EXTRAS. 522.5pts
Since the last update this team has fallen on yet harder times, as Team Miller Time has leapfrogged it up the standings. The team has gone basically unchanged for the whole season, save for Jenson Button's arrival for Sebastian Vettel before the Chinese Grand Prix. Sutil, Hamilton and Buemi are the other drivers in Toro Rosso and Williams cars. Overall this is still a weak line-up. But to contextualise how bad Buemi has been for the majority of the year, he scored 29 points prior to Round Four and has done sod all since. Patrick Head denies that the Williams car might be letting him down.
PREDICTION: 18th.

17. TEAM MILLER TIME. 636.5pts
The mighty Miller Time is now more than 100 points clear of Optional Extras, with such elements in its line-up as Alonso, Fisichella, Button and now Jaime Alguersuari. They're driving Red Bull and Brawn cars and, frankly, could be doing worse, though bonus points totaling just 82 must be disappointing. The team's natural rival is The Handsom Chaps, just five points and one position up the road, which means exciting times are in store for Formula HUGS' late bloomer. Newcomer Alguersuari said: "This is a fantastic opportunity. I thank the whole team for tossing their eggs and their baskets at me".
PREDICTION: 16th.

16. THE HANDSOM CHAPS. 641.5pts
The driver line-up here comprises Raikkonen, Button, Fisichella and Barrichello, in Ferrari cars that are finally coming good and Brawn cars that are finally going bad. It's not been a great season for this outfit but times changed a few rounds ago as it hauled itself away from the foot of the table. Unfortunately it is coming under intense pressure from Team Miller Time, and will need further alterations if it is to withstand this pressure. Bonus points tallied a dismal 56.5 - a big help to Team Miller Time. Star turn Rubens Barrichello has lambasted recent team efforts, saying: "This is a classic example of how to lose a championship battle".
PREDICTION: 17th.

15. BRAWNY BUTTONS. 747pts
Making a good fist of a late entry to this championship season, Brawny Buttons used an early bonus to shoot up the order. The "dream team" of Button, Barrichello, Webber and Vettel in Brawn and Red Bull machinery has been rock solid of late - but a surprise result at the Hungarian Grand Prix throws into some doubt the long-term credibility of this particular line-up. The team finds itself in a wilderness, some 100 points clear of 16th but almost 100 points adrift of 14th. Team Principal Will Russell is thought to have been in touch with Ross Brawn to demand improvements to the BGP001 car.
PREDICTION: 14th.

14. CRAZY'S BARMY ARMY. 810.5pts
Despite a promising start to the campaign, this team has fallen like a plane from the skies. Button, Barrichello, Alonso and Vettel are clearly not enough to stop the rot, perhaps because while two have the Brawn car to hammer round the tracks, the other two are stuck in BMWs. It might sound far-fetched, but ditching the German car for something else could turn this squad's fortunes around in an instant. As head of the GPDA, Fernando Alonso is said to be leading calls for BMW cars to be outlawed effective immediately, and all points incoming from the use of a different car to be backdated as far as the Australian Grand Prix.
PREDICTION: 15th.

13. TEAM AFRO. 881pts
Fairly safe from the jaws of the Barmy Army, Team Afro has a fairly solid line-up including many of the usual suspects - Button, Barrichello, Vettel, Brawn and Red Bull. Felipe Massa is the black sheep here but probably the reason this team is ahead of many of its peers. He's had a decent season and it's this sort of outside-the-box thinking that will get teams the points they need to outdo their rivals. The "obvious" Brawn/Red Bull set-up cannot be enough for everyone. If Massa recovers well the team could challenge Kartbreaker to regain its spot higher up the chart.
PREDICTION: 11th.

12. KARTBREAKER. 896pts
Sitting a fraction above Team Afro in the table, Kartbreaker has found genuine form with its "dream team" line-up. But the tide looks like it's turned in Formula One, a sport in which a second is long enough to flip everything on its head, and it could take weeks of painstaking negotiations to replace these guys with the new best drivers on the grid. Raikkonen? Alonso? Hamilton? They're all expensive, but F1's trio of champions could all be returning to form. Alonso was tight-lipped about a move to the squad as internet sites the world over began predicting his arrival. Jenson Button had a moan about tyres not being up to temperature.
PREDICTION: 10th.

11. TEAM MOTIVATOR. 910.5pts
Still lacking motivation, this team has slumped out of the top ten and now seems vulnerable to Kartbreaker's attack. Team Pole is now ahead but the usually impressive Phil's Bangers is fewer than 30 points up the road, so there is hope. Season-long faith in Kimi Raikkonen could be about to pay off for the squad, while Button, Vettel and Rosberg add strength and depth to the line-up overall. Naturally the Brawns and Red Bulls are being used as racecars - but for how long will that remain the case in a world where Ferrari and McLaren are constantly improving? Kimi Raikkonen was unavailable for comment, as he was having a shit.
PREDICTION: 08th.

10. TEAM POLE. 918pts
This squad has taken the fight to the guys in a big way, still looking more than credible in 10th place. Unfortunately its bonus race is run and it took away just 47.5 points, which leaves it susceptible to the advances of Kartbreaker and Team Motivator. Brawn and Red Bull cars are being driven by Button, Glock, Vettel and Alonso, with Rosberg being shipped out some time ago, reportedly for being "too good looking". A top ten finish would be a dream for this team - but it looks less than likely as things stand. Robert Kubica is said to be baffled that a team bearing the name of his own nationality has not thought to hire him to drive.
PREDICTION: 13th.

09. PHIL'S BANGERS. 938pts
The highest non-bonus team, Phil's Bangers has kept up some good form throughout the year. A mid-season backtrack saw the team ditch Toyota cars for Red Bulls, which has coincided neatly with victories for Bangers drivers Vettel and Webber. Button and Massa are also contracted to this team in the Brawn car, and with no bonus to come until very near the year's end there is little pressure on the boss to finalise his line-up for it right now. When asked in a press conference who he would like to join the team, Principal Phil Blanchard offered: "I don't know. Maybe Prost. Maybe Stewart. Maybe my mum. D'oh!" Well done. A failed "your mum" joke.
PREDICTION: 07th.

08. TEAM EGO. 955pts
Facing steep decline and struggling to stay free of Phil's Bangers' gnashers, Team Ego's bubble looks like it's been burst. Button, Vettel, Rosberg and Webber looks a solid line-up, but solid is not enough when the cars are Brawns and Red Bulls - everybody's favourites. A stand-out performer is really what's required here but, despite good performances, Rosberg is not providing it. A quickfix solution is required to get this trainwreck back on track; destination: victory. New arrival Webber said: "G'day, mate. I know it looks like I'm just another shrimp on the barbie, but I'll do my best to turn things around here".
PREDICTION: 12th.

07. TEAM O'GLOCK. 968pts
The Irish Nazis looked rather out of sorts not too long ago but have recovered well; their processional marches to what the Fuehrer terms "victory" have been a real shot in the arm. Glock, Barrichello, Vettel and Webber in Brawn and Red Bull cars have provided the manpower for this sudden rise to power. Another 20 points would be just the shot in the arm this squad needs to trample the nearest opposition for fifth place. Caught drawing post stamp-sized moustaches on portraits of his drivers, Team Principal Josh Overhill said: "Results like Red Bull from Brawn from Red Bull from Brawn have been a real shot in the arm".
PREDICTION: 09th.

06. FOREST RULE! 985.5pts
Brawn and Red Bull cars are just the ticket for Raikkonen, Button, Vettel and Barrichello. Arriving ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix, Vettel is still the newboy here - but the team looks like an old professional at the moment, despite a recent lapse that has allowed Super Jon Racing to level its points total. A good bonus round has clearly helped this team find its own path to success, but whether it can keep success could all depend on Raikkonen's form to come. Raikkonen was sought for his views but he was found unconscious; he'd received a real shot in the arm, and Jonathan Legard stood overheard holding a syringe and a glass of vodka.
PREDICTION: 06th.

05. SUPER JON RACING. 985.5pts
The signing of world champion Lewis Hamilton proved an excellent move by Super Jon Racing ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, as it helped to vault the squad into equal fifth in the championship - level on points with Forest Rule! at least. Rosberg, Vettel, Button, Red Bull and Brawn make familiar companions to followers of Formula HUGS - but as Hamilton proved the formula for success can change as quickly as Team Principal Jon Beagles when offered a woman one minute and Adam Hibberd the next. It's proving a strong effort from this team, but can it be kept going? In a press conference, Nico Rosberg said: "Ja".
PREDICTION: 05th.

04. JACKELE RACING. 1004.5pts
Long-time series leader Jackele Racing finds itself in unfamiliar territory in just fourth place as things stand. A line-up containing those same old cars, with Barrichello, Button, Vettel and Hamilton as drivers, gives it a strong chance of coming back at the league leaders, with perhaps only minor tweaks essential to power it into first - depending, of course, on the progress made by teams such as McLaren and Ferrari in the coming weeks. Asked how it felt to be the only black man in the sport, Hamilton smiled wryly as he picked up a shovel labelled "Mark Webber's personal trainer".
PREDICTION: 02nd.

03. VULKAN RACING. 1014pts
Currently sitting in a podium position, this team couldn't be more on fire if Vulcan himself was running the show. Barrichello, Vettel, Glock and Hamilton make a competent line-up, exciting on occasion, and a bonus haul of 90.5 points has to be commended. Whether the glass is half empty of half full rather depends on what McLaren, Ferrari and Renault do next - but as things stand, all is well at Vulkan HQ. Timo Glock's thoughts were canvassed on the season so far: "This is an amazing opportunity that I have here. Nobody ever interviews me. I am overwhelmed. I don't know what to say".
PREDICTION: 03rd.

02. ROCK HARD FAIRIES. 1019pts
Despite a mega-haul in its recent bonus race of 107 points, Rock Hard Fairies is just a whisker ahead of nearest rivals Vulkan Racing. Button, Vettel and Barrichello form the bedrock of the team, but following events in Hungary, race-winner and current world champion Lewis Hamilton has been signed in place of the sadly injured Felipe Massa. One trend that seems to be emerging among the top teams is the signing of Hamilton - so will they now need a new differentiator to sort out who's best? Team Principal Paul Hutton has been sued by the GPDA for dealing in slavery, but even Hamilton insists he came to the team of his own free will.
PREDICTION: 04th.

01. TEAM JEFF GORDON. 1035.5pts
Riding the crest of a wave, high up in first place in the championship table, Team Jeff Gordon's line-up of Button, Barrichello, Webber and Raikkonen deserves some respect. Unfortunately it is little more exciting than the majority of team compositions, but it has the added benefit of being first, where they are not. If Lewis Hamilton is now the one to watch then Team Jeff Gordon will surely adjust in a bid to maintain form - unless Raikkonen starts winning and it does not have to. Team Principal Pip Hammond was asked for his thoughts, but his response amounted to one "Pfffft" and a rather lazy shrug of the shoulders.
PREDICTION: 01st.

Any thoughts? Discuss them here.

Great review! Am happy with my position at the moment, I reckon top 5 is realistic but I'm aiming for top 3

I have a massive issue now, in that I really need to change a component for Valencia but I could only swap Brawn for Williams or Force India...Button's already dirt cheap and so I am left with Red Bull, Vettel, Rosberg or Hamilton. Tough choices to be made here...

Indeed. It looks like, as per some members' wishes, the best drivers are going to be the most expensive ones again - and if that's how it happens, then this will get interesting, as teams scramble to get the perfect blend of good but cheap and great but expensive. The solely Brawn/Red Bull squads might not be the ones worth having for much longer...

Changes for Valencia will be crucial...who you put in could make or break your season, as no-one can be sure which teams will turn up on form after this month long break (though 2 weeks of this are of course non-working time...).

For those of you wondering, yeah, I'm still bored at work

FHUGS: THE FINAL FIVE.
Formula HUGS write-ups have returned for the final five grands prix of the 2009 season, with everything still to play for and nothing decided for sure just yet. To begin: transfer news. For this segment the current line-ups will simply be revealed. All of this information is in any case public, and as tabs have not been kept on progress, it would be taxing to work out every move that's been made during this feature's hiatus...

Where cars are not indicated in parentheses, it is to be assumed that Brawn and RBR cars are being used.

BRAWNY BUTTONS - Barrichello, Button, Vettel, Webber.
CRAZY'S BARMY ARMY - Alonso, Barrichello, Button, Vettel (BMW, Brawn).
FOREST RULE! - Barrichello, Button, Raikkonen, Vettel.
JACKELE RACING - Barrichello, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel.
KARTBREAKER - Barrichello, Button, Vettel, Webber.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS - Buemi, Button, Hamilton, Sutil (STR, Williams).
PHIL'S BANGERS - Button, Raikkonen, Vettel, Webber.
ROCK HARD FAIRIES - Barrichello, Button, Hamilton, Vettel.
SUPER JON RACING - Barrichello, Hamilton, Vettel, Webber.
TEAM AFRO - Barrichello, Button, Massa, Vettel (yes, that's Massa with the injury!).
TEAM EGO - Button, Hamilton, Rosberg, Webber.
TEAM GLOCKDOG - Barrichello, Buemi, Glock, Sutil (Renault, Williams).
TEAM JEFF GORDON - Barrichello, Button, Raikkonen, Webber.
TEAM MILLER TIME - Alguersuari, Alonso, Button, Fisichella.
TEAM MOTIVATOR - Button, Raikkonen, Rosberg, Vettel.
TEAM O'GLOCK - Barrichello, Hamilton, Vettel, Webber.
TEAM POLE - Alonso, Button, Glock, Vettel.
THE HANDSOM CHAPS - Barrichello, Button, Fisichella, Raikkonen (Brawn, Ferrari).
VULKAN RACING - Barrichello, Glock, Heidfeld, Vettel.

On paper, it is still hard to ignore the potency of the Brawn/RBR combination as used to the full by Kartbreaker and Brawny Buttons. An upturn in form for Ferrari should suit Raikkonen's backers - and those using Hamilton should feel similar benefits at the moment, though Massa's absence from the Scuderia could harm Team Afro. BMW has had a small upturn in form lately but can Crazy's Barmy Army prosper? On to the race...

And after a tremendous display Rubens Barrichello claimed a fine victory - the 11th of his career. Button did very well likewise to take a handy second, while Hamilton slipped up on the last lap, costing five teams including league powerhouse Jackele Racing some serious points no doubt. Webber was punted out of contention on lap one - bad news for league leader Team Jeff Gordon. But Nick Heidfeld, finishing in the points after starting low down the order, scored 17pts for his sole team, Vulkan Racing, and was the third-highest-scoring driver in the race. Cunningly he was switched into the team in Lewis Hamilton's place for this weekend. Another solid weekend for Raikkonen - apparently his fourth consecutive podium, for those interested...

What must not be overlooked now, as we head into the final few races, is what impact a new car-set could have on the championship. Anyone fancy a Force India? Look at the facts: Sutil ran superbly all the way to fourth in the race and, but for problems, Liuzzi - on his F1 return - surely would not have been too far behind. Although RBR is still the best "second" car to have in anyone's line-up, the Force Indias could easily have outshone them had Liuzzi's car kept moving. In fact, they sort of did anyway... Could it be a gamble worth taking for teams lower down the rostrum?

What we see in looking at the league as it now stands is an only-fractionally-diminished lead for Team Jeff Gordon, which has an almighty 1290pts, thanks in no small part to having all the podium-sitters in its line-up. Forest Rule! enjoyed the same luxury with the small bonus of having Vettel in play to help, elevating it to third. Rock Hard Fairies completes the top three despite Lewis Hamilton proving something of a let-down when it mattered most. Vulkan Racing's decision to hire Heidfeld promoted it to fourth overall, while Jackele Racing has lost sight of the lead, now languishing as it does in fifth, thanks to Hamilton and Rosberg's dismal hauls.

Completing the top ten, Team Motivator's bonus race ushered it up to sixth place with Rosberg again disappointing. Super Jon Racing and Team O'Glock are two of the Monaco teams gamely holding position but Hamilton was a last-minute let-down for both. Phil's Bangers is a team with its bonus still to use - in Japan - so don't rule it out despite its ninth-place in the standings. Tenth, almost remarkably after its appalling start, is Kartbreaker, still with its own bonus to come in Abu Dhabi.

In the lower reaches of the table Team Ego is slipping in 11th with Team Pole just a whisker behind. Team Afro, unluckily for some (namely Team Afro) is 13th. Crazy's Barmy Army is the last team to have limped over the 1000pts barrier, with the late-starting Brawny Buttons not even 100pts behind (but behind the Army's bonus race at Suzuka). The Handsom Chaps still linger in 16th with Team Miller Time well over 100pts behind. Further down the order still is Optional Extras on just 657 and still some 111pts in arrears of that team is the eternally woeful Team Glockdog. Here's to an exciting final few races. C'mon Glockdog, we're rooting for you!