Spare parts do come in handy

Ferrari's call to reinstate reserve cars has its merits, but the current rule keeps costs down and adds to the excitement.

Fernando Alonso's Ferrari is removed from the track at the Monaco Grand Prix after an accident which prevented the Spaniard from taking part in qualifying.

One of the biggest talking points since the last race in Monaco has been the call from Ferrari for a return to the rule that allows teams to have a spare car. This came after Fernando Alonso wrote off his Ferrari in a crash in practice and was unable to take part in qualifying, ruining his chances of victory as he was forced to start the race from the back of the grid.

Spare cars used to be a part of Formula One until they were stopped as part of the measures designed to drive down costs. It is one of those cases where you can see the two sides of the argument. On the one hand it would not cost that much more to have a spare chassis for each team. It might be an issue for the smaller ones, but this is Formula One and there should be a certain level they are all capable of meeting.

It was a shame what happened to Fernando as it did ruin his race chances, and it prevented the crowd on Saturday from watching him in action as he was forced to sit out the qualifying session. On the other hand, though, it did mix up the grid by having Fernando at the back of the grid and it added a bit of excitement to the early laps of the race as he battled his way past the backmarkers on his way to sixth place, a superb finish under the circumstances.

There is clearly a cost issue but a spare car does give the teams and drivers some leeway for competing even after an accident. Under the present regulations it would be difficult to see the rule being changed, but I can sympathise with Ferrari and Fernando and the reasons they want it changed. Red Bull have had the edge in the last few races and I would expect that to be the same in Istanbul on Sunday, with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber looking as if they are going to go head-to-head for the title given the speed advantage they have over the rest of the field.

The characters of Sebastian and Mark are very different, but they do seem to get on very well with each other and I would expect it to stay that way even as the championship fight develops. Red Bull-Renault have developed an attitude of everyone in the team working together and the drivers share that attitude, swapping information and being visibly relaxed around each other. Sebastian looked genuinely happy for Mark after his win in Monaco and he joined in the celebrations by the swimming pool. I am sure part of him was disappointed not to have won himself, but he did not let it show in front of the team.

In the past we have seen teammates clash when they have both been fighting for the title, but I do not think that will happen with Sebastian and Mark. It is good that they are being allowed to race within the team and it is the same at McLaren-Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, the world champion, sharing equal billing. That was one thing that was missing with Michael Schumacher as he also made sure he was the centre of attention and his teammate did not have an equal chance.

With the characteristics of the Istanbul track I would expect to see Red Bull at the front in Turkey, with McLaren and Ferrari pushing to get close to them. Renault could also be up there, but their impressive performance in Monaco may have just been a one-off due to how well suited the car and Robert Kubica were to the streets of Monte Carlo. McLaren will be hoping that they can move forward after Monaco. Lewis finished fifth on the street circuit and Jenson, who won there last year for BrawnGP, retired after two laps, so they will be hoping to put up more of a challenge this time around.