Jenson Button says he doesn't care if he doesn't win another race this year; he just wants to win the world championship.
That could prove prophetic. The Englishman has been fortunate that, though he's only taken 11 points from the last four races, he has still scored in each and the wins have been shared by four different drivers. Thanks to this, his lead has barely shrunk: he still enjoys an 18-point buffer.
Thanks to a faultless win in Valencia, his veteran team mate Rubens Barrichello is now in second place in the standings. Barrichello says he wants the title and will not be Button's rear gunner. He had enough of being the bridesmaid at Ferrari to last a lifetime.
Ferrari is in trouble. Though their car is improving, and Kimi Raikkonen is picking up regular podiums, the Finn sagely warns "it will be difficult to fight McLaren in the constructors' championship because we only have one car scoring". Ferrari are third in the standings, five points ahead of McLaren.
The injured Felipe Massa was replaced by test driver Luca Badoer in Valencia, who qualified last, spun twice, finished last and picked up four pitlane speeding fines. At the end of the race, out of sight of the TV cameras, he careened into the back of Adrian Sutil's stationary car in parc ferme. He did little to impress last weekend, earning the cruel nickname 'Look-how-bad-you-are'.
As it's been just a few days since the last grand prix, there have been speculative jokes as to whether Luca Badoer will get to the Belgian Grand Prix on time.
One must remember that he hadn't raced in a decade, so he was bound to be rusty. However, his prickly demeanor in interviews did little to endear him to the press, who have savaged him in Italy.
Ferrari say they will see what happens this weekend. Badoer is set to race, but he could be replaced if he's still so far off the pace in practice. Unlike Valencia, he has raced at Spa-Francorchamps before.
Spa, in Belgium, is one of the most emotive and shockingly fast tracks on the calendar. It's a test of raw skill, and the drivers love it - it makes them feel like proper racing drivers, and behave accordingly: doing donuts with hire cars in the car park (Giancarlo Fisichella!), bringing Winnebagos and inviting their mechanics to barbeque.
Red Bull, who had a nightmare in Valencia, should be back on it this weekend. The long sweeping curves and low ambient temperatures will suit the RB5 well. The Brawn excelled in Barrichello's hands in Valencia, but it remains dependent on a hot track temperature, which Belgium is unlikely to produce. The weather here can be an absolute lottery. Sebastian Vettel, now 25 points adrift of the lead due to his engine failure last weekend, is a maestro in the wet and will be doing a rain dance come Sunday.
Lewis Hamilton too will be looking to go one better than he did last weekend, and continue his renaissance.
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