As expected, the drivers who were shifted to the dirty side suffered.

WSJ: Alonso Happy to Spoil the Party

It's very difficult to overtake the Red Bulls at the start but I'm on the cleaner side of the track so hopefully I can get a good start and jump the guy (Webber) on the outside who's on the dirty side.

BBC: European Grand Prix as it happened

"Practice starts during the weekend had shown that the dirty side of the grid was so lacking in grip that a car would lose up to a second in the 350-meter run to Turn 1, equivalent to two positions, " James Allen, a Formula One commentator for the BBC and the editor of jamesallenonF1.com, wrote in an email.

WSJ: Alonso Happy to Spoil the Party

We've got -- the other side has decided that "compromise" is a dirty word.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

But here's a dirty secret about this loose style of travel: The flip side of adventure is a persistent, anxiety-inducing uncertainty.

WSJ: Halfway: More Anxiety��but Plenty of Joy