Webber
Vettel wins European GP from pole position
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel got his championship challenge back on-track after a commanding victory in Valencia this afternoon. The German led every lap of the action-packed race from pole position to record his second win of the season and promote him to third in the championship, behind fellow podium finishes Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Team-mate Mark Webber failed to finish after a colossal crash with Heikki Kovalainen early in the race.
Vettel kept the lead from pole position at the start despite a strong challenge from Hamilton who damaged his front wing slightly after making contact with the German. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso leaped into third at the end of the first lap, while Webber dropped to ninth after a dismal opening tour. Things went from bad to worse for the Australian after pitting for a fresh set of rubber on lap 7. After rejoining Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus, he tried to overtake the Finn going into turn 12 but hit the rear of his rival and was catapulted into the air.
Vettel gets pole in European GP
Sebastian Vettel came to the fore in a thrilling qualifying session at Valencia this afternoon as the German returned to the very front of the grid to take his fourth pole position of the season and his first since April. Team-mate Mark Webber made it Red Bull’s fourth front row lock-out of the year, while mistakes by both McLaren drivers cost them the chance of challenging their rivals.
After the first round of runs, it was Webber who had set the fastest time on a 1m37.852s, over a tenth clear of Hamilton and Vettel. But once the serious work was to be done, Vettel just got the edge. The German was the first front-runner to set his grid time (1m37.587s), with Webber following soon after with his 1m37.662s, just three quarters of a tenth shy of his team-mate. Lewis Hamilton (1m37.969s) took third despite having to abort his final lap after a mistake, while home hero Fernando Alonso (1m38.075s) only managed fourth.
Hamilton leads McLaren double in Montreal
McLaren racked up their second consecutive 1-2 finish as Lewis Hamilton led home team-mate Jenson Button in Montreal this afternoon in a mouth-watering 70 laps of racing at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. As expected, tyre performance played a huge role in the outcome, with Red Bull’s differing strategy ultimately failing to bring the results as Fernando Alonso took the final podium place for Ferrari in third.
After leading away from pole, severe tyre degradation on the super-soft tyre forced many of the front-runners to pit early on laps 5, 6 and 7. Hamilton pitted on lap 7 but lost a place to Alonso in a battle in the pitlane, before regaining it eight laps later with an overtaking manoeuvre into the final chicane. That handed the lead back to Hamilton once both Red Bulls had pitted from the lead, but poor tyre wear forced another pitstop for both Hamilton and Alonso soon after.
Hamilton beats Webber for first 2010 pole
Lewis Hamilton took his first pole position of 2010 in Canada this afternoon, ending Red Bull’s run of seven straight pole positions this season. Different tyre choices by the top teams resulted in a thrilling battle between for top spot between Hamilton and Webber, with a late lap by the former handing him pole position by over two tenths of a second.
Tyre graining had been a major problem for teams throughout the weekend’s practice sessions, and expectations had been high that at least one team would opt for an alternative tyre strategy. With all Q3 drivers being forced to start the race on their qualifying tyre, an exciting qualifying was in prospect.
Hamilton wins in Turkey as Webber/Vettel collided
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton took his maiden victory of 2010 after leading team-mate Jenson Button home in a thrilling race at the Istanbul Park this afternoon. Red Bull’s Mark Webber looked set for a third consecutive victory until a controversial collision with Sebastian Vettel going into turn 12 on lap 40 as the German came through to take the lead handed McLaren an easy 1-2 finish.
After keeping his lead away from pole position at the start, Webber was unable to open a gap to second-placed Lewis Hamilton who managed to hold onto second place on the first lap despite starting on the dirty side of the grid. A quick pitstop by third-placed Vettel allowed the German to leapfrog the Briton into second, and although the Red Bulls were unable to open any gap to Hamilton they looked set for another 1-2 finish.
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