Webber wins British Grand Prix

Mark Webber dominated the British Grand Prix as his Red Bull team mate Sebastian Vettel faltered.

The Australian took the lead from pole-sitter Vettel at the first corner at Silverstone and never relinquished it, despite a valiant challenge by McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton. Vettel sustained a first-lap puncture that saw him drop to last place, although he climbed back up the order to finish seventh.

Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg drove well to finish third ahead of Jenson Button, who had a superb race, climbing ten places after a disappointing qualifying.

The Williams team also had another improved showing, with Rubens Barrichello coming in fifth ahead of Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi – another impressive performance from the young Japanese driver. Vettel led home a quartet of Germans with Sutil, Schumacher and Hulkenberg rounding off the top 10.

It was another disastrous race for Ferrari. Felipe Massa also suffered a puncture in the opening laps and Alonso had clutch problems that dropped him from third on the grid to fifth and was then given a drive through penalty for going off the track to overtake Robert Kubica’ Renault. That dropped the Spaniard right down the field. He eventually finished 14^th, with Massa in 15^th.

Webber’s performance in Britain will feel all the sweeter after a previously bitter weekend that saw more allegations of favouritism towards Vettel aimed at the Red Bull team. Team boss Christian Horner had ordered Webber’s newly improved front wing to be transferred to Vettel’s car after the young German’s was damaged during practice. Only two examples of the new part had been made.

Red Bull claimed that giving the win to Vettel was a strategic move as he was leading Webber in the championship at the time, but the Australian was not happy. On crossing the finish line, Webber said over the radio to Horner: “Not bad for a number two driver”. He later described the win as “an appointment with karma”.

The results means that Lewis Hamilton continues to lead the Formula 1 drivers’ world championship on 145 points, with Button remaining in second on 133. Webber leapfrogs Vettel to third on 128, with the German on 121. Alonso is falling back in fifth with 98 points and Rosberg has 90.

In the constructors’ race, McLaren leads with 278 points to Red Bull’s 249 with Ferrari in third on 165.

The next race is the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim on July 25.

Tags: British Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Formula 1, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Mark Webber, Mclaren, Mercedes GP, Motorsport, Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel