Webber claims maiden F1 victory
Mark Webber won his first ever F1 race in his Red Bull
Also In The News
|
Catalan Dragons captain Greg Bird has been given a one-match suspension after a reckless tackle on Celtic Crusaders prop Ryan O'Hara last Saturday. |  |
Sunday, 12, Jul 2009 02:43
Red Bull driver Mark Webber took advantage of his first-ever pole position at the German grand prix by driving to victory to claim his debut win in formula one.
Despite being served with a drive-through penalty for causing a collision on the opening lap of the race, the Australian took the chequered flag ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel, whose clever strategy leapfrogged him above the two Brawns.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa took third for the Italian team's first podium finish of the season, while the Williams of Nico Rosberg crept up quietly through the field from 15th position to claim fourth.
The constructors' championship leaders, Brawn GP, could only manage fifth and sixth, respectively, after Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello had to make do with low-key afternoons.
Reigning drivers' world champion Lewis Hamilton endured a puncture on the first lap after starting fifth on the grid - finishing well down the standings in 18th.
But it wasn't all bad news for McLaren as Heikki Kovalainen scored their first world championship point in three races after a hard-fought battle with Timo Glock - who started from the pitlane - Nick Heidfeld and Kazuki Nakajima.
Barrichello got away from his grid slot well and the Brazilian scythed up the inside of pole-man Mark Webber as the field headed towards turn one.
The two McLarens stormed through the pack from the third row of the grid, using the extra 80 horsepower from their KERS systems to the best of their advantage.
But Hamilton ran wide into the first corner with a puncture after he made contact with Webber's front wing.
The second Brawn of Jenson Button, having lost track position to the McLarens and Massa, re-passed the Ferrari driver on the first lap and immediately set about attacking Kovalainen.
On lap ten Mark Webber was handed a drive-through penalty for causing the collision with Hamilton in the opening stages, while Barrichello was also placed under investigation for the same incident but no penalty was given to the Brawn driver.
Webber served his drive-through on lap 14 as Barrichello made his first stop.
Crucially, Webber rejoined the track ahead of Kovalainen, who was third before Barrichello entered the pits - the quick-thinking Red Bull team keeping their hopes of a race win alive.
Kovalainen was the next of the front-runners to pit and the McLaren driver opted for the harder compound tyres - allowing Massa to move into provisional second place behind Webber.
After getting bogged down by Kovalainen, Button's strategy looked to be keeping him out of contention - especially when his first stop brought him out well down the field.
Webber entered the pits for the second time on lap 19 for his first compulsory pit-stop and quick in-laps from the Australian, while Barrichello was tucked up behind the Ferrari of Massa, brought him back into contention for the win.
He rejoined the track in ninth place ahead of Button, who was paying the price for being held up.
Having pitted, Webber tried desperately to clear the BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica, while keeping Button behind him.
Meanwhile, at the front, Massa held up his fellow countryman until he pitted on lap 24, allowing Barrichello to pick up the pace and match the Red Bull driver who, up until now, had been running two seconds a lap faster.
Adrian Sutil held on to eighth place until his first stop on lap 27 but the German exited the pits into the path of Kimi Raikkonen and the pair collided - damaging the front wing on the Force India. Echoes of Monaco 2008.
Webber continued to close on Barrichello by four tenths a lap and, at the halfway stage, trailed the Brawn by just 3.8 seconds.
Race leader Barrichello came in for his second stop one lap after his team-mate. The Brazilian took on hard tyres but failed to counter Red Bull's change of strategy by fuelling his car to the end of the race because of a problem with the fuel rig – something that won't be a problem next year when refuelling is banned.
But there were no such problems for Webber. The Australian was in a class of his own and somehow found himself almost 22 seconds clear of Vettel, who was in a provisional second place - his first win looked to be within his grasp.
Webber's second stop, which was mercifully clean for the nervy Australian, saw him exit the pits just behind his team-mate, who had yet to make his second stop of the afternoon and he had a comfortable cushion ahead of Massa's Ferrari.
Button was the fastest of the Brawns in the latter stages of the race, but followed his team-mate home in third place, weaving as much as possible to build temperature into his tyres.
The Brit jumped ahead of Barrichello after pulling off some storming in-laps before his third and final stop of the day, but allowed Felipe Massa and Nico Rosberg through into third and fourth respectively.
Button set some lightening fast laps in an attempt to reach Rosberg and was just 2.2 seconds behind the Williams driver with five laps to go.
But unfortunately for the championship leader his progress was halted by severe tyre degredation.
Button fell back into the clutches of Barrichello, who had Fernando Alonso climbing all over his gearbox, but the Brit kept his cool and held on to fifth place to take four valuable championship points.
However the day belonged to Webber, who held his nerve and crossed the line to take an emotional and well-deserved victory with a ten-second advantage over Vettel and Felipe Massa, who secured his first podium of the season.
Red Bull's one-two means Vettel moves into second in the drivers' table ahead of Webber and a frustrated Barrichello, who now lies fourth in the standings.
Adam Leveridge