Get Paid To Promote, Get Paid To Popup, Get Paid Display Banner

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sebastian Vettel returns to the top by winning Belgian Grand Prix


Sebastian Vettel leads at th start f the race © Sutton Images
Enlarge

Sebastian Vettel is looking increasingly likely to add a second world championship title to his collection after winning a hard-fought and incident-packed Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
Vettel extended his lead in the championship standings to a massive 92 points after winning from team-mate Mark Webber and Jenson Button as Lewis Hamilton's slim title hopes suffered a massive blow after he crashed out of the race.
It was Nico Rosberg who made the best start, sweeping into the lead from fifth on the grid to lead from Vettel as Massa leapfrogged Hamilton for third. Alonso was another fast starter, jumping to fifth from his starting position of eighth.
Mark Webber, plagued by poor starts in 2011, was at it again dropping down to eighth from third on the grid and it soon became apparent that his Red Bull was struggling on the softer compounds and Webber was the first to pit for new rubber on lap four.
There was also early disappointment for Bruno Senna as a collision with Alguersuari into the first corner ruined his qualifying effort, the Brazilian going too quickly and siding into the side of the unfortunate Jaime Alguersuari. Others to suffer at the start included Jenson Button, pitting for a new nose cone as a result of the first corner melee. It was not long before a gaggle of early pit stops prompted a re-shuffling of the order, Vettel and Alonso emerging as the early protagonists at the front of the pack.
Between the stops, a dry Spa provided action aplenty, the DRS zone and graining rubber making for spectacular overtaking aplenty including arguably the most frightening move of the season as a charging Webber almost banged wheels with Fernando Alonso through Eau Rouge, the Australian literally risking life and limb centimetres from the Ferrari with two wheels on the kerb.
But the biggest moment and possibly a decisive one for the destiny of the title happened on lap 14, Kamui Kobayashi and Lewis Hamilton colliding into Les Combes, Hamilton crashing spectacularly through a polystyrene hoarding and into the barrier. His race, and almost certainly his title ambitions, over.
Back at the front, it became a for horse race for victory after the final series of stops, Vettel, Alonso, Webber and Button all contending for the podium places. And it was the three stop strategy of Vettel tat won the day, team-mate Webber mounting a great recovery to finish second from Jenson Button who overtook Fernando Alonso's Ferrari two laps from the finish.
Michael Schumacher also had reason to be cheerful on the 20th anniversary of his grand prix debut, finishing an excellent fifth after starting from the back of the grid.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS
The Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium;

44 laps; 308.052km;

Weather: Dry conditions.



Classified:



Pos Driver Team Time


1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h26.44.893

2. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 3.741

3. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 9.669

4. Alonso Ferrari + 13.022

5. Schumacher Mercedes + 47.464

6. Rosberg Mercedes + 48.674

7. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 59.713

8. Massa Ferrari + 1m06.076

9. Petrov Renault + 1m11.917

10. Maldonado Williams-Cosworth + 1m17.615

11. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1m23.994

12. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1m31.976

13. Senna Renault + 1m32.985

14. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 1 lap

15. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap

16. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap

17. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap

18. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 1 lap

19. Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap



Fastest lap: Massa, 1:23.415



Not classified/retirements:



Driver Team On lap


Perez Sauber-Ferrari 27

Ricciardo HRT-Cosworth 13

Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 12

Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 6

Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1







World Championship standings, round 11:



Drivers: Constructors:


1. Vettel 259 1. Red Bull-Renault 426

2. Webber 167 2. McLaren-Mercedes 295

3. Alonso 157 3. Ferrari 231

4. Button 149 4. Mercedes 88

5. Hamilton 146 5. Renault 68

6. Massa 74 6. Sauber-Ferrari 35

7. Rosberg 56 7. Force India-Mercedes 32

8. Schumacher 42 8. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 22

9. Petrov 34 9. Williams-Cosworth 5

10. Heidfeld 34

11. Kobayashi 27

12. Sutil 24

13. Buemi 12

14. Alguersuari 10

15. Di Resta 8

16. Perez 8

17. Barrichello 4

18. Maldonado 1



All timing unofficial


ESPNF1

No comments:

Post a Comment