Mark Webber - German Grand Prix 2009
An excellent result for the Red Bull Racing team yesterday as Mark Webber claimed his first win, despite receiving a drive-through penalty,he was followed by his team-mate Sebastian Vettel in second.
Rubens Barrichello in the Brawn GP F1, led the cars into the first corner ahead of Webber and Heikki Kovalainen in the McLaren, Felipe Massa in the Ferrari, Jenson Button in the second Brawn GP and Vettel.
Lewis Hamilton in the McLaren made a fantastic get away as the lights changed and looked as if he would take the lead going into the first corner. However, contact was made between Hamilton and Webber, with the McLaren car picking-up a right-rear puncture. After his slow return to the pits for a new tyre, Hamilton was a lap behind and down in eighteenth place.
On the run into turn one of the first lap, Barrichello ran alongside Webber as both drivers battled for the lead, Webber moved to the right and made contact with the Ferrari. This was later deemed to be a dangerous move and Webber was served with a drive-through penalty for what appeared to be a simple racing incident.
Jarno Trulli in the Toyota, was the first man to pit on lap 3 while Kovalainen was trying to hold onto his third position by the challenging Brawn GP of Button.
By lap 4, Webber was bearing down on Barrichello as the traffic built-up behind the McLaren of Kovalainen. Vettel meanwhile, began to put the pressure on the fifth placed man Massa as Giancarlo Fisichella in the Force India passed Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber to take twelfth place on lap 9.
By lap 11, Barrichello was leading Webber by a second with third place man Kovalainen, fourteen seconds behind and continuing to hold-up Button, Massa and Vettel.
On lap 13, Fisichella moved-up to eleventh after passing Fernando Alonso in the Renault and Button took his first short pit stop on the following lap.
Webber came into the pits to serve his penalty drive-through on lap 15 as Barrichello took on fuel and new tyres and rejoined ahead of Vettel.
Kovalainen pitted on lap 16 while in third place and two laps later Button gained a place by passing the Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi.
On lap 19, Button passed Heidfeld as Sebastien Bourdais run off track before going into the pits with a problem in the second Toro Rosso while in eighteenth place.
Webber pitted from the lead on lap 20 and returned to the track in eighth place ahead of Button as Massa led the race followed by Barrichello. Vettel came into the pits for his stop on the following lap while in fourth followed by Trulli and Buemi.
Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber, released the cars of Webber and Button as he pitted on lap 23, followed by race leader Massa on lap 25, leaving Barrichello at the front of the pack.
Adrian Sutil in the second Force India was right behind the leading Barrichello as Heidfeld and Piquet both entered the pits.
Webber was now running in fifth place, only 5 seconds behind Barrichello as Sutil pitted from second place. However, as he rejoined the circuit, he ran wide and contact was made with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen, leaving Sutil with a damaged front wing that would mean another pit stop.
Barrichello was still leading Webber on lap 31 by three seconds, as it was announced that the stewards were looking at the incident between Raikkonen and Sutil, however, no action was taken.
Button pitted on lap 32 while in third place and rejoined ahead of Kovalainen, and race leader Barrichello pitted on the following lap, handing the reins to Webber. Barrichello rejoined in fifth ahead of Raikkonen and Button, Raikkonen then appeared to have a problem with his Ferrari and Button took full advantage of the situation to get past the Finn who had been running in sixth. Raikkonen retired the Ferrari on lap 35.
Webber was now leading Vettel by over 20 seconds, but Massa was challenging the Red Bull driver for the position, leaving Webber to stretch the gap up front.
Heidfeld passed his team-mate on lap 42 for ninth position and on the following lap Webber entered the pit for his second and final stop and rejoined just behind Vettel, who was still due to come in.
Webber took his place in the lead as Vettel pitted on lap 45 along with Kubica. Massa was the next in on the following lap after battling with Vettel for second place, while Button challenged Barrichello for third.
Barrichello took his final pit stop on lap 51 from second place followed by Button on lap 52. Button rejoined just ahead of his team-mate but behind Massa and Nico Rosberg in the Williams who were running in third and fourth respectively.
Webber took his first Formula One victory ahead of the second Red Bull of Vettel in second and Felipe Massa in the Ferrari in third.
Nico Rosberg took a surprising fourth for the Williams team followed by the two Brawn GP drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello.
Here are the results;
Classified: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Webber Red Bull-Renault (B) 1h36:43.310 2. Vettel Red Bull-Renault (B) + 9.252 3. Massa Ferrari (B) + 15.906 4. Rosberg Williams-Toyota (B) + 21.099 5. Button Brawn-Mercedes (B) + 23.609 6. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes (B) + 24.468 7. Alonso Renault (B) + 24.888 8. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 58.692 9. Glock Toyota (B) + 1:01.457 10. Heidfeld BMW Sauber (B) + 1:01.925 11. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1:02.327 12. Nakajima Williams-Toyota (B) + 1:02.876 13. Piquet Renault (B) + 1:08.328 14. Kubica BMW Sauber (B) + 1:09.555 15. Sutil Force India-Mercedes (B) + 1:11.941 16. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) + 1:30.225 17. Trulli Toyota (B) + 1:30.970 18. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes (B) + 1 lap Fastest lap: Alonso, 1:33.365 Not classified/retirements: Driver Team On lap Raikkonen Ferrari (B) 35 Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari (B) 19
0 comments so far
There are no comments for this post yet. Why not be the first by filling out the form below.