Alonso takes championship lead after Korean GP win 

Hamilton second, Massa third.

Written by David on October 24th, 2010 at 11:20 amLast Update: November 05th, 2010 at 7:58 pm

Fernando AlonsoFerrari’s Fernando Alonso took the temporary championship lead after winning the inaugural Korean Grand Prix, while main title rivals at Red Bull Racing Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel failed to finish the race.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton finished second while Felipe Massa third, Michael Schumacher fourth, Robert Kubica fifth, Tonio Liuzzi sixth and Rubens Barrichello seventh.

Eighth and ninth place respectively for Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld, tenth for Nico Hulkenberg.

2010 Korean Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position for the ninth time in the season ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Third place on the grid for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, fourth for Lewis Hamilton, fifth for Nico Rosberg, sixth for Felipe Massa and seventh for Jenson Button. Position eight for Robert Kubica in the Renault, nine for Michael Schumacher in the Mercedes and ten for Rubens Barrichello in the Williams.

Ten minutes to race start, consistent rain is falling on the new Yeongam circuit for the first time this weekend. No indications yet from race director Charlie Whiting for a start behind the Safety Car.

Race control: start delayed 10 minutes.

Race control: the inaugural Korean Grand Prix will start behind the Safety Car. This means, no formation lap and all drivers will have to start on full wets.

Race start: the safety car leads the field for the first of the 55 laps. Vettel P1, Webber P2, Alonso P3, Hamilton P4, Rosberg P5, Massa P6. Button says over the team radio that the track is very wet, ‘like a lake on the straight’.

Lap 2/55: Bruno Senna has pitted in the HRT.

Lap 3/55: Race red flagged.

Lap 4/55: Cars are back to the grid.

The teams will have a ten minute warning of the restart. If the race doesn’t reach at least 75% distance – 42 laps, only half points will be awarded.

If the race doesn’t restart, then half points will be awarded to the first 10 finishers, as the leader has done more than two laps.

Race control: race will resume at 16:05 under Safety Car. The Safety car will do more than one lap and drivers will have to use full wets.

Lap 4/55: The Korean Grand Prix resumes behind the Safety Car. Vettel says over the team radio there’s ‘still a lot of water’ on the Yeongam circuit.

Lap 5/55: Di Grassi pits in the Virgin. Button says track a ‘little bit better but still very very wet’.

Lap 7/55: Track improving little by little says Vettel.

Lap 8/55: Schumacher goes off at Turn 3 and rejoins.

Lap 9/55: Light rain still falling.

Lap 10/55: Hamilton says ‘we should start the race’.

Lap 12/55: Rain should stop in 5 minutes.

Lap 14/55: Di Grassi pits for another set of full wets.

Lap 17/55: Safety car in this lap. Proper race about to start!

Lap 18/55: Vettel, Webber, Alonso. Rosberg passes Hamilton for P4. Schumacher has passed Kubica for P8.

Lap 19/55: Vettel P1, Webber P2, Alonso P3, Rosberg P4, Hamilton P5, Massa P6, Button P7, Schumacher P8. Webber has spun and has crashed: the championship leader is out! The Australian also took out Rosberg. Safety car deployed. Heidfeld, Kobayashi and Buemi pit.

Lap 21/55: Vettel P1, Alonso P2, Hamilton P3, Massa P4, Button P5. Petrov pits from P15. Schumacher P6, Kubica P7, Hulkenberg P8.

Lap 22/55: Trulli pits from P18.

Lap 23/55: Safety car in this lap. McLaren are expecting more light rain in the next minutes.

Lap 24/55: Trulli collided with Senna. The Italian lost his front wing. Race control: debris on track.

Lap 25/55: Trulli pits and retires.

Lap 27/55: Vettel P1 2.8 seconds ahead of Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Button, Schumacher, Hulkenberg, Kubica, Barrichello, Sutil. Di Grassi has gone off: he’s out of the race. Schumacher passes Button for P5.

Lap 29/55: Button pits for intermediates. Sutil pits too.

Lap 31/55: Hulkenberg pits from P8 for intermediates. Buemi crashes into Glock: they’re both out. Safety car deployed.

Lap 32/55: Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Kubica and Barrichello pit.

Lap 33/55: Vettel pits from P1. Alonso pits from P2. Alonso lost a position to Hamilton after a problem with the front right wheelnut during the pitstop. Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Alonso P3.

Lap 34/55: Safety car in this lap.

Lap 35/55: Alonso passes Hamilton for P2. Vettel, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Schumacher, Barrichello.

Lap 36/55: Drive through penalty for Kovalainen for speeding in the pitlane.

Lap 37/55: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:52.445.

Lap 38/55: Fastest lap for Vettel: 1:51.909.

Lap 39/55: Kovalainen makes his drive through.

Lap 40/55: Fastest lap for Hamilton: 1:50.710. Three more laps for a full points race.

Lap 41/55: Fastest lap for Massa: 1:50.673. Petrov has crashed at the final corner, he’s out. Heavy shunt for the Russian but he’s OK.

Lap 43/55: 75% of race distance has been completed. Full points will be awarded.

Lap 44/55: Alonso is now just 1.1 seconds behind race leader Vettel.

Lap 46/55: Vettel is out! His Renault engine exploded and took fire. Alonso takes the lead, Hamilton P2, Massa P3.

Lap 49/55: Alonso P1, Hamilton P2, Massa P3, Schumacher P4, Barrichello P5, Hulkenberg P6, Kubica P7, Liuzzi P8, Kobayshi P9 and Heidfeld P10.

Lap 51/55: 10 minutes left out of the 2 hour race limit.

Lap 52/55: Hulkenberg pits for a set of new tyres.

Last lap: Fernando Alonso wins the inaugural Korean Grand Prix at the Yeongam circuit ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa. Fourth place for Michael Schumacher, fifth for Robert Kubica, sixth for Tonio Liuzzi, seventh for Rubens Barrichello, eight for Kamui Kobayashi, nine for Nick Heidfeld and ten for Nico Hulkenberg.


2010 Korean Grand Prix, Race Results:

Pos. No Driver Team Laps Time Grid Points
1 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 55 Winner 3 25
2 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 55 +14.9 secs 4 18
3 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari 55 +30.8 secs 6 15
4 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP 55 +39.6 secs 9 12
5 11 Robert Kubica Renault 55 +47.7 secs 8 10
6 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 55 +53.5 secs 17 8
7 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 55 +69.2 secs 10 6
8 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari 55 +77.8 secs 12 4
9 22 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber-Ferrari 55 +80.1 secs 13 2
10 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 55 +80.8 secs 11 1
11 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari 55 +84.1 secs 15
12 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 55 +89.9 secs 7
13 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 54 +1 Lap 21
14 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth 53 +2 Laps 24
15 20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 53 +2 Laps 23
Ret 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 46 +9 Laps 14
Ret 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 45 +10 Laps 1
Ret 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault 39 +16 Laps 20
Ret 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 31 +24 Laps 19
Ret 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 30 +25 Laps 16
Ret 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 25 +30 Laps 22
Ret 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 25 +30 Laps 18
Ret 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 18 +37 Laps 2
Ret 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 18 +37 Laps 5

Images © Bridgestone

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