Formula 1 News

Button wins again the Australian Grand Prix 

Podium finish for Kubica and Massa

2009 world champion Jenson Button has won for the second consecutive year the Australian Grand Prix, this time at the wheel of a McLaren Mercedes.

A perfect tyre strategy – he switched early to dry tyres – gave great advantage to the Briton who was fortunate enough to inherit the lead of the race when Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel spun into the gravel after a brake failure.

Renault’s Robert Kubica finished second, ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Force India’s Tonio Liuzzi, Williams’ Rubens Barrichello, Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher, rounding off the point finish positions.

2010 Australian Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Pre race: 15 minutes left to the start procedure, rain is falling on the grid. Trulli’s Lotus taken back in the garage for a possible quick fix. Track declared wet by the FIA.

Formation lap: All drivers to start on intermediates. Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel starts for the second time in the season from pole position ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Behind the two, there’s Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and McLaren’s Jenson Button. Felipe Massa starts fifth ahead of Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher, Williams’ Rubens Barrichello, Renault’s Robert Kubica and Force India’s Adrian Sutil. 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton will start 11th after his disappointing qualifying yesterday. Both Virgin Racing drivers, Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, will start from the pitlane after the team replaced the fuel collectors in the cars. The Lotus Racing mechanics were unable to fix Trulli’s car, he won’t race today.

Race start: Great start for Massa who snatches P2. Vettel leads. Alonso and Button touch, Alonso spins and touches Schumacher who damages his front wing. He’s now last.

Lap 2/58: Safety car deployed after a collision between Kobayashi, Buemi and Hulkenberg. Kobayashi hit Buemi into the back, lost the front wing, then smashed heavily into Hulkenberg.

Lap 5/58: Kubica attacks Webber for P3. Webber defends well his position.

Lap 6/58: Vettel still in the lead followed by Massa and Webber. Alonso P15. Hamilton passes Button for P6. Webber overtakes Massa for P2.

Lap 7/58: Button pits early for dry tyres. A slight spin into the gravel for the Briton.

Lap 8/58: Alonso now 13th, Schumacher 14th.

Lap 9/58: traffic in the pitlane, 8 cars pit. Vettel pits.

Lap 10/58: Button now in P4 after having passed Kubica. Petrov out, on the gravel. Webber pits.

Lap 11/58: Hamilton passes Barrichello for P7.

Lap 12/58: Vettel P1 then Button, Kubica, Rosberg, Massa and Webber. Alonso P10, Schumacher P13. Sutil pits: he retires.

Lap 13/58: Alonso makes it past de la Rosa for P9.

Lap 14/58: Drivers out so far: Trulli, Kobayashi, Hulkenberg, Buemi, Senna, Petrov and Sutil. Alonso passes Barrichello for P8.

Lap 16/58: Light spots of rain are falling now. Great battle between Webber, Massa and Hamilton. Webber passes Massa into turn 1. Hamilton too. Slight contact between Webber and Hamilton helps Massa regain his position.

Lap 17/58: Schumacher trying to make it past Alguersuari for P12.

Lap 18/58: Hamilton tailing Massa for P5.

Lap 19/58: Alonso catching up Hamilton and Massa.

Lap 20/58: Vettel leads then Button, Kubica, Rosberg, Massa, Hamilton, Alonso.

Lap 21/58: Hamilton now closer to Massa for P5.

Lap 22/58: Hamilton passes Massa for P5. Webber overtakes Alonso for P7.

Lap 23/58: Replays show Hamilton touching Massa’s rear tyre right before overtaking him.

Lap 24/58: Massa being tailed by Webber now.

Lap 25/58: Hamilton pressuring Rosberg for P4.

Lap 26/58: Race leader Vettel has spun. He’s has stopped on the gravel.

Lap 28/58: Massa being overtaken by Webber. Massa down to P6.

Lap 29/58: Hamilton tailing Kubica for P2.

Lap 30/58: Schumacher pits.

Lap 31/58: Barrichello pits.

Lap 32/58: Webber pits. He rejoins in P7.

Lap 33/58: Rosberg pits. Replays show Vettel on the gravel telling his engineer over the radio that he had a brake failure.

Lap 34/58: Hamilton pits.

Lap 35/58: Button P1, Kubica P2, Massa P3, Alonso P4, Hamilton P5, Webber P6.

Lap 37/58: Fastest lap for Hamilton.

Lap 41/58: Button still leading, followed by Kubica, Massa, Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg, Liuzzi de la Rosa, Barrichello, Alguersuari, Schumacher, Kovalainen, Glock, Chandhok.

Lap 43/58: Glock pits from P14. But he’s out.

Lap 48/58: Button P1, Kubica 2, Massa P3, Alonso P4, Hamilton P5, Webber P6.

Lap 50/58: Hamilton now very close to Alonso.

Lap 52/58: team radio for Hamilton: his tyres have gone off.

Lap 56/58: Alonso closes the door to Hamilton, Webber touches Hamilton. Webber and Hamilton on the gravel but they rejoin. Hamilton down to P6 while Webber to P9.

Last lap: McLaren’s Jenson Button wins the 2010 edition of the Australian Grand Prix, ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Fernando Alonso, Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, and Force India’s Tonio Liuzzi. 8th place for Williams’ Rubens Barrichello, 9th Red Bull’s Mark Webber, 19th Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher.

2010 Australian Grand Prix, race results:

Image © Bridgestone