Formula 1 News

Fernando Alonso wins the 2011 British Grand Prix 

Vettel second, Webber third.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took his first win in the season at the 2011 edition of the British Grand Prix.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel finished second, ahead of team-mate Mark Webber and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Fifth place for Felipe Massa in the other Ferrari, sixth for Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP, seventh for Sergio Perez in the Sauber, eighth for Nick Heidfeld in the Renault, ninth for Michael Schumacher and tenth for Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso.

2011 British Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

The ninth race of the 2011 season is about to start at Britain’s Silverstone circuit.

Mark Webber starts from pole position ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso starts from the third spot of the grid in the first of the Ferraris ahead of team-mate Felipe Massa, McLaren’s Jenson Button, Force India’s Paul Di Resta and Pastor Maldonado in the Williams.

Position eight for Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber, nine for Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP and ten for Lewis Hamilton in the other McLaren.

The track is almost dry on the grid but showers are currently hitting the opposite end of the circuit. Meteo France reports no rain for the first 30 minutes of the race, but being in Britain, sudden showers can develop anywhere.

Most of the drivers opted for intermediate tyres.

Formation lap: the grid clears ahead of the formation lap. The track looks very wet in several places.

Race start: Lights go off and… off we go at Silverstone…into Turn 1, Vettel takes the lead, Webber, Alonso, Button, Massa. Hamilton passes Di Resta for P6.

Lap 2/52: Massa overtakes Button for P4. Hamilton up to fifth after storming past team-mate Button.

Lap 3/52: Kovalainen pits and retires after a gearbox failure.

Lap 4/52: Hamilton pressuring Massa for P4. Hamilton runs wide at Brooklands but recovers over the run-off area ahead of team-mate Button.

Lap 5/52: Vettel still in the lead with 4.1s to Webber. Alonso P3, Massa P4, Hamilton P5, Button P6. Race control: DRS enabled.

Lap 6/52: Buemi makes it past Petrov for P15. Alguersuari overtakes Petrov for P16.

Lap 9/52: Alonso has closed the gap to Webber.

Lap 10/52: Schumacher pits while Hamilton is putting some pressure on Massa. Replays show Schumacher damaging his front wing after hitting the back of Kobayashi’s Sauber.

Lap 11/52: Race control says the incident between Shcumacher and Kobayashi is under investigation.

Lap 12/52: Button and Sutil pit. Kobayashi, Maldonado, Buemi, Petrov, Barrichello all pit. Alonso is now all over Webber’s gearbox.

Lap 13/52: Alonso and Webber pit. Hamilton pits. Perez and Alguersuari pit.

Lap 14/52: Vettel pits from the lead. Massa pits. Massa rejoins in fifth. Kobayashi under investigation for unsafe release in the pitlane. Button overtakes Massa for P54.

Lap 15/52: Race control: 10 second stop and go penalty for Schumacher for causing a collision. Hamilton storms past Alonso for P3.

Lap 16/52: Vettel P1, Webber P2, Hamilton P3, Alonso P4, Button P5, Massa P6.

Lap 17/52: Schumacher serves his 10 second stop-go penalty.

Lap 18/52: Alonso is now closing the gap to Hamilton.

Lap 20/52: Race control: 10 second stop-go penalty for Kobayashi, unsafe release.

Lap 21/52: Kobayashi serves his penalty.

Lap 23/52: Schumacher passes Petrov for P15. Alonso is now on the back of Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 24/52: Alonso overtakes Hamilton for P3. Vettel P1, Webber, Alonso, Hamilton, Button, Massa, Di Resta.

Lap 25/52: Hamilton pits and rejoins in sixth. Di Resta and Madlonado pit while Kobayashi retires.

Lap 26/52: Buemi pits.

Lap 27/52: Webber pits from P2. Button and Massa pit.

Lap 28/52: Vettel and Alonso pit. Problems for Vettel during the pit stop. Alonso takes the lead of the race.

Lap 29/52: Alonso P1, Hamilton P2, Vettel P3, Webber P4, Button P5, Massa P6.

Lap 30/52: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:37.069. D’Ambrosio pits from P18. Ricciardo pits from 20th.

Lap 31/52: Rosberg and Heidfeld pit while Vettel is on the back of the McLaren.

Lap 32/52: Another fastest lap for Alonso: 1:36.122. Alguersuari, Barrichello, Schumacher and Glock all pit.

Lap 33/52: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:35.769. Perez pits from seventh. Hamilton under pressure by Vettel. Liuzzi pits from 18th.

Lap 36/52: Alonso P1 then Hamilton, Verttel, Webber, Button, Massa, Rosberg, Perez, Sutil, Petrov, Heidfeld, Schumacher, Alguersuari.

Lap 37/52: Third pit stop for Vettel.

Lap 38/52: Hamilton pits from second. The Briton rejoins behind Vettel.

Lap 39/52: Webber makes his third pit stop. Fastest lap for Vettel: 1:35.565. Vettel overtakes Massa for P4.

Lap 40/52: Alonso pits from the lead. Button pits. Button stops the McLaren at the pitlane exit: his right front wheel is not bolted.

Lap 41/52: Hamilton makes it past Massa for P3.

Lap 42/52: Massa pits and rejoins in fifth. Hamilton is being told to save fuel.

Lap 45/52: Button will be investigated after the race for unsafe release.

Lap 46/52: Webber passes Hamilton for P3.

Lap 48/52: Rosberg reports low grip on his tyres.

Lap 49/52: Massa is now pushing hard to catch up Hamilton.

Last lap: Massa is on the back of the McLaren. Webber is being told to keep the gap to Vettel. Fernando Alonso crosses the finish line for first and wins the 2011 British Grand Prix ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Fourth place for Lewis Hamilton, fifth for Felipe Massa, sixth for Nico Rosberg, seventh for Sergio Perez, eighth for Nick Heidfeld, ninth for Michael Schumacher and tenth for Jaime Alguersuari.

2011 British Grand Prix, Race results: