Formula 1 News

Sebastian Vettel takes dominant win at Silverstone 

First ever hat-trick for Vettel

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel took a dominant win at the 2009 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, scoring also his second win this season and his first ever hat-trick (pole position, fastest lap and win). Team-mate Mark Webber finished second completing the second one-two finish for Red Bull Racing in 2009.

Third place for Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Williams’ Nico Rosberg, championship leader Jenson Button, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Kimi Raikkonen.

2009 British Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Formation lap: Sebastian Vettel starts from pole for Red Bull Racing for the third time this season after an excellent and dominant qualifying. Next to the young German there’s Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello. Behind the two, Mark Webber third and Jarno Trulli fourth. Championship leader Jenson Button will start from the sixth spot. Force India’s Adrian Sutil will start from the pit lane after his mechanics had to change the chassis following the German’s heavy crash during Qualifying. The two Ferraris – the only cars with KERS today – will start from 9th and 11th. Vettel, Barrichello, Webber, Trulli and Button will start on the soft tyres. Nakajima (5th) and Rosberg (7th) instead on the hards.

Race start: Good start for Vettel, followed by Barrichello, Webber and Trulli. Button falls in 9th. Raikkonen 5th, Rosberg 6th. Heidfeld up to P10.

Lap 59/60: Fisichella passes Alonso and Kubica. He’s now in P12. Button passes Massa for P8.

Lap 58/60: Kubica takes P14 from Hamilton. Replays show Alonso running wide holding up the Briton and allowing Kubica through.

Lap 57/60: Button P8 now tailiing Trulli for P7.

Lap 56/60: Vettel still leading with 4.4 secs on Barrichello. Alonso P13 pushing on Heidfeld.

Lap 55/60: Kubica and Hamilton battling for P14.

Lap 54/60: Vettel going fast. He has now 7.2 secs on Barrichello.

Lap 51/60: Heidfeld defending P12 from Alonso, Kubica P14 from Hamilton.

Lap 50/60: Webber P3, pushing on Barrichello P2. Another fastest lap for Sebastian Vettel, amazing pace.

Lap 48/60: Alonso and Heidfeld still battling for P12.

Lap 45/60: Nakajima pits. 9.1 secs.

Lap 44/60: Raikkonen pits, 9.4 secs, back in P10.

Lap 42/60: Rosberg, Trulli and Button pit. Trulli rejoins ahead of Raikkonen.

Lap 41/60: Barrichello pits, 9.7 secs back in P5. Glock pits.

Lap 40/60: Pit stop for Mark Webber, 11.7 secs. He rejoins ahead of Barrichello. Webber P4.

Lap 39/60: Pit stop for race leader Sebastian Vettel, 9.6 secs. He keeps P1. Massa P2, but no pit stop yet.

Lap 38/60: Massa pits, 8.2 secs, back in P5.

Lap 36/60: Vettel P1, Webber P2, Barrichello P3, Rosberg P4, Massa P5, Trulli P6, Raikkonen P7, Button P8.

Lap 34/60: Team radio for Vettel: his engineer says to save the tyres.

Lap 30/60: Hamilton passes Alonso for P16.

Lap 29/60: Alonso takes back P16 from Hamilton.

Lap 28/60: Rosberg pressuring Barrichello for P3.

Lap 27/60: Pit stop for Kovalainen. He rejoins ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton but the Briton repasses. Bourdais runs into the back of Kovalainen and loses his front wing. Kovalainen pits for a puncture following the accident.

Lap 23/60: Vettel leading with 18.1 secs on team-mate Webber. Barrichello, Rosberg, Massa fighting for P3. Kovalainen parks the car in the pit garage. He’s out. Bourdais too.

Lap 20/60: Nakajima pits for the second time.

Lap 18/60: Raikkonen makes his second pit stop, 7.5 secs, he rejoins in P10.

Lap 17/60: Rosberg pits again, 6.4 secs, back in P. Hamilton runs wide on the grass.

Lap 16/60: Pit stop for Vettel, 8.2 secs, back in P9.

Lap 15/60: Massa pits, 7.5 secs, back in P8. The Brazilian gains a position to Rosberg.

Lap 13/60: Webber pits. 6.8 secs, he rejoins in P2. Barrichello pits, 6.5 secs, back in P4.

Lap 12/60: Glock pits. He rejoins in P9, ahead of Fisichella.

Lap 11/60: Button makes his second pit stop. 6.3 secs, back in P6.

Lap 10/60: Vettel P1, Webber P2, Barrichello P3, Massa P4, Rosberg P5, Button P6, Trulli P7, Raikkonen P8.

Lap 7/60: Glock tailing Raikkonen for P8. Button closing in on Rosberg in P5.

Lap 4/60: Button P6, less than a second behind Rosberg.

Last lap: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel takes a dominant win at the 2009 British Grand Prix at Silverstone scoring his first ever hat-trick ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, who completes the second one-two finish this season for Red Bull Racing. Brawn GP’s Rubens Barrichello takes a podium finish ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Nico Rosberg, championship leader Jenson Button, Toyota’s Jarno Trulli and Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

2009 British Grand Prix, race results: