Formula 1 News

Vettel dominates Valencia’s European Grand Prix 

Alonso and Webber on the podium.

Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel took his sixth win in the 2011 season – his 16th career win – at the 21st edition of the European Grand Prix held today in Valencia, Spain.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished second, ahead of Mark Webber and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Fifth place for Felipe Massa in the other Ferrari, sixth for Jenson Button in the McLaren, seventh for Nico Rosberg in the first of the Mercedes GPs, eighth for Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rossos, ninth for Adrian Sutil in the Force India and tenth for Nick Heidfeld in the Lotus Renault.

2011 European Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

The eighth race of the 2011 season is about to start at Valencia in Spain.

Sebastian Vettel starts again from pole position ahead of Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber. Lewis Hamilton starts from the third spot of the grid in the first of the McLarens ahead of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa in the Ferrari, team-mate Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher in the Mercedes GP.

Position nine for Nick Heidfeld in the Renault and ten for Adrian Sutil in the Force India.

Formation lap: the grid clears ahead of the formation lap.

Race start: Lights go off! Race start in Valencia…into Turn 1, Vettel, Webber, Alonso, Massa. Hamilton down to fifth.

Lap 2/57: Rosberg P6, then Button, Schumacher, Sutil, Heidfeld, Di Resta, Barrichello and Kobayashi. DRS is still disabled.

Lap 4/57: DRS has been enabled. Vettel P1, Webber P2, Alonso P3, Massa P4, Hamilton P5. Button pressuring Rosberg for P6.

Lap 6/57: Great move for Button who overtakes brilliantly Rosberg for P6.

Lap 7/57: Vettel P1 ahead of Webber, Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Button, Rosberg, Schumacher, Sutil and Heidfeld. Di Resta is 11th, followed by Barrichello, Kobayashi, Buemi, Alguersuari, Petrov, Perez, Kovalainen, Trulli, Maldonado, Glock, Liuzzi, D’Ambrosio and Karthikeyan.

Lap 9/57: Di Resta reports over the team radio low grip on his rear tyres.

Lap 11/57: Vettel has a 3 second gap to Webber. Maldonado is the first man to pit.

Lap 12/57: Heidfeld and Barrichello pit. Kobayashi too. Alonso is currently putting some pressure on Webber.

Lap 13/57: Hamilton pits from fifth and rejoins in seventh. Rosberg and Sutil pit. Vettel increases the gap to Webber, +3.5s.

Lap 14/57: Webber pits and rejoins in fifth. Hamilton makes it past Schumacher for P6.

Lap 15/57: Vettel and Alonso pit. Button, Di Resta and Schumacher pit. Kovalainen pits. Karthikeyan pits. Schumacher has a broken front wing.

Lap 16/57: Massa pits. Schumacher pits for a new wing. Replays show Petrov and Schumacher making contact.

Lap 17/57: Vettel in P1, Webber P2, Alonso P3, Hamilton P4, Massa P5, Button P6, Rosberg P7.

Lap 18/57: Glock pits.

Lap 20/57: Alguersuari has pitted.

Lap 21/57: Alonso overtakes Webber for P2. Great move from the Spaniard.

Lap 25/57: Hamilton pits. Vettel P1, Alonso P2, Webber P3.

Lap 27/57: Fastest lap for Hamilton.

Lap 28/57: Heidfeld and Di Resta pit. Petrov makes his second pit stop.

Lap 29/57: Webber pits from third. Sutil and Barrichello pit.

Lap 30/57: Alonso pits from second and rejoins behind Webber. Liuzzi pits from 23rd. Hamilton being told his rear tyres are hot.

Lap 31/57: Vettel pits from the lead. Button pits. Rosberg pits.

Lap 32/57: Massa makes his second pit stop and rejoins in fifth. Schumacher pits.

Lap 33/57: Vettel P1, Webber P2, Alonso P3, Hamilton P4, Massa P5, Button P6. Button says his KERS is not working.

Lap 34/57: Kobayashi pits from 14th.

Lap 36/57: Trulli pits.

Lap 37/57: Fastest lap for Vettel.

Lap 38/57: Alonso pressuring Webber for P2.

Lap 39/57: Rosberg overtakes Alguersuari for P7.

Lap 41/57: Heidfeld and Barrichello pit.

Lap 43/57: Webber pits for the third time. Hamilton pits. Alguersuari pits.

Lap 44/57: Sutil pits from P8.

Lap 46/57: Alonso pits from P3. The Spaniard rejoins in P2, ahead of Webber. Maldonado and Liuzzi pit. Rosberg pits.

Lap 47/57: Vettel P1, Alonso P2, Webber P3, Massa P4, Button P5, Hamilton P6.

Lap 48/57: Vettel pits from the lead. The German keeps P1. Close battle between Buemi, Kobayashi, Di Resta and Petrov.

Lap 49/57: Massa pits from P4. Button pits from P5.

Lap 53/57: Vettel P1, Alonso P2, Webber P3.

Lap 54/57: Fastest lap for Vettel: 1:41.852.

Lap 57/57: Sebastian Vettel crosses the finish line yet another time for first and wins the 2011 European Grand Prix ahead of Fernando Alonso and team-mate Mark Webber. Fourth place for Lewis Hamilton, fifth for Felipe Massa, sixth for Jenson Button, seventh for Nico Rosberg, eighth for Jaime Alguersuari, ninth for Adrian Sutil and tenth for Nick Heidfeld.

2011 European Grand Prix, Race results: