Formula 1 News

Vettel takes comfortable win in Australia 

Podium finish for Lotus Renault GP's Vitaly Petrov

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel took a comfortable win today at the Australian Grand Prix ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.

Lotus Renault GP’s Vitaly Petrov finished third, scoring the first ever podium finish for a Russian driver.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso managed to finish fourth, followed by Mark Webber in fifth, Jenson Button in sixth, rookie Sergio Perez* in an exceptional seventh, Kamui Kobayashi* in eighth, Felipe Massa in ninth and Sebastien Buemi in tenth.

* UPDATE: Sauber drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez have been disqualified from the 2011 Australian Grand Prix after the race stewards determined that their cars were in breach of F1′s Technical Rules 3.10.1 and 3.10.2.

2011 Australian Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

The first race of the 2011 season is about to start in Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

2010 world champion Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position after a commanding performance during Saturday’s qualifying session. McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton starts from the second spot of the grid ahead of Mark Webber, team-mate Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Vitaly Petrov and Nico Rosberg.

Both HRT‘s cars won’t race today after failing to get within 107 percent of Vettel’s fastest time.

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

Race start: Great start for Vettel. Vettel, Hamilton, Webber and Petrov. Alonso has lost several positions, he’s in P9. Alguersuari pits for a new front wing.

Lap 2/58: Schumacher pits for new tyres.

Lap 3/58: Button pressuring Massa for P5. DRS - Drag Reduction System – has been enabled. Alonso has passed Kobayashi for P8.

Lap 5/58: Alonso overtakes Rosberg for P7. Vettel leads by 3.1 seconds.

Lap 6/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber P3, Petrov P4.

Lap 7/58: Massa is being told over the radio that his brakes are ‘too hot’.

Lap 8/58: Great battle between Massa and Button for P5.

Lap 9/58: Meanwhile Alonso has caught Button and Massa.

Lap 10/58: Vettel reports that his rear tyres are starting to go.

Lap 11/58: Maldonado has stopped.

Lap 12/58: Webber pits. Button has passed Massa through the run-off area; the Briton has to give back the position.

Lap 13/58: Alonso pits. Race Control: Incident between Massa and Button is under investigation by the race stewards.

Lap 14/58: Massa pits. Barrichello pits.

Lap 15/58: Pit stop for race leader Vettel. Race Control: drive through penalty for running off the limits for Jenson Button.

Lap 16/58: Vettel passes Button for P3. Buemi and Heidfeld pit.

Lap 17/58: Pit stop for Hamilton. Petrov pits. Rosberg, Kobayashi and Sutil pit. Replays show Kovalainen running wide into the grass.

Lap 18/58: Button makes his drive through penalty. Alguersuari and Kovalainen pit.

Lap 19/58: Schumacher pits from P20.

Lap 20/58: Vettel P1 followed by Hamilton, Webber, Petrov, Alonso, Massa. Button pits and rejoins in P12.

Lap 22/58: Kovalainen has stopped: he’s out.

Lap 23/58: Schumacher pits and retires. Barrichello attempts to pass Rosberg but he hits him.

Lap 24/58: Rosberg is out. Barrichello pits for a new front wing.

Lap 25/58: Button overtakes Kobayashi for P7.

Lap 26/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Webber, P3, Petrov P4, Alonso P5.

Lap 27/58: Incident between Barrichello and Rosberg is under investigation. Webber pits. Retired drivers so far: Rosberg, Kovalainen, Schumacher Glock and Maldonado.

Lap 28/58: Alonso pits from P4. The Spaniard rejoins in P6.

Lap 29/58: Race Control: drive through penalty for Barrichello for causing a collision.

Lap 30/58: Barrichello makes his drive through. Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:30.097.

Lap 31/58: Alonso closing in on Webber for P5. Heidfeld pits.

Lap 32/58: Massa pits and rejoins in P8.

Lap 33/58: Replays show Hamilton running wide. Kobayashi pits from P7.

Lap 34/58: Replays show damage on the floor of Hamilton’s McLaren.

Lap 36/58: Hamilton about to pit.

Lap 37/58: Vettel pits. Hamilton pits. Petrov and Alguersuari pit. Di Resta pits in the Force India.

Lap 38/58: Button pits. Sutil pits.

Lap 41/58: Fastest lap for rookie Sergio Perez: 1:29.962. D’Ambrosio pits in the Marussia Virgin.

Lap 42/58: Webber pits from P3. Barrichello pits. Webber rejoins in P5. Webber runs wide at trun 3.

Lap 43/58: Alonso pits. Alonso rejoins in P4 ahead of Webber.

Lap 44/58: Webber pressuring Alonso for P4. Fastest lap for Webber: 1:29.686.

Lap 46/58: Fastest lap for Alonso: 1:29.608.

Lap 48/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso, Webber, Massa, Button, Perez, Kobayashi, Buemi, Sutil, Di Resta, Heidfeld, Alguersuari, Barrichello, Trulli, D’Ambrosio.

Lap 49/58: Button has passed Massa for P6. Massa pits and rejoins in tenth.

Lap 50/58: Great performance so far for rookie Sergio Perez who is in seventh with only one pit stop so far.

Lap 52/58: Fastest lap for Massa: 1:29.451. Barrichello pits and retires.

Lap 55/58: Massa overtakes Buemi for P9.

Lap 57/58: Vettel P1, Hamilton P2, Petrov P3, Alonso P4.

Last lap: Sebastian Vettel takes a comfortable win today in Australia ahead of Lewis Hamilton, Vitaly Petrov and Fernando Alonso. Fifth place for Mark Webber, sixth for Jenson Button, seventh for rookie Sergio Perez, eighth for Kamui Kobayashi, ninth for Felipe Massa and tenth for Sebastien Buemi.

2011 Australian Grand Prix, Revised race results: