Webber wins British Gran Prix

Indy Car News

Webber wins British Grand Prix

by Gary Becker
Sports Car Illustrated

“Not bad for a number two” Mark Webber told his Red Bull crew over the radio after breezing to an easy win in British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

After another weekend of increasing hard tension between Webber and Red Bull team management the victory was especially sweet for Webber. The weekend started with both Webber’s and Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel’s cars equipped with a newly designed front wing assembly. With only two of the wings on hand a problem arose when Vettel damaged his wing during qualifying. Webber’s car was stripped of the new wing design and it was placed on Vettel’s car. Webber was forced to use an older wing assembly. Webber was told by Red Bull team management this was done because Webber was the number two driver and Vettle being number one, would benefit first from any new equipment.

As 105,000 fans looked on Vettel and Webber started the race from the front row. Both drivers were side by side going into the first turn with Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren only inches behind. The McLaren’s front right wing clipped Vettel’s right rear tire cutting the tire and forcing Vettle to fight to keep control and make his way to the pits.

Just behind the leaders the Ferrari’s of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso made contact which resulted in a cut tire on Messa’s Ferrari and forcing him to make a first lap pit stop.

Lap one had Webber in first, Hamilton second and Robert Kubica’s Renault in third.

Kubica gave up third place when he pitted on lap 14. At the same time Alonso was forced off the track to avoid contact with another vehicle. Unfortunately for Alonso race officials didn’t seem to think that Alonso was forced and would issue a drive through penalty later in the race which would drop Alonso out of the top ten.
Webber pitted and kept the lead on lap 18. A lead he would hold until the end of the race.

Kubica’s great start went for not when he left the race with possible suspension problems on lap 20. This put Jenson Button’s McLaren in third after starting fourteenth.

The halfway mark had Webber first followed by Hamilton, a surprising Nico Hulenberg’s Williams third, Nico Rosberg and his Mercedes fourth, Alonso fifth and Button falling to sixth.

On lap 29 Pedro de la Rosa’s BMW Sauber was victim of contact damaging his rear wing, most of which ended up in pieces on the track. A full course yellow followed allowing course works an opportunity to clean up the debri.

Vettle began a remarkable comeback from last place by passing Massa to take tweleth place on lap 33 and Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes for eigth place on lap 41. By lap 56 Vettle was in a great battle for seventh place with Force India’s Adrian Sutil. The battle raged until the last lap of the race when Vettle was finally able to get by Sutil.

Alonso’s day went from bad to worse when he tangled with Vitantonio Liuzzi’s Force India car sending Alonso back to pits for the third time to change tires.

When the checkered flag finally waved it was Webber first, Hamilton second, Rosberg third, Button fourth and Rubens Barrichello’s Williams sixth.