Alonso Goes Further Ahead
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| Fernando Alonso celebrates on the podium with his title |
IT was supposed to be Lewis Hamilton’s day to celebrate his 100th grand prix — but he had to settle for a supporting role to McLaren team-mate Jenson Button.
Hamilton’s hopes of victory in his landmark race were dashed as early as the second lap due to a puncture before he was later forced to retire with a mechanical problem.
But he still played a key part in helping Button finish in second place behind winner Fernando Alonso after Sebastian Vettel was controversially penalised and demoted from second to fifth.
Red Bull’s preparations for this race were thrown into chaos just a few hours before the start when they received news that the stewards were investigating their engine mapping.
It made for a twitchy few hours for the Milton Keynes-based team before technical whizz Adrian Newey spoke to the officials to put forward their case.
They then received welcome news that the FIA would take no further action, meaning Vettel and Mark Webber held their second and eighth places on the grid.
Vettel managed to maintain his position as the lights turned green but was forced to fend off his one-time idol Michael Schumacher
The battle between the two Germans allowed Ferrari’s Alonso to open up an early gap, but it was not such a smooth start for his team-mate Feipe Massa.
Under-fire Brazilian Massa lost his front wing going into the first corner, sending splinters of fibreglass flying across the track.
While he was able to limp back to the pits for a new nose, the consequences for Hamilton were massive.
The Brit, who made a slow start from the line to drop down a place, picked up a puncture on his front tyre at the start of his second lap.
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| Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button cover Fernando Alonso in champagne |
He quickly radioed to his pit crew that he “could barely get back to the pit” before adding that he thought he should “retire” from the race.
His McLaren team, however, did not share the same view as their driver and set about changing his tyres before sending him back out to rejoin the race in 22nd place.
Vettel’s stop was slightly slower than Alonso’s and when he returned to the track he was wheel-to-wheel with Button, who managed to hold his nerve to pip his opponent into second.
It was the sort of performance we have come to expect from the 2009 world champion, who went into this race with a return of just seven points from his previous six races.
It appeared to give him a huge boost in confidence as he quickly charged down Alonso, while Vettel’s challenge suffered a blow after running wide at turn one.
Hamilton’s miserable day was compounded when he retired at the end of lap 57, with one eye on preserving his car for next weekend’s race in Hungary.
Out in front, Alonso was still able to keep Button at arms-length, while Vettel made a late surge.
The Red Bull’s pace began to pick up and it was not long before Button was in trouble.
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| Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire |
Vettel was breathing down his neck on the penultimate lap before passing him on turn six, although the move took him off the track.
Button quickly complained about the German’s unfair pass and the stewards ruled in his favour to hand Vettel a 20-second penalty.
That bumped Button up to second and dropped Vettel down to fifth place, meaning Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen was elevated to third.
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