Defending Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel won the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain, yesterday to extend his lead in the overall standings with his sixth win in eight races.
The 23-year-old German dispelled any thoughts that his last lap error in Canada two weeks ago which cost him victory would have an adverse effect on him as he coasted home in his Red Bull to beat Spain’s Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari. Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber was third.
It was just the fourth time in F1 history that all the drivers finished the race and first time in 46 years.
Lewis Hamilton of McLaren honored his pledge to restrain his daredevil style and finish the race, taking fourth place. Brazil’s Felipe Massa in a Ferrari and Britain’s Jenson Button in the second McLaren finished fifth and sixth.
German Nico Rosberg was seventh for Mercedes and Spain’s Jaime Alguersuari produced a stunning drive to take eighth for Toro Rosso, with Germans Adrian Sutil ninth for Force India and Nick Heidfeld 10th for Renault.
On a sweltering early summer afternoon by the Mediterranean, Vettel produced a start to match the weather as he pulled clear without any fuss to lead by 1.3 seconds at the end of the opening lap. Both McLarens were slow to pull off the grid and they gave the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa an invitation to attack. Webber, caught in a scarlet pincer move, managed to survive.
That left him second behind the champion, with Alonso third, Massa fourth and Hamilton fifth at the end of the opening lap, Rosberg also having started well to find his way past Button into sixth. The 2009 champion then found a way past the young German with a late-braking move into the second turn.
The positions pretty much stayed the same in a race lacking the drama of Canada, with only Alonso’s daring overtaking of Webber sending the fans into ecstasy.
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