Jenson Button wins Australian Grand Prix

[Ithunk]

Formula One world champion Jenson Button timed his pitstop to perfection to chalk up his first win for McLaren in a rain-affected and entertaining Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

 

The Briton, a winner in Melbourne with Brawn GP last year, took the lead when Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, starting on pole position, was pitched into the gravel mid-race by a brake failure.

 

"It feels so good ... Guys, amazing job, I think we got that pitstop pretty much perfect," Button, who went for an early change to slicks that proved crucial, shouted over the team radio after beating Renault's Robert Kubica by 12.034 seconds.

 

"It was the right time. Fantastic job, this is a great way to start the year."

 

Poland's Kubica was comfortably clear of Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, who nosed out Spanish team mate Fernando Alonso for third.

 

Seven times world champion Michael Schumacher finished 10th for Mercedes after being effectively ruled out of the running at the first corner.

 

Button's left front tyre hit Alonso's right at the first turn, causing the Spaniard to spin and collide with Schumacher and break the Mercedes' front wing. Both then had to fight back from the rear.

 

Only 14 cars finished the race as intermittent showers made tyre selection, and the timing of pitstops, a key factor on the bumpy street circuit.

 

The safety car made an early appearance when BMW Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi rebounded off a barrier at turn six on the first lap, crashing into Williams's German driver Nico Hulkenberg.

 

The incident also forced Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi out.

 

Double world champion Alonso, who won on his Ferrari debut in Bahrain last week, stayed top of the standings after two races with 37 points, in front of Massa who has 33.

 

Button's victory allowed him to claw back to 31 in the championship race and allowed McLaren to close to 54 points, second behind Ferrari on 70 in the constructors' standings.

 

 

 

Unofficial results from the Australian Grand Prix here today (58 laps):

 

1. Jenson Button (ENG/MLA) 1hr 33min 36.531sec

2. Robert Kubica (POL/REN) +12.034

3. Felipe Massa (BRA/FER) 14.488

4. Fernando Alonso (ESP/FER) 16.304

5. Nico Rosberg (GER/MER) 16.683

6. Lewis Hamilton (ENG/MLA) 29.898

7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA/FOR) 59.847

8. Rubens Barrichello (BRA/WIL) 1min 0.536

9. Mark Webber (AUS/RBR) 1min 7.319

10. Michael Schumacher (GER/MER) 1min 9.391

11. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP/TOR) 1min 11.301

12. Pedro de la Rosa (ESP/SAU) 1min 14.084

13. Heikki Kovalainen (FIN/LOT) 2 laps

14. Karun Chandhok (IND/HRT) 5 laps

 

Not classified:

Timo Glock (GER/VIR) 17 laps

Lucas Di Grassi (BRA/VIR) 32 laps

Sebastian Vettel (GER/RBR) 33 laps

Adrian Sutil (GER/FOR) 49 laps

Vitaly Petrov (RUS/REN) 49 laps

Bruno Senna (BRA/HRT) 54 laps

Sebastien Buemi (SUI/TOR) 58 laps

Nico Hulkenberg (GER/WIL) 58 laps

Kamui Kobayashi (JPN/SAU) 58 laps

Jarno Trulli (ITA/LOT) 58 laps

 

source

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/35...ian-Grand-Prix/

[Damienic]

Vettel blew another Pole yet again. Quite buay zai..

[Pinkypink]

super heartache for Vettel!!

twice in a row already.. sigh...

[BITURBO]

Watched it...too dramatic...

[Redplanet]

  On 3/28/2010 at 11:21 AM, Damienic said:

Vettel blew another Pole yet again. Quite buay zai..

 

not really his fault both times...

 

1st race due to faulty spark plug, now is faulty brakes...iirc.

 

[Redplanet]

  On 3/28/2010 at 4:38 PM, BITURBO said:

Watched it...too dramatic...

 

I enjoyed this race more, even though ferrari did not get top spot...

[Reuters]

alonso did a very good job to prevent hamilton and webber from overtaking for almost 15 laps, thus ensuring that button, kubica and massa to get the podium finish.. eventually causing webber and hamilton to wipe out each other in the closing stages..

 

actually they (especially Button) should thank alonso for being able to finish on the podiums, when they were running on worn out tires..

 

i even remembered that during one of the radio conversations with alonso when he was informed that hamilton was only about 3.5 seconds behind him.. and he said "I DON'T WANNA KNOW!"..

[Weiming]

Very exciting and eventful race compared to bore fest that was Bahrain but this was down to the circuit layout (not a Tilke track) and also weather.

 

Button's smooth driving style and tire call gave him the win and Alonso once again showed his driving caliber by moving up from 2nd last to 4th!

 

Alguersauri earned his F1 slot by holding back a 7-time world champion and HRT completed its first race with Karun, impressive effort.

[Maroon5]

again i can only say steve slater's CMI commentary continues....wrong facts, wrong identification of driver