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Alonso wins as Red Bull flounder at Silverstone

Fernando Alonso has won Ferrari’s first race of 2011 by triumphing in Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. After suffering a pit-stop problem, Sebastian Vettel finished second as Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber was instructed to stay behind. In fourth, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton narrowly defended from Felipe Massa at the finish as Jenson Button retired due to a lost wheel nut.

To no great surprise of drivers or spectators, the weather looked to play the greatest role prior to the start of the race. As the cars made their ways from pit lane to grid, it was discovered that the start/finish area was relatively dry whereas the far side of the circuit contained much standing water. This prompted the field to fit Intermediate Pirelli tyres as the race started from the new International Pits Straight for the first time.

With Webber suffering some wheel spin, it was Vettel who blasted ahead of the pack en route to Abbey. Behind, Alonso challenged Webber as Hamilton shot from tenth to seventh, then seizing sixth from compatriot Paul di Resta’s Force India on the drag to Stowe. It was a miserable day for Lotus, though, with Heikki Kovalainen retiring on only the second tour after losing fourth gear; several laps later, team-mate Jarno Trulli was also out of action.

As Vettel extended his leading advantage to some three and a half seconds, looking to repeat his Silverstone victory of 2009, Hamilton proceeded to challenge the Ferrari of Felipe Massa for fifth but twice ran wide and lost ground at Brooklands. At the same part of track on Lap 9, Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes hit the Sauber of Kamui Kobayashi, resulting in a stop/go penalty for the seven-time World Champion. The Japanese – who had been pushed into a spin and lost two positions - soon retired from the race as his engine overheated, but only after more contact in the pit lane with Pastor Maldonado’s Williams.

Having rejoined in the lead after his first stop, it was Vettel’s Lap 27 pit lane visit which brought trouble, as the German’s left-rear wheel was not fitted quickly enough. With the Red Bull left standing, this left Alonso free to sail past before posting a string of rapid laps which took the lead up to 20 seconds at its peak. Further back, after jumping Hamilton at the third and final round of stops, Vettel began to fall into the clutches of Webber in the closing stages, with the Australian being told to hold position on the final two laps in a bid to avoid a collision such as that in Turkey last year. Although the latter refused to accept the request, there was no change of places.

There was a similar dual between Hamilton and Massa, with the Brazilian passing the Englishman around the outside of Vale on the final lap, only for the 2008 winner to retake the place as the Ferrari driver came close to losing control; the pair eventually crossed the finish line in fourth and fifth slots, separated by less than a tenth of a second.

The day proved frustrating for home favourites McLaren, though. Not only did Hamilton nurse his car to the chequered flag in order to save fuel, which only aided Webber’s pass for third on Lap 46, but Jenson Button’s chances of a first home podium finish evaporated on Lap 40, stopping in the pit lane exit as his right-front wheel came loose with no wheel nut attached – this non-finish drops the 2009 Champion from second to fifth in the Drivers’ Championship.

It was a similarly difficult day for Scotland’s Paul di Resta. After starting from a superb sixth place for Force India, the DTM title holder was left waiting in the pits after his team almost fitted the tyres of team-mate Adrian Sutil. The West Lothian man then damaged his front wing after contact with Toro Rosso’s Sébastien Buemi, who stopped at Chapel curve with a punctured left-rear tyre.

In fifth, 2010 rostrum finisher Nico Rosberg’s race included a pass on Pastor Maldonado – overtaking a car around the outside of Brooklands for the second consecutive year – on his way to sixth place ahead of Sauber’s Sergio Pérez (who came back from a pre-race off and broken front wing) and Renault’s Nick Heidfeld. As Schumacher recovered from his penalty for ninth, Jaime Alguersuari picked up a points result for the third consecutive race. At the back, Hispania debutant Daniel Ricciardo endured a tough day to finish a lap behind team-mate Vitantonio Liuzzi.

Fernando Alonso’s 27th career victory is his second at Silverstone, where he first won for Renault in 2006. The figure moves the Spaniard to joint fifth in the sport’s records with triple Champion Jackie Stewart and up to third in the current 2011 standings.

Vettel sets fastest time on Top Gear

Although he may not have won the British Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel can leave England happy after beating a selection of fellow Formula 1 personalities on Top Gear’s ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’. Having driven his best lap on Wednesday, the episode was aired by the BBC on Sunday night.

On the evening after last year’s British Grand Prix, it was Williams’ Rubens Barrichello who proudly ‘Beat the Stig’ and later designed several t-shirts to emphasise the fact. Tonight, it was the World Champion’s turn to step into the Suzuki Liana.

Following the customary chat with presenter Jeremy Clarkson, Vettel’s lap time was revealed as 1:44.0 (three tenths quicker than Barrichello), much to the delight of the German who also delivered a Birmingham accent.