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For the fifty
two lap 2010 British Grand Prix the AT&T
Williams drivers would qualify eighth and thirteenth, with Rubens
Barrichello leading team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. With the cars formed up on
the grid we had the top ten all starting on the softer tyre. The grid would
complete the parade lap and with Vettel on pole followed by team-mate
Webber. The grid would form up and the lights would go out and it would be
Webber who would make the better start seeing him take the lead going though
Turn one.
Vettel
would not give up the fight and would challenge Webber but the German would
see his race go all wrong when his rear tyre would make contact with a close
following Hamilton. As a result Vettel would suffer a puncture which would
see him drop to last and have to pit. At the front it was Webber leading
from Hamilton, Kubica, and Rosberg. While for the Williams team Rubens had
made up one place to be seventh. Nico was still in thirteenth. Massa would
be the next to have to pit as he would make contact with team-mate Alonso
seeing him suffer a right rear puncture.
Both Vettel and
Massa would pit and would take on the harder tyre in what was planned to be
there only stop.Alonso was running in fifth while Button, who started from
fourteenth, was up to eighth. Rubens was now running in seventh but at the
front Webber and Hamilton started to pull away from the rest of the field.
Rubens would move up to sixth but was by lap four already a considerable
margin behind the leader. Schumacher was now seventh and on lap ten Webber's
lead was out to 2.6 seconds over Hamilton with Kubica still third. Kubica
was pulling away from fourth placed Rosberg while Rubens continued to run in
sixth. Lap thirteen would see Schumacher pit taking on the harder tyre. The
following lap both Rubens and Alonso would pit also taking on the harder
tyre for the run to the finish.
At
the front Webber and Hamilton would trade fastest laps and on lap fifteen
Kubica would pit seeing Rosberg now third. By lap sixteen Webber was leading
by three seconds over Hamilton. After his stop Rubens had dropped to twelfth
while button who was yet to stop was running in fourth. Nico was now sixth
but also yet to stop. Kubica and Alonso were down in tenth and eleventh. Lap
eighteen and Hamilton would pit from second but he was able to return to the
track still in second but just in front of Button. Webber would pit the next
lap maintaining his first place. He would also take on the harder tyre for
what was his only pit stop.
Nico
was now in fourth but still yet to stop and by lap twenty four Webber was
able to extend his lead over Hamilton out to five seconds. Button would pit
leaving Nico in third while Kubica would retire with a differential problem.
Rosberg was now fourth followed by Alonso and Button. Rubens was now in
eighth. Eleventh placed De la Rosa would lose part of his rear wing after
seeing a Force India car make contact with his. While this was happening
Alonso would be given a drive through penalty for passing Kubica by going
off the road. This had occurred when Alonso was forced to run wide when
trying to pass Kubica before the Renault driver retired. Commentators felt
that Alonso's penalty was somewhat harsh. Lap twenty nine and Nico
would pit while we would see the Safety Car come out to allow the marshals
to remove the parts of De la Rosa's rear wing off the track.
This would see
the field bunch together allowing Vettel who was running at the back of the
field to close up onto the leaders. The Safety Car would leave the circuit
on lap thirty one while Alonso would take his penalty. Rubens was now
running in fifth while Nico was in ninth. Nico was been attacked by Petrov
while Vettel was up to fourteenth, thirteen seconds behind the leader.
Vettel would pass Massa for twelfth. Lap thirty eight and Vettel was up to
eleventh while at the front Webber was leading Hamilton by 3.7
seconds. Vettel would pass Petrov for tenth when the Renault driver ran
wide. Vettel would then close in onto Nico and pass him for ninth. The
Williams drivers were now in fifth and tenth.
Kobayashi
was in sixth followed by Sutil. Vettel was able find a way past Schumacher
to now be in eighth. As the laps counted down Webber continued to lead from
Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Rubens, Kobayashi, Sutil, Vettel, Schumacher, and
Nico in tenth. Alonso would make another pit stop on lap fifty one out of
fifty two. He had a puncture with his left rear tyre after having made
contact with Liuzzi. Vettel would pressure Sutil looking to get sixth but
the Red Bull driver would run wide ruining his chances. Schumacher and Nico
would close up onto Vettel but were not able to make any passing attempts.
Vettel would finally pass Sutil for seventh, a move not viewed favourably by
the Force India driver as the pair would make contact when Vettel got past.
Sutil was now
eighth followed by Schumacher, and Nico. The final lap would see Webber
comfortably win from Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Rubens, Kobayashi, Vettel,
Sutil, Schumacher, and Nico. This would see the Williams team finish the
race with both drivers scoring points, a great result for the team. Rubens
would follow-up his fourth from Valencia with his fifth place. As the cars
returned to the pits Nico would stop out on the track with a problem. |