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As the drivers
and teams prepared for the start of the fifty eight lap 2010 Australian
Grand Prix the rain would start to fall seeing the track become very damp
making the teams call on tyres and the like difficult. Trulli's Lotus would
be wheeled off the grid with what was reported to be a hydraulic problem.
Both Virgin cars would start the race from the pit lane. Williams driver
Rubens Barrichello was looking calm and smiling as he waited to get
into his car. The Mercedes team advised Schumacher that there would be
fifteen minutes more of rain. There was a big question as to whether to move
onto intermediate tyres for the start. At the front Vettel was on pole from
team-mate Webber. Alonso was third followed by Button, Massa, Rosberg,
Schumacher, and Rubens in ninth. Nico Hulkenberg was down in fifteenth. Vettel was on intermediate tyres as the track was
declared wet.
 As the tyres covers came off most drivers were on intermediate tyres. Off
the field headed on their formation lap as both Virgin cars were lined up in
the pit lane. Having started on a wet tyres the teams now do not have to use
both types of dry tyre. The grid would line up and the lights would go out
with Vettel leading Webber. Alonso would spin at Turn one after a messy
start. Massa moved into third at the start while Schumacher had a damaged
front wing. Buemi, Nico, and Kobayashi had all stoped with Nico in the
gravel at Turn five. The Safety car would come out as Schumacher entered the
pit lane. Vettel was leading from Massa, Webber, Kubica, Rosberg, Button,
Hamilton, Sutil, and Rubens in ninth. Replays had shown that Button and
Alonso had made contact with Alonso at Turn one. Alonso then went into Schumacher.
Nico was hit by Kobayashi after the Sauber had gone off after losing its
front wing and came back across the track and straight into Nico's car.
Buemi was involved in the same incident. Nico was in the wrong place at the
wrong time. The Safety car would come out on lap five with Vettel still
leading from Massa, Webber, Kubica, and Rosberg. Hamilton was right behind team-mate Button while Schumacher was fighting Di
Grassi for nineteenth. Hamilton would pass Button for sixth at Turn four.
Webber had also passed Massa for second with Kubica attacking Massa for
third. Lap seven and Button would pit taking the gamble of taking on the
soft slicks. A brave call from Button after a 7.7 second stop. Button would
struggle straight away running off the track and across the gravel. There
was a flurry of different driver setting the fastest lap but Alonso would go
fastest on lap seven with a 1m:41.391, while running in thirteenth.
Rubens was now in seventh while on lap nine there was a rush of drivers
taking to their pits. Massa, Kubica, Rosberg, Rubens, Hamilton, Petrov,
Alonso, Schumacher, and others had all pitted for slicks. Both Red Bulls
were still running but on lap ten it would be Vettel to first come in. This
would see Webber leading from Sutil as Button went fastest on lap nine with
a 1m:37.701. Vettel would come back out in front of Button and Kubica.
Webber would pit the next lap as Button continued to push setting another fastest
lap but Hamilton would go faster, 1m:33.039. Webber was back out in fifth
but would make a small mistake and was passed by Massa. Rubens was still in
seventh but he would be passed by Hamilton. lap eleven and Vettel was
leading from Button, Kubica, Rosberg, Massa, Webber, Hamilton, Rubens, De la Rosa, and Alonso in tenth.
 Lap twelve and a fastest lap from Vettel, 1m:32.439, as Button started to
fall way from the Red Bull. Sutil had retired in his pit while we had also
lost Petrov who had spun off into the gravel at Turn three. A 1m:31.856 from
Vettel on lap thirteen. Eighth placed Rubens was now 4.4 seconds behind
Hamilton. Alonso was now attacking Rubens and the Ferrari would pass the
Williams for eighth. Schumacher was down in thirteenth while Massa, Webber,
and Hamilton were running close together while Alonso went fastest on lap
fifteen, 1m:31.574. Webber and Hamilton would pass Massa at Turn one and
Hamilton would attack the Red Bull going into Turn three. In the fight
Webber would leave the track allowing Hamilton to pass. This had cost Webber
an hope of a good result in the race. Webber was now eighth with Rubens 2.1 seconds further back. Lap seventeen and Webber
would set a new fastest lap with a 1m:30.639.
Rubens would quickly drop back from Webber while Hamilton was closing in
onto fifth placed Massa. Lap nineteen and Vettel was leading Button by 4.4
seconds, with Kubica third. No more rain was forecast by the Mercedes team
while at the front the top ten were all showing improved pace. Rubens was
now 9.3 seconds behind Webber as Hamilton would pass Massa going down the
main straight after Massa made a mistake. Hamilton would defend his position
going into Turn three and while this was going on Alonso was also getting
involved. But Alonso would suddenly find himself being passed by Webber for
seventh. Replays had shown a part come off Hamilton's front wing as the made
the move past Massa on the straight. Hamilton had closed in onto Rosberg being two
seconds faster than Rosberg on lap twenty three.
Webber was attacking a very messy looking Massa with the Ferrari struggling
for pace. Hamilton was right with Rosberg while at the front Vettel had gone
off and was out of the race. Hamilton had passed Rosberg going round the
outside at Turn eleven. Button was now leading from Kubica, Hamilton,
Rosberg, Massa, Webber, Alonso, Rubens, Liuzzi, and De la Rosa in tenth.
Hamilton was attacking Kubica for second who was 5.1 seconds behind Button.
Di Grassi would retire in his pit while on lap thirty Schumacher would pit
from eleventh to take on a new set of soft tyres. Fourth placed Rosberg was
being pressured by Webber. Vettel had spoken to his team about a vibration
in the rear of his car and shortly after went off. Kubica was still holding
off Hamilton while Rubens would pit on lap thirty two. Hamilton would lose
some time in his efforts to get past the Renault. On his new tyres
Schumacher would set a new fastest lap with a 1m:30.293.
Webber would pit from seventh on lap thirty three taking on a new set of
tyres. Rosberg would pit on lap thirty four while Hamilton continued to
attack Kubica. Lap thirty four and a fastest lap from Button, 1m:30.201,
while on lap thirty five Hamilton would pit. Strange that while Hamilton
pits his team-mate goes even faster. Hamilton would come back out in front
of sixth placed Webber. Replays of Vettel's team radio had Vettel saying
that he had a brake failure. lap thirty five and a fastest lap from Webber,
1m:29.806. After thirty six laps Button was leading from Kubica, Massa,
Alonso, Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg, Liuzzi, De la Rosa, and Rubens in a
lonely tenth. Hamilton had left the track seeing Webber pass but Hamilton
was able to get back past. lap thirty seven and a fastest lap from Hamilton,
1m:28.754. The next lap Webber would respond with a 1m:28.737. Button was
now leading by 12.1 seconds over Kubica. Hamilton would respond with another
fastest lap, 1m:28.591, on lap thirty nine.
Massa was now right with Kubica with the top four not looking like they
would pit again. Button may not have been as fast as Hamilton but he was
pulling away from second placed Kubica and on lap forty three his lead was
15.1 seconds. Lap forty four and a new fastest lap from Webber, 1m:28.483,
while Rubens continued to run in tenth. Button was looking comfortable at
the front while team-mate Hamilton continued to close in onto the Ferrari's.
Personal best from the top five while lap forty seven and Webber would set
another fastest lap, 1m:28.358, on lap forty seven. Hamilton had closed to
now be 1.5 seconds behind fourth placed Alonso. Both Ferrari's were
struggling for grip on their very worn tyres. lap fifty and Hamilton was
right with Alonso while at the front Button would set a personal best. Hamilton was now running in the dirty air coming off
the Ferrari so his effort to pass Alonso would be difficult.
Third to sixth were now all running together while was now leading by 18.2
seconds from Kubica. Rubens would pass De la Rosa for ninth while Hamilton
would complain that his tyres had gone off. Rubens was now trying to close
in onto eighth placed Liuzzi. Seventh placed Rosberg was now right with
Webber while on his radio Hamilton would ask why the team brought him in to
change his slick tyres. Hamilton continued to attack Alonso but Alonso would
close the door and Webber would run into Hamilton, putting the pair in the
gravel. Both were able to continue but Webber would pit with no front wing.
He would return to the track while Hamilton was running in sixth. At the
front Button would continue to lead as he started his final lap. Rubens was
still in eighth while Schumacher would pass De la Rosa for tenth.
Button would cross the line to win the Australian Grand Prix. Kubica would
come home in an excellent second from Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Hamilton,
Liuzzi, Rubens, Webber, and Schumacher in tenth. Button would say that "this
feels so good ... a fantastic job by everyone." Button's gamble to come in
early worked out whereas there was a big question mark over Hamilton's pit stop. Another points scoring finish from
Rubens while Nico could only be very disappointed having been involved in
the accident of Kobayashi. |
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