Tags:Formula One|British Grand Prix|Sebastian Vettel|Mark Webber|Kamui Kobayashi
SILVERSTONE: Australian Mark Webber cruised to his third win of the season when he dominated the British Grand Prix for Red Bull on Sunday.
The 33-year-old driver made a dazzling start from second on the grid, storming past his German team-mate and pole sitter Sebastian Vettel going into the first corner.
It was a special win for Webber, not only the fifth victory of his career, but coming after an in-team row over favouritism on Saturday when Vettel was given a special front wing part taken from his car.
That incident left Webber in a silent fury and, after a superb, determined drive on Sunday, he gave vent to his feelings on his triumphant slowing down lap after the chequered flag.
"Fantastic guys - not bad for a number two driver," he said pointedly to Red Bull chief Christian Horner, on the team radio.
Webber's win lifted him back into contention for the drivers' world championship after a barren spell since winning the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
He is now third on 128 points, behind title-race leader Briton Lewis Hamilton on 145 and Briton Jenson Button, the defending champion, on 133.
"The car was faultless. I made a good start and I was very keen to hold my corner and it worked out for me," said Webber.
Home-favourite Hamilton finished second for McLaren 1.3 seconds behind Webber, but 21.3 ahead of third-placed German Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes.
"That was a good job done, and a great reflection of all the hard work that the team have put in," said Hamilton.
"It's great to hang on to the lead in the championship and there is a long way to go yet."
Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Button came home fourth after starting 14th on the grid and was just six-tenths of a second behind Rosberg at the finish.
"I am very happy," said the Briton.
"Ten places!! It is so difficult to overtake here so I had to make sure I had a good first lap and I made up six places. It's a fantastic result."
Brazilian Rubens Barichello finished fifth for Williams ahead of Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Vettel finished seventh, after a first lap pit-stop for a puncture, in the second Red Bull.
Reflecting on his "bad" start Vettel said: "I had lots of wheel spin, but that's life, I had to let Mark pass.
"People then said Lewis (Hamilton) touched me, I didn't feel anything... I'm sure it wasn't his intention to give me a puncture but so early it was a big minus."
Vettel was followed home by fellow Germans Adrian Sutil of Force India and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in the second Mercedes.
Another German, rookie Nico Hulkenberg, finished tenth in the second Williams.
The defining moment of the race was the start, when Webber shot past Vettel on the way into Copse, securing the inside line and the initiative as the German struggled to keep pace.
It seemed like poetic justice for the decision taken on Saturday to give Vettel the new front wing design that was taken off Webber's car for qualifying.
While Webber celebrated, Ferrari were left puzzled as two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso fell victim to another dose of controversy - he was given a drive-through penalty for taking a short-cut to overtake Kubica - when he was forced off the track on lap 17.
His team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa suffered an afternoon of punctures and incidents and also failed to impress, the pair finishing 14th and 15th.
The 33-year-old driver made a dazzling start from second on the grid, storming past his German team-mate and pole sitter Sebastian Vettel going into the first corner.
It was a special win for Webber, not only the fifth victory of his career, but coming after an in-team row over favouritism on Saturday when Vettel was given a special front wing part taken from his car.
That incident left Webber in a silent fury and, after a superb, determined drive on Sunday, he gave vent to his feelings on his triumphant slowing down lap after the chequered flag.
"Fantastic guys - not bad for a number two driver," he said pointedly to Red Bull chief Christian Horner, on the team radio.
Webber's win lifted him back into contention for the drivers' world championship after a barren spell since winning the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
He is now third on 128 points, behind title-race leader Briton Lewis Hamilton on 145 and Briton Jenson Button, the defending champion, on 133.
"The car was faultless. I made a good start and I was very keen to hold my corner and it worked out for me," said Webber.
Home-favourite Hamilton finished second for McLaren 1.3 seconds behind Webber, but 21.3 ahead of third-placed German Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes.
"That was a good job done, and a great reflection of all the hard work that the team have put in," said Hamilton.
"It's great to hang on to the lead in the championship and there is a long way to go yet."
Hamilton's McLaren team-mate Button came home fourth after starting 14th on the grid and was just six-tenths of a second behind Rosberg at the finish.
"I am very happy," said the Briton.
"Ten places!! It is so difficult to overtake here so I had to make sure I had a good first lap and I made up six places. It's a fantastic result."
Brazilian Rubens Barichello finished fifth for Williams ahead of Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi.
Vettel finished seventh, after a first lap pit-stop for a puncture, in the second Red Bull.
Reflecting on his "bad" start Vettel said: "I had lots of wheel spin, but that's life, I had to let Mark pass.
"People then said Lewis (Hamilton) touched me, I didn't feel anything... I'm sure it wasn't his intention to give me a puncture but so early it was a big minus."
Vettel was followed home by fellow Germans Adrian Sutil of Force India and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher in the second Mercedes.
Another German, rookie Nico Hulkenberg, finished tenth in the second Williams.
The defining moment of the race was the start, when Webber shot past Vettel on the way into Copse, securing the inside line and the initiative as the German struggled to keep pace.
It seemed like poetic justice for the decision taken on Saturday to give Vettel the new front wing design that was taken off Webber's car for qualifying.
While Webber celebrated, Ferrari were left puzzled as two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso fell victim to another dose of controversy - he was given a drive-through penalty for taking a short-cut to overtake Kubica - when he was forced off the track on lap 17.
His team-mate Brazilian Felipe Massa suffered an afternoon of punctures and incidents and also failed to impress, the pair finishing 14th and 15th.
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