Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
Formula One
F1: Button Wins Thriller In Australia
The Australian Grand Prix was everything Bahrain wasn't...
SPEED Staff  |  Posted March 28, 2010   Melbourne (AUS)
Jenson Button is the most recent winner in Formula One. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Jenson Button won the second round of the Formula One world championship in a dramatic Australian Grand Prix Sunday.

Button inherited the lead when pole sitter Sebastian Vettel suffered mechanical problems for the second race in a row losing a left front brake on lap 26.

The drama began prior to the race when rain began to fall. Teams started on the intermediate wet tires and the action began at the start when Button, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher collided in the first corner, with the McLaren spinning the Ferrari into the Mercedes.

On the second lap Sebastian Buemi, Nico Hulkenberg and Kamui Kobayashi were all involved in a crash at Turn 5 that started when, for the third time of the weekend, Kobayashi’s machine lost the front wing. The safety car was deployed until lap 5.

Button’s team gambled and dove in first to change to soft slick tires on lap 6 as soon as the field went green. That appeared at first to be the wrong move as Button slid on the drying track and went off momentarily at turn 3. A few laps later the rest of the field was forced to pit and change to slicks.

“It was a necessary move to pit for slicks,” Button said. “I was struggling for grip on the Inters, and the rears were destroying themselves very quickly, so we figured it must be time for dries. As I drove down the pit lane, I could see it was soaking wet and I feared it was a massive mistake on my part. When I left the pits, I went off the circuit and just thought, ‘Oh no!’

But later, after being handed the lead, Button managed over 50 laps with the tires while most, including his teammate Hamilton, saw theirs go away. The defending world champion would go on to score his first victory of the young season.

Robert Kubica ran a brilliant race bringing the Renault home in second after charging from ninth on the opening lap. Alonso was third followed by teammate Felipe Massa in fourth. Nico Rosberg rounded out the top five.

During the second half of the race, a furious battle ensued for fourth through sixth as Massa held off Alonso who in turn had his hands full with Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton meanwhile was forced to hold off Mark Webber.

“This was probably one of the drives of my life,” Hamilton said. “Okay, it’s possible that the decision to make a second tire stop wasn’t the right one, but my team is a brilliant bunch of guys and they usually get it spot-on. I guess things can’t always pan out right every time, but that’s motor racing.”

With three laps to go Hamilton finally got to Alonso, but as Hamilton was trying to pass the Ferrari on the outside he was hit and turned by Webber. Both cars suffered heavy damage but were able to continue; Hamilton finished sixth and Webber ninth with Tonio Liuzzi in seventh and Rubens Barrichello eighth.

“I apologize to Lewis about that,” Webber said. “I lost all down-force in the front of the car when I got close to them, the car lifted and I slid into the back of him.”

Schumacher damaged his front wing during the first incident and was forced in for repairs. He was never able to fight his way back through the field and fought with Jamie Alguersuari nearly the entire race finally passing him in the final laps and taking the final points paying spot in tenth.

"I could have had a good race today so it was a pity that I was hit right after the start,” Schumacher said. “That incident decided my race obviously. But things like that happen and you have to just say 'that's racing'.”

A total of 10 cars retired before the race was over, with Heikki Kovalainen and Karun Chandhok the only drivers of the four new teams for 2010 to finish the race under power.

The win was the first for Button since joining McLaren late last year and the first repeat victory on the same track in his career.

“This victory means so much to me,” Button said. “A Grand Prix win in a McLaren. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Right now, I just want to run around and scream. It’s just the most amazing experience.”

2010 FORMULA ONE AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX RESULTS

Play! SPEED Fantasy Racing - GP Edition
speed_staff's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SPEED Staff

SPEED.com

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.