Back to winning ways for Sebastian Vettel

Vettel wins again!

Sebastian Vettel has won the European GP while his team-mate Mark Webber was involved in a big accident. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were also on the podium for McLaren.

Qualifying for the European GP was incredibly close, with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren exchanging fastest times throughout the session. In the end Vettel secured pole narrowly from his team-mate, with Hamilton in third and Fernando Alonso in fourth. Felipe Massa qualified in fifth for Ferrari, with Robert Kubica in sixth and Button in seventh

At the start of the race Vettel got away cleanly and Hamilton got a better start than Webber meaning he was able to pass him in turn one. While trying to make a move past Vettel for the lead, Hamilton made contact with Vettel's car which damaged his front wing. Meanwhile, Webber found himself going backwards and ended up back in ninth place. There was contact further down the field which caused Jarno Trulli to pit in his Lotus, but he was able to come out again two laps later.

Both Mercedes GP cars were evidently struggling as both cars received messages about their brakes overheating meaning they had to drive conservatively. At one stage Rosberg was warned that his brakes were in a “critical” condition. Webber pitted on lap eight, with his team apparently trying to take advantage of the gap behind him on the circuit. However, there was a problem with getting his front left tyre on which cost him time. He re-emerged further back than anticipated and soon was reeling in Heikki Kovalainen. With the obvious top speed differences between the Red Bull and Lotus, Webber was soon right behind Kovalainen and in what appeared to be a misunderstanding between the two drivers Webber's car was catapulted over the top of the Lotus, flipping upside down before righting itself and being sent at high speed into the tyre barrier. Kovalainen described it as a “hardcore flight” and said that he had shaken Webber's hand at the medical centre, showing that there were no hard feelings between the two. Thankfully both drivers were unhurt, and Webber's crash was another testament to F1's safety measures, meaning he could walk away uninjured, albeit obviously shaken.

The accident caused the Safety Car to be deployed on lap ten, which itself caused a number of problems. When the SC was deployed Hamilton found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and after a slight hesitation at the safety car line, overtook the safety car. The SC came in on lap 14 and only on lap 22 was it stated that Hamilton was being investigated. During the SC period the Ferraris had been heavily compromised, having to stack in the pit-lane putting them right down the order. Hamilton was given a drive through penalty, but he had already built up enough of a gap meaning that he didn't lose any positions and stayed in second behind Vettel.

Elsewhere on track Timo Glock and Bruno Senna were involved in a battle which ended with Glock clipping Senna's front wing, causing both to pit: Glock due to a puncture and Senna due to a damaged front wing. Nico Hulkenberg's Williams had blue smoke emerging from the back and on lap 51 he retired from the race, which was disappointing for the young German who had been running solidly in the top ten.

Kamui Kobayashi in the Sauber was one of the stars of the race. After the safety car he was one of the only drivers not to pit and subsequently put himself in third position. He didn't pit until lap 54 and he came out in ninth place, but close behind Alonso and Sebastian Buemi. His fresh tyres meant he was able to catch them and on the penultimate lap of the race he overtook Alonso. He caught and overtook Buemi on the very last corner of the last lap, finishing a very well deserved seventh place. Up front Vettel took the chequered flag, followed by Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Kubica, Sutil, Kobayashi, Buemi, Alonso and de la Rosa. However it was announced that Button, Barrichello, Hulkenberg, Kubica, Petrov, Liuzzi, Sutil, Buemi and de la Rosa were under investigation for driving too fast under the Safety car. They were handed five second penalties but because of the gaps the only change in the points were Alonso moved ahead of Buemi and de la Rosa lost his tenth place to Rosberg. Those who didn't finish the race were Hulkenberg, Kovalainen and Webber.

Formula One's next race takes place at Silverstone in two weeks time. British Grand Prix tickets are still on sale so get in there quick!

Posted by Hannah Hough - Follow her on twitter @hannahhou.

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