Button's gamble pays off, as Vettel suffers more disappointment

Australian Grand Prix 2010 Report

The Australian GP saw Sebastian Vettel starting on pole for the second race in a row, joined on the front row by his Australian team-mate, Mark Webber. Twenty minutes before the lights were due to go out, rain started falling. At first it was light, but it soon became apparent the race would be started on intermediate tyres. When the lights went out, the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso made a slow getaway from the grid, allowing his team-mate to pass and for Jenson Button to make a move. Lewis Hamilton, starting a disappointing 11th on the grid, made a great start instantly making up places. Going into the tight turn one, Vettel and Webber made it through safely but it all kicked off behind them. Button made a move on Alonso, who turned in causing Button to hit him. This in turn led Alonso to hit Michael Schumacher, forcing him off the track and to later pit for a new front wing. Alonso was left facing the wrong way, and facing a battle from last place.

Further back Kamui Kobayashi suffered another wing failure (not the first of the weekend) after he tagged another car or a kerb. This sent him into Hulkenberg, who in turn collected Buemi ending the race for the three of them. Trulli suffered hydraulic problems, ending a troubled weekend for the Lotus driver before the race even began. Due to all the accidents, the Safety Car was deployed by the end of the first lap. When it came in again at the end of lap 4 the racing picked up where it had left off, with Hamilton enjoying a spirited battle with his team-mate Button, eventually passing him.

The rain started to ease and Button became the first driver to pit for slicks, a move which was questioned by BBC commentators Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard. When he came out of the pits he appeared to struggle at a couple of corners, even having an off - but it soon became apparent that the move may not have been such a silly one after all. Two laps later, on lap nine, several drivers entered the pits for slicks, allowing Button to move up to second and set fastest laps. Webber was unlucky to have to pit a lap later, due to team-mate and race leader Vettel being brought in first.

Senna, Petrov and Sutil consequently added to the retirements over the next few laps. Hamilton enjoyed a battle with Webber and Massa, eventually putting a move on the Ferrari which even saw him tapping the rear of the Ferrari with his front wing, but staying in one piece. Webber put a move on Alonso.

With Lewis released from the Ferraris he was soon hunting down fourth place man Nico Rosberg. Meanwhile, Rosberg's team-mate Schumacher was stuck behind the remaining Toro Rosso of Alguersuari, unable to find a way past. On lap 26, Vettel suffered more bad luck when his car, became beached in the gravel. He was heard on the radio saying he had suffered "front left brake failure" and when interviewed after the race he said that "a lap or a bit earlier I felt already something was wrong.. couple of corners before I felt vibrations".

Lewis put a stunning move on Rosberg, around the outside of turn 11 and was soon hunting down Kubica. On lap 30 Schumacher pitted for fresh tyres, while a few laps later this was also the case for Webber, Rosberg and Hamilton (who later queried the move). Over time di Grassi and Glock both retired in the Virgin Racing cars, leaving Heikki Kovalainen and Karun Chandhok to fight it out as the 'new boys'. After their stops, Hamilton and Webber were left to fight through the field and soon caught the Ferraris, who along with Jenson Button and Kubica had not pitted for tyres. They struggled to pass but with two laps to go, Lewis put a move on Alonso and Webber tried to follow suit, but there wasn't enough room on track and both Webber and Hamilton ended up in the gravel.

Schumacher eventually passed Alguersuari, securing the final points paying position. Two laps later Jenson Button crossed the line to win in only his second race for McLaren - his smooth driving style and gamble to come in early for tyres had worked (as well as Vettel suffering misfortunes) giving him a well deserved win. Afterwards he celebrated over the radio, congratulating his team for a "fantastic job" and calling it a "great way to start the year". Of his decision to pit early he said "it's a lot easier for the drivers to feel the conditions". Kubica finished his faultless race in a brilliant second place for Renault, with Massa taking the final podium position.

Alonso finished fifth, closely followed by Rosberg and Hamilton, who had managed to hold onto sixth place. He called it the "drive of my life" obviously disappointed not to be finishing higher.  Liuzzi had a quiet race finishing in seventh, with Barrichello in eighth. Webber and Schumacher rounded off the points scorers.

The teams barely have time to catch their breath before they head to Malaysia for next week's Grand Prix.

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

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