Vettel Wins In Valencia - European GP 2010

Sebastian Vettel claimed his first victory since the Malaysian Grand Prix in April and put his world championship challenge back on course with a commanding lights-to-flag display in Valencia.

World championship leader Hamilton bounced back from a drive-through penalty, but German Vettel proved equal to the challenge.

McLaren’s Jenson Button was third after escaping with a five-second penalty for an offence under the safety car.

Both Ferraris lost out in their pit stops. Alonso was third behind Vettel and Hamilton when he stopped under the safety car on the 10th lap, but emerged 10th by the time things settled down on the 12th lap. Felipe Massa fared even worse, having to wait for his team mate to be serviced, dropping from fourth to 17th. They were doomed from that point onwards.

On a great day for Williams, Rubens Barrichello brought his FW30 home fourth after Kobayashi’s late pit stop, ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica and Force India’s Adrian Sutil, who drove a great race for Force India and likewise benefited over team mate Vitantonio Liuzzi when both pitted at the same time when running nose to tail.

2010 European Grand Prix result – 57 laps

1 VETTEL Red Bull
2 HAMILTON McLaren +5.0s
3 BUTTON McLaren +12.6s
4 BARRICHELLO Williams +25.6s
5 KUBICA Renault +27.1s
6 SUTIL Force India +30.1s
7 KOBAYASHI Sauber +30.9s
8 ALONSO Ferrari +32.8s
9 BUEMI Toro Rosso +36.2s
10 ROSBERG Mercedes +44.3s
11 MASSA Ferrari +46.6s
12 DE LA ROSA Sauber +47.4s
13 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso +48.2s
14 PETROV Renault +48.2s
15 SCHUMACHER Mercedes +48.8s
16 LIUZZI Force India +50.8s
17 DI GRASSI Virgin +1 lap
18 CHANDHOK HRT +2 laps
19 GLOCK Virgin +2 laps
20 SENNA HRT +2 laps
21 TRULLI Lotus +4 laps
22 HULKENBERG Williams +8 laps
23 KOVALAINEN Lotus +49 laps
24 WEBBER Red Bull +49 laps

Vettel On Pole in Valencia 2010

Sebastian Vettel resumed Red Bull’s 2010 qualifying supremacy, returning to pole for the first time since China in the process, as he headed a front-row lockout for the team in a closely-fought battle on the streets of Valencia.

The German pipped team-mate Mark Webber by 0.075 seconds as Red Bull took their eighth pole in nine races this year.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was also in contention for pole, but a mistake on his final run left him third.

Local hero Fernando Alonso took fourth place for Ferrari from team-mate Felipe Massa. The second McLaren of Jenson Button will start seventh on the grid.

Button also made a mistake, going into the final corner.

The big news of Q1, apart from fastest lap in 1m 38.132s from Kubica, was that Schumacher only just escaped exclusion there and then on his final lap, which jumped him up from 18th to 12th.

European GP starting grid

1 VETTEL Red Bull
2 WEBBER Red Bull
3 HAMILTON McLaren
4 ALONSO Ferrari
5 MASSA Ferrari
6 KUBICA Renault
7 BUTTON McLaren
8 HULKENBERG Williams
9 BARRICHELLO Williams
10 PETROV Renault
11 BUEMI Toro Rosso
12 ROSBERG Mercedes
13 SUTIL Force India
14 LIUZZI Force India
15 SCHUMACHER Mercedes
16 DE LA ROSA Sauber
17 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso
18 KOBAYASHI Sauber
19 TRULLI Lotus
20 KOVALAINEN Lotus
21 DI GRASSI Virgin
22 GLOCK Virgin
23 CHANDHOK HRT
24 SENNA HRT

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Additional Information

There is no General Admission area at the race in 2010.

Big screen TVs will be available on race weekend for as many spectators as possible but the organisers are unable to provide locations in advance.

Child Tickets

Child tickets are not offered by this event and so an adult ticket must be purchased.

Valencia 2010 Race Report

Valencia 2010 Qualifying

The European Grand Prix 2010 has been moved two months earlier in the F1 calendar and that can only be a good thing. The unforgiving heat at the end of August takes its toll on spectators and drivers alike.

Rubens Barrichello won on the street circuit in Valencia in 2009, but as usual the Spanish Formula 1 fans will expect a good race from Fernando Alonso who will be wearing the colours of Scuderia Ferrari in 2010.

European Grand Prix 2010 Tickets are on sale now.

Circuito Urbano Valencia Information

Length: 5.44km
Race distance: 57 laps / 310.08km

Full throttle: 59%
Top speed: 306kph
Longest flat-out section: 13s / 930m
Right/left-hand corner: 13/12

Highlights from 2008

Its current home is Valencia, Spain. This modern Spanish city will host the European Grand Prix until 2014.

Michael Schumacher has won Grand Prix of Europe 6 times – 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006. Fernando Alonso is second in the all time winners ranking with just 2 wins – 2005, 2007.

Valencia made its first appearance on the Formula 1 calendar in 2008 and it proved to be a great event.

Sun, sea and racing – what a combination for a European Grand Prix!

Although it is regarded as a street circuit, the German architect Hermann Tilke was again involved. He designed roads, which were exclusively build for the race, plus the infrastructural buildings for the circuit.

From fans’ point of view, this must be one of the most enjoyable races on the calendar. From the Valencia Airport, Manesis, you can just jump on the Metro and go straight to the beach and conveniently that is where the European Grand Prix circuit is located.

Valencia is simply a fantastic city, well worth the visit.