Sebastian Vettel Wins European GP in Valencia 2010

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