Vettel Wins at Shanghai
April 20, 2009 by Warren Hayashi
Filed under Racing
Sebastian Vettel likes starting from the pole position. He has had his best results when doing so, winning from the pole position last year in Monza. On Sunday afternoon at the Shanghai Formula One circuit in China, he ran fast and straight from the pole position and he and his teammate, Mark Webber finished first and second to give team owner Dietrick Mateschitz, his first-two finish for Red Bull Racing.
Vettel uses less fuel and wins in Shanghai
The race started in wet and windy conditions that saw the Mercedez-Benz safety car lead the race for the first 8 laps, something that has been happening a lot this season as the safety car has done more laps than Heikki Kovalainen so far this season. The safety car pulled off the track after eight laps and the Red Bull cars pulled into the lead and stayed there until they were first to pit for fuel. This put series leader Jenson Button in the front of the pack after he passed his teammate Rubens Barrichello on lap 11, but Mclaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa were making a charge behind him.
Lewis Hamilton managed to work his way to fifth before spinning-out and dropping to 10th on lap 11, he worked his way back to 8th position before the safety car came back out onto the track on lap 18, after Robert Kubica slammed his BMW Sauber into the back of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota.
The race advantage switched back to Vettel after these events, especially after Button’s car rolled to a silent-stop on lap 21. The race started again on the 23rd lap, and with a lighter fuel load Vettel pulled away from his heavier competition and raced to the finish line to take the checkered flag.
Button tried to keep up, but after he missed his braking before Turn 14 on lap 29, he lost the time he needed to catch Vettel, and the Red Bull drivers kept their cars on the track and were running one-two. Button found himself only 1.2 seconds ahead of Vettel on lap 42, with one fuel stop left to make, while Vettel had already made his final fuel stop, and I am sure he could see the writing on the wall. This was the first Formula One race this season where Button didn’t look like the pace setter, running second to Adrian Newey’s RB5 design probably doesn’t sit too well with him, and expect him to show up at the next race with the goal of winning on his mind.
(Images: Newscom.com)
