Reverend
April 19th, 2009, 21:33 PM
Sebastian Vettel made light work of poor visibility at a rain-hit Chinese Grand Prix with a superb drive to give Red Bull their first ever race victory.
Team-mate Mark Webber made it a one-two to ensure it was a dream day for the British-based team in Shanghai.
Championship leader Jenson Button came third ahead of the second Brawn car of veteran driver Rubens Barrichello.
World champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth for rapidly-improving McLaren behind Finnish team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.
After two days of hot and sunny conditions for practice and qualifying, strong winds brought a continuous rain to the modern track meaning the Chinese GP started as the Malaysian race had finished - under the safety car.
That appeared to open up the field and play into the hands of Brawn GP, the championship pace-setters who were sat in fourth and fifth on the grid and carrying a heavier fuel load than the Red Bulls ahead of them and, in particular, Renault's Fernando Alonso in second.
But Brawn's drivers could do nothing about the consistent pace of the Red Bulls in the soaking conditions, with Vettel particularly impressive on his way to his second GP victory after becoming the youngest ever race winner in Italy last year with Toro Rosso.
The race started with eight laps under the safety car, though when it peeled off the cars were still engulfed in spray.
But Vettel drove flawlessly throughout, eventually beating Webber by 10.9 seconds as he occasionally clocked laps that were three seconds quicker than anybody else - and the 21-year-old German now moves up to third in the drivers' championship.
Australian Webber could himself have notched his first GP win but will have to settle for his best ever finish as the pole sitter took victory for the third successive race this season.
Chinese Grand Prix Result:
1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Renault)
2. Mark Webber (Red Bull Renault)
3. Jenson Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
4. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn-Mercedes)
5. Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren-Mercedes)
6. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
7. Timo Glock (Toyota)
8. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
Championship standings:
1. Jenson Button (GB) Brawn-Mercedes 21 pts
2. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Brawn-Mercedes 15
3. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 10
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 10
5. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 9.5
6. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 8.5
7. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 4
8. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 4
Constructors' championship:
1. Brawn-Mercedes 36 pts
2. Red Bull-Renault 19.5
3. Toyota 18.5
4. McLaren-Mercedes 8
5. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8006717.stm)
Team-mate Mark Webber made it a one-two to ensure it was a dream day for the British-based team in Shanghai.
Championship leader Jenson Button came third ahead of the second Brawn car of veteran driver Rubens Barrichello.
World champion Lewis Hamilton was sixth for rapidly-improving McLaren behind Finnish team-mate Heikki Kovalainen.
After two days of hot and sunny conditions for practice and qualifying, strong winds brought a continuous rain to the modern track meaning the Chinese GP started as the Malaysian race had finished - under the safety car.
That appeared to open up the field and play into the hands of Brawn GP, the championship pace-setters who were sat in fourth and fifth on the grid and carrying a heavier fuel load than the Red Bulls ahead of them and, in particular, Renault's Fernando Alonso in second.
But Brawn's drivers could do nothing about the consistent pace of the Red Bulls in the soaking conditions, with Vettel particularly impressive on his way to his second GP victory after becoming the youngest ever race winner in Italy last year with Toro Rosso.
The race started with eight laps under the safety car, though when it peeled off the cars were still engulfed in spray.
But Vettel drove flawlessly throughout, eventually beating Webber by 10.9 seconds as he occasionally clocked laps that were three seconds quicker than anybody else - and the 21-year-old German now moves up to third in the drivers' championship.
Australian Webber could himself have notched his first GP win but will have to settle for his best ever finish as the pole sitter took victory for the third successive race this season.
Chinese Grand Prix Result:
1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Renault)
2. Mark Webber (Red Bull Renault)
3. Jenson Button (Brawn-Mercedes)
4. Rubens Barrichello (Brawn-Mercedes)
5. Heikki Kovalainen (McLaren-Mercedes)
6. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren-Mercedes)
7. Timo Glock (Toyota)
8. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso-Ferrari)
Championship standings:
1. Jenson Button (GB) Brawn-Mercedes 21 pts
2. Rubens Barrichello (Brz) Brawn-Mercedes 15
3. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 10
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota 10
5. Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull-Renault 9.5
6. Jarno Trulli (Ita) Toyota 8.5
7. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 4
8. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 4
Constructors' championship:
1. Brawn-Mercedes 36 pts
2. Red Bull-Renault 19.5
3. Toyota 18.5
4. McLaren-Mercedes 8
5. Toro Rosso-Ferrari 4
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8006717.stm)