Too close for comfort

Vettel prevails over Hamilton in Spanish thriller.


Afp May 22, 2011

BARCELONA:


Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel drove his Red Bull to a narrow and dramatic victory ahead of McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton in the Spanish Grand Prix.


The German used his natural speed and clever strategy to steal the lead after starting second behind teammate Mark Webber and resisted all that Hamilton could throw at him in the closing stages of the 66-lap contest.

After a thrilling duel, Vettel finished six-tenths of a second ahead of the Briton to reel off his fourth win in five races this season and extend his lead in the drivers’ world championship.

It was the first time that a driver, who did not start from pole, had won the Spanish Grand Prix in 11 years.

Hamilton came home second ahead of his McLaren teammate and fellow-Englishman Jenson Button who finished third ahead of Webber, who had started from pole, and fifth-placed two-times champion Fernando Alonso.

An ecstatic Vettel

“I’m happy with that,” said Vettel. “I could see Lewis there and this wasn’t easy. It was very close. McLaren and Lewis gave us such a hard time and that’s why it feels so good to win this.”

Schumacher improves

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, 42, bounced back from his dismal race in Turkey by finishing sixth for Mercedes ahead of his teammate German Nico Rosberg, another German Nick Heidfeld of Renault and the two Sauber drivers Mexican Sergio Perez and Japanese Kamui Kobayashi.

Duel between Vettel and Hamilton

The two drivers exchanged the lead throughout the race as each pit-stopped several times. The German made his third stop after 32 laps.

This gave Hamilton the lead again before he did the same three laps later and rejoined second, cutting the gap to little more than a second with 20 laps remaining.

The leading duo then pitted again after 48 and 49 laps and Hamilton staying just over a second behind with Button 30 seconds behind in third as they went into the final 10 laps.

Hamilton soon cut Vettel’s lead to half a second and began hunting a passing move with the aid of his Kinetic Energy Regeneration System and the Drag Reduction System.

And while Hamilton’s McLaren appeared to have the superior pace in these final laps, he could not overtake the leader who was using all his skills to stay in front.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2011.

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