Vettel breaks Monaco Grand Prix duck

Reigning champion extends lead in championship.

MONTE CARLO:

Defending drivers’ world champion German Sebastian Vettel rode his considerable share of good luck to claim his first victory at the Monaco Grand Prix after an incident-filled and dramatic race.

On an afternoon of Safety Cars, red flags, lengthy stoppages and multiple collisions, the 23-year-old, Vettel emerged ahead of the field to enlarge his commanding lead.

The race had been stopped temporarily after a mass crash which saw Russian driver Vitaly Petrov taken to hospital.

Vettel’s victory was the 15th of his career and his eighth in the last 10 races. It stretched his golden run which has seen him finish on the podium at every race since the Singapore Grand Prix last year.

Two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who had won twice at Monaco, finished second for Ferrari – their best result this season – ahead of luckless Briton Jenson Button of McLaren, who might have won but for the various Safety Car stops and other interventions.

Japanese Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber looked set to take fourth but was passed in a final flurry of drama by determined Australian Mark Webber of Red Bull and had to settle for fifth ahead of 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton, who finished the race sixth for McLaren.

Hamilton, however, faced an investigation for his passing move on Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado of Williams in the final laps.

German Adrian Sutil of Force India came home seventh, compatriot Nick Heidfeld of Renault eighth and Brazilian veteran Rubens Barrichello ninth for Williams. Swiss Sebastian Buemi was tenth for Toro Rosso.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2011.