VETTEL HOLDS THEM OFF
The Spanish Grand Prix, the first real traditional race of the F1 season - though it tends to be one where familiarity produces few surprises. The Circuit de Catelunya is F1's traditional pre-season test track and not really known for classic races due to all the drivers knowing it like the backs of their hands. With the DRS and KERS in the mixer though, that was expected to change. One thing that certainly had to change though if you weren't a Sebastien Vettel fan was the reigning world champion's habit of winning races. Just when it seemed as though Lewis had put the brakes on in China, the German went and won in Turkey. So, could he be stopped here?
In qualifying, well Q1 was relatively smooth for the Brits though Heidfeld was left at the mercy of the stewards for failing to set a time due to a fire in practice. However his practice times had been competitive enough so n he went. Q2 saw di Resta hit the end of the road and he had to start P16 but the McLarens both made it through to Q3. Well in Q3 it was Jenson that set the benchmark with Lewis beaten him but any thoughts of an all-Brit front row were smashed by Vettel...only for him to be beaten by Webber who grabbed his first pole of the season. Vettel P2 to complete the second all-Red Bull front row in sucsession. Lewis P3. Further down, Jenson would start P5.
Di Resta finished 12th in the race.
Jenson had an absolutely disasterous start and initially wound up in 10th. However he made it up to 8th, before lucking in with so many guys ahead of him pitting early and allowing him to make it up as far as 5th before pitting and finding himself only down in 6th with Schumacher getting burned allowing him to take 5th. At that point that seemed to be as good as it would get for the 2009 world champion...but then on much fresher tyres he burned the duelling Alonso and Webber in quick succession to grabs 3rd and that's the point he took the chequered flag for is best finish since Malaysia. Certainly enough to prove he's not going away anytime soon.
Lewis dropped down to 4th at the start after getting burned by Alonso at the start but then was one of those that came into the pits relatively early and when the dust settled, found himself in 3rd(though he was leading briefly). He then burned up the road to close in on 2nd...only to inherit first 2nd then the lead as the guys ahead of him pitted. Now the Brit really was on overdrive but it ultimately wasn't good enough as his pitstop saw him slot back into 2nd. His next order of business was to chase down the leader in a rematch of China but this time around, he somehow didn't have enough! Lewis settled for 2nd and as a sweetener, he and Jenson made it the first time two Brits were on the podium this season.
Up front, well Webber's lead didn't last very long as he was quickly burned by Alonso, much to the delight of the locals. However the Ferrari driver then bounced in and out of the lead during pitstops before finally falling away due to bad tyres. Then it was the man of the moment that hit the front, and yet Vettel did not seem to have the pace to hold back Lewis - something that even he admitted at the end of the race! Well if he didn't have the pace that day then I'm seriously worried about what might happen when he does have the pace. Bottom line, Vettel won his second race in a row and the question of who can stop him long term is yet to be answered.
So, the championship looks like this. Vettel still leads, now on 118 points. Lewis remains in 2nd, now on 77. Further down, Jenson remains in 4th, now on 61.
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