Vettel wins in Australia

If world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Australian GP performance is anything to go by, we’re going to have a 2011 Formula 1 season of processional racing reminiscent of the great Michael Schumacher in his heyday.
Vettel was absolutely invincible from start to finish of the Melbourne race, with the only man vaguely close, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, finishing 22 seconds adrift after maintaining second spot throughout the race.
However a surprising third was Russian Vitaly Petrov in the Renault, who was unchallenged for third place after Vettel’s teammate Australian Mark Webber pitted early for tyres and thereafter never really got to grip on the race, finally ending fifth.
This was Vitaly’s first podium finish.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took fourth spot, helped in no small way by his teammate Felipe Massa, who was holding up McLaren’s Jenson Button so much that the Briton was forced to try a silly overtaking manoeuvre that saw him take to the escape road.
The correct procedure would then have been to let Massa through – which would probably have included Alonso as well – but the Englishman stayed out until both Ferraris pitted.
Stewards intervened and Button got a drivethrough penalt which pushed him down the field.
He eventually finished sixth after a great charge back.
Sauber's Mexican rookie Sergio Perez and Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, however, hit post-race problems when they were disqualified from seventh and eighth places for alleged technical infringements on their cars’ rear wings.
The team plans to appeal the decision, but meanwhile the results now show Massa in seventh and Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi eighth.
The Force Indias of German Adrian Sutil and Scotsman Paul di Resta completed the top 10, the Scot scoring a championship point on his F1 debut.
Michael Schumacher in the Mercedes GP was one of the first to retire after a rear tyre was punctured early in the race, causing considerable damage to the car, while his teammate Nico Rosberg was pushed out of the race by Williams’ Rubens Barrichello in a crazy overtaking attempt which saw the Brazilian penalised by the stewards for causing the accident.
Barrichello later retired with transmission problems.
Vettel now leads the world championship with 25 points to Hamilton’s 18, Petrov’s 12, and Alonso’s 10, while Red Bull lead the constructors’ title chase with 35 points from McLaren on 24, Renault on 15, Ferrari on 14, Sauber on 10 and Toro Rosso on one.

1. Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault
2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
3. Vitaly Petrov Renault
4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
5. Mark Webber RBR-Renault
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari
8. Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
9. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
10.Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes
11.Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
12.Nick Heidfeld Renault
13.Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault
14. Jerome d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth
15. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
Disqualified: Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari
Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari
Retirements: Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth transmission
Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP accident damage
Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault water leak
Michael Schumacher Mercedes puncture damage
Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth transmission