Vettel wins incident-packed race at home
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, July 8, 2013
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Three-time defending Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel surged ahead in his Red Bull at the start of the German Grand Prix Sunday and held off a strong challenge from the two Lotus cars to win his first race on home soil. |
Three-time defending Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel surged ahead in his Red Bull at the start of the German Grand Prix Sunday and held off a strong challenge from the two Lotus cars to win his first race on home soil.
There were no tire blowouts but the race had its share of bizarre incidents, with a loose wheel flying through the air in the pit lane and an abandoned car drifting on its own down the track.
Vettel started second behind pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and powered past the Mercedes driver into the first bend.
The German then held off the Lotus pair of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean for his fourth win of the season. Raikkonen was second and Grosjean third.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took fourth.
Vettel's 30th career victory extended his championship lead over Alonso to 34 points - 157 vs 123. Raikkonen moved up to third with 116.
"It's incredible to win at home, a great relief," Vettel said.
Hamilton struggled with his tires and finished fifth as Mercedes again failed to live up to the promise of a fast qualifying.
Hamilton was also passed by the other Red Bull of Mark Webber before the first bend, who went past Hamilton on the outside as Vettel drove by inside.
Midway through the race, a television cameraman was struck by a wheel which came off Webber's car during a pitstop.
Formula One safety has been in the headlines since multiple tire blow-outs at last weekend's British Grand Prix raised fears about drivers being hit by flying debris, and Sunday's incident will fuel concern about pitlane dangers.
Webber came into the pits for a routine tire change after nine laps but his crew took longer than usual because of a problem with the rear right tire. The Australian was released without the wheel being secured properly. It broke free and bounced into the oblivious cameraman, knocking him flat on his back.
The sport's governing body, the FIA, added in a statement: "He was treated at the circuit medical centre and then transported by helicopter to Koblenz Hospital. The Briton has been kept there, under observation. Further information from the hospital will be provided as soon as it becomes available."
Webber was ordered to turn off his engine and the wheel was reattached, allowing the driver to rejoin the race near the back of the field.
Supplier Pirelli have brought different tires, with an inner ring of synthetic fibre Kevlar rather than steel, to Germany after the controversial blow-outs at Silverstone. There were no failures in practice or qualifying.
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The car of French driver Jules Bianchi of Marussia catches fire during the German F1 Grand Prix Sunday. The car rolled back on the track without the driver. |
The race was then slowed behind the Safety Car after 24 laps when a car, without a driver in the cockpit, rolled backwards down the track in front of the oncoming racing field.
The car was Marussia of Frenchman Jules Bianchi who had jumped out when the backmarkers' machine had suffered an engine failure.
Track staff failed to control it and it slowly rolled, out of control, backwards from its parked position and across the track before stopping after hitting an advertising hoarding.
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