Jenson Button wins 2010 Australian Grand Prix

March 28, 2010

McLaren driver Jenson Button won yesterday's FIA Formula One 2010 Qantas Australian Grand Prix on the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park, Melbourne, Australia. Button placed fourth behind both Red Bull cars and Alonso's Ferrari, but took advantage from an earlier tyre change from intermediate to slick and won the Australian GP for the second time in his career.

Pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel led for the first half of the race, missing a corner after a brake failure.

The quick pace for Renault of Robert Kubica resulted in a second place finish after starting ninth, ahead of the Ferrari cars of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. His team-mate, rookie Petrov, went out after an error on his tenth lap.

Button's team-mate, Lewis Hamilton, and Vettel's team-mate, Mark Webber, closely followed Kubica and the Ferraris, but after an unsuccessful overtaking attempt from Lewis, the Australian driver knocked his car's rear and they found themselves in the gravel. This opened the way for Nico Rosberg finishing fifth for Mercedes ahead of Hamilton.

While in the gravel, Webber was overtaken by Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) and Rubens Barrichello (Williams).

The top ten was closed by seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher (Mercedes), who struggled behind Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) for most of the race, after a contact with Alonso in the first corner from the start. Race spectators saw only fourteen of the 24 drivers reach the finish line.

Championship standings currently are still topped by Alonso with 37 points, Massa and Button coming four and six points behind respectively. Ferrari now lead the constructor's standings with 70 points, sixteen points ahead of McLaren.