Alonso overtakes Vettel for first win of F1 season

SILVERSTONE, England - Fernando Alonso produced Ferrari’s first victory of the Formula One season at the British Grand Prix on Sunday after championship leader Sebastian Vettel’s hopes were thwarted by a pit-stop blunder. Vettel was overtaken in the Silverstone pits by Alonso just after the halfway point when the Red Bull driver’s mechanics struggled to attach a wheel.

“I saw the problem in the pit stop with Sebastian and we were in the lead at that moment, but who knows what might have happened after that,’’ Alonso said. “I knew it was a race to be calm, make no mistakes, to not be off the track, and with that I knew the car had enough for victory and it came.’’

A 27th career victory for Alonso lifted the two-time world champion to third in the standings behind the Red Bull duo of Vettel and Mark Webber.

“Today it is 60 years since Ferrari won its first Grand Prix in Formula One,’’ Alonso said. “And today we won on the same circuit with the same passion.’’

Vettel didn’t linger on the pit-spot issue, saying that “Ferrari beat us fair and square.’’

“There were little mistakes here and there,’’ said the German, who has won six of the opening nine races. “You can’t get it right all the time, but credit to Ferrari, they have been getting stronger and improving their car, so it shows we need to keep pushing hard.’’

There was controversy on the final lap as Vettel increased his lead in the drivers’ championship to 80 points over Webber.

Webber had been ordered by the team to hold his third place and halt his pursuit of Vettel, who had jumped ahead of the Australian at the start when they started from the front row.

Webber said he was “not fine’’ with the situation, disclosing that he had ignored “probably four or five’’ orders not to pass his teammate.

“[Vettel] was doing his best, I was doing my best,’’ Webber said. “I wasn’t going to crash with anyone.’’

Red Bull’s bosses, though, stressed that they were trying to secure the maximum points possible for the team, which has a 110-point lead over McLaren in the constructors’ championship.

“I can understand Mark’s frustrations but we cannot give away a load of points,’’ Red Bull principal Christian Horner said. “Mark should be fine with that, he is a team player.’’

AP

한글 관련 기사 [연합]

-F1그랑프리- 알론소, 시즌 첫 우승

페르난도 알론소(스페인·페라리)가 국제자동차경주대회 포뮬러 원(F1) 영국 그랑프리에서 정상에 올랐다.

알론소는 10일(현지시간) 영국 실버스톤에서 열린 2011시즌 F1 그랑프리 9라운드 경주에서 5.891㎞의 서킷 52바퀴(총길이 306.227㎞)를 1시간28분41초196에 달려 가장 먼저 피니시 라인을 통과했다.

지난해 10월 전남 영암에서 열린 코리아 그랑프리 초대 챔피언에 올랐던 알론소는 이번 시즌 첫 우승의 기쁨을 맛봤다.

개인 통산 27승째를 거둔 알론소는 6월26일 스페인 발렌시아에서 열린 대회 준우승에 이어 2회 연속 좋은 성적을 냈다.

2005년과 2006년 F1 종합 챔피언에 올랐던 알론소는 랭킹 포인트 25점을 보태 112점을 기록, 마크 웨버(호주·레드불)에 12점 뒤진 3위에 올랐다.

이번 대회 9차례 경주에서 6번 우승을 차지한 제바스티안 페텔(독일·레드불)은 알론소에 16.511초 뒤진 2위로 들어왔다.

페텔은 이번 시즌 우승 6회, 준우승 3회를 기록하며 랭킹 포인트 204점으로 선두 자리를 굳게 지켰다.

'F1 황제' 미하엘 슈하머(독일·메르세데스)는 9위로 들어왔다.

시즌 10라운드는 24일 독일로 장소를 옮겨 펼쳐진다.