Alonso storms to Silverstone glory

Ferrari celebrate their first win since Korea in October last year

Fernando Alonso claimed his 27^th career victory at a wet Silverstone to surpass Jackie Stewart in the all-time standings.

The Ferrari driver drove flawlessly as the track dried to head home Vettel and Webber – who ignored team orders to hold station behind the championship leader. The German looked set for a seventh win this season until he relinquished the lead following another Red Bull pitstop blunder.

Lewis Hamilton bravely held onto fourth from Felipe Massa after a titanic battle between the two saw the Brazilian pass the McLaren at the penultimate corner only for Hamilton to muscle his way back in front.

The race started in bizarre circumstances. A pre-race shower had soaked the second half of the track but the first half was bone-dry leading to all drivers using intermediate tyres.

Vettel surged in front at the first corner after pole-sitter Webber got bogged down.

Hamilton surged up from tent to sixth on the first lap before overtaking team-mate Jenson Button and Massa in quick succession. And on lap 15, soon after pitting for dry tyres, he expertly passed Alonso on the wet inside line into Copse.

Whilst the track was wet the Red Bulls dominated opening up a ten-second gap back to the chasing pack but when the drier line appeared Alonso became the quickest man on the track.

Alonso started to pump in fastest laps, closing on Hamilton and re-passing him on lap 24, and then on the Red Bulls.

He and Vettel came in on the same lap, 27, for their penultimate stops, and a delay fitting the left-rear wheel to the Red Bull enabled Alonso to pass Vettel in the pits and take the lead.

The mistake left Vettel third and chasing Hamilton but he could not find a way past despite stalking him for several laps.

Instead the team switched strategy and brought the world champion in a lap early and it proved crucial in allowing him to jump the Englishman.

Hamilton was still on course for third until he received a radio message telling him that fuel levels were critical and told him to slow down and it allowed Webber to snatch the final podium spot.

The Australian immediately set after Vettel and with three laps left was right behind the German. Despite orders from team boss Christian Horner to “maintain the gap”, Webber tried in vain to pass.

When asked about the incident, the Australian was unequivocal. He said: “I’m not fine with it, no. [If] Fernando retires on the last lap, we’re battling for victory.

“Of course I ignored the team and I was battling to the end. I was trying to do my best with the amount of conversation on the radio.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said he understood Webber’s frustration but added: “We cannot give away a load of points. We did not want to see our drivers in the fence at some time in the last two laps, which is how it would have ended up.

“Mark is not out of the championship race but we could not afford to risk losing points. Mark should be fine with that, he is a team player. Second and third is a very strong result.”

The team orders mean that Vettel increased his championship lead to 80 points with Webber his nearest challenger.

But he was wary of Ferrari’s new threat. He said: “I think you have to accept fair and square Ferrari beat us today.

“There has been a bit of a trend over the last couple of races, they have been very strong on race days, so it shows us we need to keep pushing and improving the car.”

Alonso though was cautious about his title prospects: “There are not championship thoughts because we know the gap is massive.”

Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was sixth, from Sauber’s Sergio Perez, Renault’s Nick Heidfeld, Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher and Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari.

It was a disappointing day for home-favourite Button who had to retire on lap 39 after a wheel fell off following a pitstop. The right-front wheel nut was not in place before he was released and the McLaren driver ground to a halt at the end pf the pitlane.

Button said: “It is very disappointing. In front of my home crowd, I was enjoying the race, my pace was good.

“The guy on the front right lost a wheel nut and he went to get another one but as he turned I think the lollipop man thought we were good to go.

“I’m sorry for the fans that we couldn’t do more. This seems to be the way of it at British Grands Prix for me, but I’ll try again next year.”

McLaren and Sauber were fined by motorsport’s governing body the FIA following the race, both found guilty of unsafe pit-stop releases.

McLaren were fined 5,000 euros (£4,433) for the problem with Button’s car, while Sauber were fined 20,000 euros (£17,773) after the team released Kamui Kobayashi into the path of Williams’ Pastor Maldonado.

Webber takes British GP pole

Paul di Resta excelled once again to take sixth

Red Bull’s Saturday qualifying domination continued with Mark Webber edging out team-mate Sebastian Vettel at Silverstone but the result was overshadowed by the row over diffuser use.

Despite regulations only being decided upon minutes before the qualifying session began, the Red Bull’s still managed to monopolise the front row.

It is only the second time in nine races that Vettel has not found himself on pole but the German will still be confident of a good result.

The Red Bulls nearest challenge seems set to come from Ferrari with Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa on row two and the Spaniard was just a tenth behind the Australian pacesetter.

The Scuderia seem to have made up a lot of ground on Red Bull with many feeling they are chief beneficiaries of the new rules.

But Webber thinks it is still too early to tell: “Normally on tracks like this we’d be further down the road,” he said.

“There might be a bit of a form card starting to build, but we need some more races to see if that is the case.”

McLaren though looked to be badly affected however with Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton managing just fifth and tenth respectively in front of their home ground.

“We did not put on a competitive showing in qualifying,” said the McLaren team boss, Martin Whitmarsh. “Our car is not quick enough and that’s how it is.

“But we are not going to give up on Sunday. We are going to try and win races. We are not giving up on the championship.”

Force India’s Paul di Resta, Pastor Maldonado and Kamui Kobayashi continued to impress with sixth, sevnth and eighth ahead of Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg who’s best lap was ruined by rain.

Hill to step down from BRDC

Hill won 22 races in a eight year career

Damon Hill will step down as president of the British Racing Drivers’ Club in August after five years in the role.

The 1996 F1 world champion has played a key role in developing Silverstone during his tenure.

“It has been a great privilege and honour to serve as BRDC President since 2006,” said Hill.

“As a Club and business, we can be immensely proud of everything we have achieved for British motor sport over the past few years.

“The BRDC and Silverstone face a stable and exciting future, so the timing is right for me to hand over the reins and devote more time to my family, my own interests, and the racing career of our son, Josh. However, I remain a committed Member of the BRDC and look forward to watching the Club go from strength to strength,” he said.

In July the new £27m paddock and pit-lane complex will host F1 teams for the first time – an event which looked impossible three years ago when Donington Park was selected as host of the British Grand Prix from 2010.

But the project’s collapse allowed Silverstone a chance to retain its rights.

Under Hill’s stewardship, Silverstone signed a 17 year deal with to host F1 as well as deals for the British rounds of the Superbike World Championship and Moto GP.

Former grand prix driver Derek Warwick has been singled out as the leading candidate to replace Hill who steps down on August 25.

BRDC chairman Stuart Rolt said: “The Board is delighted that Derek is willing to offer himself for election as BRDC President, to take over from Damon. In Derek we have another hugely experienced, yet down to earth, genuine racer.

“In addition to his on-track success and recent work as a Director of the BRDC, Derek has been heavily involved in the management of the BRDC SuperStars and he very much shares Damon’s passion for supporting young British drivers.”