Mark Webber wins in Barcelona

If, a few days ago, some forecasts announced the arrival of rain on this Sunday afternoon, it is under the sun, certainly surrounded by clouds, that the pilots set off in Barcelona. Mark Webber, who was taken over by Sebastian Vettel in Malaysia when he started on pole, started better this time.

The Australian must, however, contain Sebastian Vettel, who must defend himself against Lewis Hamilton et Fernando Alonso. The strategy Red Bull works wonderfully, Webber and Vettel forming an impassable line. Finally, everyone falls into line at the end of the first turn. The positions are the same as on the grid: Webber, Vettel, Hamilton, Alonso, Button, Schumacher.

Quickly, a first driver retired, Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus), while Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) had to return to his pit box with an exploded tire. For his part, Bruno Senna (HRT) went wide in the fourth round and had to give up.

Meanwhile, Mark Webber escapes to the front. He strings together the best laps in the race and gradually overtakes Sebastian Vettel. Pit stops come quickly and the rear drivers stop first. Tonio Liuzzi (Force India), leaving the pitlane, found himself neck and neck with Sébastien Buemi (Toro Rosso). After a muscular duel, the Italian retained the advantage. On the other hand, Sébastien Buemi continues to have bad luck since, after his own stop, he is penalized with a drive through.

It's the turn of the big names to pass by their stand. Jenson Button (McLaren), who lost a little time changing tires, is taken over by Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) when braking on the long straight (turn no. 1). The German driver delays his braking, passes Button on the outside, passes him on the inside in the next corner, and maintains his advantage.

However, Jenson Button does not admit defeat and battles behind the seven-time World Champion, trying to catch him at the slightest opportunity. But, holding on to his fifth place, Schumi managed to defend himself.

If one McLaren driver was surprised, another came out on top. While Lucas di Grassi's Virgin slowed down in turn 1, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) took the opportunity to catch up with Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), hampered by the Brazilian and who slipped to third place. Meanwhile, Mark Webber escapes at the head of the race.

The new cars arriving in the paddock stood out: after di Grassi's Virgin, it was Karun Chandhok's HRT which played the role of moving chicane. Felipe Massa (Ferrari, 7th), wanting to follow Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button, who had just overtaken the Indian, damaged the mustache on his front wing on the HRT. But, his lap times remaining correct, the Brazilian does not return to his pit.

At the front, Mark Webber improves his best lap in the race as the minutes pass. He significantly increased his lead over Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel: gap maintained at 14 seconds after 45 laps.

New incident involving a rookie team: Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), falling back quickly after overtaking Karun Chandhok, tears off the wing of the HRT, goes sideways but manages to recover. A few laps later, the Spaniard inherited a drive through for this maneuver. His teammate, Sébastien Buemi, passed through his pit a third and then a fourth time before retiring with a hydraulic problem.

Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), then sixteenth, pitted for a second time to put on soft tires. Is this the right choice? The leading drivers remained on hard tires for the end of the race, except Sebastian Vettel, who put on soft tires after damaging his "hard" tires during an out-of-race foray. In the maneuver, the German driver lost his third place, which was regained by the country's idol, Fernando Alonso. A few laps later, the latter sets the best lap in the race.

Second, Lewis Hamilton did not release the pressure at the end of the race and improved on Alonso's best time, running in 1:24:357. But the Briton's efforts stopped on the 65th lap. He suffered a mechanical breakdown in the left front wheel and went into the gravel.

Behind Mark Webber, Fernando Alonso took advantage of this defection to move up to second place, while Sebastian Vettel returned to the podium that he had left a few laps earlier.

After unchallenged domination, Mark Webber won his first Grand Prix of the season, the second of the year for Red Bull, which moved back into the constructors' standings.

Fourth, Michael Schumacher obtained his best result since his return to Formula 1. He is ahead of Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Adrian Sutil, Robert Kubica, Rubens Barrichello and Jaime Alguersuari.