2010 Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix 2010 took place on 28 March at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne instead and was the second race of the Formula 1 2010 season.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After the Bahrain Grand Prix Fernando Alonso led the drivers' standings with seven points ahead of Felipe Massa and ten points ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Ferrari resulted in the constructors' championship with 22 points ahead of McLaren -Mercedes with 25 points, ahead of Mercedes.
Qantas returned as the title sponsor of the Grand Prix of Australia, after they had held this position has 1997-2001.
In the last four years, the winner of the Grand Prix of Australia won the world title. With Michael Schumacher ( four times ), Alonso, Hamilton and Jenson Button ( once each ) were four former winners of this Grand Prix.
The Australian Grand Prix was held for the 15th time on the Albert Park Circuit in 2010.
Training
In the first free practice Robert Kubica scored the fastest lap ahead of Nico Rosberg and Button. Force India test driver Paul di Resta launched this training with the race car of Adrian Sutil and first participated in a race weekend. The second free practice session was held under changing conditions. In the middle of training, the track was wet after a rain, but the track was the beginning and end in a dry state. Hamilton sat at the front of the field. In second and third place followed by Button and Mark Webber. In the third free practice session on Saturday local hero Webber was fastest. Alonso was second and Schumacher third.
Qualifying
In the first phase of qualifying Sebastian Vettel posted the fastest lap. The HRT, Virgin, Lotus, pilots and Vitaly Petrov retired from. In the second segment of qualifying Vettel took the lead of the field. The Toro Rosso and Sauber drivers and Nico Hulkenberg, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Hamilton dropped out. As in the first two sections Vettel was also in the final section of the fastest and secured the pole position ahead of his team-mate Webber and Alonso.
Race
Before the race, it had been raining, so the track was wet in one. The Virgin pilots had their car rebuilt and therefore had to start from the pit lane. Jarno Trulli not stepped up to the Grand Prix because Lotus could not fix in time a hydraulic damage. Because of the wet track all driver decided to start with intermediate tires.
After Alonso had started badly, button touched the Ferrari into the first corner. This is what turned Alonso's race car and there he met Schumacher. All three pilots were to continue the race in the position, but Alonso was the end of the field and Schumacher finished after he had changed his front wing, the last place. In the first round failed to suspend the front wing at Kamui Kobayashi's BMW Sauber. The vehicle could be then no longer control and Kobayashi went first into the barriers and collided with Sébastien Buemi and Hulkenberg anschließentd. All three pilots were unhurt, but the race was stopped for them. For the recovery of the cars the safety car came on track.
During the initial phase for Alonso was not optimal, his team-mate Massa had a good start and finished second behind Vettel. Also a good start were the Renault driver, of which the fourth Kubica and Petrov finished in tenth place. In addition, Hamilton had improved from the eleventh to seventh place. HRT driver Bruno Senna also had a good start and finished in 14th place, but he had to retire with a technical problem already in the fourth round of his race.
In the round after the restart there were some overtaking maneuvers. Webber overtook Massa and took the second place and Hamilton to pass to his teammate Button. Subsequently, Button decided to drive into the pits and change to dry tires. After he initially had problems with the wet track and was once slipped into the discharge zone, most of the pilots decided two laps later also to a change to dry tires. Only the Red Bull drivers Sutil and fell by the wayside. One lap later, also the leader Vettel decided to go to the pits and Webber took the lead from his team-mates. In the tenth round Petrov retired after a mistake and one lap later Sutil had to end with a technical defect his race. As the last pilot Webber came in the eleventh round, and thus two laps after Vettel into the pits. The German took the lead again. Winners of the pit stops was clearly Button, who finished second behind Vettel. Webber, however, was among the losers and dropped to sixth place.
Alonso and Schumacher could overtake some pilots in the back field and so took Alonso in the 14th round already the eighth. Schumacher was in this round behind Jaime Alguersuari in 13th place in the 16th round Webber overtook Massa and Hamilton was able to overtake the Brazilian. However, Webber and Hamilton touched in the next corner and Massa overtook both back. Webber dropped it behind Alonso back to eighth place. At the top lap Vettel put down by lap from Button. Kubica and Rosberg who took places behind the leading duo, but the two could not follow.
In the 22nd round, both Ferrari drivers lost a position. Massa was finally overtaken by Hamilton and Webber pulled back past Alonso. Hamilton subsequently reduced the gap to Rosberg and overtook the Germans in the 26th round before turn 11 Rosberg attempted a counter-attack and was on the line before the Ascari already next to the McLaren drivers. However, he had to break the overtaking maneuver, as were waved before the Ascari yellow flags. Trigger for the yellow flags was the leader Vettel, who had slipped into the gravel. While it was expected during the race by a brake damage, it was found later that a loose wheel nut was responsible for the failure of Vettel. Then took over the lead from Button Kubica and Hamilton. In the 28th round Massa was overtaken by Webber. Then Alonso tried to pass Massa, however, managed to keep his Brazilian teammate behind him. Further ahead, Hamilton had the gap to Kubica caught up, but he could not overtake him.
In the meantime, Schumacher was drawn past Alguersuari. However, he came after had been the second time in the pits both back behind the Spaniard back. At the forefront Webber was the first, who completed his second pit stop and succeeded in the one lap later stopping to overtake Rosberg. After Hamilton was driven back on track after his stop, Webber pulled over also to the McLaren drivers. He missed the racing line and Hamilton overtook back the Australians. After these stops, Button led the race ahead of Kubica, Massa and Alonso. The four pilots decided against a second stop and thus the residue is that the three pilots who were in the pits, once again catch up.
For Virgin, the race was stopped after 44 laps when Timo Glock retired with suspension damage. Lucas di Grassi had already left earlier, but returned for a few laps on the track. After a total of 26 laps he had to park his car finally with a hydraulic damage.
Hamilton, Webber and Rosberg took advantage of their new tires and unlocked the Ferrari driver on. However, Hamilton had first to pass no chance to Alonso. In the back part of the field, however, there was an overtaking maneuver as Rubens Barrichello filed past Pedro de la Rosa and drove up to ninth. Behind de la Rosa were Alguersuari and Schumacher. With three laps succeeded Schumacher Alguersuari go by and he made pressure on de la Rosa. Further ahead, Hamilton complained about boxing radio with his team that he had completed a second stop. He then tried before the Ascari overtaking against Alonso, but he failed and it collided with Webber, who had braked late. While Hamilton had to just pass Rosberg, fell Webber, who had to change his front wing, further back. Shortly before the end of the race Schumacher went past de la Rosa, and thus secured a point.
Finally, Button won, as in the previous year, the Grand Prix of Australia. It was his first victory for McLaren -Mercedes, and the first since the Turkish Grand Prix 2009. Further podium places went to Kubica, who finished second, and Massa. Alonso had to settle after his comeback with fourth place behind Massa. The other points were awarded to Rosberg, Hamilton, Liuzzi, Barrichello, Webber and Schumacher.
Alonso kept the lead in the world championship ahead of Massa. Button improved to third place. In the Constructors Ferrari claimed the top position.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
, The first ten of the race were 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 point (s).