Hamilton duels with Vettel

Lewis Hamilton endured a first-lap duel with Sebastian Vettel at the start of the 58-lap Turkish Grand Prix as pole man Mark Webber made a clean getaway.

Starting from his highest grid position of the year of second at Istanbul Park, McLaren star Hamilton allowed Red Bull Racing’s Vettel to pass him on the short run down to turn one.

Hamilton battled his way back in front of the 22-year-old German a few corners later, the duo bumping wheels at one point.

It allowed Webber, on pole for the third consecutive race and chasing his third straight win after his triumphs in Spain and Monaco, to pull away.

Reigning world champion Jenson Button was also passed by the man directly behind him on the grid in Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher, losing his fourth position.

However, on lap two Button showed the same mettle as Hamilton and reclaimed fourth from the seven-time world champion.

After three laps, Webber was being hounded by Hamilton who trailed by just 0.3secs, with the duo followed by Vettel, Button and then Schumacher.

Team-mate Nico Rosberg and Renault’s Robert Kubica, who also locked wheels with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa shortly after the start, were running sixth and seventh, with the Brazilian eighth.