Vettel maintains drive for title after win in Turkey

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull has won the Turkish Grand Prix with team-mate Mark Webber in second and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso in third.

It was Vettel’s third win in four races this year, and his sixth in his last eight overall stretching back to last season.

Webber duly grabbed second for Red Bull’s 11th one-two, with Alonso 10 seconds adrift of Vettel in third.

The leading trio were a long way clear of Lewis Hamilton who was followed by Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Vitaly Petrov, Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso) and Kamui Kobayashi.

Hamilton quickly lost two places on the opening lap of the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park today.

Once the five red lights disappeared, starting from his fifth pole in a row, world champion Sebastian Vettel made a clean start in his Red Bull.

But from the dirty side of the grid team-mate Webber was slow away, allowing Mercedes’ Rosberg to pass the Australian on the run down to turn one.

From fourth Hamilton also attacked in his McLaren, but at one stage early in the lap the Briton ran a touch wide at one corner in his McLaren.

That allowed Ferrari’s Alonso and McLaren team-mate Button to move up a place to fourth and fifth respectively, dropping Hamilton to sixth.

On his out lap, Virgin Racing’s Timo Glock suffered a gearbox issue which forced him back into his garage from where he retired.

Early in lap two Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher and Petrov in his Renault were involved in a minor collision that forced the German into making an early pit stop.

Petrov had dived up the inside of Schumacher, with the rear right tyre of his car colliding with the front left of the German's and then running over his front wing, which necessitated the stop.

At the end of lap five, with Vettel opening up a cushion of over four seconds, Webber reclaimed his second place with Rosberg.

A lap later, and with both Button and Hamilton complaining of rear-wing issues and ordered to behave themselves by the team, Hamilton made his move on Button initially on the approach to turn 12.

The British duo then diced with one another through turns 13 and 14 before Hamilton finally grabbed fifth place on the approach to turn one at the start of lap six.

But on the proceeding lap Button was able to turn the tables and reclaimed fifth from Hamilton who then had Ferrari’s Felipe Massa climbing over the back of his car.

After eight of the 58 laps, Vettel’s lead was up to 5.6secs over Webber, with Alonso running third after passing Rosberg on lap seven.

At the end of the eighth lap, Hamilton and Massa pitted together, the Brazilian ahead of the Briton after passing him a few seconds earlier.

Hamilton was quickly away after taking on new tyres, with Massa forced into avoidance action and file in behind the McLaren as they exited the pit lane.

At the end of lap 10 a whole host of drivers made their stops, including Webber, Alonso and Rosberg, with leader Vettel in a lap later.

That allowed Button to lead up until the start of lap 13 before pitting, as did Kobayashi who had started at the back of the grid in his Sauber following a mechanical issue in qualifying yesterday.

With all the leaders having made their first stop after 14 laps, Vettel led by 2.9secs to Webber, with Alonso third, followed by Hamilton, Rosberg, Massa and then Button who emerged the big loser.

As the laps unfold, and with Hamilton told the team are switching to 'plan B' - potentially a four-stop strategy - the 26-year-old is further informed to look after his rear tyres into Turn Eight.

It is clear, though, the leading trio have the pace on Hamilton who finds himself losing a second per lap, dropping to 18 seconds off Vettel after 19 laps.

Two laps later and McLaren’s ’plan B’ definitely presents itself as Hamilton pits from fourth, dropping to 10th come the conclusion.

Behind him the fight for the spot he gave up enthrallingly unfolded as Rosberg, Massa and Button all went wheel to wheel at times.

Massa initially forced his way past into turn 12 at one stage, but then a lap later the German played bumper cars with the Ferrari at the same point to reclaim the place.

However, with Rosberg so often unable to defend, Massa scythed his way through again, and was followed by Button, unbelievably around the outside of turn 14.

The Briton then manoeuvred his way beyond Massa at turn 12 on the following lap, forcing the Ferrari star to lock his tyres under braking and immediately pit for fresh rubber.

With the majority of the field making their second stop approaching the halfway stage, from a commanding lead, Vettel came in again at the end of lap 25, with Button – on a three-stopper – a lap later.

After 29 laps, Vettel found himself nine seconds ahead of Alonso, who passed Webber around the outside of turn 12 towards the end of the 28th lap.

Hamilton found himself 17 seconds behind Webber in fourth, followed by Petrov, Massa, Button, Rosberg, with Renault’s Heidfeld and Schumacher ninth and 10th.

The leading four-stop strategists - Hamilton, Massa and Petrov - pitted for a third time after 34 laps, followed soon after by the third-placed Webber.

Hamilton’s was not the best, with the front-right taking longer to slot into place than normal, and then a hesitant release as Massa came through.

From second place Alonso came in at the end of 36 laps, followed by Vettel four laps later, with his lead emerging at 7.1secs.

They were followed by Webber who was 10 seconds down on his team-mate, with Hamilton holding fourth, but 32 seconds adrift of the Australian, followed by Rosberg and Button on his three-stop plan.

Fifth-placed Rosberg and Force India’s Paul di Resta, running 15th, were the first to make a fourth stop after 44 laps.

Moments later, though, Di Resta became the first to retire in the race itself - as Glock did not even start – with what appeared to be a mechanical problem.

Alonso, Webber, Hamilton, Heidfeld, Massa all then came in shortly after, as did Vettel after 47 laps.

With 10 laps remaining Vettel led by 6.2secs to Alonso, with Webber 1.7secs down, followed by a three-stopping Button in fourth, but with Hamilton directly behind him.

On lap 49 Hamilton, on the fresher rubber, eased his way past his team-mate down the long straight between turns 11 and 12.

On lap 50 Webber attempted to make it a Red Bull one-two as he pulled alongside Alonso at turn 12.

Webber forced his way through in the corners that followed and then managed to keep the Spaniard at bay down the home straight and the opening corners on lap 51.

In the end it was easy pickings for Vettel who now has a 34-point cushion over Hamilton at the top of the drivers’ standings after the Briton came home fourth.