None of the usual suspects – aka the drivers of Red Bull or McLaren– occupied the top spot on the podium of the British Grand Prix that took place on Sunday at Silverstone. Instead, the winner was Fernando Alonso, who managed his first win of the season, and 27th overall in his career, making the best both of Ferrari’s obvious progress and the catastrophic pit stop of early leader Sebastian Vettel.
In a rather interesting twist of fate Alonso won on the same track that, 60 years earlier, Fernando Gonzales took Ferrari’s first ever win in Formula 1.
Rain continued to fall from the British skies (no surprise there), leaving only the first part of the track try, which forced all the drivers to choose Pirelli’s intermediate tires.
Vettel, despite starting from second place, managed to pass his team mate before turn one and quickly built a strong lead. Alonso was third followed by McLaren’s Jenson Button, who had passed Felipe Massa. However, this was not to last more than three turns, as the Brazilian’s Ferrari was, as it had shown in both free practice and qualifying, in better shape.
After the first round of pit stops, Vettel remained in the first place extending his lead. But the man to watch was Alonso who had picked up his pace, passed Hamilton who had previously taken the third place from him, and started to chase the two Red Bulls. When Webber stop at the pits for the second time, Alonso stayed on the track for another lap.
The race was decided in the last round of the pit stops. Vettel and Alonso entered the pit lane on the same lap, but Red Bull’s crew had a problem with the car’s rear left tire.
Therefore, Alonso was able to claim first place, ahead of Vettel who, nevertheless, extended his lead in the driver’s championship and, unless something changes dramatically, looks destined to clinch his second consecutive world title.
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