Spanish GP: A positive race result for Williams

The AT&T Williams team would see their drivers qualify for the sixty six lap 2010 Spanish Grand Prix thirteenth and eighteenth, with Nico Hulkenberg leading Rubens Barrichello. Rubens would start the race from seventeenth. On pole it was Webber from team-mate Vettel. Behind this pair were four previous world champions. Hamilton was third from Alonso, Button, and Schumacher. It was currently sunny at the Circuit de Catalunya. The start of the race will be vitally important as many felt that if the Red Bull's were able to
lead past the first corner that the race would be theirs. Kovalainen would start from the pit lane as his car was pushed away from the grid by his mechanics.

The top ten cars were all on the softer tyres that they qualified on. The rest of the field except Di Grassi were also on the soft tyre. The field would take up their spots on the grid and the lights would go off and the race would be underway. It would be Webber leading with Vettel second. Hamilton was in third in what was a clean start. Rosberg had dropped to twelfth. Nico was in eleventh and Rubens thirteenth. Rubens would pass Nico with Rosberg also passing Nico's Williams. Buemi and De la Rosa would pit while Senna had stopped out on the track. De la Rosa would pit for a left rear puncture. lap two and Webber is fastest with a 1m:28.430 and was leading by 0.9 seconds.

Hamilton was still third from Alonso, Button, Schumacher, Massa, Sutil, Alguersuari, and Kubica in tenth. Rosberg was now eleventh followed by Rubens and Nico. Lap three and Webber was still pushing setting another fastest lap, 1m:28.074, to be 1.2 seconds ahead of Vettel. Senna had run off the track at Turn three and into the tyre barrier ending his race. Rubens was right behind Rosberg while at the front Webber was 1.3 seconds ahead with another fastest lap, 1m:27.990. Another fastest lap, 1m:27.608, for Webber on lap five. Hamilton was hanging onto the rear of Vettel's Red Bull. Lap six and Webber's lead was out to 1.9 seconds while Rubens and Nico continued to run close together in twelfth and thirteenth.

Lap eight and Webber continued to extend his lead now been 2.1 seconds ahead. It was also another fastest lap for Webber, 1m:27.587. Kovalainen was showing as retired having not even got into the race. A 1m:27.559 to be faster again by Webber with his lead now 2.4 seconds. Webber was looking very comfortable at the front while Hamilton still was fighting to keep in contact with Vettel. Lap ten and Webber was now 2.8 seconds ahead while Rubens had dropped away from Rosberg to be 1.0 seconds behind the Mercedes. Fourth placed Alonso was 3.4 seconds behind Hamilton as on lap eleven Webber went faster again with a 1m:27.450. The Williams drivers continued to run very close together with fourteenth placed Liuzzi some 4.6 seconds behind Nico.

Liuzzi would pit on lap thirteenth and when he was coming out with have a moment with Buemi who tried to pass him going into Turn one. Petrov would pit from fifteenth on lap fourteenth while Webber would complete this lap setting another fastest lap with a 1m:27.357. Schumacher and Massa would pit on lap fifteen while Rosberg would follow his team-mate in. Rosberg would have a moment in his pit seeing him stop and been pushed back to eventually get away way down the order. Rubens would pit on lap sixteen seeing Nico now in ninth with Schumacher right behind the Williams. lap seventeen and Vettel, Alonso, Button, Alguersuari, Kubica, Nico, and Kobayashi would all pit. Button would have a problem with the right rear losing time. Vettel had lost time on the right front also losing some time.

Lap eighteen and Webber would pit joined by Hamilton. Sutil would pit from fourth. Hamilton would get past Vettel going into Turn one with a backmarker getting in the way of both of them. Vettel would run wide going across the tarmac run off area. Button would be attacking fifth placed Schumacher. On lap nineteen the order was Webber from Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Button, Massa, Sutil, Kubica, and Rubens in tenth. On this lap Hamilton would set a fastest lap of 1m:27.142. Nico was running in tenth 5.9 seconds behind Rubens. Webber was leading by 8.7 seconds from Hamilton, with Vettel a further 1.7 seconds down on the McLaren. The drivers were all now on the harder tyre which would have to last the rest of the race. Lap twenty one and Webber was again fastest with a 1m:27.099 with his lead out to 9.0 seconds.

Button continued to attack Schumacher but could not find a way past. Lap twenty two and Webber continued to push been again fastest with a 1m:27.062. Alguersuari was right behind Nico while De la Rosa had retired in his pit. Buemi would take a drive through penalty for rejoining the track unsafely. Alguersuari would pass Nico around the outside at Turn one. Rubens continued to run in tenth while Webber set another fastest lap on
lap twenty four, 1m:27.005. Massa would run into the rear of Chandhok's HRT damaging his front wing. Webber was in a class of his own with another fastest lap on lap twenty five, 1m:26.902. His lead was now 10.2 seconds while Rubens was 6.1 seconds behind ninth placed Kubica.

A change as Vettel goes fastest with a 1m:26.878 on lap twenty six. Button continued to run behind Schumacher while Webber responded to his team-mate going fastest on lap 1m:26.655. Nico would have Petrov and Kobayashi right behind him while Webber's lead was out to 11.1 seconds after another fastest lap on lap twenty eight. Rubens would set a personal best on the same lap with a 1m:28.010. Chandhok would come into the pits after
losing his front wing when Alguersuari would cut back in front of the HRT after the Torro Rosso past the HRT. Chandhok would received repairs and return to the race. But he would pull off the track and retire from the race. Button was dropping away from Schumacher with Webber now 11.7 seconds ahead of Hamilton.

Approaching half distance and Webber was leading by 11.7 seconds. As the cars burnt through their fuel there were personal bests from many drivers. Lap thirty four and Nico would pit with Sam Michael watching proceedings. Nico would return on the harder tyre coming back out in sixteenth. Alguersuari would get a drive through for his part in the collision with Chandhok. He would pit on lap thirty five to take his penalty while Webber would finish this lap with another fastest lap, 1m:261.54, to extend his lead out to 11.7 seconds. Rubens was now 5.7 seconds behind Kubica. As the laps counted down Webber would drop under 1m:25 setting another fastest lap on lap thirty nine with a 1m:25.920. His lead was now 12.0 seconds while Rubens continued to run in a lonely tenth.

Lap forty and the order was Webber from Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Schumacher, Button, Massa, Sutil, Kubica, and Rubens. A fastest lap from Alonso on lap forty one, 1m:25.868. Rosberg was running right behind fifteenth placed Nico. Alonso was pushing going fastest again on lap forty two, 1m:25.703. His pace was not helping him as he was still nearly five seconds behind Vettel. It was confirmed that Nico was running with a damaged floor. One driver who was not having any problems was Webber who again set a fastest lap on lap forty four with a 1m:25.147, to now be 14.0 seconds ahead of Hamilton. A 1m:25.134 from Webber on lap forty five. He was making the rest of the field look very ordinary. Rosberg was trying to pass Nico but was finding it very hard going.

Lap fifty and Webber was continuing on comfortably while Nico was passed by Rosberg for fifteenth. Rubens was still in tenth but was a massive 78.3 seconds behind the leader and was facing the prospect of been lapped. He had no prospect of improving been 8.6 seconds behind ninth placed Kubica. Webber was still lapping faster than second placed Hamilton while team-mate Vettel would run wide and go over the gravel. This would see him pit taking on the soft tyre returning back in fourth. Alonso was now third much to the delight of the Spanish crowd. IT looked like a problem with the right front tyre coming lose. Rubens was now lapped by the leader as Webber started to ease off seeing his lead drop slightly to be 14.2 seconds over Hamilton. Lap fifty seven and a fastest lap from Alonso, 1m:24.846.

Vettel was been told to take it easy on the braking showing that the team must have a concern. He was later told that his brakes were about to go. Would he make it to the finish while Hamilton started to push setting a fastest lap on lap fifty nine, 1m:24.357, seeing Webbers lead now 11.6 seconds after lap sixty. Webber was easing off as a piece of his car was seen coming off. Webber would set a personal bets on lap sixty one with a time of 1m:24.920 showing that he still has the pace if needed. Vettel would run wide again and he was told by his team to slow down as the situation was now critical. Vettel was losing time but fifth placed Schumacher was twenty seconds behind. Meanwhile Webber was still leading by 12.1 seconds from Hamilton. Lap sixty four and Webber would pick up a few tenths now been 12.5 seconds ahead.

In the closing stages it would go wrong for Hamilton it a front left puncture. His tyre would fail seeing him run wide and crash into the tyre barrier. This would see Alonso now second and Vettel third. Schumacher was now fourth followed by Button, Massa, Sutil, Kubica, Rubens, and Alguersuari. Hamilton's misfortune would see Rubens score an extra two points as Webber crossed the finish line to take victory in the 2010 Spanish Grand
Prix. The crowd would love Alonso coming home second while Vettel was in a lucky third. It would be Schumacher's best result of the season coming home fourth. Button was fifth from Massa, Sutil, Kubica, Rubens, and Alguersuari.

Two points for the AT&T Williams team which is a result that was quite unexpected after the teams qualifying performances. It was even more pleasing to see Rubens turn his weekend around after struggling with a car that was way off the pace in what was a sign of his experience and determination. Nico would come home in a distant sixteenth after struggling with his car during the race.

Pos  Driver  	   Team		  	      Time
 1.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           1h35:44.101
 2.  Alonso        Ferrari                    +    24.065
 3.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           +    51.338
 4.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +  1:02.195
 5.  Button        McLaren-Mercedes           +  1:03.728
 6.  Massa         Ferrari                    +  1:05.767
 7.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes       +  1:12.941
 8.  Kubica        Renault                    +  1:13.677
 9.  Barrichello   AT&T Williams-Cosworth     +     1 lap
10.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
11.  Petrov        Renault                    +     1 lap
12.  Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari             +     1 lap
13.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +     1 lap
14.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes           +    2 laps
15.  Liuzzi        Force India-Mercedes       +    2 laps
16.  Hulkenberg    AT&T Williams-Cosworth     +    2 laps
17.  Trulli        Lotus-Cosworth             +    3 laps
18.  Glock         Virgin-Cosworth            +    3 laps
19.  Di Grassi     Virgin-Cosworth            +    4 laps

Fastest lap: Hamilton, 1:24.357

Not classified/retirements:

Driver        Team                         On lap
Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari           43
Chandhok      HRT-Cosworth                 28
De la Rosa    Sauber-Ferrari               19
Senna         HRT-Cosworth                 1
Kovalainen    Lotus-Cosworth               1