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Webber wins first F1 race

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
Red Bull driver Mark Webber of Australia celebrates his victory in the German F1 Grand Prix

Elated Australian Mark Webber shrugged off a drive-through penalty to win the German Grand Prix in Nuerburgring on Sunday and end his long wait for Formula One success.

Webber won the German Grand Prix from pole position for his first Formula One victory ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

Barrichello drops to fourth

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello of Brazil (left) leads the pack into the first turn ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton

Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello (left) led at the first corner but ended up sixth and behind his championship-leading team mate Jenson Button at the finish.

The Brazilian has now dropped to fourth place overall on 44 points.

Hamilton's woes continue

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton's hopes evaporated when his McLaren picked up a puncture on the first lap after a contact with Barrichello.

The world champion finished 18th, last of the runners, and lapped.

Barrichello slams team

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
Image: Rubens Barrichello (left) drives in front of Red Bull's Mark Webber

Barrichello accused his Brawn GP team of losing him the German Grand Prix on Sunday and said he did not want to hear any excuses from them.

In an extraordinary outburst, the Brazilian told BBC television that the afternoon had been "a good show from the team on how to lose a race.

"I did all I had to do. I went first on the first corner and then they made me lose the race," said Barrichello.

Australian Mark Webber, who had started on pole for Red Bull, went on to win despite a drive-through penalty for banging into Barrichello as they charged into the first corner at the start.

Webber made two regular pit stops while Barrichello was on a three-stop strategy, with his second stop also slowed by a fuel rig problem.

Massa back on the podium

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
Felipe Massa receives a new set of tyres during a pit stop

Ferrari's Felipe Massa finished third to claim his first podium of the year.

Brawn GP's Button has 68 points, Vettel moved up to second on 47 and Webber third on 45.5.

Nico Rosberg was fourth for Williams in front of his home crowd, his best result of the season.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso took two points for Renault while Finland's Heikki Kovalainen ended McLaren's four-race drought with a point in eighth place.

'I wanted to win so badly'

Last updated on: July 12, 2009 
Webber is sprayed with champagne by team-mate Vettel (left) and Massa (right)

The normally calm Webber allowed all the years of pent-up emotion to pour out as he took the chequered flag, bellowing his jubilation across the team radio as he won for the first time in 130 starts.

Watched by his proud father Alan, the Australian took a deep breath and soaked up the atmosphere as he heard his national anthem sound out for a Grand Prix winner for the first time since Alan Jones for Williams in Las Vegas in October 1981.

"It's an incredible day for me, I wanted to win so badly," said Webber, who started from pole position.

Source: REUTERS
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