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Rediff.com  » Sports » Vettel cruises to Silverstone triumph

Vettel cruises to Silverstone triumph

June 21, 2009 22:18 IST

Image: Cars take off at the start of the British Grand Prix
Photographs: Reuters

Germany's Sebastian Vettel ran away with the British Grand Prix in a Red Bull one-two while championship leader Jenson Button struggled home in sixth place on Sunday.

Australian Mark Webber finished runner-up, 15.1 seconds behind the 21-year-old, with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello in third place for Brawn GP.

Vettel cruises to Silverstone triumph

Image: Sebastian Vettel leads the pack

Britain's Button, winner of six of the first seven races, had his overall lead over Barrichello trimmed to 23 points after finishing off the podium for the first time this year.

The dominant victory, from pole position in a race low on incident, was Vettel's second of the season and third of his Formula One career.

The German, who also led Red Bull to a one-two in China in April, is now 25 points adrift of Button with nine races remaining.

Vettel cruises to Silverstone triumph

Image: Sebastian Vettel crosses the finish line to win the British Grand Prix

"Thank you very much guys, this is a dream coming true. We've won the British Grand Prix," Vettel said over the team radio after taking the chequered flag.

"This is what I was dreaming of when I saw the first grands prix at Silverstone in the era of (Britain's 1992 world champion Nigel) Mansell," he added later.

Vettel cruises to Silverstone triumph

Image: Sebastian Vettel celebrates on the podium

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was fourth, ahead of Germany's Nico Rosberg for Williams.

Italy's Jarno Trulli was seventh for Toyota, with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen taking the last point in a race billed as a farewell to the track that hosted the first Formula One championship race in 1950.

Red Bull's superiority over the Mercedes-powered Brawn was underlined by Vettel lapping more than a second a lap faster than his rivals in the early stages, despite being heavier on fuel, and finishing 41.1 seconds ahead of Barrichello.