A fired-up Mark Webber won the British Grand Prix for Red Bull on Sunday after a storming start that turned the tables on team mate Sebastian Vettel.

The victory put a smile on the Australian's face after having to give his car's front wing to the German on Saturday in a controversy that left Red Bull facing accusations of favouritism.

Webber, stony-faced after qualifying, made his feelings clear as he took the chequered flag, telling the team over the radio: "Fantastic. Not bad for a number two driver".

"Well done Mark, you can smile now," replied team boss Christian Horner.

Vettel, who had started on pole for the second year in a row only to find himself at the back of the field after the first lap, fought back to finish seventh.

Britain's Lewis Hamilton delighted the 120,000-strong crowd with a fighting second place for McLaren, 1.3 seconds behind Webber, to extend his championship lead over team mate Jenson Button to 12 points with nine races remaining.

Germany's Nico Rosberg was third for Mercedes and world champion Button fourth in a race where the safety car was again deployed after controversy in Valencia.

The story of the race was the start, with the two Red Bull drivers lining up alongside each other on the front row with the battle lines drawn and Webber on the 'dirty' side of the track.

The Australian's manager, the flamboyant former Renault team boss Flavio Briatore, had told him on Saturday night to just make a good start and the Australian hard man did just that.

With his spectacular 300kph crash in Valencia two weeks ago now a distant memory, he gave no quarter and forced Vettel wide on to the rumble strips while avoiding a repeat of the embarrassing collision in Turkey that wrecked Red Bull's hopes of a one-two.

The one-two still evaporated in the haze of exhaust fumes, Vettel having to pit at the end of the opening lap with a punctured right rear tyre after contact with Hamilton.

"Yesterday I wasn't happy, clearly," said Webber with considerable understatement as he faced questions about revenge, 'poetic justice' and being a 'number two'.

"I'm sure we'll have some pretty direct chats tomorrow. Today went well for me. That's it, mate.

"Some of the other drivers offered me some front wings from their cars on the parade lap, but I said I'll stick with what I've got," he joked, his demeanour very different from the afternoon before. "Seb didn't," he added.

"Honestly, I would never have signed a contract again for next year if I had believed that's the way it was going to be going forward. That's why yesterday I was disappointed... let's see how it goes in the future."

Vettel, last year's winner in Britain, at least partly redeemed his afternoon after staging a thrilling fightback that included scything past compatriot and seven-times champion Michael Schumacher.

"Mark had a better start. I moved to the right trying to defend but he was already there. There was no point to do something stupid, the race is longer than just one corner," said the German.

"It's a shame I couldn't fight in there but I am happy for the team."

Button, starting 14th after describing his car as 'undriveable' on Saturday, carved his way through the field to finish fourth on a bright afternoon at the new Silverstone.

While a remarkable drive in the circumstances, the 30-year-old still found himself off his home podium for the 11th season in succession.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello was fifth for Williams, ahead of Japan's Kamui Kobayashi in a Sauber.

Adrian Sutil was eighth for Force India, Schumacher ninth and compatriot Nico Hulkenberg collected the final point for Williams.