Extended Highlights | 2010 Australian Grand Prix

Melbourne's expecting its biggest race day crowd in five years. Around 120,000 people here for this temporary track in Alpham Park. Intermediates there, that's the only choice I would have thought out there now. It's too wet to risk slicks, but they think it's going to continue raining, as it is at the moment. Farrain didn't necessarily deliver. Is Melbourne going to get us back on the right track when the lights go out? They're out now, and Bethel's away gingerly, but ahead. Webber moves across, but Massa charging through up into third place there. Alonso's going backwards as Button seems to come through on the outside. Could we come together as a spin there with that? Alonso going round, Schumacher comes through as well, tapped a little bit there by Jenson Button. Lewis Hamilton's made a great move, but Alonso there, facing the wrong way. Bethel's made a good start, Massa's into second. So the World Championship leader then already pointing in the wrong direction. Hamilton had a great start, but got caught up in that first incident, but he's now right up behind Jenson Button, tippy-toeing through turn three. Kubic is up into third place there. Fourth, rather, just behind Mark Webber. Nico Rosberg there, Michael Schumacher. Felipe Massa started from fifth, and he's now up into third. Lewis Hamilton, eighth place, so he's made a charge too. Ever so careful though, full fuel. Heavy tanks, slippery track, got to get the braking right. ****, I'm low there. Damaged front wing there for Michael Schumacher. Damaged front wing, and this could well mean a safety car as well. There's no way out of that gravel trap, especially when you're stationary for a Sebastian Buemi. And there's Nico Hülkenberg off as well. And a lot of carbon around there as well, so we've got another car. Is that Salver as well? We'll need to take the cars out, take the cars out. Sorry, Jonathan, take the cars out. And then Michael Schumacher needs a new front wing, he'll have to pit. Michael, you have got front wing damage. Pit confirm if you think you need to come in. Can't see how big is the damage on the pit. Hey, Fem, you will need a new front wing. You need a front wing, box, box, box, box. And Schumacher into the pits. So drama already here in Melbourne. Alonso had a terrible start. Massa had a very good one indeed to slot in between the two Red Bulls. And there's the initial contact. It's Button against Alonso. And Schumacher parked himself on the outside. Not really the place you want to be in Turn 1 because you're always going to get caught up in other people's incidents. And this then, Massa just hooked the revs and the grip up beautifully. And zooms up the inside. And it's further behind him where all the action is. Lovely bit of driving. Now look, it's Button gets into Alonso and ricochets into Michael Schumacher. Well, that's the stupid mirrors again. Because Alonso left him no space. That is 0% Button's fault because he had the line. He had the inside. And Alonso just pinched him into the corner. So we've got a front wing off. Oh, and this is where the shunt happened. Oh, we haven't seen that at all. Could be Kobayashi there. So Kobayashi's front wing was off. Not for the first time this weekend. Vettel's bolted. He's made enough space for the safety car to be out of the way and in the pit lane. And he's left Massa asleep slightly. And Weber getting very loose off the final corner. And that's put Kubica right on his tail. Kubica's coming down the outside. Here he comes down to that first corner. Kubica looks as if he's got through. Kubica holding the line now. But Weber comes back at him. Has to make sure he keeps on the road and does so. Doesn't want to go off on the grass. So fends off one challenge. Coming up now towards turn three. Kubica has another look. Where he and Vettel came to blows near the end of the race last year. But Weber still in charge. Look at the back of the car. They're just stepping out of line. Rotzberg's challenging him well. And look at Hamilton. Very close to Jenson Button. That Renault's got some traction. Same engine as the Red Bull. It just came off the corner so much better. That'll be handy in these conditions. Here's Alonso. Trying to pass Timo Glock. I don't think Glock will fight him too hard. There's not a lot of point. And then these tail-enders. The first one Alonso's going to get to who really doesn't want him passed will be Alguersuari, I'd have thought, in 13th. The rest are all in the newer teams with quite a bit less speed. And there's no point in them tripping over Alonso or Michael Schumacher as they come back through the field. They're in quite close formation, of course, now. Here is Schumacher making his way through to Grassi. Oh, Alonso's gone well wide into that corner as well. And look at that, he's coming up and leaping. He's coming back at Michael Schumacher. Championship! Extraordinary. Vettel leads from Massa. From Webber. Hamilton coming at the inside of Button. Button trying to defend him. Hamilton squeezes him out. Button now does not have track position. Through Turn 4 and the move done. Hamilton's got it done. And up then into 6th place for Lewis Hamilton. Button down to 7th. Sutil right on their tail. There's Webber coming through on the inside then of Massa. So Webber's come through. Ferrari struggling. Kubica's coming through there as well, looking for Omei through. Rosberg's dancing on his tail as well. Here comes Rosberg, but Kubica blocks him off. So Webber's up into 2nd place. It's a 1-2 so far for Red Bull. Hamilton right on the back of that pack as well. So presumably Massa made a mistake somewhere. And Kubica, very aggressive, as we expect from him. Great little driver doing a superb job for Renault to be right in the middle of that pack. Rosberg holding station. And his old karting teammate Hamilton cruising up behind him. That is Jenson Button for a set of slicks. Great. Interesting move there. And slicks for Button. He's the first man to get brave. A tweak of front wing as well for the different tyres. Gone for the soft option as well. We expect more rain in about 10 minutes. Try to look after your tyres. More rain on the way. Well, there's an example of how difficult it is. Jenson Button goes straight off, off the track, onto the gravel. And that's a real problem, seemingly, for Jenson Button. Had he gone too soon? I don't know why Jenson felt the need to take that risk. It is done in Turn 3. He's obviously going to snatch a brake or something and just understeers clean off the road through the gravel. And seconds go missing. I don't know why he felt the need to be so early on that gamble. I mean, they'll come to him. But he's just a barometer now for the other teams. But it would have paid off if he didn't go off the track in the first sector because he's the fastest man of anybody comfortably in the second and third sector. So it is now. I can't believe they won't all be in this lap. All the leading runners should be looking at that. Surely, and coming in the pits now. Here's the overtake from earlier on. Here's the overtake as Weber. That's an unusual one. Down into Turn 6. And look at this pair now. Weber right up behind Sebastian Vettel. Could completely change. Here comes the change then for Massa's come in the pits. And look at this, a sudden flood of cars. Now, let's see who may or may not lose out. So where is Button in relation to that lot then? That's the critical thing. The Red Bulls have stayed out. Button is now two seconds quicker than Vettel and Weber. We're riding with him now. And let's see what sort of work he can make. Is that a Renault just up ahead? Yes, it is. It's a Renault on slicks. So it's Kubica. He's behind. He fancies a look at it, doesn't he? Because his tyres are more aware of what's going on. It's such a shame he went off, you know, such a shame he went off because otherwise it really would have paid dividends. But, you know, that's why it was too much of a risk. Track wasn't quite ready for it. Now got to judge his moment when to get through. Coming now into the final sector of this 3.25 mile circuit. Can we throw on the inside? And he's got him. So quick in a straight line. Has been all weekend. They're running slightly less wing. It's Kubica, isn't it, actually? It's Kubica who's got through. We did say that. And so in comes Vettel. Liuzzi's coming as well. So Mark Webber has been... is now in the lead. So Vettel was leading. Now Mark Webber takes over. Vettel's... Well, that's going to cost Webber badly, surely. They've stayed out a bit too long. Now who's in the background? Let's put him in there with Button and Kubica. Oh, there's Petrov gone off for Renault. Stuck in the gravel. And we're going to have another safety car because he can't move. Mark Webber's in now. So as he changes once more. So we need to rewind, unravel and say, well done, Jenson Button. It was the right move. It might have been a lap too early, but he's now well clear of Webber. And Webber, look, is he... Can he get in there ahead of... No, he's behind Rosberg as well, as we thought. It's a horrible situation for Webber, but he does at least get back in in front of Massa. So that puts him at fifth. Yes. Oh, mistake there. That's Mark Webber and he's lost out to Massa. So it's gone from bad to worse. And he's got Barrichello right on his tail as well. Yellows then. Somebody off down in turn three. Double waved yellows. That means that... That's Petrov, isn't it? Yeah. There's a replay of how... Petrov went off. Yeah, Petrov dropped it at turn three. Lewis Hamilton were riding as well. Just four tenths of a second between Button in third, or second rather, and Vettel in the lead. Here's Hamilton then coming down on the inside of Rubens Barrichello. Nice move. I wonder why Lewis has ended up behind Barrichello. Did he wait? Did he stay out one more lap? No, he didn't. He came in with the pack, didn't he? So that's a bit of a difficult stop for McLaren. And Alonso is through. An easy move for the man who is currently leading the championship. OK, Robert, expect this very light rain for five minutes maximum. Five minutes of this rain. So a little bit, I think, is the message there. And this is Alonso then on Barrichello. Down into the high-speed chicane. Ferrari's got some grip and some grunt. And I don't know if Rubens has got the equipment. He's done a good job for Williams. Look at the speed Ferrari's got. I'll have that. Thank you very much indeed. And on goes Alonso. Another place up into eighth now. Right, next man up the road from Alonso is Lewis Hamilton. Alonso setting faster sector times first and second. I wonder why they kept Mark out. Here's Webber trying Felipe Massa on the outside. Now on the inside, Webber going for it. But Massa still holds it. And Webber now boldly coming through. Holds it on turn one and turn two. And look at Hamilton's come past as well. Hamilton's followed in the wake there of Mark Webber and having a look now at the Australian. They're wheel-to-wheel. Here comes Hamilton now, down towards turn three. Webber will have the inside line. Hamilton going the outside, describing just to hold on. Oh, Webber's gone off. Webber's off into the gravel. Through goes Massa. Through goes Lewis Hamilton. And it's going from bad to worse for Mark Webber. He's going to hate himself when he sees that. When he sees that on video. Unnecessary there. I don't think it damaged Hamilton's front wing. But Massa straight back through. Here we go again then. Talk us through it. Well, he jinked behind him, did the double shuffle to take the place of Massa. Hamilton, ever the predator, following him through. We know how fast that McLaren is, especially with the duct they've got on the rear wing. And Hamilton now pulls clear. Webber comes steaming up the inside. They touch wheels. They touched the front wing of Hamilton, but it looks OK. He wants to get on the podium this afternoon. He's got to get past Massa soon. Running a little bit wide there. On that turn 13. Oh, Massa got it wrong there, didn't he? And now Hamilton's really seizing his moment. Coming around on the outside. Now down this pit straight. Can he find something? Hamilton waiting. And this looks good. Coming through on the inside for the corner. Has he got the line? He has. And now Massa is at prey to his teammate Fernando Alonso. Unless he can strike back. Right, Massa gave him a car's width and he took it. Now Lewis is going to have to stay to the inside. Don't give him the inside line back. And Alonso having a look too. But Massa really shouldn't have allowed, should not have allowed Hamilton through. Oh, and Weber comes through on the outside there of Alonso. He lost just a little bit of time there. So Weber regains that position. So that's worked out. Well, Ferrari have come off worse there. Massa's lost a place and so has Fernando Alonso. The crowd will have enjoyed that. Mark Weber clawing his way back up the field. So boring, this Formula 1. It's what I hate about it most. How did Lewis not lose his front wing in that? And his deft touch of the brake pedal. Massa just gave him the space. It was like an invitation to pass and Hamilton RSVP'd immediately and just went through. Hamilton then began to give Massa the line back, but it's the wet line through there. And Alonso, too busy watching them, gets mugged by Weber. There is no refueling in 2010. This is Liuzzi coming through on Pedro de la Rosa and he's got up that position. And look at Weber. Weber's right behind Massa, isn't he? Here he goes. Can he find a way through? Dancing on his tail. What on earth was that? You can't do that at 180 miles an hour. He's angry. Well, I'd be angry if I had somebody doing that to me. You can't barge around like that. You're allowed one move across the track. Hamilton's chance then amongst the back markers. Gets out of the way very easily. He's trying to distract Nico Rosberg by taking the wrong line into the corners. Picking up a lot of wheel spin on top of the slightly damp kerb. Look at the speed again. Here comes Hamilton on the outside then of Nico Rosberg. Has he taken him through? Holds it together there. Through the fast 11 and 12 and still comes Rosberg. Will he come back again? Hamilton, though, wheel to wheel once more. Yellow flag. So who was in front? You can't... Sebastian Vettel. Sebastian Vettel is out. Sebastian Vettel's in the gravel. They cheer him a car because Jenson Button is now leading. Sebastian Vettel has made a mistake or has something gone wrong with the car? Either way, he's out. Here's the replay. Now, what happened there? I think he just snatched the rear brake as he was coming down. But it all looked a bit unusual. Button from Kovica, from Hamilton. Webber's on to Massa. Having a look now. And he's got through on the outside and he's through. So Webber's passed. Now, Massa sliding down the order. He's got to watch out he's not caught by his teammate as well. He's got to let his teammate go. He's quicker, isn't he, Alonso? Yeah, he's got to let Alonso go. There'll be some calls on the radio. They can't tell him to do that, but they can give him enough clues that that's what they're thinking. That's how he got ahead of him. Down in turn six. OK, he wasn't. So that's three. He wasn't ahead of him, was he? Almost. They're just passing the Lotus. Massa gets out of shape behind the Lotus. Chance to let his faster teammate through. Doesn't want to do that. And look. Here comes Hamilton then on the... Having a little look. Just wasn't able to make through. Button's just at another personal best. Good exit from Hamilton out of turn two there. He's got a better chance now down into turn three. And has Gosar on the inside. Close enough. Just can't get it there. Often you see somebody break so much later than Lewis Hamilton, but... Moss got a bit of ground there, hasn't he? Has to recalibrate and restart that charge again. How quickly he can now pull up behind Kubica. We'll get to see the true pace. Weber is stopping. Ted Kravitz. He is, and that's going to drop him right back. 30 seconds he needs. So he's going to rejoin well down the field. I think the Red Bull just must have eaten up his tyres. I'm having a look at it. Yeah, the rear tyres are in not great position and condition, I must say. Here comes Rossford then. I think Mercedes clearly concerned that the tyres aren't going to last the rest of the race. Rossford then should rejoin about in 10th place, I would say. They've probably got less to risk, haven't they, than McLaren, as it were. And look, he's behind... Is he just out ahead of Mark Weber? He is. Weber's been on the pace and out on the track one lap longer. Here's the duel down then. Former Williams teammates down towards the third corner. Weber will force him in. Britney, as he refers to Nico Rosberg as, the Britney Spears. And he'll be saying, take that, Britney, I'm through. Just as Hamilton pits for fresh tyres, Button is comfortably the fastest man. Why are the people not coming in? I think people are worried for the damages on the tyres, but Michael pitted 50 new tyres and he's not particularly fast. So we think it's OK to stay with the tyres. This is Weber and Hamilton, and it looked almost as if Weber got through, but Hamilton managed to come back at him there. Some kind of drama around the track then for Lewis, because he was pulling comfortably away from that pair on the previous lap. But that's old news out there for Alonso. They are still going faster and faster. But Hamilton, yes, a very scruffy lap, a 1.31. So you do get a new graining phase. Yes, he did, in fact, go off the racetrack. That's where Sebastian Vettel, yes, Weber got through, and then Hamilton managed to get him back again. There's the inboard shot. So we still don't get it. We haven't got a full, proper picture yet then of where the relative lap times are, because these two are busy squabbling and falling off the road. Lewis, you will catch the Ferraris before the end of the race. You will catch them. Do they not have to pit again? They don't have to pit, but their tyres are very, very old. He's now realised that that pit stop may have been an error. Masa, well wide. He's damaging Alonso's tyres the whole time. Sitting in the dirty air of two cars. Oh, look at the amount of understeer. They keep getting off the throttle all the time. And if that happens when Lewis Hamilton cruises up behind them, he'll be breezing fast. Hamilton 3.5, 3.5. OK, I don't want to know. I've said that myself a few times. He's actually one and a half now, and Fernando Alonso doesn't want to know that one too. You can actually see him, hopefully, in those mirrors, however difficult they are. Still, Hamilton can't find his way through. My tyres have gone off. OK, Lewis, keep going, keep going. Six laps to go. Not much he can do, really, is there? As the tyres have gone off. I mean, if you stop now, as we said, it's a track position, you've lost everything. It's just because he's in the dirty air, really, I think, is what he's reacting to. Whose call was it to bring me in? It's a terrible idea. Oh, he's complaining about the, why did you bring me in, guys? Keep your head calm, Lewis. That's an unnecessary conversation. Rosberg cruising up behind them, and he's frustrated now. He's, you know, why did we go against the grain? He knows the button's way out front, 20 seconds out front. And he's in a traffic jam. He just needs to keep his head on it. So he's right in the slipstream now. This is the issue that you have in a normal race, where you don't have a wet start. These are the issues you have. And look, he's right on top of him. Alonso covers up the inside. Hamilton goes around the outside. Be amazed if he can get round there. Alonso's going to come through. Now there's been a collision. It's Hamilton and Webber. And now, can either of them get back to the pitch there? But I mean, their race is now finished in terms of picking up any points. And Rosberg suddenly on the tail of Fernando Alonso. Would you believe it? Lewis Hamilton did all the hard work, even though he was frustrated by bringing in for that stop, which he felt was unnecessary. And it's all gone wrong for Hamilton. And it's all gone wrong for Mark Webber. Yeah, it's Mark's fault. I'm afraid Hamilton had to release Alonso into the corner. And Webber just got in too hot. The same corner where Sebastian Vettel had his brake problem. And Jenson Button comes around the final corner. All eyes were on Red Bull, but instead it's the world champion from 2009. Jenson Button makes it another Australian Grand Prix victory. His first for McLaren. And what a result for McLaren there. His second race for the team, and he's a winner. Through comes Robert Kubica for Renault. Great result for him. Felipe Massa ahead of his teammate, Fernando Alonso. Nico Rosberg picks up points as well. Once more he's ahead of Michael Schumacher. Where is Lewis Hamilton? Could have been so much better for him. Coming through across the line now. He picks up sixth place. I'm sure he'll have plenty to say about that stop, which he was forced to do, which he didn't feel was the right thing to do, because it dropped him back. These are the happiest three then surely in Melbourne. Jenson Button, top step of the podium once more. It's a lot easier for the drivers to feel the conditions. The team can see it on TV and the clouds coming in and what have you, but we can feel it out on the circuit what's happening. And for me, I didn't have a balance at all on the inters. I was really struggling and I lost a couple of places. So I thought, let's get in and stick the slicks on. There was a dry line. A few places were a little bit wet. When I entered the pit lane, I thought I'd made a catastrophic decision because it was a mistake, because it was soaking wet in the pit lane. But once I got it going and up to speed, a little off, it turned three. The pace was pretty good and I was able to put in some good laps and overtake three or four cars when they stopped and put their tyres on because they were still cold. So it was the right call. And yeah, I'm very happy that I made it.