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Pole-Sitter Goes Wire to Wire at Spanish Grand Prix
Mark Webber of Australia secured a comfortable wire-to-wire victory at the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday in Barcelona, while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Webber’s Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel filled out the podium after Lewis Hamilton crashed with one lap remaining.
Vladimir Rys/Bongarts — Getty Images
Mark Webber was the 10th straight driver to win the Spanish Grand Prix from the pole position.
Webber was the 10th straight winner from the pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya after he drove a flawless race for a 24-second victory over Alonso.
“It was a crucial pole,” said Webber, who celebrated his third career victory by throwing his helmet into the stands. “I controlled the race.”
Hamilton, driving for McLaren, was second for most of the race before he blew a tire and crashed into the wall shortly before the finish. Vettel took advantage to finish third despite running into the gravel after one of his brake pads blew out.
“Like it or not, I think it was a very lucky day,” Vettel said. “Third is not a disaster, it’s good points, but the result is difficult with how it came together. We were just lucky to bring the car home, to be honest.”
The seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes was fourth after holding off McLaren’s Jenson Button. It was Schumacher’s best finish since his comeback to the sport this season.
Button, the defending series champion, has 70 points to lead Alonso by 3 in the standings. Vettel has 60 points, and Webber 53.
None of the teams can relax with the calendar’s iconic street race in Monaco being raced next Sunday.
“Everyone’s pushing to the limit,” Webber said. “Unfortunately I can’t get too drunk tonight because we have to be at the track on Wednesday.”
A moment of silence was observed for Juan Antonio Samaranch before the start of the 66-lap race. Samaranch, the former International Olympic Committee president, died last month at 89.
WINNING IS THERAPY FOR HAMLIN Denny Hamlin has found the perfect way to rehab his surgically repaired knee — winning Nascar races.
Hamlin became the first driver in 17 years to sweep the Sprint Cup and Nationwide events at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, an achievement even more remarkable since he was on the operating table on March 31 to fix a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Still, less than two weeks later, Hamlin was back in his No. 11 Toyota and barely missing a shift. Hamlin said the racing helped with the knee’s recovery.
“It really is like a physical therapy session in there,” Hamlin said of the driver’s cockpit.
At Saturday’s Showtime Southern 500, Hamlin outpaced the pole-sitter Jamie McMurray in second, Kurt Busch in third and Jeff Gordon in fourth.
The series points leader Kevin Harvick extended his margin over Jimmie Johnson to 110 points with a sixth-place finish. Johnson got caught up in two wrecks and did not finish.
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