HOCKENHEIM, Germany: Fernando Alonso extended his lead in this year's
Formula One drivers' world championship on Sunday when he
drove to a flawless victory for Ferrari in the German Grand Prix.
The 30-year-old Spaniard started from pole position and dominated the
67-lap race in consummate style as he came home 3.7 seconds ahead of
local hero, defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.
It was Alonso's third win this year after his triumphs in Malaysia and
at the European Grand Prix, and it was also the 22nd consecutive race
in which he had finished in the points for Ferrari.
He moves 34 points clear of Webber in the title race with 154 points to the
Australian's 120.
"We'll enjoy the win," said Alonso. "Starting on pole was the key
factor because it was difficult to overtake and we were not the
fastest but we kept the position."
Briton Jenson Button of McLaren, who had proved the potential of his
revamped car for a long spell in the race, came home third after being
passed by Vettel, who ran wide and off the track, on the penultimate
lap.
The race stewards announced they were investigating Vettel's passing
move, a statement that left the result unconfirmed pending the result
of their decision and any chosen sanction.
"They are going to investigate your overtake you know," Button said to
Vettel afterwards. "I didn't know where you were," replied the German,
who has yet to win a race on home soil.
"I was fighting like a lion, but I had nothing left," he added. "I am
sorry, but we never really had a chance to get close to Fernando
Alonso."
Finland's Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Lotus ahead of Japanese
Kamui Kobayashi and his Sauber team-mate Mexican Sergio Perez, who
came home sixth.
Seven-time champion and German hero Michael Schumacher, 43, finished
seventh for Mercedes ahead of Australian Mark Webber in the second Red
Bull and another German, Nico Hulkenberg, who was ninth for Force
India.
Another German, Nico Rosberg, in the second Mercedes, finished 10th.