Button wins in Australia!

Jenson Button won the Australian GP ahead of Robert Kubica and Felipe Massa.

Melbourne’s Albert Park was the scene of a thrilling and action-packed race.

With slight rain falling at the start, intermediate tyres were fitted on all the cars and the race was declared wet. Sebastian Vettel got off the line well while his team mate Mark Webber lost second place to Felipe Massa.

There was some drama behind the leading trio with Jenson Button pushing Alonso into a spin at Turn 1. The Spaniard hit Michael Schumacher in turn, forcing him to run wide and damaging his front wing. The Mercedes’ driver had to pit at the end of this lap to have his nosecone changed.

A couple of turns later, Kamui Kobayashi’s Sauber was launched into the air – having apparently lost his front wing in a contact with Buemi’s Toro Rosso.

Both drivers were out, as well as Nico Hulkenberg. The Safety Car was subsequently deployed to allow the marshalls to clear the track. The field was released at the end of lap 4 with Vettel leading from Massa, Webber and Kubica.

Webber made a move on Massa on lap 6 to take 2nd position back. Jenson Button took a gamble by pitting for dry tyres on this same lap. He had a few moments on his out lap but quickly found a good pace which prompted most of the field to pit on lap 8. Vettel pitted one lap later and rejoined in the lead ahead of Button and Kubica.

Webber pitted on the following lap but went off track on his out lap and found himself down in 6th place. He then had a good battle with Lewis Hamilton which ended with the Red Bull Racing driver going wide again. The pair was back in 4th and 5th place when race leader Sebastian Vettel had to retire.

A suspected brake failure on his RB6 sent him on the gravel trap, leaving him rueing another missed opportunity. Up until then, the German looked set for a first victory this season but was once again hit by reliability issues.

His retirement left Jenson Button in the lead with Kubica second for Renault and Massa third. The Pole came under heavy pressure from the Ferrari driver but drove brilliantly to hold off his assaults.

There was a bit more action coming in the last 20 laps of the race with the four leaders (Button, Kubica and both Ferraris) opting to stay out on the same tyres while some of the other drivers came back in the pits for fresh sets of tyres. Hamilton and Webber were able to lap up to two second faster than the leaders and quickly closed the gap to the Ferrari’s of Alonso and Massa.

Hamilton was all over the rear of Alonso for some laps but couldn’t find a way to pass him. He tried a move with three laps to go but the Spaniard braked late and closed the door. Hamilton had to slow down to avoid contact with the Ferrari but was hit from behind by Webber.

Both cars went off track. The McLaren was able to rejoin in 6th place while the Red Bull had to limp back into the pits to have his nosecone replaced. Webber eventually finished in 9th place in a race that went all wrong for the Red Bull Racing Team.

Button celebrated his first win of the season and the first with McLaren. Kubica brought a rather surprising podium to Renault while Massa was third for Ferrari.

Alonso finished fourth ahead of Rosberg, Hamilton and Liuzzi. Karun Chandhok had also reasons to celebrate as he brought his HRT to the finish, although 5 laps down on the winner.

Only fourteen cars saw the finish line of the Australian GP.