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2nd
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Jenson Button (McLaren) was one of few drivers to race untroubled at Spa-Francorchamps during the Belgian Grand Prix.
Button started from pole and went on to win for the first time this season since the opening race in Australia, thanks to a perfectly played one-stop strategy. Being at the front for the start, the Brit escaped a spectacular first corner incident triggered by Romain Grosjean (Lotus) closing the door on Lewis Hamilton (McLaren).
In their clash, the pair took out Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sergio Perez (Sauber) as well. Kamui Kobayashi, in the second Sauber, and Pastor Maldonado, who as it happened jump the start, were involved too.
Spa marks Alonso's first retirement of the season.
In the crash's ensuing traffic jam, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) lost precious ground, but soldiered on with another neat one-stop strategy and clawed back to second at the finish, meaning Alonso's lead in the championship is now down to only 24 points.
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) were all in a heated battle for third place, which Raikkonen eventually won.
Schumacher, second at one point, fell from grace all the way down to seventh, his one-stop strategy not playing out as it should have. Tire degradation meant he was forced to a late second stop.
Jean-Éric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo scored some long-awaited points for Toro Rosso, while Paul di Resta completed a good overall performance by Force India, coming in 10th.
Race results* - Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
1 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1.29'08"530
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 13"624
3 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 25"334
4 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 27"843
5 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 29"845
6 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 31"244
7 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 53"374
8 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 58"865
9 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'02"982
10 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'03"783
11 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'05"111
12 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'11"529
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'56"119
14 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
15 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
18 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1 lap
Fastest lap of the race by Bruno Senna in 1'52"822
Retirements
Lap 30 - Narain Karthikeyan
Lap 5 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 1 - Sergio Perez
Lap 1 - Fernando Alonso
Lap 1 - Lewis Hamilton
Lap 1 - Romain Grosjean
Drivers' championship
1.Alonso 164; 2.Vettel 140; 3.Webber 132; 4.Raikkonen 131; 5.Hamilton 117; 6.Button 101; 7.Rosberg 77; 8.Grosjean 76; 9.Perez 47; 10.Schumacher 35; 11.Massa 35; 12.Kobayashi 33; 13.Hulkenberg 31; 14.Maldonado 29; 15.Di Resta 28; 16.Senna 24; 17.Vergne 8; 18.Ricciardo 4.
Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 272; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 218; 3.Lotus-Renault 207; 4.Ferrari 199; 5.Mercedes 112; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 80; 7.Force India-Mercedes 59; 8.Williams-Renault 53; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 12.
*Unofficial
Button started from pole and went on to win for the first time this season since the opening race in Australia, thanks to a perfectly played one-stop strategy. Being at the front for the start, the Brit escaped a spectacular first corner incident triggered by Romain Grosjean (Lotus) closing the door on Lewis Hamilton (McLaren).
In their clash, the pair took out Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) and Sergio Perez (Sauber) as well. Kamui Kobayashi, in the second Sauber, and Pastor Maldonado, who as it happened jump the start, were involved too.
Spa marks Alonso's first retirement of the season.
In the crash's ensuing traffic jam, Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) lost precious ground, but soldiered on with another neat one-stop strategy and clawed back to second at the finish, meaning Alonso's lead in the championship is now down to only 24 points.
Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Nico Hulkenberg (Force India), Mark Webber (Red Bull), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) were all in a heated battle for third place, which Raikkonen eventually won.
Schumacher, second at one point, fell from grace all the way down to seventh, his one-stop strategy not playing out as it should have. Tire degradation meant he was forced to a late second stop.
Jean-Éric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo scored some long-awaited points for Toro Rosso, while Paul di Resta completed a good overall performance by Force India, coming in 10th.
Race results* - Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps)
1 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1.29'08"530
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 13"624
3 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 25"334
4 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 27"843
5 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 29"845
6 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 31"244
7 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 53"374
8 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 58"865
9 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'02"982
10 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'03"783
11 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'05"111
12 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'11"529
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'56"119
14 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
15 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1 lap
17 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1 lap
18 - Pedro De La Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1 lap
Fastest lap of the race by Bruno Senna in 1'52"822
Retirements
Lap 30 - Narain Karthikeyan
Lap 5 - Pastor Maldonado
Lap 1 - Sergio Perez
Lap 1 - Fernando Alonso
Lap 1 - Lewis Hamilton
Lap 1 - Romain Grosjean
Drivers' championship
1.Alonso 164; 2.Vettel 140; 3.Webber 132; 4.Raikkonen 131; 5.Hamilton 117; 6.Button 101; 7.Rosberg 77; 8.Grosjean 76; 9.Perez 47; 10.Schumacher 35; 11.Massa 35; 12.Kobayashi 33; 13.Hulkenberg 31; 14.Maldonado 29; 15.Di Resta 28; 16.Senna 24; 17.Vergne 8; 18.Ricciardo 4.
Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 272; 2.McLaren-Mercedes 218; 3.Lotus-Renault 207; 4.Ferrari 199; 5.Mercedes 112; 6.Sauber-Ferrari 80; 7.Force India-Mercedes 59; 8.Williams-Renault 53; 9.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 12.
*Unofficial