Webber claims first win as Red Bull continues fightback

Nuerburg,GERMANY - Mark Webber overcame a drive-through penalty to claim his first career win in Formula One racing at the German Grand Prix Sunday.

The Australian was punished for an incident with Brawn GP driver Rubens Barrichello seconds after the start, but his Red Bull was the superior car on the day in victory from pole position.

Webber triumphed ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari driver Felipe Massa as Red Bull continued its comeback on the early-season dominators Brawn whose six-time season winner and championship leader Jenson Button had to settle for fifth.

Red Bull have now won two races in a row and three for the season as Brawn appeared to suffer in cool conditions as in the last race in Britain where Vettel won from Webber.

But Button still leads the standings after nine races with 68 points. Vettel moved into second with 47 points, Webber has 45.5 and Barrichello lost two places with 44 points.

Webber is the first Australian since Alan Jones in October 1981, the US Grand Prix in Las Vegas, to win a race. He fractured his legin a bicycle accident in January but made a remarkable recovery to be ready at the start of the season.

There was relief all around that the conditions were dry on Sunday after rain played havoc with part of the previous day’s qualifying, but the start was nonetheless tumultous.

Webber was unable to take advantage of his first career pole, he briefly touched with Barrichello in the first seconds and then also unintentionally sliced the right rear tyre of Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren with his front wing as the Briton had a super start from fifth on the grid with the help of the power booster KERS.

That ended Hamilton’s ambitions before the first turn as he had to limp to the pits. The world champion later considered retiring but his crew told him via team radio that he had to drive on.

Webber had to swallow the drive-through penalty which cost him valuable time, but he remained in the frame because Barrichello was held up by the KERS-powered Massa for 11 laps until the Ferrari finally pitted in the 25th lap.

Barrichello latest hope of a first race win since September 2004 went up in smoke for good when refuelling on his second stop in the 31st lap went wrong and he had come in once more instead of driving the final 28 laps.

Webber was untroubled up front while both Brawns had a third stop in the closing stages which allowed Vettel into second place for Red Bull’s third one-two of the campaign.

Nico Rosberg of Germany finished fourth ahead of the Brawns, ex-champ Fernando Alonso was seventh in a Renault and Heikki Kovalainen eighth in a McLaren-Mercedes.

The next race is the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26.