Mark Webber mainly to blame says Max Mosley

Max Mosley has added to the fallout from last weekend's clash between Red Bull's drivers at the Turkish Grand Prix by claiming Mark Webber must shoulder the bulk of the blame for the incident.

Sebastian Vettel attempted to pass team-mate Webber for the lead on the run down to the final series of corners at Istanbul Park on lap 40 of Sunday's race, but the pair made contact, putting Vettel out of the race and forcing Webber to pit for a new nose which dropped him to third at the chequered flag.

Red Bull yesterday attempted to draw a line under the incident by claiming both drivers were happy to shrug it off as a racing incident, but former FIA president Mosley has nevertheless had his say on the clash which has divided opinion among observers.

"It is always difficult to judge a situation in which decisions have got to be made in a split second based on television footage. In my opinion, though, I don't think that Sebastian Vettel should be given the blame for the collision," Mosley told German newspaper Die Welt.

"Vettel was clearly quicker than Webber at the time of the accident. He had every right and the task of overtaking Webber.

"It is clear to see that Vettel had overtaken just before the corner and at this very moment, Webber should have given his team-mate more room. In addition, he should have known that Vettel was on the extreme left of the track where grip was inadequate."

Post-race, attention quickly turned to the relative pace of the two cars in the laps before the accident, with lap analysis suggesting Webber was in 'fuel save' mode while Vettel was putting in fast laps having saved his engine earlier in the race.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed Webber asked the team to advise Vettel to back off the lap before their collision, but that was not possible due to the close proximity of the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

Uncertainty remains over how Red Bull tried to manage the pace of their drivers over those crucial laps, but Mosley insists Vettel had every right to attempt the pass on his team-mate.

He said: "We could argue if Webber was not his team-mate, but since that is the case he should have respected the particular responsibility for his team and team-mate if in any doubt.

"Remember that both cars were going at almost 300km/h at this point and, irrespective of the risk that he had taken into account by not giving an inch, he could still have improved his race position, even against Vettel, at a later stage.

"The decisive aspect which speaks in favour of Vettel and against Webber is that one driver was quicker at the time and the other slower."

Mosley's comments came as Red Bull held clear-the-air talks between Webber, Vettel and senior team personnel at the team's HQ in Milton Keynes.

Speaking after the meeting, Vettel apologised to the team for Sunday's incident, although Webber tellingly declined the opportunity to do likewise.

"The team had got us into a great position and it wasn't good for them what happened - so I'm sorry for them that we lost the lead of the race," said Vettel.

"Mark and I are racers and we were racing. We are professionals and it won't change how we will work together going forward."

Webber added: "It's a shame for the team, as we lost a good opportunity to win the race. It's sport and these things can happen, but it shouldn't have done.

"I feel for everyone at Red Bull, at the factory and everyone involved. Seb and I will make sure it doesn't happen again and will continue to work openly together, no problem.

"We have talked enough on it now, it's done, we're looking ahead."

Webber - how things can change

Mark Webber must now be wondering which way to turn.

Just over two weeks ago Webber was on top of the Formula One world, crowned the unofficial king of Monaco following his victory around the principality's tight, twisty, often unforgiving streets.

His celebrations were appreciably exuberant as the win, his second in succession from lights to flag after a week earlier triumphing in Spain, resulted in him throwing himself into the harbour.

The 33-year-old paid a small price as a mouthful or two of what is hardly the cleanest water in the world led to a sore throat.

But it was worth it knowing he had joined the sport's cognoscenti who had previously taken the chequered flag at the most glamorous motor sport venue in the world.

Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix there was talk of Webber signing a new deal with Red Bull Racing, a matter of simply "sorting out the paperwork" according to team principal Christian Horner.

That was then, but what now after - to use his own words - "a disaster" of a race around Istanbul Park on Sunday after which the prevalent feeling was that he was being made the scapegoat?

A near-certain one-two was wrecked on lap 40 of the 58-lap race following a passing move by team-mate Sebastian Vettel that ended with the 22-year-old spinning into retirement and Webber requiring a new front wing.

Vettel's dismissive wave of the hand towards Webber as he trundled in front of the German, combined with the twirl of his right index finger around his temple to indicate the Australian was crazy was a clear indication as to who he felt was in the wrong.

Replays and on-board footage showed Vettel turn into Webber such was his desire to get off the dirty line as they powered into Turn 12 at over 180mph, mistakenly believing he would move over, only to horrifyingly discover he had no intention of giving an inch.

Television commentator Martin Brundle, after viewing the evidence, insisted the accident was "100%" of Vettel's own making.

In the post-race inquest there were recriminations, accusations and claims, with Vettel throwing the first verbal punch, stating Webber should have given him room.

In response, Webber was guarded, surprisingly so as he is a typical Aussie who has previously had no trouble in pointing an accusing finger when the occasion has merited.

Instead, Webber, adamant he was not responsible, urged journalists to "dig a little deeper", the inference obvious that something untoward had taken place.

And so the digging began, initially with Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motor sport advisor and right-hand man to owner Dietrich Mateschitz who was clear in his own mind Webber was at fault.

Marko's stone-faced, unequivocal verdict was delivered just moments after he had watched replays of the incident on television.

Then came Horner, and here is where the story gets interesting as you would expect the man in charge to be in possession of the full facts given the data and telemetry at his disposal on the pit wall.

As Horner was grilled, with at least 30 dictaphones thrust towards his face from all directions, he initially suggested Webber's prime tyres were perhaps fading at that stage.

Then Horner, whilst accusing Vettel of pulling over too early, also claimed his two drivers did not give each other room as they were too far over to the left of the track.

Webber, though, had merely held the middle ground down the long straight, as he was entitled to do, not deviating once.

Asked specifically if Webber had been told to turn down his engine, Horner replied: "Absolutely not. They were both on the same engine mode."

Strange then that an hour later, in the almost immediate post-race debrief that Horner should state Webber "had changed down into a fuel-saving mode," and he had "put Sebastian on the dirty side."

Formula One loves nothing more than a good conspiracy theory, and the one doing the rounds on Sunday centred on a potential Anglo-Austrian divide within the team, with the obvious bias towards the latter nation, and in turn towards young German Vettel.

As Vettel is viewed as the golden boy in waiting, such a notion is hardly beyond the realms of fantasy, and although it was vehemently refuted by Horner, there will have been a seed of doubt planted in Webber's mind.

The team can hold all the clear-the-air talks they want, as they have vowed to do, but no matter the outcome, and for all their words of equality, Webber may struggle to block out thoughts of favouritism towards Vettel.

If so, the question then is: will he stay or will he go?

Raikkonen linked with F1 return

With signs of discontent in the Red Bull camp, former world champion Kimi Raikkonen has once again been linked with a move back to Formula One.

Raikkonen is currently taking part in the World Rally Championship for the Red Bull-backed Citroen team but even before the rally season started he was linked with a move back to Formula One as a replacement for Mark Webber.

While neither Red Bull nor Raikkonen have ruled out the possibility of forming a partnership in F1, team principal Christian Horner recently remarked that he did not think the Finn was looking to return to F1 yet.

"Kimi has committed himself to rallying and he seems to be enjoying that environment," Horner told The Guardian.

However, following the Milton Keynes-based outfit's failure to support Webber after his much publicised coming together with team-mate Sebastian Vettel, like clockwork Raikkonen has once again been suggested as a replacement for Webber should he decided to leave the team.

When contacted regarding his client's future, Raikkonen's manager Steve Robertson was non-committal.

"We have not had any discussions in any direction for next season," he told Turun Sanomat

"There will be a time when Kimi will think about what he wants to do."

Asked whether Raikkonen could return to F1, Robertson replied: "Never say never."

Hamilton and Button will keep it professional

Lewis Hamilton is convinced he and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button will never become embroiled in an on-track furore like the one that has led to a potential divide within the Red Bull Racing camp.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is now faced with picking up the pieces following Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix in which Sebastian Vettel collided with team-mate Mark Webber.

The shunt that sent Vettel into retirement cost the team 28 points and their lead of the constructors' championship as they now trail McLaren by a point as Hamilton led a one-two with Jenson Button.

The British duo, though, were almost involved in their own coming together 10 laps after Vettel turned into Webber, who had been on course for a third consecutive win, only to trail home third.

Although Button temporarily grabbed the lead off Hamilton as they diced side by side through Turns 12, 13 and 14, he soon gave it up for good to the 25-year-old at Turn One.

It was hair-raising stuff for all within McLaren, and perhaps a sign of things to come should the title fight become even hotter as the season progresses.

But Hamilton is adamant it will never descend into them sending one another off the circuit.

"It won't happen with me and Jenson," insisted Hamilton, speaking to Press Association Sport.

"We're both world champions, we're both professionals, and we both have a huge amount of respect for each other.

"We want to finish the race, we do both want to win, but not in an aggressive manner.

"For sure you want to be ahead, so if you finish second you're not the happiest, but he is a very supportive team-mate, he is doing a solid job, and I know when I win he is happy for me and vice versa.

"We had a great battle out there, he wasn't aggressive, he wasn't silly, he didn't make any stupid mistakes, and that's why it was a good fight.

"So I have no doubts the rest of the year will be the same."

There appeared to be a degree of friction between them immediately after the race, with Hamilton perhaps wondering how Button had made a move when they had both been told to turn down their engine to save fuel.

Yet the bonhomie later returned as they were united for the celebratory team photo that always follows a victory.

And as Hamilton departed the McLaren brand centre with Pussycat Doll girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger, he gave Button's dad John a firm hug.

"He's been nothing but a positive energy on the team, polite to me and he is a great bloke to get on with," added Hamilton on Button.

"We get on well, we work well together on and off the circuit, and I feel it's great to have a team-mate supporting me in the races as well.

"He was right there behind me helping me fight with the Red Bulls."

Redbull inquest inconclusive

Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel both blamed each other for the accident that robbed the team of a Turkish Grand Prix one-two.

Vettel's attempted pass up the inside of Webber on lap 40 of the 58-lap race culminated in a collision from which the 22-year-old German spun into retirement.

Forced off the track, Webber dropped to third behind McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, having enough in hand over the chasing pack to pit for a replacement front wing.

But claiming just 15 points when 43 were there for the taking had team principal Christian Horner seething with frustration after the race.

In assessing the damage caused, neither driver gave any ground, mirroring what had unfolded at the Istanbul Park circuit.

"Seb had big top-speed advantage and went down the inside, we went side-by-side and then it looked like he turned pretty quick right and we made contact," said Webber.

"I wasn't at all expecting that at that point, and that's why it happened so fast and there was contact.

"Of course, in Seb's car it obviously feels very bad for him that I've turned left into him.

"But I'm pretty confident there was some drift from his way and then it was a disaster."

After spinning to a halt off track, and as Webber drove past in front, Vettel raised a hand towards the 33-year-old as if to say 'what did you do that for?'

A second indicator as to Vettel's position followed after climbing out of his stricken car as he twice twirled his right index finger around by his temple, suggesting what had happened was crazy.

In a post-race media scrum, Vettel stormed: "I'm not in the happiest of moods.

"I was on the inside going into the corner. I was there, ahead and focusing on the braking point and then we touched.

"Mark's car hit my rear right wheel and I went off. As far as I'm concerned I was not over eager. I felt I was a little bit faster.

"What happened was very silly among team-mates. As a team-mate you should give each other some room."

As for Horner, he blamed both his drivers - Webber for not giving Vettel space, and the German for attempting to cut across the Australian.

Offering his explanation after the post-race debrief, Horner said: "I think Mark has put Sebastian on the dirty side, giving him just enough room, but Sebastian has come across quite aggressively.

"He was quite a long way down the side, but came across too early, so it's very, very frustrating.

"We've seen the drivers racing each other previously and they are usually very, very good at giving each other room. But here, for whatever reason, that didn't happen.

"The frustrating thing is we have given away 28 points today as it should have been a one-two.

"From a team point of view it doesn't matter which way around they are, the priority is to finish one-two and that is exactly what we should have done."

Hamilton celebrates his victory at Turkey

Lewis Hamilton grabbed his first victory of the season in stunning fashion as Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber broke the cardinal rule of Formula One.

After 39 laps Webber was poised for his third consecutive triumph, spearheading another one-two with Vettel at the Turkish Grand Prix, with Hamilton and McLaren team-mate Jenson Button third and fourth.

But on lap 40 Vettel made a move on his Australian team-mate that resulted in the young German crashing out of the race.

There was despair on the faces of team boss Christian Horner and technical director Adrian Newey on the pit wall as team-mates are told never to race one another.

It allowed Hamilton and Button to slip by into first and second, and despite their own hair-raising moment at the end of lap 49 and start of lap 50, the 2008 world champion took the chequered flag to end a run of nine races without a win.

It appeared to be a remarkable moment of madness from Vettel who emerged from his damaged Red Bull parked up at Turn 12 twirling the index finger of his right hand by his temple as if to indicate 'crazy, crazy'.

Up until that point the Red Bulls had been in control, managing to keep the McLarens at bay, despite the fact they appeared to be the fastest car on show.

It followed poor starts from Hamilton and Button as the two Britons both lost a place from their starting positions of second and fourth.

Hamilton allowed third-on-the-grid Vettel to pass him on the short run down to Turn One, while Button lost his fourth spot to the man directly behind off the line in Michael Schumacher.

But in an England versus Germany battle, Hamilton was the first to make his redeeming move, regaining second spot from Vettel at Turn Three, the duo bumping wheels at one point such was their battle.

As for Button, perhaps recalling spending over half of the Spanish Grand Prix stuck behind Schumacher with no way past and much to his frustration after the race, displayed his mettle soon after.

Showing no intention of allowing a repeat of the Spain situation, the 30-year-old superbly out-manoeuvred the seven-time world champion into Turn 12 on lap two to regain fourth spot.

What followed for the next 37 laps was an exercise in futility and frustration for 2008 world champion Hamilton as it was clear his car had the pace over the Red Bulls, but there was no way past.

Then came Vettel's desperate lunge on Webber for the lead.

Sensing an opportunity to make a move on Webber down the straight into Turn 12, Vettel pulled alongside to the Australian's left.

With Webber refusing to flinch, Vettel edged his way across towards the centre of the track, perhaps hoping Webber would yield.

But Webber did not, and instead the right rear of Vettel's Red Bull collided with the front left of Webber's car, the German coming off worse as he was sent into a spin and retirement.

As for Webber, he lost the left-end plate of his front wing which forced him into making a second pit stop for a replacement.

After viewing the incident Newey threw his head into his hands, whilst Horner shook his head in sheer despair.

It allowed Hamilton and Button to pass with ease into first and second, with Webber holding onto third despite the additional and unexpected pit stop.

But there was more drama to come as in the same place Button made his way past Hamilton on lap 49 and into Turn 12.

As they diced with one another, the duo touched wheels, but with the reigning world champion taking Turns 13 and 14 with the lead.

However, slipstreaming Button along the pit straight, Hamilton managed to regain the lead on entry into Turn One, forcing the 30-year-old to run wide.

Under orders then to conserve fuel, Hamilton eventually crossed the line 2.6secs ahead of Button, who are now nine and five points behind Webber in the drivers' standings as he has increased his lead despite the drama.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were fourth and fifth for Mercedes, followed by Renault's Robert Kubica, the Ferrari duo of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, Renault's Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil for Force India, with Kamui Kobayashi taking 10th for Sauber's first point of the season.

A happy Hamilton said: "It was quite an exciting race actually. "We knew we had great race pace, but they (Red Bull) had such pace through Turn Eight that we couldn't slipstream, other than that I was on his tail.

"Then I had a problem with the right rear at my pit stop and I lost a place to Vettel.

"I don't know what happened to these guys (Red Bull), but we got through and then I had a great battle with Jenson.

"I'd like to dedicate this win to my dad (Anthony) as it's his 50th birthday. It's a great way for him to celebrate."

Button added: "It was good fun, but then after Lewis got past I was into fuel save mode as well.

"The race was a lot quicker than we thought it would be, but three weeks ago who would have though we would battle with the Red Bulls like we have."

As for Webber, he bit his tongue in describing what happened with Vettel as he said: "Seb had top-speed advantage.

"He then went down the inside, we were side by side, it looked like he turned quick right and we made contact.

"It's a shame for the team and not an ideal day. It can happen sometimes and when you are at the front it's difficult.

"There was a long way to go into the race, so it wasn't a guaranteed victory, but it was an interesting few metres on the track between us."

Mark Webber - pole position in Turkey

Red Bull Racing staged their own version of the magnificent seven in Istanbul today as Mark Webber clinched his third straight pole for Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

For the seventh consecutive time this year the Milton Keynes-based team will start from the front row of the grid, but it was a close run thing as Webber narrowly edged out McLaren's Lewis Hamilton by 0.138seconds with a lap of one minute 26.295secs.

In making it three in a row, Webber became the first Australian to achieve such a feat since Sir Jack Brabham in 1960, and the first in Formula One since Ferrari's Felipe Massa three years ago.

In the closing seconds Hamilton was poised to break Red Bull's run as he was fastest in the first and third sectors, but a poor second cost him the chance of what would have been his 18th career pole.

Hamilton managed to split the Red Bull duo of Webber and Sebastian Vettel, who was nearly half a second down on his more experienced 33-year-old team-mate.

On McLaren's best qualifying day of the season, reigning world champion Jenson Button will start fourth, offering the team a real shot of victory given their race pace.

Behind the leading quartet come the Mercedes pairing of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg, although the seven-times world champion blotted his copybook with a spin at Turn Eight on his final run.

Renault's Robert Kubica again out-qualified team-mate Vitaly Petrov to claim seventh ahead of the Russian's ninth, although the latter did at least make it into the top 10 for the first time this year.

The top on the grid is completed by Ferrari's Felipe Massa who is eighth and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi who starts 10th.

The notable absentee from the top 10 was Fernando Alonso, with the double world champion surprisingly a woeful 12th, a position that will provide further ammunition to his critics of late.

Alonso missed the cut for Q3 by a considerable margin of 0.174s and will start behind Adrian Sutil in his Force India who finished 0.087 down on Schumacher who just scraped through.

Behind Alonso will be the Sauber of Pedro de la Rosa and Toro Rosso of Sebastien Buemi in 13th and 14th.

The Williams duo of Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg sandwich Jaime Alguersuari in the second Toro Rosso in 15th, 16th and 17th.

Alguersuari caused a delay to the start of Q3 by stopping on track at Turn Eight after the clock had passed zero in the 15-minute middle session.

For the second time in the seven races this season, Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi headed the list of the bottom seven to drop out after the initial 20-minute session.

Underlining the difference between himself and team-mate Sutil, the latter finished a second ahead of the Italian with the 10th fastest time in Q1, which is likely to be of growing interest to reserve in Scotland's Paul di Resta.

Below Liuzzi, compatriot Jarno Trulli was the best of the new boys, the veteran starting 19th ahead of team-mate Heikki Kovalainen as Lotus were again quicker than Virgin and Hispania Racing.

Virgin's Timo Glock finished 0.225 adrift of Kovalainen and starts 21st, with team-mate Lucas di Grassi 23rd, while Hispania duo Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok are 22nd and 24th.

Webber has had his issues this weekend, notably an engine failure at the end of second practice on Friday and then no response from the throttle to the engine at the start of final practice on Saturday.

But in getting it all together in qualifying, he said: "It hasn't been the smoothest for me in terms of getting the running in.

"If you're ever going to have a problem with the engine I guess yesterday was (the best time).

"Today I was a little bit on the back foot, but I dug deep and I was okay, and again it's a nice place to start the race."

Hamilton admitted he had given it his all in attempting to depose the Red Bulls from their lofty perch.

"I was pushing. You always try to push the car that little bit further," said Hamilton.

"I wasn't 100% happy with the balance yesterday, but today it was fine and I couldn't have asked any more from the car. The team have done a great job.

"So it feels great to be on the front row. Red Bull have been untouchable nearly all year in terms of pace, so this is a real boost for the team this year."

Vettel admitted to suffering problems with his steering and brakes in the closing stages of Q3 that wrecked his penultimate and final laps.

"Q1 and Q2 were very smooth and I was happy with the car," said Vettel.

"Then in Q3 on the penultimate lap I had a slight problem at turn 12 as it kept on locking.

"The car didn't seem to want to stop, it just went straight. It was quite bad, otherwise it should have been quite a lot quicker.

"Then on the first corner of the last lap I again lost the brakes and the car was not doing what it was supposed to do.

"It's still good to be third which is obviously better than fourth like Jenson, but he is starting on the dirty side."

No agreement - Alonso and Schumacher

Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso have finally found common ground in Turkey, but not over what occurred between them in Monaco.

The bitter rivals defiantly remain at odds over the incident at the final corner of the last lap which culminated in Schumacher being demoted from sixth to 12th and out of the points.

Schumacher was handed a 20-second time penalty by stewards after passing Alonso at the final corner in Monte Carlo after the safety car had peeled into the pits following an accident involving Lotus' Jarno Trulli and Karun Chandhok of Hispania Racing.

The manoeuvre was made after the first safety car line, as the FIA rules allow, whilst there also were green lights and flags on view indicating racing could resume.

However, a discrepancy in the rules that are under review by the FIA, also states if a race finishes under safety car conditions, the field shall hold position across the finishing line.

"The rules were slightly different to our interpretation and points were taken away, so it is a straightforward thing," said seven-times world champion Schumacher.

Asked if he had no doubt at the time he was going to attempt a move on Alonso, the 41-year-old Mercedes driver replied: "Sure, yes.

"I was obviously told by the team (to pass). I checked everything I could and to be prepared for that particular manoeuvre, so yes."

Mercedes initially announced they would appeal, only to withdraw a few days later, much to Alonso's delight as it ensured he retained his sixth place, remaining three points behind championship leaders Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

Questioned as to whether Schumacher's penalty was the right one, the double world champion succinctly said "yes".

Pressed for an explanation why, Alonso replied: "Because it's in the rules.

"For example the rules state a car and driver must weigh 620 kilos. If you are 600 then you get a penalty.

"So for me it's clear. It's written in the rules. When the safety car is on the last lap it's not possible to overtake."

The one thing they can agree on, however, is the fact Red Bull are, in Schumacher's words, "in their own world".

He added: "It is not just the car because the drivers are also delivering and doing a good job on top."

Like Schumacher, Alonso also knows he and Ferrari face a tough ask if they are to halt the Red Bull juggernaut at this weekend's race in Turkey.

"It's a feeling we all have, that they are clearly ahead and much quicker than everybody, and here I don't think the picture will change too much," said the 28-year-old Spaniard.

"I think it will be like in Barcelona (for the Spanish Grand Prix) where I will be fighting with McLaren and Mercedes.

"Hopefully we can catch them as soon as possible, either in Canada, Valencia or the next race.

"But from Barcelona to here we've only had three weeks, and in such a short period of time it's impossible to close the gap."

Lewis Hamilton staying positive

Lewis Hamilton believes McLaren will rise to the occasion and help him bring an end to his winless drought.

Although Hamilton has stated on a few occasions this season his car is the best he has driven, he has yet to taste victory, unlike team-mate Jenson Button who has won twice.

Failure to take the chequered flag in Turkey this weekend will see the 25-year-old equal his worst run in F1 of 10 races without a win.

That was at the start of last season when Hamilton was at the wheel of a painfully-slow McLaren, only for the team to produce a stunning about-turn in performance and results.

Hamilton is convinced all the pieces will fall into place over the course of a weekend, and he will be a winner again.

"With all the different things that have happened, it has been a bit of a lottery for me," said Hamilton

"Some people have won when it could have gone completely the other way for them, and unfortunately it has gone the other way for me.

"But at some stage during the year I'm sure it will improve because the car feels the best car to drive.

"It's just that there are so many completely competitive cars out there who have done that bit better than us.

"But the spirits are still high within the team, and I know at the moment they want to win just as much as me."

Hamilton concedes, though, McLaren "have a bit of work to do to close the gap" to Red Bull after a dominant start to the season, and in particular Mark Webber's wins in the last two races in Spain and Monaco.

The 2008 world champion added: "They have some serious speed at the moment, and it's going to take a while to catch them.

"But we have had some good results coming from the wind tunnel and we're just waiting for that key part that will give us that switch, and then we'll be at front - no problems."

At least Hamilton is convinced he and Button will be a lot closer to Webber and Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel in Turkey.

"The car wasn't particularly well suited to a tight and bumpy track like Monaco, but at a place like Istanbul Park it will be back in its element," said Hamilton.

"It loves smooth, fast circuits where the aero can really work over the car through the long, fast corners. It should feel fantastic to drive.

"So looking at the characteristics of the track, it's a place where we should be able to pick up from where we left off in Spain.

"We're not under any illusions, but we think we'll be able to get another decent result and we're hopeful of taking the fight to the cars at the front.

"I've had some good races in Turkey, but I've never won the race, so it would be fantastic to open my 2010 account with a victory there."

Ecclestone taking F1 to Texas

Formula One has sealed its return to the lucrative United States market after a deal was reached for a new purpose-built facility in Texas to stage grands prix from the start of the 2012 season.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed an agreement had been signed with US Grand Prix promoters Full Throttle Productions for the city of Austin to stage the race as part of a 10-year deal.

Ecclestone hailed the deal as a major commitment on the part of the Austin authorities, who have pledged to build the first ever dedicated Formula One facility in the country.

"For the first time in the history of Formula One in the United States, a world-class facility will be purpose-built to host the event," said Ecclestone.

"It was 30 years ago that the United States Grand Prix was last held on a purpose-built permanent road course circuit in Watkins Glen, which enjoyed great success. Since then, Formula One has been hosted by Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all on temporary street circuits.

"Indianapolis joined the ranks of host cities in 2000 when they added a road course inside the famed oval. This, however, will be the first time a facility is constructed from the ground up specifically for Formula One in the US."

Speculation has been rife regarding F1's stateside future since the last US Grand Prix was held at Indianapolis in 2007, with a race in New York state or New Jersey touted as the most likely destinations for any return.

Austin certainly chimes with F1's slick image, with the city nicknamed 'Silicon Hills' due to the key role it plays in the United States' technology industry.

The state of Texas also boasts the 11th strongest economy in the world, and race organisers are optimistic Austin will provide a fitting backdrop for one of the world's more glamourous sports.

Full Throttle Productions' managing director Tavo Hellmund said: "This is a case of the right timing in the right place. As many Americans know, Austin has earned a reputation as one of the 'it' cities in the United States.

"Few cities if any in America could rival the connectivity of all the key elements needed for hosting a Formula One event as well as Austin."

Hellmund added: "We are extremely honoured and proud to reach an agreement with the F1 Commercial Rights Holder [Ecclestone].

"We have been diligently working together for several years to bring this great event to Austin, the State of Texas and back to the United States.

"All parties involved have a great amount of trust and confidence in each other and are committed to establishing the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas as a prestigious global event."

Austin's mayor Lee Leffingwell also welcomed news of the deal, saying: "The city of Austin will be proud to host this magnificent event and I look forward to welcoming the participants and fans of Formula One to our city."

Tuesday's announcement did not provide details of where precisely the circuit would be situated, or what sort of layout it would feature.

It nevertheless would appear to bring an end to what has been a nomadic - and occasionally troubled - period for Formula One in the United States.

The sport has failed to firmly anchor itself stateside since ending a 20-year association with Watkins Glen at the start of the 1980s, with races at Long Beach, Las Vegas, Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all failing to become permanent fixtures on the calendar.

A move to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2000 season turned sour five years later when fears over tyre safety famously resulted in just six cars starting that year's race.

The 2005 debacle caused a rift with many American fans from which the sport never fully recovered, and F1 departed the US scene two years later after Ecclestone failed to reach an agreement with Indianapolis bosses over a contract extension.

Jenson Button Red Bull fear

Jenson Button is hoping Red Bull Racing again prove fallible - otherwise he fears they could prove unstoppable in their charge for Formula One glory.

Reigning world champion Button relinquished the lead of this year's world title race to Red Bull's Mark Webber following his Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday, the Australian's second successive triumph in the space of eight days.

It was a race in which Button suffered his first failure with McLaren this season as the 30-year-old retired after two laps following a mistake that should have been avoided.

That was when one member of the team left a cooling cover on a sidepod over the radiator, resulting in the engine overheating.

Coming the week after Hamilton crashed on the penultimate lap in Barcelona with a wheel-rim failure, the last two races have hardly cast McLaren in the best light.

Button, who now trails Webber by eight points in the standings, knows the situation has to improve, and believes it will, starting in Turkey in 10 days' time.

"This team have the resources, the manpower and the passion to succeed and to chase, and this is what they will do," Button told Press Association Sport at a promotional event for Vodafone's World of Difference campaign.

"Last year was a difficult season for this team, but they still won two races, and where they came from at the start of the year to where they ended up was extraordinary.

"So we're hoping we're going to see big improvements over the next few races.

"We've had a couple of issues in the last two races with reliability and mistakes, but we have to put those behind us now and focus on the next race in Turkey.

"We've got to come with a stronger car, and we can't make any mistakes."

McLaren have to show the kind of improvement as displayed by Red Bull in the last two races after problems dogged them in three of the first four grands prix when they should have won them all after starting from pole.

If not, then Button knows not just McLaren will have trouble trying to close the gap.

"They are going to be so hard to catch," added Button.

"It's a big lead they had in Barcelona, especially with a second in qualifying, but no-one is going to give up chasing them, especially not our team. We're going to do everything we can."

Otherwise it is a case of keeping fingers crossed they again suffer reliability issues.

"I hope they do fall by the wayside," said Button.

"As we saw at the start of the year, they didn't have the perfect start to the season, and hopefully we're going to see them make some more mistakes.

"That's what we need at this point in the season. We need to have the best race we possibly can and get the maximum out of our package, and hopefully they don't."

Tonio Liuzzi not worried by rumours

Tonio Liuzzi has shrugged off reports that he is close to losing his Force India race seat to reserve driver Paul di Resta.

Liuzzi, who was handed a Force India drive at the end of the 2009 season following Giancarlo Fisichella's departure to Ferrari, was back in the points in Monaco after three disappointing races. Although he has accumulated a respectable 10 points so far this year he is still a further 10 points off his team-mate Adrian Sutil's tally.

Di Resta has already made several appearances for the team during practice this year, and there have been suggestions that he could replace Liuzzi.

The Italian, though, says he is not worried about the rumours as Force India still "believes in him".

"There has been speculation that Force India's reserve driver Paul di Resta is in competition for my seat," he wrote in his ESPN blog. "I am not worried about these rumours; speculation is always at the door and all over the papers.

"I have a contract for two years with Force India and they believe in me and I believe in them, so our relationship is very good. They know exactly the problems I was having in China and Spain and they know that it was not due to anything else.

"Also I scored points at the first two races and again in Monaco, so they can see that I'm very much fighting for the team to meet its targets. It really doesn't worry me that this sort of stuff is printed and it's quite normal that you get this kind of speculation when you are competing at the highest level."

Hamilton hoping to catch Red Bull

Lewis Hamilton is relieved Red Bull have not translated their domination in qualifying into racing as it means the rest of the field are still in contention.

Red Bull have started on pole in all six grands prix this season and on Sunday Mark Webber led from start to finish ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel at the Monaco Grand Prix.

It was the Australian's second victory in the space of eight days following his victory in Spain and the Red Bull pair now head the drivers' standings on 78 points to lead Fernando Alonso and reigning world champion Jenson Button by three and eight points respectively.

Hamilton, who was fifth in Monaco, said: "If they had also won every race they would be miles ahead by now.

"They would have so many points, so for us it's quite good at the moment to see we've got a chance.

"I know at some stage we will catch them up and then we will be racing with them and they would not be having such easy races.

"I am praying every day that we do, and although I doubt it will be the case, you never know what will happen in this sport."

McLaren team-mate Button concurred, saying: "At the moment you would say the Red Bull is the most competitive car.

"We have to try our best to take points off them because if they are reliable,

consistent and don't make mistakes then over the next few races they are going to be very difficult to beat."

Webber, 33, insists he is keeping his feet on the ground rather than getting carried away thinking about the world title.

"I have done well for two races," he said.

"In terms of good results, if I get three, four or five in a row, podiums or whatever, then that's a good run.

"So we will go to Turkey and we will keep chipping away because we all know things can change very quickly in this game.

"I have been around the block long enough to know that, so it's a case of feet on the ground."

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner insists he is in no rush to sign

Webber to a new contract, despite suggestions over the weekend a new deal had been agreed.

Horner maintains Webber's future has yet to be discussed, although if that is the case, he has certainly done himself the power of good with his wins over the past two weekends.

"The team and Mark are very relaxed about the situation," said Horner.

"He is an important member of the team and he is driving fantastically well at the moment. He enjoys driving here, and we enjoy having him.

"But we have not spoken and have no real interest in speaking with any of our drivers, so when the time gets to it, we will sit down and look at the paperwork."

Webber celebrates his victory in Monaco

Mark Webber became the first Australian for 51 years to claim victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, spearheading a Red Bull Racing one-two, and catapulting himself to the top of the championship standings.

In repeating his lights-to-flag triumph of one week ago in Barcelona, Webber now leads the way by virtue of two wins to one over team-mate Sebastian Vettel as they are level on 78 points apiece.

It was in 1959 that three-times world champion Sir Jack Brabham won the first race of his illustrious career, that around the Monte Carlo principality, with Webber now able to stand tall alongside his hero.

Vettel finished just 0.4secs behind Webber at the end of the 78 laps as the safety car had pulled in moments before, and for what was the fourth time in an incident-strewn race.

Robert Kubica grabbed the third podium place for Renault, followed by the Ferrari of Felipe Massa and McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

It was a race which began in dramatic circumstances, and heralded a particularly bad day for Williams.

Following a relatively routine start in which Kubica ceded his second place on the grid to the man behind him - Vettel, coming through the tunnel young German Nico Hulkenberg rammed into a concrete barrier.

Hulkenberg then slid along the wall for around 100 metres before emerging into the daylight with a shattered front left of his car, forcing the first of the four safety cars into play.

It was also an incident which accounted for reigning champion Jenson Button, who retired at the start of the third lap as the field filed round behind the silver Mercedes.

With smoke billowing from his McLaren, Button pulled over at first corner Sainte Devote from his 11th place following a poor start from eighth.

It was a team mistake that contributed to McLaren's first failure of their Mercedes engine since the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix when Heikki Kovalainen was at the wheel.

"We left a bung in on the left-hand side of the car that obviously you're meant to take out on the way to the grid, and that's cooked the engine," explained Button.

"It got very hot under the bonnet arnd I had to turn it off. I didn't want to leave oil on the race line.

"It would have been fine if we hadn't had the safety car. That was what ended it. At such a slow speed you can't get any air into it to cool it down."

We were then treated to some exhilarating overtaking manoeuvres from Fernando Alonso, who had started from the pit lane in his Ferrari after a crash in final practice ruled him out of qualifying.

Superb tactics saw Alonso pit at the end of the first lap once the safety car had been deployed, switching to the harder tyre.

On laps 11, 12, 15 and 16, coming out of the tunnel at 200mph and down the hill into a chicane, Alonso passed Virgin Racing's Lucas di Grassi, the Lotus of Jarno Trulli, then the second Virgin and Lotus of Timo Glock and Heikki Kovalainen respectively.

It was enthralling stuff from the Spaniard, and once the first round of pit stops had played out for the leaders, his strategy unfolded to perfection as he found himself in sixth behind Lewis Hamilton.

The retirements of Sauber duo Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi, sandwiching Virgin's Glock and Di Grassi, all followed before Rubens Barrichello emulated team-mate Hulkenberg's spectacular shunt.

On lap 31 Barrichello lost his car heading up the hill through Beau Rivage, the Williams careering backwards into a metal barrier due to an apparent rear tyre or wheel problem.

The Brazilian rebounded across the track and hit the opposite barrier before coming to rest in the middle of the circuit facing the wrong way, minus his front and rear wing.

In an understandable fit of pique Barrichello, who celebrates his 38th birthday next Sunday, tossed his steering wheel out of the cockpit of his car and onto the track where it was hit by a passing rival.

That brought the safety car into play for a second time, and for two laps, before re-emerging again on lap 44 in bizarre circumstances due to a loose drain cover at turn three, Massanet.

When it disappeared, Webber then led the field away for the fourth time in the race, but ther was still room for one more incident as Trulli attempted to pass Hispania Racing's Karun Chandhok on the inside of Rascasse at lap 75.

As the two cars touched tyres, Trulli bounced up and over Chandhok, his car coming to rest on the side of the HRT before catching fire.

Inevitably, the overworked safety car came into play for the fourth time, pulling into the pits just after Rascasse, ensuring the race did not finish behind it.

But as Webber took the chequered flag, seven-times champion Michael Schumacher slipped up the inside of a sleeping Alonso in his Mercedes to take sixth, although the stewards have since penalised the German.

Schumacher was given a retrospective drive-through penalty which, as it occurred in the final five laps of the race, means 20 seconds has been added to his time, relegating him out of the points to 12th.

Nico Rosberg has now been given seventh place in his Mercedes, followed by the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi, with the Toro Rossos of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari 10th and 11th and the only other cars to finish.

Following the fourth win of his career, an exultant Webber said: "It feels absolutely incredible - the greatest day of my life.

"To win here is a very special day. I did well in qualifying, but this place is such a test for two hours and I knew I had a lot of work to do.

"We had lots of tests, safety cars, so a very satisfying win. I'm elated to join the likes of Ayrton Senna and those guys around here."

Vettel admitted he did not have the pace to keep up with Webber and was happy to settle for second.

"I just wasn't able to keep up with him," said Vettel.

"There was a big difference, and then late on when I felt the grip come back I wasn't too far off.

"There was no real point to make an effort to overtake, but to be honest I had to look more in the mirrors as Robert was pushing quite hard.

"But I'm very, very happy. I don't think we could have done better."

Kubica conceded it was his poor start which cost him as the Pole said: "Pulling away I thought I had a chance to overtake Mark.

"But I got on the power too early, had too much wheel spin, and then I had to defend from Felipe.

"But this is a positive. No-one was expecting us to finish on the podium."

Mark Webber on pole in Monaco

Red Bull continued their domination of qualifying this season as Mark Webber made it six in a row for the Milton Keynes-based team.

Following his lights-to-flag win in last Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix, Webber will now start hot favourite to make it two victories in a row after grabbing pole for Sunday's blue-riband race around Monaco.

But there is no Red Bull lock-out of the front row as Renault's Robert Kubica produced a stunning performance around the streets of the principality to grab second spot ahead of Sebastian Vettel.

Webber produced an astonishing time of one minute 13.826 seconds, the only driver to dip under 74 seconds over the past few days, beating Kubica by a quarter of a second.

Behind Vettel comes Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren as the Woking marque failed to find the sweet spot around a track where they have won 15 times since 1984.

Nico Rosberg edged out Michael Schumacher in the duel of the Mercedes duo for sixth and seventh, with last year's winner Jenson Button a lowly eighth, followed by Williams' Rubens Barrichello.

Vitantonio Liuzzi starts 10th for Force India after outqualifying team-mate Adrian Sutil for the first time this season.

Nico Hulkenberg starts 11th after finishing just 0.167secs adrift of Button at the end of Q2, with the Williams driver ahead of Sutil and Sebastien Buemi in his Toro Rosso.

Vitaly Petrov wound up a dramatic 14th after he wrapped his Renault around a tyre barrier at Sainte Devote, with the Russian followed by the Saubers of Pedro de la Rosa and Kamui Kobayashi, as well as the second Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari.

As expected, the first 20 minutes were typically busy, but there was none of the chaos that had been expected and there were no major casualties as the three new teams all exited.

Fernando Alonso's crash in final practice earlier today, leaving his Ferrari team with no time to repair the chassis, guaranteed him last place on the grid, although he will start from the pit lane.

It left the remaining 15 drivers with the more established teams with the task of simply negotiating their way through Q1 and posting a lap time none of the three new marques could touch.

There was the occasional frustrated hand gesture, as witnessed from the on-board camera of Kubica's car, as the Pole was baulked on one of his early hot laps.

But come the conclusion those expected to make it through all did so, as Lotus, Virgin and Hispania Racing were ousted.

The best of those was Lotus' Heikki Kovalainen who finished almost a second down on Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, and will start 18th.

Such was the Finn's determination he spun twice on successive laps, once at Mirabeau and then in the middle of Loews hairpin, but it was not enough.

Team-mate Jarno Trulli was just 0.040secs adrift and starts 19th ahead of Virgin's Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi, followed by the Hispania duo of Bruno Senna, whose late uncle Ayrton won six times here, and Karun Chandhok.

Petrov left to rue problems

Vitaly Petrov has dismissed claims from his own Renault boss that he has done a sterling job this season.

In contrast, Petrov has been far from impressed with the start to his rookie season that has seen him collect just six points from the opening five grands prix.

Petrov was forced to retire in the first three races, suffering a suspension failure in Bahrain, spinning out in Australia and then a gearbox issue in Malaysia.

Seventh place and his first points followed in China, with the 25- year-old Russian only just missing out on another top-10 finish in Spain on Sunday when he came home 11th.

Although Petrov has displayed speed and bravery, notably taking on Lewis Hamilton at Sepang, he is far from happy.

"I've had too many mechanical problems," was Petrov's assessment ahead of Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

"If I had finished the first five races then I would have been much more prepared for here.

"From a personal perspective it's been okay, more difficult than when I was in GP2 last year, but it's Formula One so you need to adapt.

"But I'm relaxed. I don't like to feel under pressure, although I know I must always be in Q3 and to finish in the top 10, that is the target."

Petrov has discovered driving a car in GP2, in which he finished as runner-up last year, compared to F1 is almost like chalk and cheese around Monaco's twisty street circuit.

"It requires far more work," added Petrov.

"In F1 everything is different - driver style, braking, movement, it is more complicated, much quicker, so you must work harder, faster, be more concentrated, not make any mistakes.

"If I want to try something to go quicker, it is difficult because of the barriers.

"So you have to drive at 95 to 99 per cent. You cannot drive at 100 per cent all the time."

As to how that will translate in qualifying tomorrow remains to be seen after the Russian finished 11th quickest in practice yesterday as F1 cars do not run in Monaco on a Friday.

"We will see what happens tomorrow, but we all know how important it is to qualify well here," said Petrov.

"In first practice I was not so good, then in second practice I was better, but not fantastic, so we need to work hard.

"Confidence in the car is very important here. You have to trust in your engineers and believe in what your car can do."

Button wants to better Red Bull

Jenson Button is hoping for a mixed-up, crazy weekend that will see Red Bull Racing stripped of their 'untouchables' tag.

In terms of pace in qualifying, no team has been able to live with Red Bull so far this season as they have been on pole in all five grands prix, locking out the front row three times.

In Barcelona on Saturday for the Spanish Grand Prix they destroyed their rivals as Mark Webber finished a second quicker than Button's McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who started third.

That shook up the rest of the grid, who at least have been buoyed by the fact Red Bull have not always followed up their qualifying form with race pace on Sunday.

Everybody is now hoping Monaco's unpredictability will throw up a different grid for the Sunday, and that Red Bull will not be so far in the ascendancy as they have been.

"If you look at every race this season the Red Bulls have qualified on pole, whatever the conditions and whatever the type of circuit," said reigning world champion Button.

"And if you look at their pace in qualifying in Barcelona, you would say they are pretty untouchable. I don't think we expected that after Friday (practice).

"But Monaco is a very different race. The cars work a different way here.

"They are going to be quick, but I am hoping the gap is not quite what it was in Barcelona, and I also think it will be a bit more mixed up here.

"Our race pace is better than our qualifying pace compared to them, as Lewis was able to show in Barcelona.

"It's only three or four tenths (of a second) in a race, compared to a second in qualifying, so it's not as horrendous as it looked in Barcelona on Saturday.

"There is a lot of work we still need to do to catch them. Monaco is going to be a tough weekend, but hopefully we can pull it out and have a good one."

Button is also expecting qualifying to culminate in angry scenes and a number of potential penalties should the slow-coach new boys wreak havoc.

With Lotus, Virgin and Hispania Racing likely to be over seven seconds per lap slower during the initial 20-minute session, problems will arise and sparks might fly.

"If it is wet it is going to be pretty crazy out there, especially with so many cars," added Button ahead of today's practice.

"It will be mad in the dry, but in the wet pretty impossible to get a clear lap

"It will be tricky in Q1, but I'm sure we'll cope. A few of us will be angry and unhappy at the end of Q1, but we all have to deal with the same situation.

"It's the same for all of us. Some of us will get lucky, some of us won't.

"But there are going to be a lot of people asking for penalties, I think."

Brawn loves Monaco

Ross Brawn is hoping the unpredictability of Monaco will lead to another dream result on Sunday.

A year ago Brawn celebrated a momentous victory at a time when he was in charge of his own team, with Jenson Button leading the way around the streets of the principality.

It was one of the highlights of Brawn GP's double title-winning season, but a repeat for the man widely regarded as the most astute technical brain in the sport would appear to be a long shot.

Brawn is now in charge of Mercedes, but the German marque has failed to so far build on the momentum generated by the successes of last year.

Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher has struggled on his return to F1 after three years in retirement, although achieved his best result of the season on Sunday with fourth in Spain.

Nico Rosberg had finished on the podium in the previous two races, but around Barcelona, the new-spec car was far from his liking and he lagged far behind in a woeful 13th.

Brawn, though, would like to think anything is possible as he said: "The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most challenging race weekends of the year.

"But everyone revels in the special atmosphere, and as engineers we love the unique demands and extra pressure the street circuit generates.

"The drivers play their role at Monaco perhaps more so than at any other track.

"Precision, consistency, speed and control are essential, and with Michael and Nico, we are fortunate to have two drivers who excel here.

"Together with Mercedes-Benz, we achieved the dream result of a one-two finish last year.

"Whilst we are not at the pace of the frontrunners at the moment, at Monaco you just never know what can happen."

Despite an improvement in performance from Schumacher, the gap to Sunday's race-winning Red Bull driven by Mark Webber increased as the 41-year-old finished over a minute adrift.

Schumacher knows he and Mercedes will have to conjure up something special if he is to add to his five wins at the famous venue.

"We hope the characteristics of the street circuit suit our car better than in Spain last weekend," said Schumacher.

"On the other hand, we should be careful to expect too much this time as we have seen in Barcelona there is still a lot of work ahead of us.

"So, other than having achieved my best result so far this season, I have taken with me a lot of motivation to work even harder with our engineers to improve the car further."

Mark Webber finishes at top in Barcelona

Mark Webber became the first driver to win from pole this season as the Spanish Grand Prix lived up to its notoriously dull reputation until late catastrophe struck Lewis Hamilton.

The past 10 winners of the race at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya have won from the top spot on the grid, with Webber emphatically enforcing that statistic with a lights-to-flag triumph.

It was the 33-year-old Australian's first win this year, and third of his career, elevating him up to fourth in the championship, the 25 points for the victory almost as much as his haul from the first four races.

Hamilton should have grabbed the runner-up spot for the second successive race, only to suffer a suspension failure on the penultimate lap that plunged him into a tyre wall, with the Briton fortunately emerging unharmed.

That, though, was to the delight of the Spanish fans as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso finished second, benefiting also from Sebastian Vettel suffering an issue with the front right of his Red Bull that dropped him to third.

It was never going to be a classic, not at a track where three of the last five races had resulted in just two overtaking manoeuvres, and so it proved.

There was none of Formula One's magic ingredient - water - to spice up the show on this occasion, as had been the case in the last three races in Australia, Malaysia and China.

On a dry track, once the first six cars on the grid had emerged out of the first corner in the same order in which they started, you knew strategy or a retirement would be the only two factors that would result in a positional change.

Again, so it proved, with Jenson Button and Hamilton emerging a loser and an initial winner at the only round of stops that began in earnest around lap 15.

Button and Michael Schumacher, who had started from fifth and sixth, traded those places as the Mercedes crew managed to pull off a marginally better job than their counterparts at McLaren.

What followed was a case of follow-my-leader, despite Button's best efforts to pass the slower 41-year-old in the following laps.

The current world champion made several attempts on the seven-time champion at the first corner, but it was never enough to make it count.

The flip-side for McLaren saw Hamilton pass Vettel, and in the most dramatic of circumstances to provide one of the two highlights of the race, both of them involving the 2008 world champion.

Emerging onto the pit straight, Hamilton soon had Vettel alongside him at over 200mph, but with a slow Lucas di Grassi in his Virgin directly in front of them as they turned into the first corner.

In order to avoid being tagged by Hamilton who had the line going into the left-hander, Di Grassi was forced to veer onto the inside kerb.

Vettel was then forced to run wide and cut across turn two, running over one of the rubber rumble strips in the process designed to slow a car down should they be forced to make an evasive manoeuvre.

It was effectively Formula One's version of 'chicken' and Hamilton emerged the winner.

After amassing 32 overtaking manoeuvres in the previous four races, Hamilton did not manage one on-track move in this event.

Sadly for the 25-year-old cruel luck then hit him hard on lap 65 of 66, and with the chequered flag just four miles away at the time.

If Hamilton had avoided such misery he would have ended the day a point ahead of team-mate Button at the top of the standings.

As it is, he is now 21 points adrift of Button, who has a three-point cushion to Alonso, who is a further seven points ahead of Vettel.

Schumacher's fourth place was his best result this year in a car now much to his liking, albeit one that still finished over a minute behind Webber.

In stark contrast, team-mate Nico Rosberg, who had finished third in the last two races, now finds himself in reverse as he was a woeful 13th.

Behind Button, the top 10 was completed by Ferrari's Felipe Massa, Adrian Sutil for Force India, Robert Kubica in his Renault, Rubens Barrichello for Williams and Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari.

"I'm rapt," said Webber with a beaming smile after his win. "After qualifying yesterday it was a great position to start the race.

"It was quite tight into turn one and we had a good battle through there, but then I settled into a rhythm after that.

"We made sure the tyres were in pretty good nick, a clean pit stop, and after that I had Lewis behind me and controlled the gap.

"The team have been incredible this week. Red Bull and Renault have put the work in, and in the end I'm thrilled."

Alonso was also smiling after the two slices of good fortune that fell his way late on, as he said: "I'm extremely happy after the result

"When you gain two positions in the race late on, it's a fantastic result, but as I've said before we need to improve."

In contrast to Webber, Vettel wore a glum look as he said: "A lot of things went wrong.

"There was no chance to get past Mark at the start, and then I was not quick enough. I struggled with the balance of the car.

"I think we came in too early (for the pit stop), and so we could not get Lewis on the strategy side.

"It was close when Lewis came out, and to avoid contact I went wide, and after that it was impossible to pass.

"With 15 laps to the end the front brakes said goodbye.

"I don't know how to feel. It's third position, and good to take some points, but so many things happened."

Mark Webber on pole in Barcelona

Red Bull Racing continued their unrivalled domination of qualifying this season as they locked out the front row for the third time in five grands prix.

When it comes to the single-lap showdown on Saturdays, the Milton Keynes-based marque are currently in a league of their own, with Mark Webber edging out Sebastian Vettel on this occasion.

Webber's third pole lap of his career was timed at one minute 19.995seconds, a brutal performance from the Australian because, even though Vettel was in close attendance, he was almost a second ahead of Lewis Hamilton in third in his McLaren.

History is now on Webber's side as the last nine winners of this race at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya, and 12 of the last 13, have started from pole.

In front of his adoring fans, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso will start fourth, splitting the McLaren duo as reigning champion and current title leader Jenson Button was fifth.

Alonso, though, caused Mercedes' Nico Rosberg an anxious moment as he cut the German up in the pit lane.

The 28-year-old from Oviedo shot out of his garage for his opening run in Q3, forcing Rosberg to brake sharply and prompt an immediate retort over the team radio as he snapped: "Alonso should get a penalty for that."

Behind Button, and for the first time this season, a much happier Michael Schumacher finally managed to out-qualify team-mate Rosberg.

The seven-time champion, fined £7,200 on Saturday for two separate incidents of speeding in the pit line during practice, starts sixth compared to Rosberg's eighth, with Renault's Robert Kubica separating the duo.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was ninth, with Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi breaking into the top 10 for the second time this season, and on merit as the previous occasion was in the rain-hit chaos in Malaysia.

Rosberg, apparently struggling to find the correct set-up with his car, had only just scraped into Q3, edging out Adrian Sutil by a tenth of a second, leaving the Force India driver to start 11th.

Pedro de la Rosa equalled his best qualifying performance with 12th for Sauber, with the Spaniard ahead of Williams' Nico Hulkenberg and Vitaly Petrov for Renault.

However, in a rapidly-rebuilt car following an accident in final practice earlier on Saturday, Petrov will drop five grid places to 19th due to requiring a gearbox change.

The Toro Rossos of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari qualified 15th and 16th and the second Force India of Vitantonio Liuzzi 17th, but they will all move up a place on Sunday courtesy of Petrov.

For the first time this season Rubens Barrichello failed to make it out of Q1, a major surprise as he had been targeting a place in the top 10, as achieved on two previous occasions this season.

Below the 37-year-old Brazilian were the much-improved Lotus duo of Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen, followed by the Virgin Racing pair of Timo Glock and Lucas di Grassi.

At the rear, and on home soil, came Murcia-based Hispania Racing, with Karun Chandhok comfortably ahead of team-mate Bruno Senna.

However, due to a technical infringement, Glock and di Grassi will start at the back of the grid - probably even the pit lane if they so decide - after incurring five-place penalties.

Webber said: "Normally it's always a good battle in qualifying between me and Seb, who has a very good record against me.

"It's usually tight, but it's nice when you get it altogether and get a good result.

"Today is my day, but there are no points for today, although it's a nice situation to try and build from.

"The guys, on both sides of the garage, have had five hours sleep the last two nights, so they've worked incredibly hard which is paying off.

"(Team principal) Christian (Horner) said you won't get to drive a car like this around here too often, so go and enjoy it, and I did."

Asked if he could change history given the pole record at this track, Vettel succinctly replied: "Yes."

He then added: "Congratulations to Mark. He was unbeatable today.

"I had some good laps in qualifying, especially at the end, and although a tenth (of a second) is not much of a gap, it was too much for me.

"Right now it looks comfortable, but we know how quickly it can change."

As for Hamilton, he looked as surprised as anybody at how quick Red Bull are these days.

"I don't think anybody expected them to be so fast," said Hamilton.

"We knew they would be quick, but that is quite a gap. At least we are there and we can fight."

Jenson Button in bullish mood

Jenson Button heads to Barcelona this weekend in a bullish mood reflective of his status as world champion and current leader in this season's title race.

Two wins from the opening four grands prix have propelled Button into a 10-point lead over the chasing pack, headed by Mercedes GP's Nico Rosberg.

Crucially, it has been the manner of Button's victories that have most impressed as his driving has been smooth and assured, allied to which have been major decisions made at pivotal moments.

Driving a McLaren now very much to his liking, and on a circuit where he won handsomely last season en route to the championship, there is no reason to suggest he cannot make it back-to-back wins in the Spanish Grand Prix.

"It is a race I won last year, and I regard it as one of my best victories of the 2009 season," said Button, who tomorrow will be inducted into the Circuit de Catalunya's Champions Avenue.

"It's a relatively high-speed circuit, one that's quite enjoyable to drive, provided your car is working properly.

"There are some fast corners, but the majority of the track is made up of pretty long corners where you really need the car to do all the work.

"It's a circuit that rewards precision, and punishes aggression, and if you've a car that wants to understeer, then you're going to have a difficult race.

"Fortunately, our car does seem to have a very good neutral balance in the high-speed corners, which is probably the most impressive aspect of the car.

"We also went well there during pre-season testing, so I think we go into this weekend feeling pretty well prepared."

McLaren victories are rare in Barcelona as they have previously struggled to adapt the car to the circuit, claiming just one success in the last nine years - Kimi Raikkonen in 2005.

On this occasion there is a greater degree of well-founded optimism that they are more suited to the 2.892-mile track situated 20 miles north-east of the Catalan city.

"In recent years we've produced successful cars with inherent performance characteristics that enable them to perform better in slower corners," said team principal Martin Whitmarsh.

"While we haven't overlooked high-speed performance, it's not typically been our strongest area, and that might explain our recent loss of form at the Circuit de Catalunya.

"For 2010, however, we feel we have a car that generally excels in high-speed corners, although that in itself isn't enough to suggest a complete reversal of our recent fortunes in Spain.

"But we feel the useful upgrades we're bringing to this race will help us consolidate our position among the leaders and, hopefully, enable us to close the gap to the cars at the front."

The Ferrari barcode advert

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has slammed claims his team's cars carry subliminal tobacco advertising as "ridiculous".

A report last week suggested the use of the barcode displayed on the Ferraris driven this year by Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa was a link to long-time sponsor Philip Morris.

John Britton, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and director of its tobacco advisory group, suggested the barcode resembled the bottom half of a packet of Marlboro cigarettes, and that it was "creeping branding".

Tobacco advertising has been banned in Formula One since 2005, yet the British and Spanish Governments have been urged to ascertain whether Ferrari and Philip Morris are in breach of EU laws.

Responding to the claims, Di Montezemolo said: "Frankly, I find this argument completely pointless.

"It is verging on the ridiculous to claim that the colour red or a graphic design which shows a barcode could induce people to smoke.

"At a time when, on the other side of the Atlantic they are fighting to provide a more equal health service, in the old continent of Europe, so-called experts are racking their brains to come up with theories that have no scientific basis.

"I think there are more important matters to think about than a barcode.

"Therefore, it's best not to waste any more time replying to this sort of nonsense, or to those who are instrumental in wanting to stoke up the story."