As Formula One heads into its European summer break after 10 races, MiD DAY looks at how the season has panned out
Australian GP (March 17)
Kimi Raikkonen upstaged the established order to claim a resounding victory for Lotus in the season-opener in Melbourne.u00a0The Finn roared off from seventh on the grid and employed only a two-stop strategy to win from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and World Champion Sebastian Vettel.u00a0Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa was fourth with Lewis Hamilton, making his Mercedes debut after his high-profile defection from McLaren, fifth.
> Standings:u00a0Raikkonen 25 pts, Alonso 18, Vettel 15
> Force India: Paul Di Resta: 8th, Adrian Sutil: 7thu00a0
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Malaysian GPu00a0(March 24)
Vettel incensed Webber and ignited a team orders row as he ignored Red Bull’s strict instructions and pulled off a risky overtaking move to snatch
victory.u00a0The German ace went wheel-to-wheel with Webber late in the race, earning a stern rebuke from team principal Christian Horner, before emerging in front and taking his 27th win, putting him on top of the early championship standings.u00a0Third-placed Hamilton’s first podium for Mercedes was also tainted after team orders reining in teammate Nico Rosberg.
> Standings: Vettel 40, Raikkonen 31, Webber 26
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: Retired, u00a0Adrian Sutil: Retired
Chinese GP (April 14)
Alonso stormed back after failing to finish in Malaysia to open his 2013 account ahead of Raikkonen and pole-sitter Hamilton. Vettel, who had set off from ninth on the grid, finished fourth.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 52, Raikkonen 49, Alonso 42
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 8th, Adrian Sutil: Retired
Bahrain GPu00a0(April 21)
Vettel extended his lead in this year’s title race when he claimed an impressive victory for Red Bull in an incident-filled Bahrain Grand Prix.u00a0It was the 25-year-old’s second win in four races and the 28th of his career.u00a0It saw him pass Jackie Stewart into sixth in the all-time Grand Prix winning list.u00a0Starting second, Vettel took the lead on lap three and then controlled the 57-lap race as he came home 9.1 seconds clear of Raikkonen.u00a0Frenchman Romain Grosjean finished third in the second Lotus, as the Renault-powered team made the best of excellent tyre conservation.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 77, Raikkonen 67, Hamilton 50
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 4th, Adrian Sutil: 13th
Spanish GPu00a0(May 12)
Alonso thrilled his massive home crowd with a dominant victory for Ferrari in a tactical race in which management of Pirelli’s ultra-quick wearing tyres was essential. The Spaniard’s second win of the season endorsed his challenge for a third title. Raikkonen took second with the other Ferrari driven by Massa in third, Vettel fourth and Mercedes pole-sitter Rosberg only sixth.
> Standings: Vettel 89, Raikkonen 85, u00a0Alonso 72
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 7th, Adrian Sutil: 13th
Monaco GPu00a0(May 26)
Rosberg became the first son of a former Monaco Grand Prix winner to triumph on the streets of the Mediterranean principality when he drove his Mercedes to an accomplished victory.u00a0In a chaotic race littered with accidents, a red flag and two Safety Car interventions, the 27-year-old German, son of 1983 victor and original ‘flying Finn’ Keke Rosberg, produced an impeccable and flawless race to claim the second win of his career.u00a0He came home ahead of second placed Vettel and Webber, with Hamilton fourth.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 107, Raikkonen 86, Alonso 78
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 9th, u00a0Adrian Sutil: 5th
Canadian GPu00a0(June 9)
Vettel claimed the 29th victory of his career with his and Red Bull’s first win at the Canadian Grand Prix.u00a0Starting from his third consecutive pole at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the defending triple world champion came home in unchallenged fashion at the end of a serene display of dominant driving from the front.u00a0Alonso fought from sixth on the grid to take second with Hamilton third.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 132, Alonso 96, Raikkonen 88
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 7th, u00a0Adrian Sutil: 10th
British GPu00a0(June 30)
Nico Rosberg won, but his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton took as many plaudits when he recovered from a massive tyre explosion to finish fourth in a thrilling renewal at Silverstone.u00a0In a race marred by four tyre failures, Hamilton lost the lead before fighting back from last place. Rosberg survived huge late pressure from retirement-bound Australian Mark Webber of Red Bull to claim his second win of the season. Alonso took third.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 132, Alonso 111, Raikkonen 98
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 9th, u00a0Adrian Sutil: 7th
German GPu00a0(July 6)
Vettel finally won on home soil and also extended his lead in the world championship to 34 points over Fernando Alonso.u00a0Starting from second place on the grid, Vettel was pushed all the way before easing his Red Bull home ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and his Lotus teammate Romain Grosjean. It was the German’s fourth win of the season and the 30th of his career
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 157, Alonso 123, Raikkonen 116
> Force India: u00a0Paul Di Resta: 11th, u00a0Adrian Sutil: 13th
Hungarian GPu00a0(July 28)
Lewis Hamilton ended weeks of frustration by winning his first race for Mercedes at the Hungarian GP. The 28-year-old Briton led from pole position to the chequered flag, apart from three short spells for pit-stops.
> Standings: u00a0Vettel 172, Raikkonen 134, u00a0Alonso 133
> Force India:u00a0Paul Di Resta: Retired, u00a0Adrian Sutil: Retiredu00a0
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