Jenson Button wins Australian Grand Prix

Formula One World champion Jenson Button timed his pit stop to perfection to chalk up his first win for McLaren in a rain-affected and entertaining Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Briton, a winner in Melbourne with Brawn GP last year, took the lead when Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, starting on pole position, was pitched into the gravel mid-race by a brake failure.

“It feels so good... guys, amazing job, I think we got that pit stop pretty much perfect,” Button, who went for an early change to slicks that proved crucial, shouted over the team radio after beating Renault's Robert Kubica by 12.034 seconds. “It was the right time. Fantastic job, this is a great way to start the year.”

Kubica second

Poland's Kubica was comfortably clear of Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa, who nosed out Spanish teammate Fernando Alonso for third. Seven times World champion Michael Schumacher finished 10th for Mercedes after being effectively ruled out of the running at the first corner.

Button's left front tyre hit Alonso's right at the first turn, causing the Spaniard to spin and collide with Schumacher and break the Mercedes' front wing. Both then had to fight back from the rear. Only 14 cars finished the race as intermittent showers made tyre selection, and the timing of pit stops, a key factor on the bumpy street circuit.

Early appearance

The safety car made an early appearance when BMW Sauber's Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi rebounded off a barrier at turn six on the first lap, crashing into Williams's German driver Nico Hulkenberg. The incident also forced Toro Rosso's Sebastien Buemi out.

Double World champion Alonso, who won on his Ferrari debut in Bahrain last week, stayed top of the standings after two races with 37 points, in front of Massa who has 33.

Button's victory allowed him to claw back to 31 in the championship race and allowed McLaren to close to 54 points, second behind Ferrari on 70 in the constructors' standings.

The results:

1. Jenson Button (McLaren) 1 hr 33 mins 36.531 secs;

2. Robert Kubica (Renault) +12.034;

3. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 14.488;

4. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 16.304;

5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 16.683;

6. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren); 29.898.

7. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 59.847;

8. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 1:00.536;

9. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 1:07.319;

10. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 1:09.391;

11. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso) 1:34:47.832;

12. Pedro de la Rosa (Sauber) 1:34:50.615;

13. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus) 1:34:49.139;

14. Karun Chandhok (HRT) 5 laps;

18. Adrian Sutil (Force India) 49 laps (retired).

Not classified: 15. Timo Glock (Virgin);

16. Lucas di Grassi (Virgin);

17. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull);

19. Vitaly Petrov (Renault);

20. Bruno Senna (Hispania);

21. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso);

22. Nico Hulkenberg (Williams);

23. Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber);

24. Jarno Trulli (Lotus).

Drivers' standings:

1. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 37 points;

2. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 33;

3. Jenson Button (McLaren) 31;

4. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 23;

5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 20;

6. Robert Kubica (Renault); 18

7. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 12;

8. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 9;

9. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India) 8;

10. Mark Webber (Red Bull) 6;

11. Rubens Barrichello (Williams) 5.

Constructors' standings:
1. Ferrari (70 points);

2. McLaren (54);

3. Mercedes (29);

4. Red Bull (18),

Renault (18);

6. Force India (8);

7. Williams (5);

8. Toro Rosso (0), Lotus (0), HRT (0), BMW Sauber (0), Virgin-Cosworth (0) .