Webber won Spanish Grand Prix

Mark Webber secured his first victory of the season and the third of his career on Sunday when he cruised to a sumptuous triumph for Red Bull in the Spanish Grand Prix.

The 33-year-old Australian, starting from his third pole position, made the most of that advantage to hold his place in the crush on the opening lap, resisting all attacks at the first corner, and streaking clear of the field.

It was his first win since last year's Brazilian Grand Prix after he had become the first Australian victor since Alan Jones in 1981 when he claimed his maiden win in Germany — and will have injected priceless belief in his bid to challenge for the championship.

Webber came home 24 seconds clear of home hero two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who profited from two dramatic late incidents to climb from fourth and give the big Catalan crowd good reason to celebrate.

Briton Lewis Hamilton of McLaren looked certain to finish second until he suffered a puncture on his penultimate lap of the 66-laps contest and crashed off the track, his front left wheel almost wrenched off his car.

This gave Alonso his second place and also enabled Webber's Red Bull team-mate German Sebastian Vettel to take third. despite having to take an additional pit-stop in the closing stages after he had gone off into a gravel trap.

These late rare incidents were among very few to punctuate what turned out, predictably, to be a largely processional race at the Circuit de Catalunya. Seven-time champion German Michael Schumacher, 41, came home fourth ahead of fifth-placed defending champion Briton Jenson Button in the second McLaren.

Webber's win lifted him up among the leading contenders in the drivers championship still led by Button on 70 with Alonso now second on 67. In the constructors' title race, McLaren lead with 117 and Ferrari are second on 116.

The results: 1. Mark Webber (RedBull-Renault) 1:35:44.101; 2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) +00:24.065; 3. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull- Renault) 00:51.338; 4. Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) 01:02.195; 5. Jenson Button (McLaren) 01:03.728; 6. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 01:05.767; 7. Adrian Sutil (Force India-Mercedes) 01:12.941; 8. Robert Kubica (Renault) 01:13.677; 9. Rubens Barrichello (Williams-Cosworth) 1 lap; 10. Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 1 lap; 11. Vitaly Petrov (Renault) 1 lap; 12. Kamui Kobayashi (BMW Sauber-Ferrari) 1 lap; 13. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1 lap; 14. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) 2 laps; 15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Force India-Mercedes) 2 laps; 16. Nico Huelkenberg (Williams-Cosworth) 2 laps; 17. Jarno Trulli (Lotus-Cosworth) 3 laps; 18. Timo Glock (Virgin-Cosworth) 3 laps; 19. Lucas Di Grassi (Virgin-Cosworth) 4 laps r. Sebastien Buemi (Toro Rosso-Ferrari) 24 laps r. Karun Chandhok (HRT-Cosworth) 39 laps r. Pedro de la Rosa (BMW Sauber-Ferrari) 48 laps r. Bruno Senna (HRT-Cosworth) 66 laps r. Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus-Cosworth) DNS laps.

Standings: Drivers: 1. Jenson Button 70 points; 2. Fernando Alonso 67; 3. Sebastian Vettel 60; 4. Mark Webber 53; 5. Nico Rosberg 50; 6. Lewis Hamilton 49; 7. Felipe Massa 49; 8. Robert Kubica 44; 9. Michael Schumacher 22; 10. Adrian Sutil 16; 11. Vitantonio Liuzzi 8; 12. Rubens Barrichello 7; 13. Vitaly Petrov 6; 14. Jaime Alguersuari 3; 15. Nico Huelkenberg 1; 16. Sebastien Buemi 0; 17. Pedro de la Rosa 0; 17. Kamui Kobayashi 0; 19. Heikki Kovalainen 0; 20. Karun Chandhok 0; 21. Lucas Di Grassi 0; 22. Bruno Senna 0; 23. Jarno Trulli 0; 24. Timo Glock 0.

Constructors: 1. McLaren- Mercedes 119 points; 2. Ferrari 116; 3. RedBull- Renault 113; 4. Mercedes GP 72; 5. Renault 50; 6. Force India-Mercedes 24; 7. Williams-Cosworth 8; 8. Toro Rosso- Ferrari 3; 9. BMW Sauber-Ferrari 0; 10. Lotus-Cosworth 0; 11. HRT-Cosworth 0; 12. Virgin-Cosworth 0 .