• Spanish Grand Prix
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Webber rues getting stuck behind Alonso

ESPNF1 Staff
May 22, 2011 « Button rues opening lap | »
Fernando Alonso kept Mark Webber at bay until his final pit stop © Getty Images
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Mark Webber said getting stuck behind Fernando Alonso midway through the Spanish Grand Prix ruined his strategy.

Webber started from pole position but lost out to Fernando Alonso and team-mate Sebastian Vettel in the first corner. Vettel managed to leapfrog Alonso in the second pit stops but Webber missed out and ended up losing a place to Lewis Hamilton. He then had to wait until Alonso's final pit stop to pass the Ferrari, despite having better race pace.

"At the end of the race I finished 40 seconds behind Lewis and Fernando finished a lap behind the leader," he said. "It was an interesting day today and goes to show you how fine the margins are when you're off a little bit on strategy. If you don't clear people at the right time then you get exposed."

Webber said he could do nothing to fend off Alonso into the first corner and was left high and dry as a result.

"It looked like Fernando got a phenomenal start and then obviously everyone is in the tow going into the first corner," he said. "I went down the inside and was obviously a bit compromised and Seb was on the outside. It wasn't the start we had planned and from then on it was a bit like chess really with people covering off others with pit stops and not really doing much racing on track."

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