Race Notes - Barrichello wins European GP

Rubens Barrichello won the European Grand Prix, in Valencia, Spain, today in his Brawn-Mercedes, ahead of polesitter Lewis Hamilton in second in his McLaren-Mercedes, and Kimi Riakkonen in his Ferrari in third place.

Barrichello's tenth career victory is his first win for a team other than Ferrari. The win is Brawn GP's seventh victory of the season. Barrichello also jumped past the two Red Bull drivers in the Drivers World Championship standing to retake second place - 18 points behind Jenson Button - with six rounds still remaining.

Heikki Kovalainen, after starting on the front row, finishes fourth in the McLaren-Mercedes, followed by Nico Rosberg in the Williams-Toyota in fifth, Fernando Alonso in the Renault in sixth, Championship leader Jenson Button in the Brawn-Mercedes in seventh, and Robert Kubica in the BMW Sauber in the final points paying position.

At the start Hamilton led from pole followed by Kovalainen and Barrichello, while Raikkonen jumped to fourth getting past Button and Sebastian Vettel. Sebastien Buemi and Timo Glock make contact.

Button falls behind Rosberg and Alonso, while Jarno Trulli passes Romain Grojean, making contact and causing damage to the Frenchman's front wing.

Button attempts to pass Alonso, but brakes too deep, Alonso stays ahead.

At the end of the first lap Grosjean, Buemi and Glock all pit.

On lap 2 Luca Badoer spins but recovers - he runs in 17th.

On lap 6 Webber mentions on his radio that Button cut the chicane on the first lap. Button lets Webber through to take back 8th.

At lap 7 Hamilton leads Kovalainen by 4.6 seconds, followed by Barrichello (6.5s), Raikkonen (7.9s), Vettel (9.6s), Rosberg (11.3s), Alonso (13.1s), Webber (15.3s) Button (16.7s) and Kubica (17.7s) in tenth place.

Barrichello, on the harder tyres keeping contact with the McLarens on the softer tyres, but should have 3 or 4 more laps of fuel onboard before his first stop.

On lap 9 Grosjean spins but continues.

At lap 12 Hamilton continues to lead his team mate Kovalainen by 6.3 seconds followed by Barrichello (8.1s), Raikkonen (11.0s), Vettel (12.5s), Rosberg (15.2s), Alonso (16.3s), Webber (19.0s), Button (21.4s) and Kubica (22.6s) in tenth place.

On lap 16 Hamilton pits from the lead, along with Vettel from fifth and Kubica in tenth. Hamilton rejoins in sixth behind Alonso.

Kovalainen pits on the next lap, Barrichello taking over the lead, along with Alonso from fifth. Vettel, having a fuel rig problem, pits again for fuel, he rejoins in 15th place.

Barrichello sets a new fastest lap.

On lap 19 Raikkonen pits from second place, Button pits as well.

On lap 20 Barrichello pits from the lead and rejoins in second place - behind Hamilton, but getting ahead of Kovalainen. Rosberg and Webber pit as well.

At lap 21 Hamilton leads Barrichello by 3.2 seconds, followed by Kovalainen (7.6s), Heidfeld (9.4s), Adrian Sutil (10.2s), Raikkonen (12.8s), Rosberg (14.5s), Alonso (19.7s), Webber (22.3s) and Giancarlo Fisichella (23.5s) in tenth place.

On lap 23 Nick Heidfeld and Sutil both make their first pitstops, along with Jaime Alguersuari, Sutil getting ahead of Heidfeld during the stops.

Hamilton is told on his radio that his rear tyre temperatures are running high.

On lap 25 Vettel pulls off the track with an engine failure.

On lap 28 Badoer and Grosjean pit from 16th and 17th, Grosjean passing the Ferrari on the pit exit.

At lap 30 Hamilton leads Barrichello by 4.1 seconds, both drivers matching lap times, followed by Kovalainen (8.9s), Raikkonen (14.5s), Rosberg (21.2s), Alonso (25.7s), Webber (30.5s), Fisichella (31.9s), Button (33.7s) and Kazuki Nakajima (34.1s) in tenth place.

On lap 30 Nakajima pits, Fisichella makes his first stop from 8th on the next lap - Trulli the only driver yet to pit.

On lap 33 Glock pits, while Badoer serves a drive-through penalty for closing the white line on pit-exit. Alguersuari pits the next lap.

On lap 34 Trulli is the last driver to make his first stop.

On lap 37 Hamilton, with a 3.6 second lead over Barrichello, pits for his second stop - the McLaren mechanics not having all the tyres ready, with a slow stop of 13.4 seconds. Kovalainen pits from second place the next lap, while Barrichello sets fastest lap.

Nakajima suffers a right-rear puncture and slowly continues around to the pits.

On lap 39 Barrichello pits from the lead along with Raikkonen from second place. Barrichello rejoins ahead of Hamilton.

At lap 41 Barrcihello leads Rosberg, yet to make his second stop, by 2.9s, followed by Hamilton (6.0s), Alonso (7.3s), Raikkonen (13.2s), Kovalainen (15.4s), Webber (16.1s), Button (16.5s), Heidfeld (25.1s) and Robert Kubica (36.0s) in tenth place.

On lap 43 Alonso pits from fourth and Button from eighth place.

On lap 44 Rosberg pits from second place along with Webber and Heidfled.

Buemi suffers a brake failure, spins and retires.

Barrichello on the soft tyre continues to lead Hamilton on the harder tyre by 6 seconds - both fueled for a run to finish.

Button in seventh place, sets a new fastest lap.

On lap 49 Glock pits for a third time.

At lap 50, Barrichello leads Hamilton by 5.9 seconds, followed by Raikkonen (14.6s), Kovalainen (20.2s), Rosberg (22.8s), Alonso (25.4s), Button (29.3s), Kubica (37.1s), Webber (41.5s) and Sutil (45.4s) in tenth place.

Glock set the fastest lap of the race on lap 55.

Barrichello continued to lead Hamilton to the chequered flag.