Red Bull loses their wings as Alonso stops the rot.

Fernando Alonso took Ferrari's first win of 2011 with a stunning drive at a thrilling British Grand Prix.
The Spaniard took the lead following a pit-stop problem for Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel but the Ferrari had genuine race-winning pace.

Vettel was left to fend off team-mate Mark Webber, who was told to hold position by team boss Christian Horner while Lewis Hamilton finished fourth, holding off Ferrari's Felipe Massa in an exciting last-lap duel.

Jenson Button retired following a problem at his final pit-stop, when he set off to rejoin the race without a wheel nut on his right front wheel and he had to stop in the pit exit.

Vettel's race also turned on a pit error. The German took the lead at the start from Webber, who began from pole, as the drivers had to cope with tricky conditions on a track that was wet over half its length but dry over the other.

The Red Bulls appeared to be in control early on in the mixed conditions, with Vettel leading Webber, and Hamilton taking third from Alonso on lap 15 with a brilliant move at the fast Copse corner.

But as the track dried, the race turned on its head.

Alonso started to pump in fastest laps, closing on Hamilton and re-passing him on lap 24, and then on the Red Bulls.

He and Vettel came in on the same lap, 27, for their penultimate stops, and a delay fitting the left-rear wheel to the Red Bull enabled Alonso to pass Vettel in the pits and take the lead.

Vettel rejoined behind Hamilton and was unable to overtake him on the track as Alonso extended his lead with another run of impressive fastest laps, building it to 10 seconds by the time the Red Bull made its final pit stop.

The German managed to jump Hamilton, who came in on the next lap, but although Vettel was now second behind Alonso, the Ferrari continued to pull away to victory.

Vettel admitted that Ferrari had deserved their victory: "I think you have to accept fair and square Ferrari beat us today.

"There has been a bit of a trend over the last couple of races, they have been very strong on race days, so it shows us we need to keep pushing and improving the car."

He added: "It would have been a tight race because Ferrari had very good pace. It was not just us being unlucky and finishing second because of a mistake. Fernando was very competitive."

A delighted Alonso hailed his Ferrari colleagues as he spoke of his victory.