Neither Vettel nor the underdog team put a wheel wrong, as superb driving, strategy and pit work brought them home comfortably clear of McLarens Heikki Kovalainen and BMW Saubers Robert Kubica.
In Vettels wake, team mate Sebastien Bourdais was left on the grid as the race started behind the safety car because of the rain that started half an hour before the kick-off. But even without his wingman, Vettel never had a problem in this one. Kovalainens expected challenge never materialised, leaving the Finn sorely disappointed. Kubicas single pit stop was timed to absolute perfection, as he was able to refuel and switch from Bridgestones extreme wets to normal wets at the same time. Both Vettel and Kovalainen stopped twice.
A long way behind them, Fernando Alonso brought his Renault home just ahead of Nick Heidfelds BMW Sauber, Felipe Massas Ferrari and Lewis Hamiltons McLaren. They were covered by a handful of seconds.
Hamilton drove superbly in the wet opening stages, but was forced to make an unscheduled second stop to move to standard wet tyres and lacked crucial pace towards the end. With four laps left he and Red Bulls Mark Webber touched wheels under braking for the first chicane, but both cars survived undamaged and the Australian took the final point for eighth place.
Ferraris Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest lap but could not better ninth place ahead of Renaults Nelson Piquet, Toyotas Timo Glock, Williams Kazuki Nakajima, Toyotas Jarno Trulli, Williams Nico Rosberg, Hondas Jenson Button, Red Bulls David Coulthard, Hondas Rubens Barrichello and Bourdais.
The two Toyotas and Rosberg were well placed until they had to stop to switch to standard wet tyres, while Nakajima collided with Coulthard on the 51st lap in Curva Grande, forcing the Scot to pit for a new nose.
The sole retirement was Giancarlo Fisichella, who crashed his Force India after also hitting Coulthard on Lap 12.
Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitzs deserved first F1 victory thus came from the team he put up for sale earlier in the season. It means Vettel is now ninth in the driver standings, while Toro Rosso edge ahead of Red Bull Racing in sixth.
At the top of the drivers table Hamilton now has a single point lead over Massa, 77 to 76, pending McLarens Belgian appeal. Kubica has 64 and Raikkonen 57. In the constructors championship McLaren close still further on Ferrari, with 129 points to the Scuderias 134.
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