Brits back on top!

Lewis Hamilton returned to the top of the Formula One podium for the first time this season on Sunday with a smile of delight that only rubbed salt in Red Bull's wounds, writes Alan Baldwin.

The 2008 world champion, without a victory since September, led McLaren team mate and champion Jenson Button in a one-two finish in Turkey after his Red Bull rivals collided in front of him.

While Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel blamed each other, Hamilton put on a display of harmony afterwards by embracing Button and hugging his teammate's father before spraying the bubbly.

The two Britons had also jousted on track, fighting hard for the lead without putting a wheel out of place or banging into each other.

Button offered his immediate congratulations over the team radio: "That was excellent, well done Lewis," said the older Briton, who has already won twice this season.

"Me and Jenson had a good little battle," said the 25-year-old Hamilton of his 12th career win. "He got me on the outside into turn 13 and then fortunately I was able to get him back into turn one and so that was definitely unexpected. It was a really fair battle and a great result for the team - our second one-two.

"I think we truly deserved it and I want to dedicate this win to my dad. It's his 50th birthday tomorrow - it's the perfect way for him to celebrate."

The only jarring point of the afternoon came when a questioner asked Hamilton at the post-race news conference whether he was now back. "I don't think I was ever gone," he said. "I have just been a little unfortunate up until now and I think bit by bit - myself and the team - have just worked very hard to chip away.

"Yesterday we qualified second. We knew that there was just one step we needed to make. They made it very tough for us but we put up a good fight."

Hamilton was right behind the Red Bulls when they collided 18 laps from the finish and he could scarcely believe his luck.

"It was great to watch, it was like an action movie in HD or 3D; it was fantastic," said the Englishman, now third in the standings and nine points off Webber's lead.

Hamilton also had his American singer girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger with him at a race for the first time this year and is sure to encourage her to come along more often.

"I wouldn't say no to it," he said when asked whether she was his good luck charm. "Every time she seems to come I seem to win. I think it was Monaco 2008 she came, Hungary I won and Singapore (last year), so she is definitely a little bit lucky for me I think."

Arch rival Ferrari's 800th Formula One race, however, ended with a disappointing performance at the Turkish Grand Prix and left the Italian team vowing to address performance issues to salvage a sub-par season.

Felipe Massa finished seventh and Fernando Alonso eighth at the 'Otodrom' as the Italians failed to place in the top three for the second straight race.

"It wasn't the performance we expected to have. We need to address the issues because we have time to react," team principal Stefano Domenicali said. "We must make a step forward to close the performance gap. We need reaction and not depression."

Alongside Mercedes and Renault, Ferrari has been left chasing Red Bull and McLaren after a promising start which saw Alonso win the season-opening Bahrain GP.

"It was a case of damage limitation," two-time champion Alonso said of F1's most successful team's problems.

Team by team analysis (top four, in championship order)

MCLAREN (Lewis Hamilton 1, Jenson Button 2): Hamilton's first win of the season and McLaren's third lifted the team to the top of the constructors' standings (172 points). Also McLaren's second one-two of 2010 and Hamilton's 12th career win.

Hamilton made a slow start and was passed by Vettel before getting back into second place. He and Button cashed in when the Red Bulls collided. Button moved up to second overall, Hamilton third.

RED BULL (Mark Webber 3, Sebastian Vettel retired): Webber led from pole until lap 40, when he and Vettel collided. Vettel retired on the spot while Webber went off before rejoining in third. The Australian stretched his overall lead to five points.

Vettel dropped from being level with Webber to fifth place overall.

FERRARI (Felipe Massa 7, Fernando Alonso 8): Ferrari started their 800th GP with muted expectations and came away with just 10 points. Alonso slipped from third overall to fourth and Massa from fifth to seventh.

MERCEDES (Michael Schumacher 4, Nico Rosberg 5): Schumacher equalled his best result of the season but was 31 seconds behind Hamilton at the chequered flag.