2010 Formula One World Championship needed to finish fourth to claim the title. McLaren's Jenson Button took the lead of the race when Sebastian Vettel pitted, the 2009 World Champion attempting to extend his lead enough to avoid a costly encounter with Robert Kubica after Lewis Hamilton got caught behind the Renault driver; passing Kubica would give him a chance to catch Vettel, who would resume the lead when Button pitted. Button needed a lead of twenty-two seconds to rejoin the circuit ahead of Kubica and Hamilton, but Kubica was able to match him on lap times and McLaren were forced to pit Button, who
Sebastian Vettel going on to describe the events of the first lap as a "racing incident". At the Russian Grand Prix, Vettel retired on the first lap after two consecutive collisions with Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat was handed a ten-second stop-go penalty and three penalty points on his licence. Vettel came third in the Spanish Grand Prix following Max Verstappen's maiden win in Formula One. He came fourth in the Monaco Grand Prix and second in the Canadian Grand Prix, following Lewis Hamilton's first two wins of the season. At the Mexican Grand Prix, Vettel attempted to overtake Verstappen, but