After winning three of the first four races, many thought the Spanish Grand Prix would be another walk in the park for the reigning World Champion after he started next to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber on the front row of the grid.However, the German was made to work hard for his win right from the start after Ferrari's Fernando Alonso beat the two Red Bulls and McLaren's Hamilton off the line.
Vettel, though, was able to sneak past Alonso after the second round of pit stops, but that was only half the battle won as Hamilton put in an incredible late charge to keep the Championship pacesetter honest.
"I'm very, very happy, a great result and after yesterday I think it's another confirmation that we're very strong," he said.
"Many people said today this will not be a race and that it will only be between Mark and myself, but we've seen at Turn 1 the Ferrari was there and then the McLarens gave us a very hard time.
"That's why I think I'm even happier today that we made it because these guys were pushing very hard."
It wasn't all plain sailing for Vettel as he first struggled to pass Alonso in the DRS zone early in the race and then he had problems with KERS late on as Hamilton closed in on him.
"It was pretty tough," he said. "At the beginning of the race I had a good start but I don't understand where Fernando Alonso came from. He was leading after the first lap and we could not get close enough in the DRS zone to pass him but we got him at the pit stop.
"McLaren were very strong, Lewis in particular. The last few laps I felt like China, with my tyres falling away. He was always getting in the DRS zone but in the last few laps I got a good run in the last sector to make it stick.
"I sometimes had KERS on, sometimes off. It was not an easy race. McLaren gave us a hard time. It was quite a big release when you cross the finish line."
Vettel leads the Championship on 118 points, 41 ahead of Hamilton.
Source: Planet-F1
