The heat was blistering this weekend, for the 2011 Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe. They say the ambient temperature was 27 degrees F, while it reached 47 degrees on the track. These were the conditions of the street circuit in Valencia in Spain, on Sunday the 26th of June. This was one of one of the biggest races of the year.

There were 24 racers on the grid. RBR-Renault’s Sebastian Vettel started from pole position. Despite some wondering if his dominance this season might be slipping. This was after the Canada Grand Prix, when the German driver lost his lead to Jenson Button. But Vettel put those fears to rest by finishing first in Valencia.

However he was not alone in triumph. The Spanish racer Fernando Alonso, with Ferrari, also had a good weekend. He finished the European Grand Prix in second place. This marked his first showing on the podium this season.

Vettel’s Renault team mate; the Australian Mark Webber, came in third place. Britain’s Lewis Hamilton; with McLaren-Mercedes, overcame worn tyres to finish in fourth. Felipe Massa was in fifth place. Jenson Button, whom has previously won a race this season, crossed the line in sixth.

Sebastian Vettel currently stands at the top of the leader board with 186 points. Jenson Button is in second place, with Mark Webber on third. They both have the same number of points, 109. But Button is ahead because he has already had a win this season. Fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton is fourth on the leader board, with 97 points. He is followed by Fernando Alonso with 87.

This is how things stand as we go into the next race of the calendar. It is now onto the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on the 10th of July.