MARK WEBBER finally ended his victory drought by taking the final chequered flag of the 2011 Formula One season in Brazil.

Webber’s first win for 26 races came at the expense of Sebastian Vettel as his Red Bull team-mate was forced to drive for the bulk of the 71-lap race with a gearbox issue.

That did not stop Vettel from conjuring a one-two for Red Bull at Interlagos, appropriately so in a year they have dominated from the start in Australia to the finish in South America.

Behind them, Jenson Button continued his stunning end to the year by claiming his eighth podium in the last nine races, so finishing second in the drivers’ championship.

However, it was a sorry end for McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton as he retired with a gearbox issue.

Following his seventh career victory, Webber admitted to feeling ‘very good’.

He added: “We had a little bit of the rub of the green, and it would have been nice to have had a battle with Seb to the line.

“But it’s a win and I’ll take it because I’ve had enough bad luck, so it’s a very important win for me and the team, to finish on a high. I enjoyed doing the last few laps. It was a nice way to finish.”

Reflecting on his gearbox problem, Vettel said: “It was a real shame because I had a good start and I was able to pull away.

“But I had to manage the problem, short shifting, using higher gears throughout the race. Nevertheless Mark drove a fantastic race and deserved to win.

“Overall we’ve had an amazing season, and it would be over the top being upset, so we’ll take second and a one-two finish for the team.”