Webber left with mixed emotions

The Australian had qualified in second position but was dropped to seventh following a penalty for replacing his car's gearbox ahead of the race.

In the end Webber finished a distant fifth which was not enough to keep him in the championship lead following McLaren's 1-2.

Having recovered two places after his penalty, Webber welcomed the points, but admitted he was hoping for a podium.

"We knew it was going to be a bit like that here today," Webber told the BBC. "Tyres playing a huge role in the race, also, when you've obviously made the pit strategies that we did and I think in the end we did the best that we could do.

"Obviously, they split the cars with Seb [Vettel] on the option in the middle. I stayed on the Prime and was going to finish the race on the Option. Obviously it's dangerous waiting for a safety car as well in terms of because, if that happens, your race is pretty much over as well in the front as the race is neutralised.

"So mixed emotions. I mean, after the penalty this morning - seventh - but then I had a good first few laps. I managed to get into a few people. That took its toll a little bit on the first set of tyres so I was in trouble a little bit earlier than I would have liked."

Webber, who had opted to start the race on the harder tyre compound and finish on softs, denied the strategy had backfired.

"Not really," he said. "I knew everyone was pretty close together. I was obviously monitoring the gaps to Lewis. It was going away a bit obviously at the start because he was pacing to get to the end. I was just trying to hold my pace constant. In the end, the tyres didn't want that pace so in the end they go away.

"It's virtually impossible to keep them happy - the tyres - degrading no matter really how slow you drive.

"It wasn't really a surprise - because I knew people were backed up behind Lewis - to come back out fifth. It would have been nice to get a few more places. I wanted some champagne today but in the end it didn't happen."