Jenson Button won a rain-affected Chinese grand prix in Shanghai to take the lead of the 2010 world championship standings. His McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished a second behind to secure a one-two for the British drivers and McLaren.
Button, the world champion, had started fifth but profited from an early safety-car deployment and a flurry of pit stops by the leading pack due to rain to move into first place on lap 19.
Hamilton, meanwhile, had started in sixth but secured his best finish of the season, while Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg took third for the fourth podium finish of his career.
From the start, it was Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso who jumped from third on the grid into an early lead. He appeared to have made the ideal getaway but replays showed that the Spaniard had jumped the start and consequently he was handed a drive-through penalty following an investigation by stewards. The Guardian
“It was a tricky race and we called it right. It’s not just about being quick - it’s about reading the conditions,” said Button.
Meanwhile, Hamilton once again proved his class when climbing the field.
The 2008 world champion made four pit stops throughout the grand prix in comparison Button’s two, but still managed to fight back and pick up a vital 18 points.
“Jenson made the better choice on the tyres. It wasn’t easy making the call when to change the tyres - I chose very late halfway around the last corner, clearly it wasn’t the right choice,” said Hamilton.
Rosberg, challenged hard by Alonso in the closing stages, again out-performed team-mate Michael Schumacher who finished tenth, while Webber and Vettel will be hugely disappointed with their race performance.
A disappointed Schumacher admitted it had been a exasperating weekend.
“It is one of those races that you call frustrating,” said the seven-time world champion. “There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself.” BBC Sport
Renault’s Robert Kubica finished fifth and teammate Vitaly Petrov earned his first F1 points by taking seventh.
Separating the Renault pair was pole sitter and defending race champion Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver was shuffled back by his decision to change to wet tires and then back to dry ones, and was never in contention.
His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber enlisted the same strategy and finished eighth, ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher, who again struggled for much of the race, and was reduced to trying hold off quicker rivals. Schumacher, back after a three-year retirement, won this race in 2006 for the last of his record 91 victories.
After four races this season, Button leads the drivers’ standings with 60 points, ahead of Rosberg’s 50. Hamilton and Alonso are tied for third with 49 points.
McLaren also took over the lead in the constructors’ standings, with 109, ahead of Ferrari with 90. Mercedes jumped to third with 78, ahead of Red Bull with 73. The Associated Press
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Formula 1: Chinese Grand Prix - Race Results
Sebastian Vettel Beats Mark Webber to Pole Position at Shanghai
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