Race
Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its silver-banded hard compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound as the softer "option" compound. This was the same tyre selection that Bridgestone had chosen bring to the Chinese Grand Prix for the previous year. In the Constructors' table, Red Bull Racing led with 72 points, one and a half times McLaren 's score (48), and double Ferrari's (36). Despite having two podiums, Renault were still behind Ferrari; but only just - with 30 points - and were putting up a good fight for the time being. Sauber were fifth in the standings, with 6 points, Toro Rosso and Force India had 4, and Mercedes had 2. By this point of the season, Williams were yet to finish a race.
Qualifying
Nico Rosberg in his Mercedes found himself fourth, Rosberg also recorded the fastest time of the first part of the qualifying session. Behind him were the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa, who had been unable to keep up with the pace of Red Bull or McLaren, Alonso recording a time almost a second off Vettel's pole position lap. Vitaly Petrov recorded a time in part two that got him through to the final part of qualifying, however, his car developed problems and stopped on the track, meaning he was u... Notes
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing-Renault | 1:35.674 | 1:34.776 |
| 2 | 4 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:35.924 | 1:34.662 |
| 3 | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36.091 | 1:34.486 |
| 4 | 8 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:35.272 | 1:35.850 |
| 5 | 5 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:35.389 | 1:35.165 |
| 6 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:35.478 | 1:35.437 |
| 7 | 19 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1:36.133 | 1:35.563 |
| 8 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1:35.702 | 1:35.858 |
| 9 | 18 | Sébastien Buemi | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1:36.110 | 1:35.500 |
| 10 | 10 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 1:35.370 | 1:35.149 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Hold on to your helmets! The air hangs crisp, a balmy 22 degrees – that's a crucial factor, isn't it? Hamilton explodes from third, a calculated aggression fueled by a 750 horsepower McLaren MP4-26, snatching the lead with ruthless precision. This isn't just a race; it's a psychological war waged on the asphalt, and Hamilton's move has shattered the Red Bull's dominance.
Shanghai erupts! Hamilton, a force of pure, unadulterated fury, slices through the pack – a breathtaking 3. 8 seconds devoured from Webber! Twenty-one points! The gap to Vettel widens, a chasm carved by strategy and raw speed. Consider this: McLaren's win ratio in China now stands at an astonishing 66. 7%, a testament to mastering this notoriously tricky circuit.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Hamilton! He's *demolishing* Petrov! The gap is swelling, a chasm of pure speed and calculated aggression. You feel the heat radiating off the McLaren, a tangible force pushing Petrov back, back, *back* into the wall! This isn't just a victory; it's a brutal assertion of dominance. Vettel watches, helpless, a flickering shadow of what he should be. The championship, once within his grasp, slips away with every breathtaking overtake. A seismic shift in Shanghai!
The rain…it never truly comes, does it? Just a persistent dampness clinging to the asphalt, a nervous energy settling over the pit lane. Hamilton, a coiled spring, meticulously adjusting his gloves – a habit born of relentless pressure. Twenty-one points. That's what's dangling, a tantalizing thread for the young Brit. Vettel, a statue of controlled aggression, studying the telemetry, calculating every micro-adjustment. The Red Bull machine, a predator, poised to strike. This isn't just a race; it's a psychological chessboard, and Hamilton is playing for the crown.