Formula 1 News

Jenson Button wins the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix 

Hamilton completes McLaren one two. Podium finish for Rosberg.

McLaren’s Jenson Button took his second win in the season at the Chinese Grand Prix, again after a perfect tyre call on the damp Chinese circuit.

Team-mate Lewis Hamilton finished second handing a one-two finish to the Woking based team.

Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg outpaced again team-mate and seven time world champion Michael Schumacher by taking his second consecutive podium finish.

Fourth place for Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso ahead of Renault’s Robert Kubica, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, Renault’s Vitaly Petrov, Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher.

2010 Chinese Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:

Pre race: With 30 minutes to the start of the race, light rain is falling on the Shanghai circuit. No indication of a wet start yet from the FIA officials.

Formation lap: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position for the third time in the season ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Behind the two, there’s Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg. McLaren’s Jenson Button starts fifth ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, Renault’s Robert Kubica, Merecedes GP’s Michael Schumacher and Force India’s Adrian Sutil. HRT’s Karun Chandhok along with Virgin Racing’s Lucas di Grassi will start from the pitlane. Glock has stopped on the grid on the formation lap. He will start from the pitlane. More rain falling now.

Race start: Great start for Alonso. Alonso in P1. Webber P2, Vettel P3.

Lap 1/56: Safety car after a collision between Liuzzi, Buemi and Kobayashi.

Lap 2/56: Barrichello, Alguersuari and Sutil have pitted for intermediates.

Lap 3/56: Alonso and Webber pit. Schumacher, Vettel, Massa too.

Lap 4/56: Rosberg in the lead. Button P2 then, Kubica, Petrov, de la Rosa, Alonso and Kovalainen. Massa in P12.

Lap 5/56: Both Virgin’s have retired during the race start. Schumacher pits. Race control: drive through penalty for Fernando Alonso for a jump start.

Lap 6/56: Vettel and Hamilton pit. The two almost made contact in the pitlane.

Lap 7/56: Sutil and Webber pit. Rosberg still leading the race.

Lap 8/56: Hamilton passes Barrichello for P12. de la Rosa retires.

Lap 10/56: Rosberg P1, Button, Kubica, Petrov, Alguersuari, Kovalainen, Schumacher, Sutil and Vettel. Hamilton passes Webber for P10. Di Grassi back in the circuit.

Lap 11/56: Vettel and Hamilton pass Kovalainen. Schumacher P6, Sutil P7.

Lap 12/56: Hamilton overtakes Sutil for P7. Vettel P9, Webber P10.

Lap 13/56: Vettel struggling to pass Sutil’s Force India. Vettel and Webber pass Sutil.

Lap 14/56: Fastest lap for Hamilton.

Lap 15/56: Hamilton tailing Schumacher for P5.

Lap 17/56: Hamilton makes it past Schumacher at Turn 14.

Lap 18/56: Rosberg still in the lead, Button second, Kubica third. Vettel passes Schumacher for P6.

Lap 19/56: Alguersuari overtakes Sutil for P9. Button overtakes Rosberg and takes the lead.

Lap 20/56: Schumacher and Webber pit. Alguersuari, Sutil and the two Ferraris too.

Lap 21/56: Hamilton and Vettel near miss in the pitlane will be investigated at the end of the race. Button, Rosberg, Kubica pit. Alguersuari has lost his front wing while entering the pitlane.

Lap 22/56: Safety car deployed. Debris on the track from Alguersuari’s front wing.

Lap 24/56: Button P1, Rosberg P2, Kubica P3, Petrov P4, Schumacher P5, Webber P6, Hamilton P7, Vettel P8, Sutil P9, Alonso P10. Hulkenberg pits for slicks.

Lap 25/56: Safety car in this lap.

Lap 26/56: Hamilton passes Schumacher for P5.

Lap 27/56: Hamilton tailing Petrov for P4. Alonso passes Schumacher for P7. Hamilton overtakes Petrov for P4.

Lap 28/56: Alonso tailing Sutil for P6.

Lap 29/56: Button P1 then Rosberg, Kubica, Hamilton, Petrov, Sutil, Alonso, Vettel, Schumacher. Hamilton overtakes Kubica for P3. Alonso passes Sutil for P6. Sutil being passed by Vettel.

Lap 31/56: Alonso P6 then Vettel, Sutil, Schumacher, Massa and Webber.

Lap 33/56: Petrov has spun. Petrov now in P7, Alonso P5, Vettel P6.

Lap 35/56: Rosberg being tailed by Hamilton for P2.

Lap 36/56: Hamilton overtakes Rosberg for a moment but the German fights back and regains his position.

Lap 38/56: Hamilton, Vettel and Kubica pit.

Lap 39/56: Button and Rosberg pit. Alonso too. Sutil and Massa pit.

Lap 40/56: Button P1, Hamilton P2, Rosberg P3, Alonso P4, Kubica P5, Vettel P6. Team radio for Hamilton: the Briton says is now raining heavier.

Lap 45/56: Alonso P4 catching up on Rosberg for P3.

Lap 46/56: Petrov and Massa pass Alguersuari. It’s P9 for the Russian, P10 for the Brazilian. Sutil passes Alguersuari.

Lap 52/56: Petrov overtakes Schumacher for P8.

Lap 55/56: Petrov makes it past Webber for P7.

Last lap: Massa overtakes Schumacher for P9. Reigning world champion Jenson Button wins the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes GP’s Nico Rosberg finishes third ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Renault’s Robert Kubica, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel, Renault’s Vitaly Petrov, Red Bull’s Mark Webber, Ferrari;s Felipe Massa and Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher.

2010 Chinese Grand Prix, race results:

Image © Bridgestone