Hamilton storms to Chinese Grand Prix win
World champion leads from pole to seal his second win of the 2015 Formula One season.
Published On 12 Apr 2015
Lewis Hamilton helped Mercedes reassert their authority over Ferrari by leading home team mate Nico Rosberg in a dominant display for the German outfit at the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
The race had a slightly anti-climatic feel to its conclusion as the cars crossed the line behind a safety car but Hamilton controlled events from the front and always looked good value for his 35th career win and record-extending fourth in China.
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| Drivers standings (top-5) |
|
1. Lewis Hamilton 68
2. Sebastian Vettel 55
3. Nico Rosberg 51
4. Felipe Massa 30
5. Kimi Raikkonen 24
|
After stunning Mercedes with a brilliant victory in Malaysia at the end of March, Sebastian Vettel threatened early in his Ferrari but once the cars were fitted with the medium-compound tyres for the final stint, the German’s challenge faded.
A third podium in as many races since joining from Red Bull was still a great result and he would have been the most relieved when Max Verstappen’s engine failure brought out the safety car as his fast-finishing team mate Kimi Raikkonen was looming large in his wing mirrors.
Hamilton’s second win in three races allowed him to extend his lead at the top of the championship standings, the Briton moving on to 68 points with Vettel on 55 and Rosberg a further four points adrift.
Sauber claimed a double points finish with Felipe Nasr claiming eighth and Swede Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top 10, the pair sandwiching Daniel Ricciardo, who endured another frustrating race in his underperforming Red Bull.
McLaren continued their early season struggles with Fernando Alonso finishing a lap down in 13th, ahead of Jenson Button, who damaged his front wing while attempting a late race pass on Pastor Maldonado in the other Lotus.
Final position (Top-10):
1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes
3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari
5. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes
6. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes
7. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus – Mercedes
8. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber – Ferrari
9. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull – Renault
10. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber – Ferrari
Source: Reuters