Lewis Hamilton halts Sebastian Vettel’s winning run, wins Chinese Grand Prix 2011 – Formula 1 news
McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton managed to put an end to the winning streak of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel by winning the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, 17 April, 2011.
After a number of ups and downs in the race, the Brit managed to overtake the reigning champion in the 52nd lap of the race and gained another 5.198-second gap until the chequered flag.
Hamilton had encountered a problem with his fuel system, which almost ruined his race before it even started. However, the team managed to get his car ready moments before the race otherwise he would have started from the pit lane at the back of the grid.
Vettel had a bad start to the race, as both McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Hamilton overtook him in the very first lap. However, the German was on a two-stop strategy and managed to get ahead of his rivals after his second stop. Hamilton, who stopped
thrice to change tyres, gained advantage towards the end with more grip and speed.
The reigning Formula 1 champion had won four races in a row, starting from his wins in the 2010 season and was aiming to break the record of seven straight victories by Michael Schumacher. However, he will have to start all over again in order to achieve
the feat.
Vettel’s teammate Mark Webber had a spectacular race, finishing third overall. He stated the race from 18th on the grid and gained 15 positions in the end for a podium finish. The Australian was on a three-stop strategy and would have gained on
more positions if he had a few more laps in the race.
Although Button finished fourth in the race, he would have ended up in a much better position. He led the race in the opening half, but lost some time due to a mistake in the pits.
Mercedes had a very good race as both of their drivers Nico Rosberg and Schumacher finished in points. The younger German was in the lead for most part of the race after his team’s early stop strategy. He was unable to keep his position though and ended
the race in fifth.
Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso ended sixth and seventh respectively. Schumacher came very close to the Spaniard in the closing stages of the race, but managed to finish eighth.
Renault’s Vitaly Petrov and Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi completed the top ten of the Chinese GP.
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