Chinese GP 2010

Another disappointing finish for Vettel at the Chinese GP. I really think he shouldn't get pole position for him to get a podium finish during the race hehe. It was an action packed race - lots of overtaking, lots of pit stops and a lot of appearances from the safety car. Here's a lapy by lap account of the Chinese GP by Philip Duncan.

LAP 1: Great star from Alonso. He gets the jump on the Red Bulls and Webber gets ahead of his team-mate. Four cars involved in an accident at the back of the field. Lots of debris on the track and the safety car has been deployed. Suspicions that Alonso may have jumped the start. I'll keep you updated on that one. Liuzzi dropped it under braking taking out Buemi and Kobayashi to cause the accident.

LAP 2: Button on team radio: Alonso must have jumped the start! Looks like the Spaniard could be in a spot of bother. The safety car is still out.

LAP 3: Alonso is under investigation for his jump start. Hamilton and Massa and the Red Bulls are in for the intermediate tyre. But its a nightmare for Vettel. He has to queue behind his team-mate and drops down the field. Safety car is in at the of this lap.

LAP 4: Rosberg leads the way in China after Alonso pits for intermediates. Button is second but it looks as though the intermediate tyre is the best option. Surely Button and Rosberg will have to stop, but they are still staying out.

LAP 5: Confirmation of a drive-through penalty for Alonso after being found guilty of jumping the start. Schumacher is in but he pits for slicks instead of the intermediate tyre. Vettel and Hamilton are are struggling on the intermediate and they both pit for a new set of slicks.

LAP 6: Drama in the pit-lane. Hamilton is released at the same time as Vettel and the pair touch wheels exiting the pits. I dare say, the two of them could be in trouble for that. Vettel is down in 15th. Hamilton is 16th.

LAP 8: Hamilton and Vettel have both passed Webber on the back straight. The trio are 50 seconds behind the leaders. It is starting to rain again in the pit-lane.

LAP 10: Kovalainen is a sitting duck for the Vettel-Hamilton-Webber trio. The three of them are on a charge.

LAP 12: Hamilton takes Vettel and Sutil at the same corner and it looks as though Vettel touched Sutil. Hamilton is up to 8th but Vettel is still behind the Force India.

LAP 13: Easy for the Red Bulls. They fly past Sutil on the back straight. Hamilton is the quickest man on the track. He's two seconds quicker than the leaders but he is some 48 seconds behind Rosberg and co.

LAP 15: Great duel between Hamilton and Schumacher. The Brit is all over the seven-times champions. Rosberg is told over the radio that rain is expected in three minutes.

LAP 16: Hamilton is quicker than Schumacher on the back straight and slips one up the inside of the German on the back straight but Schumacher brakes latest and Hamilton is left to hang out to dry.

LAP 17: Hamilton is past Schumacher. Lewis gets the better drive out of 13 and passes him on the straght. Schumacher has a stab at re-passing Hamilton at the hairpin but Lewis gets the better exit. Hamilton up to fifth.

LAP 18: Now it is Vettel's turn - he passes Schumacher and he is up to sixth. The Mercedes driver is struggling for traction coming out of the slower corners.

LAP 19: Out of nowhere, Button has passed Rosberg for the lead. Rosberg lost time running off at turn 11. It's starting to rain quite heavily in Shanghai.

LAP 20: Webber and Schumcher are in for the intermediate tyre. As are the Ferrari duo of Massa and Alonso.

LAP 21: Button comes in for the intermediate tyre. He still leads. Hamilton and Vettel pit and Webber gets the jump on the pair of them. Drama for Alguersuari. He runs over his own front wing and he pits for a new one.

LAP 22: The safety car is out as the marshalls clear the debris from Alguersuari's front wing.

LAP 24: The safety car is still out and as I suspected earlier the pit-lane incident between Hamilton and Vettel will be investigated after the race.

LAP 25: Safety car in at the end of this lap. Hulkenberg stops for dry tyres but he is all over the place. Wrong decision from the German rookie.

LAP 26: We're racing again and Webber runs wide and slips down the order - he is down to 12th. Great move from Hamilton to take Schumacher. Webber is on the team radio and says Hamilton knocked him off the road. Lots of spray in the damp conditions in Shanghai.

LAP 27: Brilliant from Hamilton. He is past Petrov and up to fourth. Lewis is five seconds behind his team-mate and all over Kubica.

LAP 29: Like taking candy from a baby. Hamilton passes Kubica on the back straight and Alonso sticks the same move on Sutil. Lewis up to third. Alonso, who has stopped four times, is up to sixth.

LAP 30: Vettel follows Alonso and passes Sutil.

LAP 32: Right, a quick update; Button leads Rosberg by 2.6 seconds and Hamilton is a further two seconds down the road. But he is on a charge. He's the quickest man on the track. Another stellar drive from the 2008 world champion.

LAP 33: Rosberg appears to be struggling in the damp conditions. Hamilton is closing in on the German. A McLaren one-two looks to be on the cards. Petrov spins - Alonso and Vettel go past the Russian.

LAP 34: We've got a bit of a train developing behind the Force India of Adrian Sutil. Schumacher can not get past his countryman, with Massa and Webber right on his tail.

LAP 35: Hamilton has a stab around the outside of Rosberg but the German holds the place. Surely its only a matter of time before he passes. All the while, Hamilton is losing precious time to his McLaren team-mate.

LAP 36: This is playing into the hands of Button. Hamilton loses another two seconds to his countryman on the last lap as he struggles to past Rosberg.

LAP 37: Schumacher and Webber pit for a new set of intermediate tyres.

LAP 38: And Hamilton follows suit for his fourth visit to the pit-lane this afternoon. Kubica stops, as does Vettel. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-1266894/CHINESE-GRAND-PRIX-2010-LIVE-Lap-lap-coverage-F1-drama-unfolds-Shanghai.html#ixzz0lW9bYW7F

**************

So yes in the end, Vettel finished 6th. Hay! :( And can I just say that if I weren't rooting for Vettel, I would totally go for Hamilton. He is such a competitive driver. It doesn't matter if he's in front of the grid or at the back at the start of the race, he will definitely push for a spot in the front at the end.

Bahrain GP - P1 qualifying, 4th place race day
Australian GP - P1 qualifying, DNF race day
Malaysian GP - P3 qualifying, 1st place race day
Chinese GP - P1 qualifying, 6th place race day