2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton has won his first Grand Prix in the 2011 season, the eighth edition of the Chinese Grand Prix, ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in a race where tyre degradation proved once again to be a key factor this year.
Mark Webber drove an outstanding race to come from 18th on the grid to third in the second Red Bull, ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, Mercedes GP’S Nico Rosberg, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, Mercedes GP’s Michael Schumacher, Lotus Renault GP’s Vitaly Petrov and Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi.2011 Chinese Grand Prix, lap by lap highlights:The third race of the 2011 season is about to start in China’s Shanghai International circuit.Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel starts from pole position for the third consecutive time in the season after beating by 0.700 seconds McLaren’s Jenson Button during the qualifying session. Lewis Hamilton starts from the third spot of the grid in the other McLaren ahead of Nico Rosberg, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Jaime Alguersuari, Paul Di Resta and Sebastien Buemi.Mark Webber faces a difficult race today as he starts from the 18th place after a disastrous qualifying on Saturday.Formation lap: the grid clears ahead of the formation lap.Race start: Race start at Shanghai! Into turn 1, Vettel down to third. Button P1, Hamilton P2. Massa P5, Alonso P6. Great start from Button.Lap 2/56: Di Resta P7, Sutil P8, Schumacher P9. Webber passes Perez for P16.Lap 3/56: DRS has been enabled. Kobayashi overtakes Alguersuari for P10.Lap 5/56: Fastest lap for Button: 1:44.013. Webber is now up to 15th.Lap 6/56: Di Resta reports over the team radio problems with the rear of his Force India.Lap 7/56: Button P1, Hamilton P2, Vettel P3, Rosberg P4, Massa P5, Alonso P6. Petrov up to 11th after passing Alguersuari.Lap 8/56: Drive through penalty for Liuzzi for jumping the start.Lap 9/56: Perez passes Webber for P15.Lap 10/56: Alguersuari pits. The Spaniard rejoins but his right rear wheel falls out at Turn 2. He’s out.Lap 11/56: Schumacher pits from 11th. Webber pits. Maldonado pits.Lap 12/56: Di Resta pits from P10. Massa P5 and Alonso P6 now pressuring Rosberg. Rosberg pits from P4. Perez overtakes Buemi for P11.Lap 13/56: Buemi has pitted.Lap 14/56: Vettel pressuring Hamilton for P2. Vettel overtakes Hamilton.Lap 15/56: Button and Vettel pit together. Vettel resumes ahead of Button, but replays show Button pitting in the wrong garage! Meanwhile Massa has passed Hamilton.Lap 16/56: Massa and Hamilton pit. Sutil pits.Lap 17/56: Alonso pits. Perez and Barrichello pit. Replays show Massa and Hamilton overtaking Heidfeld. Buemi pits again. Glock pits.Lap 18/56: Petrov pits.Lap 19/56: After the first pit stop, Rosberg is now leading the race ahead of Vettel, Button, Massa, Hamilton, Schumacher and Alonso. Pit stop for Heidfeld.Lap 20/56: Kovalainen pits from P16.Lap 21/56: Webber is up to 11th. Trulli pits.Lap 22/56: Kobayashi has a slightly damaged front nose. Liuzzi pits.Lap 23/56: Alonso is struggling to pass Schumacher for P6.Lap 24/56: Rosberg P1, Vettel P2, Button P3, Massa P4, Hamilton P5.Lap 25/56: Button pits from P3. He rejoins in P8.Lap 26/56: Rosberg pits from the lead. Hamilton pits. Alonso has finally passed Schumacher. Webber pits. Maldonado pits.Lap 27/56: Schumacher pits from P5.Lap 28/56: Fastest lap for Button: 1:41.536. Fastest lap for Webber: 1:41.200. Rosberg passes Alonso for P3.Lap 29/56: Button passes Alonso for P4. Glock pits.Lap 30/56: Hamilton overtakes Alonso for P5. The Spaniard is clearly struggling with the degradation on his tyres.Lap 31/56: Sutil, Kobayashi, Heidfeld pit. Massa closing in on Vettel.Lap 32/56: Vettel pits for the second time.Lap 33/56: Alonso finally pits for a new set of hard tyres. Di Resta pits. Alonso resumes in 10th. Schumacher made it past Petrov for P7.Lap 34/56: Massa pits from the lead. He resumes in P5. Replays show Massa crossing the pitlane exit line. Buemi has pitted.Lap 35/56: Rosberg P1, Button P2, Hamilton P3, Vettel P4, Massa P5, Schumacher P6, Webber P7, Petrov P8, Alonso P9.Lap 36/56: Hamilton overtakes Button for P2.Lap 37/56: Perez pits from 10th. Alonso makes it past Petrov for P8. Webber closing in on Schumacher for P6.Lap 38/56: Button makes his third pit stop and rejoins in fifth. Petrov pits. Webber overtakes Schumacher for P6.Lap 39/56: Hamilton pits for the third time and resumes in fourth.Lap 40/56: Third pit stop for Rosberg. Schumacher pits.Lap 41/56: Vettel P1, Massa P2, Rosberg P3. Webber pits from 6th. Hamilton P4, Button P5. Kovalainen and Glock pit.Lap 42/56: Hamilton passes Rosberg for P3.Lap 43/56: Fastest lap for Webber: 1:38.993. Trulli pits from P18.Lap 44/56: Hamilton closing in on Massa (P2).Lap 45/56: Hamilton passes Massa for P2. Rosberg and Button getting ready to pass Massa. Webber has passed Alonso for P6.Lap 47/56: Vettel P1, Hamilotn P2, Massa P3, Button P4, Rosberg P5, Webber P6, Alonso P7. Replays show Sutil and Perez making contact at Turn 2.Lap 48/56: Sutil pits. Hamilton is being told to lookout at his tyres.Lap 49/56: Race control: drive through penalty for Perez for causing a collision.Lap 50/56: Button passes Massa for P3.Lap 51/56: Hamilton pressuring race leader Vettel. Replays show Rosberg passing Massa for P4.Lap 52/56: Webber up to P5. Hamilton takes the lead of the Chinese Grand Prix.Lap 53/56: Webber pressuring Rosberg for P4. Hamilton P1, Vettel P2, Button P3, Rosberg P4, Webber P5, Massa, P6, Alonso P7. Webber overtakes Rosberg for P4.Lap 55/56: Webber now pressuring Button for P3. Webber overtakes Button for P3.Last lap: Lewis Hamilton takes for first the chequered flag and wins the 2011 Chinese Grand Prix. Championship leader Sebastian Vettel finishes second ahead of team-mate Mark Webber. Fourth place for Jenson Button, fifth for Nico Rosberg, sixth for Felipe Massa, seventh for Fernando Alonso, eighth for Michael Schumacher, ninth for Vitaly Petrov and tenth for Kamui Kobayashi.
