Britain’s Lewis Hamilton dramatically ended world champion Sebastian Vettel’s dominant start to the 2011 season when he drove to a spectacular victory in a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old McLaren driver, world champion in 2008, surged through the field on fresh tyres in the closing stages before brilliantly passing the German with less than five laps remaining. The win in Shanghai was the 15th victory of Hamilton’s Formula One career and brought Vettel’s recent winning streak to an end.
Hamilton ecstatic after thrilling win
“That was amazing, thank you so much,” yelled Hamilton, whooping with delight after his first win since Belgium in August last year.
“I am absolutely overwhelmed,” he said, after tactically outsmarting the 23-year-old German who had pitted earlier and whose worn-out treads could not keep pace with the Briton.
“It feels like a long time since I was sitting here. I will continue to push and am looking forward to many more victories like this,” Hamilton added.
Vettel outpaced
Vettel started on pole but lost the lead at the first corner to Hamilton’s McLaren teammate and compatriot Jenson Button, who finished an ultimately disappointing fourth.
Vettel admitted that Red Bull’s long-stop strategy had failed but he paid tribute to Hamilton’s victory.
“We probably tried too hard staying on two stops,” said Vettel, winner of the season’s opening races in Australia and Malaysia.
“The middle stint should have been longer, but then you find yourself on the hard tyre and I saw Lewis coming closer and closer.
“We made a couple of mistakes and we had some problems, but still we finished second so I am very happy for that. Congratulations to Lewis and McLaren.”
Vettel leads the title race with 68 points with Hamilton second on 47 and Button third on 38.
“I don’t see second today as a disappointment...all in all we are happy with second. First was not meant to be.”
Joy for Webber
There was also joy for Australia’s Mark Webber who started a humiliating 18th on the grid but finished third behind his Red Bull teammate after a near-wondrous final push, before poking fun at his colleague.
“Congratulations to Lewis. It was good that someone finally beat Vettel,” Webber joked.
German Nico Rosberg, one of several drivers who looked a possible winner after leading during the race, brought his Mercedes home in fifth place ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa of Ferrari and his teammate, two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso who was seventh.
Drama for Hamilton
On a clear day of blue skies and mild temperatures, there was drama for Hamilton before the start when his car failed to fire up in the McLaren garage, forcing it to be rapidly stripped down and repaired. He only made it to the grid with 35 seconds to spare.
“The car just wouldn’t start,” he said of the pre-race problems.
But Hamilton remained calm and made a good start from third place on the grid, moving up into second after pole-sitter Vettel struggled to pull away.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2011.
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