Sunday, April 18, 2010

Button wins China F1

Hmm, what can I say... Again a very lucky Button, and again it's the tyre strategy that helps him to another win after a similar effort for the Australian GP.

DEFENDING Formula One champion Jenson Button delivered a perfectly judged drive in treacherous wet conditions to win Sunday's dramatic China Grand Prix ahead of his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

The two Britons delivered their first one-two of the season in sumptuous style to prove that though the Red Bull team may have the fastest cars for qualifying, they retain great race performance.

Button's triumph was his second in four races this season and the ninth of his career and it lifted him clear at the top of this year's embryonic drivers' championship ahead of German Nico Rosberg.

But if Button demonstrated smooth style and great management of tyres, it was Hamilton who produced the thrills in a race punctuated by rain storms, accidents and two Safety Car periods.

Rosberg came home third for the new Mercedes team ahead of two-times champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari. German Michael Schumacher, 41, making his comeback three seasons after retiring as a seven-times world champion, looked set to finish eighth, until the closing laps when he was passed by Webber and then Brazilian Felipe Massa, who took ninth for Ferrari. Schumacher was 10th eventually.



The two Red Bulls started from the front row of the grid, but lost their advantage almost immediately when, after Alonso had jumped the start, the first Safety Car call was followed by rain.


The leaders rushed to pit for intermediate wet-weather tyres but these were soon worn out and the changing conditions created chaos ahead of a second mid-race Safety Car period.


Button, having chosen not to rush for an early change of tyres, rose to second and then took the lead from Rosberg after 19 of the 56 laps and stayed there.

Button now leads the title race on 60 points ahead of Rosberg on 50 with Alonso and Hamilton equal third on 49.
AP

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