F1: Hamilton Rallies To Win In China

Formula 1

F1: Hamilton Rallies To Win In China

Lewis Hamilton passed Sebastian Vettel late to score the victory in Shanghai...

Jared Turner | Posted April 17, 2011 Shanghai (CHN)

Lewis Hamilton gets pumped about his victory in Shanghai. (Photo: Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton's Sunday in Shanghai began with major uncertainty when his car failed to start within minutes of the lights going out on the Chinese GP.

The day ended in sweet victory as Hamilton surged past Sebastian Vettel with four laps left and pulled away for a win that at least temporarily put a halt to the reigning World Champion’s 2011 dominance.

Vettel held on for second over resurgent Red Bull teammate Mark Webber, who rallied from an 18th-place starting spot to score his first podium in three starts this season.

Jenson Button and Nico Rosberg completed the top five.

In a race where strategy proved to be perhaps more consequential than speed, the outcome was in serious question until Hamilton’s late pass for the lead.

Much of the drama centered on pit road — and how many stops drivers were forced to make.

While most drivers pitted three times, Vettel and Felipe Massa managed to complete the 56-lap race distance on just two stops as they stretched their fuel and tires longer than the other contenders.

While Massa faded over the closing laps, eventually finishing sixth, the strategy worked better for Vettel as he looked to open 2011 with his third victory in as many starts.

But Hamilton, who made three stops to Vettel’s two, used an already lightning-fast car coupled with fresher tires, to pull to Vettel’s back bumper with six laps remaining.

The 2008 World Champion then needed just two laps to march past the Red Bull RB7, and he rolled from there to win by 5.1 seconds.

A jubilant Hamilton later reflected on his triumph, which came after a prerace scare that forced his team to work overtime in the paddock just to get his car fired. The culprit proved to be an engine flooded with fuel, which left the team scrambling to get the car out to the grid in time to start the race.

The McLaren team fixed the problem and Hamilton emerged on the grid with only about 30 seconds to spare.

Had they missed the deadline, Hamilton would have started from the pitlane rather than his third-place qualifying spot.

“It was six minutes left, then one minute left,” Hamilton said. “Fortunately, everything just came together very quickly. I tried to remain calm and the guys did a great job. They got the car out which was most important.”

Once the race got under way, Hamilton and teammate Button quickly showed that Vettel’s third win of 2011 wouldn’t come without a fight. Buoyed by a spectacular start, both McLarens overhauled Vettel when the lights went out with Button leading the way.

German Vettel, meanwhile, was left to fend off a charging Rosberg.

“I think the start was not the best we’ve had this year,” Vettel said. “It wasn’t a 100 percent good start.”

Various strategies soon began to play out as six different drivers – the most since the 2008 Japanese GP – took turns out front. But it was Hamilton who had the speed when it counted, rumbling past Rosberg and Massa in the final 15 laps before setting sail for Vettel’s bumper.

Once into second, Hamilton’s McLaren immediately began closing the gap on Vettel, who saw a lead of more than four seconds quickly dwindle to nothing. Once on Vettel’s bumper, Hamilton needed little time to execute the winning move.

“I saw Lewis coming closer and closer,” Vettel said. “I tried to defend as much as I could without losing too much time to the guys behind. He found his way past easily. I think it was a good race for us because we can learn a lot today.”

Lewis Hamilton was victorious in China. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Hamilton lauded his team for its strategy.

“My new option tires seemed to last a little longer than the guys in front but I think it was quite a few things that came together, really,” said Hamilton, who notched his first win since the Belgian GP last August. “The car felt great and it was one of the best races I’ve experienced at least this year.

"A real thumbs-up to the guys back at the factory and the garage. They really put their hearts into the car and making it the best it can be every weekend.”

Hamilton moved up to second in the driver standings, closing within 21 points of Vettel.

Button (-30) fell a spot to third, followed by Webber (-31) and Fernando Alonso (-42).

Formula One drivers have two weeks off before returning to action in the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul Park.

Jared Turner is an Associate Editor for SPEED.com, covering NASCAR and Formula One, and is an Editor for TruckSeries.com. His professional motorsports writing career began in 2005.