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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Howcroft

Hamilton wins China Grand Prix – as it happened

Some reaction from Shanghai:

Summary

Here’s Giles Richards with the race report:

Hamilton however was unassailable out front and by the finish he had six seconds on Bottas, and well over 13 seconds to Vettel. Mercedes leave China once again firmly on the front foot and Ferrari yet again having to consider why they could not stay at least closer to their rivals and whether their strategy calls really added up.

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Updated

Final classification

The three leading drivers are now up on the podium standing to attention for the national anthems of Great Britain and Germany in honour of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes.

Updated

Vettel’s turn: “Happy to be on the podium but they (Mercedes) were too quick right from the start. My race with Max was good fun... It was a good result but not a great result.” Vettel then explains in a few different ways how much quicker Mercedes were this weekend, surprising Ferrari.

On the team orders to allow him to pass Leclerc early: “I felt I could go faster but then it was difficult for me to find the rhythm.”

Updated

Now it’s Bottas with Brundle: “Shame about the start, I got some wheel spin over the start-finish line... small details but I’m really proud of the team, three perfect weekends.”

More from Hamilton: “The strategy has been on point these first three races. You can see how close it is between us all and we really don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”

Schumacher’s record is 91, by the way.

Updated

Hamilton is now out of his car and hugging various crew members. “We didn’t know where we would stand with the Ferraris” Hamilton tells Martin Brundle, “but after that start the rest is history”.

Updated

Hamilton barely sounds out of breath as he thanks his engineers over the radio. They are a fearsome winning combination.

Superb drive from the 23-year old rookie Alexander Albon. From the pit lane to the points in just his third F1 outing.

Updated

Lap 56: It’s a third consecutive Mercedes one-two with Bottas safely across the line in second. Then comes Vettel, Verstappen, a frustrated Leclerc, Gasly - who DID nab the fastest lap at the death - Ricciardo, Perez, Raikonnen and Albon.

Updated

Victory for Hamilton!

Lewis Hamilton backs up his victory in Bahrain with another in China. It’s the 75th of his career, a record sixth in Shanghai, and a landmark success in the 1,000th F1 GP.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain drives past the checkered flag to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain drives past the checkered flag to win the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit in Shanghai. Photograph: Ng Han Guan/AP

Updated

Lap 55: Hamilton Bottas, Vettel, Verstappen, Leclerc, Gasly, Ricciardo, Perez looks set to be the top eight here in China. The race for the fastest lap is on though with Gasly given an effective free hit at the current point holder Vettel.

Updated

Lap 54: The battle for tenth is great fun now with Albon fighting off Grosjean.

Lap 53: Gasly comes in for a wildcard pit stop that may well be a Hail Mary for a fastest lap.

Lap 52: Lando Norris becomes the third retirement of the race. Tough day at the office for the McLaren after that opening lap crash with Kvyatt.

Updated

Lap 51: The leading bunch all seem comfortable with their fate. Leclerc was hammering away at Verstappen but the Ferrari radio has just indicated a mechanical issue may force the Monegasque to accept fifth place.

With regard the points shake up we’re now heading down to Ricciardo’s defence of seventh place ahead of Perez who is fighting to withstand the attack of Raikkonen.

Behind them Alexander Albon has quietly risen to a superb tenth. The Toro Rosso driver didn’t even qualify remember.

Lap 50: Hamilton is still discussing his prospects of a fastest lap bonus, trying to figure out if Leclerc’s late speed renders his efforts a moot point.

Lap 49: Leclerc is still pushing hard for a late dash at fourth. Regardless of his finishing place he will be the story of the race.

Lap 47: The top three now looks settled with Hamilton continuing to execute a flawless race and Bottas consolidating his lead over Vettel.

Lap 46: Bottas has responded to Vettel’s speed by pushing the gap between second and third out to 4.5 seconds.

Lap 45: The timings have come in and it looks like Leclerc may just have enough speed to hunt down Verstappen on the final lap. That will be fascinating to follow. The Red Bull currently has a 12 second advantage but the Ferrari is gaining at around a second per lap.

Lap 44: Hamilton remains in cruise control at the front. Vettel is not out of the battle for second but he has almost four seconds still to make up on Bottas. There’s a gap now to the scrap for fourth between Verstappen and Leclerc, then Gasly is alone in sixth, and Ricciardo adrift in seventh, as they both have been most of the race. However, the field is bunching behind the Australian who faces a tough job to hold his position.

Updated

Lap 43: It wasn’t the smoothest pit by Leclerc, and in a race of small margins that might be enough to hand Verstappen fourth place.

Kvyatt is the second retirement of the day. He had an eventful opening lap, colliding with two McLarens, but was unable to make race distance.

Updated

Lap 42: Vettel passes Leclerc into third for the second time in the race. The Monegasque pits immediately after allowing his teammate a DRS helping hand and returns in fifth place back for another ding dong with Verstappen.

Updated

Lap 41: Hamilton leads, 6.5 seconds ahead of Bottas who is now only four seconds ahead of Vettel. This is now all about Vettel and his ability to push in this final quarter of the race. Leclerc is now in a bit of a pickle, getting hunted down by Verstappen.

Lap 40: Bottas finally passes Leclerc. Has the young Monegasque done enough to bring his teammate back into the mix?

Updated

Lap 39: Bottas is all over Leclerc in the battle for second. The Mercedes is so much quicker but the Ferrari is holding him off for now. Bottas has a few looks at a few corners, all the while allowing Vettel to continue his push to bridge the gap.

Lap 38: Vettel is flying, into the 1.34s, and he has the bonus point for the fastest lap.

Lap 37: All about Leclerc for the time being. When will he pit and what position will he exit?

Lap 36: In comes Vettel for his second stop and he’s out safely in front of Verstappen. Solid work from Ferrari and you’d fancy that’s third place sewn up for Vettel now.

And now Hamilton’s coming in - and Bottas! Wow, what a series from Mercedes, getting both cars in and out like synchronised swimmers in no time at all. Hamilton exits in front, Bottas behind Leclerc but ahead of Vettel.

That was an insurance stop for Mercedes who now only have 19 laps or so to nurse their tyres around this circuit.

Updated

Lap 35: Verstappen is in for his second pit stop to stop the bleeding. Leclerc moves into fourth but can he find enough time to hold it after his second stop? After expecting a one-stop race the battle for third has forced Ferrari and Red Bull into two-stoppers. Will this force Mercedes’ hand up front?

Lap 34: Hamilton asking his team on the radio who has the fastest lap. He’s in that much control he can focus on the bonus point.

Lap 33: Leclerc is now in the same TV shot as Verstappen (on the long straights, it must be said).

Lap 32: Leclerc is now gaining on Verstappen at a second per lap, perhaps shelving thoughts of Plan B for the time being. That’s the only area of interest in the top six as Hamilton continues to glide unopposed around this 5.451 km circuit.

Lap 31: Now Ferrari are telling Leclerc he’s on Plan B - presumably that means a two-stop strategy with a desperate late dash to the line. The poor young Monegasque has been through all sorts strategically in his 31 laps today.

Updated

Lap 30: Ferrari are telling Leclerc to push and he is responding, starting to chip away at the six-ish second gap to Verstappen.

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

Lap 28: Halfway through the race and it’s looking good for Hamilton and Mercedes.

Lap 27: Things have settled down again at the head of the field with the Mercedes pair pulling clear of Vettel in third and Leclerc unable to get close to Verstappen in fourth.

There’s a big gap behind Gasly in sixth down to Ricciardo is in seventh who is holding off Perez who continues his excellent race.

Updated

Lap 26:

1 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes
2 Valtteri BOTTAS Mercedes +1.990
3 Sebastian VETTEL Ferrari +9.842
4 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing +13.396
5 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +22.803
6 Pierre GASLY Red Bull Racing +32.518
7 Kimi RÄIKKÖNEN Alfa Romeo Racing +53.595
8 Daniel RICCIARDO Renault +55.561
9 Sergio PEREZ Racing Point +58.586
10 Romain GROSJEAN Haas F1 Team +63.980
11 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team +64.306
12 Antonio GIOVINAZZI Alfa Romeo Racing +66.978
13 Alexander ALBON Toro Rosso +67.355
14 Daniil KVYAT Toro Rosso +68.213
15 Lance STROLL Racing Point +75.764
16 Carlos SAINZ McLaren +61.907
17 Robert KUBICA Williams +90.326
18 George RUSSELL Williams +96.259
19 Lando NORRIS McLaren 1 L
20 Nico HULKENBERG Renault

Lap 25: Another change since the pits has been a flying Bottas who has gone from cruising a few seconds behind Hamilton to pushing the race leader hard. This isn’t awkward yet for Mercedes but if Hamilton doesn’t respond it could become an issue.

Lap 24: Before the pits the Mercedes’ were 10+ seconds clear of the Ferraris but that lap or two jump the chasing pack got on Hamilton and Bottas means those numbers are down to around six seconds. Mercedes are untroubled because they believe their delay will give them an advantage later in the race if they can avoid trouble.

Updated

Lap 23: Hamilton in now and he’s out safely into the lead. Leclerc in as well but he emerges fifth because of Verstappen and Red Bull’s superb strategy. This is turning into a frustrating day for Leclerc, sacrificed by his team early on he’s now behind a Red Bull after the pit stops.

Lap 22: Mercedes have been forced to respond to the succession of fastest lap times by Ferrari and Red Bull by bringing in Bottas. He emerges from the pits with plenty of clear air down to Vettel - but it’s third place - with Leclerc still out and in a false second for the time being.

Lap 21: Hamilton continues to cruise, as does Bottas in second. Behind them the battle for third between Verstappen and the Ferraris looms as the most exciting race within a race.

Lap 20: Fastest lap of the race from Verstappen, and it will likely be enough to put him ahead of Leclerc once the Monegasque pits. Excellent driving and strategy from team Red Bull. Vettel was delayed by Norris, by the way, on exiting the pits, which is what allowed Verstappen to close so quickly.

Updated

Lap 19: Vettel has pitted - the first of the leading bunch to come in - to defend a Red Bull undercut with Verstappen. He’s got to make his hard compound tyres last 47 laps.

Verstappen’s undercut strategy looks like it might have knocked Ferrari off their stride with the youngster having a real dig at Vettel - thrilling racing!

Lap 18: We’re now into the one-stop window (as well as the two-stop) so there’s plenty of activity in the pits but mostly only affecting the middle and rear of the field.

Lap 17: The first retirement of the race - and it’s Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg. Two races in a row of pain for the German.

Lap 16: There’s not a lot to report from a racing perspective at the moment as Hamilton continues to gambol around this Shanghai International Circuit with clear air and a teammate between him and a couple of Ferraris. Those Ferraris are fast becoming the story of the race with Leclerc continuing to voice his displeasure at team strategy after being told to allow Vettel to pass him earlier in the race and then fail to pull clear of his younger teammate.

The China GP begins in a blur of colour.
The China GP begins in a blur of colour. Photograph: Zak Mauger/LAT Images/REX/Shutterstock

Lap 14: “Vettel has been clumsy with the fresh air” explains Martin Brundle. He’s now 11 seconds behind Hamilton.

A reminder there’s now only been one positional change from the top seven on the grid during racing, and it’s the one that matters most with Hamilton overtaking Bottas on the opening lap.

Updated

Lap 13: The midfielders are beginning to pit, switching from the medium to the hard compound tyres. Meanwhile at the front Leclerc has registered his disappointment with the team orders and is making sure Vettel doesn’t break free in the battle for third. Vettel, by the way, is now 10 seconds behind Hamilton the race leader, and that’s not going to come down if he keeps locking up at turn 16.

Lap 12: For the time being this race is a procession for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes. With no rain on the horizon it’s going to take a mistake from the leaders or a masterstroke from Vettel to add some spark to this 1,000th GP.

Lap 11: Leclerc has just been given the hurry-up by his garage, he can’t do enough in time and Vettel is allowed to pass into third. It makes sense considering the Monegasque’s inability to catch Bottas. Now, can Vettel make up that gap to the Mercedes?

Updated

Lap 10: The gap between the Mercedes and the Ferraris is up to the 6-7 second range. Hamilton is having a day out at the front knowing he has Bottas between him and the prancing horses and Vettel currently struggling to get close enough to Leclerc to pass.

Lap 9: Giovinazzi is the first to pit for tyres, hoping for a two-stop miracle to see him climb from 18th into the points.

Lap 8: We’re expecting a one-stop strategy today for most of the teams as we reach 1/7th race distance and the field settles down. Only two positional changes at the top with Hamilton and Leclerc overtaking their teammates on the opening lap. Behind them Perez remains the big climber, up to 8th.

Updated

Lap 7: Vettel is getting increasingly edgy tailgating Leclerc. It appears the senior partner has the fastest car but he can’t pass into third to begin hunting the Mercedes. Hamilton and Bottas continue their procession up front.

Updated

Lap 6: Kvyatt in the Torro Rosso is off the track again and loses a place down in 14th. He’s also been given a drive-through penalty for that opening lap collision.

Lap 5: The Mercedes are just starting to put some daylight between them and the Ferraris. Vettel remains penned in fourth behind Leclerc.

Lap 4: Hamilton has just set a fastest lap in the lead, he heads Bottas, Leclerc and Vettel with the German pushing his younger teammate hard for third. Further down the two Red Bulls remain in their grid positions. The pair of Renaults have been split by Sergio Perez who’s up to 8th from 12th.

Updated

Lap 3: DRS now enabled and it coincides with Hamilton signalling over his radio he’s concerned about some possible damage to his car - perhaps debris-related. The response was calm from his garage but worth keeping an eye on.

Updated

Lap 2: Back racing in Shanghai with the two McLaren’s patched up and lagging at the back of the field.

Updated

Lap 1: Virtual safety car in operation because of Kvyatt colliding with both McLarens - Sainz and Norris. Up at the front Hamilton leads while Leclerc has gained a spot on teammate Vettel.

Updated

Lights out!

We are go in Shanghai!

Hamilton edges his way into the lead off the line! The leaders all process through but there’s a collision at the back between Kvyatt and Norris.

Updated

And Robert Kubica has done the same! Deary me. Some nervous engineers watching from the pits.

Oh blimey, Max Verstappen has spun during the formation lap trying too hard to warm up his tyres. Panic over, he’s back in formation.

The 20 cars are out for the formation lap. The symmetry of the grid makes for an aesthetically pleasing sight as the field pulls away. When they line back up they’ll have 56 laps of racing ahead of them.

We’ve had the anthems, the photos, the glad-handing and the pit walks, now it’s time to race. Lights out just moments away at the China F1 Grand Prix.

Lots of teams are sporting special edition clobber for this milestone race.

The weather in Shanghai is dry and cool (19-ish degrees) but of interest is the northerly breeze, a 180 degree shift from qualifying and perhaps offering drivers a different set of challenges.

The front three of the grid begin the transition from qualifying to race day.
The front three of the grid begin the transition from qualifying to race day. Photograph: Jerry Andre/Sutton Images/REX/Shutterstock

Lewis Hamilton meanwhile is ignoring all the hype, putting the blinkers on and getting down to business, delivering a magnum opus of a bah humbug in the process.

I am not one for birthdays, I’m not one for anniversaries, I’m not one for particularly special days like this, so it is absolutely no different to any other race weekend for me. I am here to do one job and one job only and that is to win. It doesn’t matter if it is the 1,000th, the 2,000th or the 10,000th, it is an irrelevant figure for me.

F1’s sporting director, Ross Brawn, is more circumspect and thoughtful in his assessment of where the sport is at approaching its latest milestone.

F1 is fast moving and it is incredibly complex. It needs nurturing to allow the sport and the driver-to-driver competition to remain the most important element.

FIA boss Jean Todt doesn’t tone down the hyperbole or bombast in his take on where F1 is at approaching 1,000.

I have been discussing it with friends recently, with Luc Besson and Michael Mann, the directors, and I said: ‘You know, if you want to make a real movie about F1 there is no point, because each race is a thriller.’

Let’s take a look at some of the 1,000th race celebrations, starting with Giles Richards recapping ten of the best Grands Prix so far.

Remember if you want to join in the conversation you can reach me on Twitter @JPHowcroft- or by email at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com

If you want to get into a Shanghai state of mind immerse yourself in the splendour of the city’s 2010 expo promo video. It’s so slick and catchy it feels like the winning tune Simon Cowell reveals in the final episode of one of those TV talent shows. Although I was slightly worried I was watching the Eastenders credits around 30 seconds in.

And yes, that is Jackie Chan.

Enjoy.

The Shanghai International Circuit is 5.451 km (3.388 mi) long and contains 16 corners. The track is designed to resemble the Chinese character shang (the first half of the name Shanghai).

The circuit opened in 2004, can hold up to 200,000 spectators, and cost US $450m to build.

In the 15 races before today there have been only three multiple winners, Fernando Alonso (2), Nico Rosberg (2), and Lewis Hamilton (5). The Englishman’s dominance is reflected in Mercedes’ superiority on the track with a Silver Arrow victorious on a record five occasions, all in the past seven years.

One of the most technical and challenging of F1 venues, the Shanghai International Circuit.
One of the most technical and challenging of F1 venues, the Shanghai International Circuit. Photograph: China Photos/REUTERS

Here’s Giles Richards’ report from qualifying, noting the intriguing battle likely to unfold during the race whereby Ferrari’s straightline speed will offer them an advantage on the two long straights but it remains to be seen if that’s enough to counteract Mercedes’ superior control through the 16 corners.

And here’s what the fastest lap in qualifying looks like from inside the polesitter’s car.

Lights out at 2.10pm local time (7.10am UK or 4.10pm Australia).

The Grid

It’s an all-Mercedes front row in China with championship leader Valterri Bottas edging teammate Lewis Hamilton for pole. Behind them, and for only the second time in F1 history, the top ten continues the symmetry with each row occupied by two cars from the same team.

There were 18 qualified starters with Williams once again bringing up the rear. However Antonio Giovinazzi failed to set a time in qualifying and Alexander Albon didn’t take part following his nasty crash in practice but both have been allowed to start following major technical upheaval to their vehicles, Giovinazzi from the back of the field, Albon from the pit lane.

Updated

Preamble

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of race three of the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship. Today’s racing is at the Shanghai International Circuit, home of the China Grand Prix, which today has the numerical distinction of hosting the 1000th GP in F1 history - more on that later.

So early in the season the competition has yet to establish a pattern, which continues to mean good news for Mercedes. After securing race wins in the opening pair of GPs in Australia and Bahrain the Silver Arrows have once again locked out the front row of the grid. Ferrari are hot on their heels though and Red Bull look to have their most promising set-up of the year behind them so we should be in for an action-packed couple of hours.

As mentioned, today becomes the 1000th time the chequered flag has been waved at an F1 race so there’ll be plenty of opportunities to reminisce as the day unfolds.

There’s bundles of stuff to get through before we’re lights out so I’ll curtail this preamble and start sending through plenty of goodies to whet the appetite.

Wind your way back down memory lane as F1 reaches 1000 not out.
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