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Rosberg storms to maiden victory
By Ni Yinbin |
April 16, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Chinese Grand Prix had a new champion yesterday as Nico Rosberg stormed to his maiden Formula One victory in Shanghai, following his first career pole.
The German driver took the lead at the start and Mercedes' two-stop strategy ensured the 26-year-old became the eighth champion in the nine-year history of the Chinese GP.
McLaren's British duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, finished second and third, respectively.
The top podium finish at the Shanghai Audi International Circuit in suburban Jiading District also marked a first victory for Mercedes with its own works team since 1955, when Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won that year's season-ending Italian GP from pole.
Mercedes pulled out of Formula One as a works team in 1955 and did not return, other than as an engine partner, until 2010 after buying the title-winning Brawn team.
Rosberg, not used to being at the top of the podium, instinctively stood aside during the champagne spraying and group photo session with Button, Hamilton and Mercedes Team Principle Norbert Haug after walking off the podium.
"It's amazing and I'm very happy," said Rosberg, son of 1982 champion Keke. "It's definitely special, winning my first race, and I'm looking forward to many more in the future."
Rosberg, who finished 20.6 seconds ahead of Button, said the team had planned for two stops from the beginning and had achieved a good result.
But things did not turn out as expected for his teammate and compatriot Michael Schumacher, who also started on the first row but was forced to quit the race on the 13th lap following his first pit stop after a rookie mistake by the crew during the wheel change. Much to the 43-year-old's chagrin the right rear wheel was not fully attached.
"I noticed on Turn 3 as I started to load the front right that something was wrong. I saw some smoke and damage and I thought it was better to stop before I did some serious damage to the car," the seven-time world champion said. "I feel a bit sorry for one of my boys who changed the tire but that's part of the game."
Button and Hamilton made it on the podium after starting fifth and seventh, respectively, keeping McLaren at the top of the constructors standings with 88 points. Red Bull is next on 64 and Ferrari on 37.
Both Button and Hamilton made three pit stops but failed to challenge Rosberg with too much traffic ahead of them after coming out of the pit lane.
"It was a fantastic race. We had a good start, good pit stops and good strategy. I'm glad we got some good team points today," said Hamilton, the 2008 world champion who snatched the final podium spot on the penultimate lap by overtaking defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany.
Hamilton, the only two-time winner in Shanghai, now has 45 points after three races for the championship lead to Button's 43. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who had led before Shanghai, finished ninth and dropped to third overall with 37.
Button, who rocketed to third after the start, was also stranded in the pit lane for a few seconds during the tire changing.
"We had a long pit stop. It cost us a lot of time and good place as well. These things happen," shrugged the Briton, who sealed second spot after overtaking Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Vettel in the last few laps of the 56-lap race.
Australian Mark Webber finished fourth after going past Red Bull teammate Vettel, who was struggling with his tires, on the final lap.
France's Romain Grosjean took his first points for Lotus with sixth, ahead of the Williams cars of Brazilian Bruno Senna and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. Japan's Kamui Kobayashi took the final point for Sauber.
The German driver took the lead at the start and Mercedes' two-stop strategy ensured the 26-year-old became the eighth champion in the nine-year history of the Chinese GP.
McLaren's British duo of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, finished second and third, respectively.
The top podium finish at the Shanghai Audi International Circuit in suburban Jiading District also marked a first victory for Mercedes with its own works team since 1955, when Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio won that year's season-ending Italian GP from pole.
Mercedes pulled out of Formula One as a works team in 1955 and did not return, other than as an engine partner, until 2010 after buying the title-winning Brawn team.
Rosberg, not used to being at the top of the podium, instinctively stood aside during the champagne spraying and group photo session with Button, Hamilton and Mercedes Team Principle Norbert Haug after walking off the podium.
"It's amazing and I'm very happy," said Rosberg, son of 1982 champion Keke. "It's definitely special, winning my first race, and I'm looking forward to many more in the future."
Rosberg, who finished 20.6 seconds ahead of Button, said the team had planned for two stops from the beginning and had achieved a good result.
But things did not turn out as expected for his teammate and compatriot Michael Schumacher, who also started on the first row but was forced to quit the race on the 13th lap following his first pit stop after a rookie mistake by the crew during the wheel change. Much to the 43-year-old's chagrin the right rear wheel was not fully attached.
"I noticed on Turn 3 as I started to load the front right that something was wrong. I saw some smoke and damage and I thought it was better to stop before I did some serious damage to the car," the seven-time world champion said. "I feel a bit sorry for one of my boys who changed the tire but that's part of the game."
Button and Hamilton made it on the podium after starting fifth and seventh, respectively, keeping McLaren at the top of the constructors standings with 88 points. Red Bull is next on 64 and Ferrari on 37.
Both Button and Hamilton made three pit stops but failed to challenge Rosberg with too much traffic ahead of them after coming out of the pit lane.
"It was a fantastic race. We had a good start, good pit stops and good strategy. I'm glad we got some good team points today," said Hamilton, the 2008 world champion who snatched the final podium spot on the penultimate lap by overtaking defending champion Sebastian Vettel of Germany.
Hamilton, the only two-time winner in Shanghai, now has 45 points after three races for the championship lead to Button's 43. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who had led before Shanghai, finished ninth and dropped to third overall with 37.
Button, who rocketed to third after the start, was also stranded in the pit lane for a few seconds during the tire changing.
"We had a long pit stop. It cost us a lot of time and good place as well. These things happen," shrugged the Briton, who sealed second spot after overtaking Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and Vettel in the last few laps of the 56-lap race.
Australian Mark Webber finished fourth after going past Red Bull teammate Vettel, who was struggling with his tires, on the final lap.
France's Romain Grosjean took his first points for Lotus with sixth, ahead of the Williams cars of Brazilian Bruno Senna and Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado. Japan's Kamui Kobayashi took the final point for Sauber.
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