Mercedes AMG’s Nico Rosberg cruised to victory in what turned out to be an eventful 2016 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
Yesterday’s race at the Shanghai International Circuit saw Rosberg secure his sixth grand prix in a row, making him only the fourth driver in history to do so. Ahead of him are Sebastian Vettel (nine races), Michael Schumacher (seven) and Alberto Ascari (seven).
Snafu for Ferrari
At the start, Ferrari‘s [NYSE:RACE] Sebastian Vettel ran into the back of teammate Kimi Räikkönen. Both had to pit for a nose change and then adopted an aggressive strategy to make up ground. Vettel eventually crossed the line second though was almost 38 seconds behind the leader.
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Also impressive were Red Bull Racing drivers Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo. Kvyat was running in second for much of the race but was passed by the more experienced Vettel. Still, he managed to hang on to claim third. Ricciardo, meanwhile, got a good start and was leading early on but suffered a puncture. Fortunately, he managed to fight his way back to secure fourth place.
All 22 drivers finished
Finishing fifth was Räikkönen while Williams’ Felipe Massa finished sixth. Then it was reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton. He started the race from the back of the grid because of car trouble during qualifying and despite several pit stops still managed to finish seventh. Behind him was Toro Rosso drivers Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz in eight and ninth, respectively. Williams' other driver Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top ten. Crucially, all 22 drivers finished the race, including McLaren's Fernando Alonso who was only racing for his second time this season. He crossed the line 12th.
Thanks to his latest win, Rosberg’s tally in the 2016 Drivers’ Championship extends to 75 points. Hamilton is second with 39 points and Ricciardo is third with 36 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes leads with 114 points versus the 61 of Ferrari and 57 of Red Bull. The next race on the calendar is the Russian Grand Prix in a fortnight.
Hit the next page for the full results for the 2016 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
2016 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix
Below are the full results for the 2016 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix:
1) Nico Rosberg, Mercedes AMG
2) Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari +37.776 s
3) Daniil Kvyat, Red Bull Racing +45.936 s
4) Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing +52.688 s
5) Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari +65.872 s
6) Felipe Massa, Williams +75.511 s
7) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG +78.230 s
8) Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso +79.268 s
9) Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso +84.127 s
10) Valtteri Bottas, Williams +86.192 s
11) Sergio Perez, Force India +94.283 s
12) Fernando Alonso, McLaren +97.253 s
13) Jenson Button, McLaren +101.990 s
14) Esteban Gutierrez, Haas +1 lap
15) Nico Hulkenberg, Force India +1 lap
16) Marcus Ericsson, Sauber +1 lap
17) Kevin Magnussen, Renault +1 lap
18) Pascal Wehrlein, Manor +1 lap
19) Romain Grosjean, Haas +1 lap
20) Felipe Nasr, Sauber +1 lap
21) Rio Haryanto, Manor +1 lap
22) Jolyon Palmer, Renault +1 lap
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