Jenson Button was today celebrating his "best victory" after winning a thrilling Chinese grand prix, his second win in three races, to take the lead in the Formula One world championship. It was a one-two for McLaren's British pair as Lewis Hamilton stormed to second place ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.
While Button, the world champion, produced another smooth drive in the rain and led for most of the race it was another dramatic afternoon for the 2008 champion, Hamilton, who again had to carve his way through heavy traffic. He was reprimanded by stewards for dangerous driving, along with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, after their cars clashed in the pit-lane following a tyre stop.
"As far as I'm concerned, I thought it was OK," said Hamilton. "The team were waiting for quite some time and they waited until it was the right time. But as I came out I noticed Sebastian was there – he was pushing me a little bit to the right and we touched wheels."
Vettel blamed Hamilton for the incident. "At the stop I was ahead. I don't know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me," said the German. "His front wing was at my rear wheel. I hoped I didn't get a puncture from that – I don't really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage. He didn't have to make contact."
There were no complaints from Button after the ninth win of his career. As in his previous victory in Melbourne, he called his tyre stops right while Hamilton got it wrong after McLaren had let their drivers make the decision; Button made only two pit stops, Hamilton four. "For me it is my best victory," he said. "Every one you win becomes your best victory but this was pretty tough conditions.
"The good thing is our pace was very good today. It wasn't just the call of weather, it was good pace. At the end we were two seconds a lap quicker than other people.
"Staying on dry tyres was the right thing. You would not think it as it was raining quite a bit. We got a lot of grip from those tyres, we just had to be a little careful because every time you arrived at a corner it was in a different condition from the previous lap, either better or worse.It was definitely the right call and when the team called me in for inters that was the right call as well because the tyres had started graining."
The two McLaren drivers embraced after the race and Hamilton, who was twice involved in thrilling overtaking manoeuvres to pass Michael Schumacher, seemed just as delighted. He said: "I am very happy that we have got a one-two and, hopefully, that is the first of many. It was definitely an exciting race.
"I just felt every time I made up places, somehow I would lose them again. It was a very, very hard race but I am very happy with the result. To climb up to second was a great result and I am very happy."
Rosberg finished third, as he had in Malaysia two weeks ago, and is second behind Button in the drivers' standings. But it was another bad day for Schumacher, his team-mate, who was 10th.
While Button, the world champion, produced another smooth drive in the rain and led for most of the race it was another dramatic afternoon for the 2008 champion, Hamilton, who again had to carve his way through heavy traffic. He was reprimanded by stewards for dangerous driving, along with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, after their cars clashed in the pit-lane following a tyre stop."As far as I'm concerned, I thought it was OK," said Hamilton. "The team were waiting for quite some time and they waited until it was the right time. But as I came out I noticed Sebastian was there – he was pushing me a little bit to the right and we touched wheels."
Vettel blamed Hamilton for the incident. "At the stop I was ahead. I don't know why he pulled to the left and was keen to touch me," said the German. "His front wing was at my rear wheel. I hoped I didn't get a puncture from that – I don't really understand why he did that as I was a bit ahead of him and had the advantage. He didn't have to make contact."
There were no complaints from Button after the ninth win of his career. As in his previous victory in Melbourne, he called his tyre stops right while Hamilton got it wrong after McLaren had let their drivers make the decision; Button made only two pit stops, Hamilton four. "For me it is my best victory," he said. "Every one you win becomes your best victory but this was pretty tough conditions.
"The good thing is our pace was very good today. It wasn't just the call of weather, it was good pace. At the end we were two seconds a lap quicker than other people.
"Staying on dry tyres was the right thing. You would not think it as it was raining quite a bit. We got a lot of grip from those tyres, we just had to be a little careful because every time you arrived at a corner it was in a different condition from the previous lap, either better or worse.It was definitely the right call and when the team called me in for inters that was the right call as well because the tyres had started graining."
The two McLaren drivers embraced after the race and Hamilton, who was twice involved in thrilling overtaking manoeuvres to pass Michael Schumacher, seemed just as delighted. He said: "I am very happy that we have got a one-two and, hopefully, that is the first of many. It was definitely an exciting race.
"I just felt every time I made up places, somehow I would lose them again. It was a very, very hard race but I am very happy with the result. To climb up to second was a great result and I am very happy."
Rosberg finished third, as he had in Malaysia two weeks ago, and is second behind Button in the drivers' standings. But it was another bad day for Schumacher, his team-mate, who was 10th.
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