Lewis Hamilton spoils hat trick bid

McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton overcame a pre-race mechanical drama to win a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix yesterday, passing Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel for the lead with five laps remaining.
Vettel made a strong bid for a rare hat-trick of wins to start the Formula One season but he could not hold off Hamilton, who made one more pit stop than the German and had fresher tyres in the closing stages.
"It was one of the best races I have experienced," Hamilton said. "It feels amazing to be able to bring it home. I am absolutely overwhelmed. It feels like a long, long time [since winning]. I am so proud and extremely grateful."
Red Bull's Mark Webber was third, driving a superb race after starting 18th on the grid.
Hamilton came close to being out of contention before the race started, when a fuel leak was discovered in his engine. McLaren mechanics worked frantically until the pitlane closed. Had they missed the deadline, Hamilton would have started from pitlane rather than third on the grid.
They sent him out on the installation lap with just less than a minute to spare, but with much of the engine cover missing - that had to be drilled on to the car while it was sitting on the grid.
"I had real confidence in the guys [that] they would figure it out," Hamilton said. "As I was driving to the light I was nervous that just as I got to it it would go red, but fortunately I got out."
McLaren's Jenson Button was fourth, ahead of Mercedes' Nico Rosberg and Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who all led at various stages at Shanghai International Circuit. Vettel started from pole but was passed by both McLarens before the first corner.
He managed to get ahead of both in the first round of pit stops, overcoming an odd incident in which Button mistakenly pulled into the Red Bull garage right in front of the German, and had to be waved on to the correct space.
Button was reminded that the first rule when driving a car is to look where you're going. After a moment of hesitation, Button realised his error and drove a few metres forward to where the McLaren mechanics were waiting patiently. But that little glitch was enough to cost him the lead of the race, as Vettel pulled away from his stop more quickly.
"I was basically looking down when I came into the pit and went into the wrong pit stop," Button said. "It wouldn't have changed my race at all but I just made it a bit tougher for the guys."
Vettel was able to laugh it off after the race. "Imagine if they'd changed his tyres. I would have to drive on to McLaren and say, 'Hello,"' Vettel said. "It happened a couple of years ago with a Toro Rosso. I don't know what attracts people to stop in my garage."
With three races completed, Vettel leads the drivers' standings on 68 points, ahead of Hamilton on 47, with Button on 38 and Webber on 37.