17/04/2016
NEWS STORY
Whilst none of us will miss the qualifying system that was introduced this season - and thankfully disappeared again after just two outings - the move to three tyre compounds for drivers has certainly spiced things up.
It's fair to say that the various options available today, and the different strategies drivers and their teams will be adopting will add greatly to the Chinese puzzle.
On paper we have the potential for a thriller, what with Nico Rosberg starting from pole and seeking to extend his world championship lead. Then there is his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, starting from the very back of the grid, a five place grid penalty compounded by an MGU-H that prevented him setting a time in Q1.
Other than the race strategy that Rosberg will opt for, the German cunningly opting to use softs not supers in Q2, meaning he does not have to start the race on tyres expected to last just five laps, Hamilton has to battle his way through the entire field.
Then there's Daniel Ricciardo, whose happy go lucky, ever smiling demeanour tends to belie what a talented racer he really is. In truth, Daniil Kvyat's performance is the real example of where the Red Bull is currently, and even that greatly flatters the package.
Whether Ricciardo (and Kvyat) can mount a challenge to Rosberg (and Ferrari) remains to be seen, but we know the Australian, in particular, will be going for it.
Following convincing performances in all three practice sessions, Ferrari missed an open goal in qualifying and will be keen to make things right again today. However, with both starting on the supers and therefore needing to pit early on, the pressure is on them.
On the other hand, a couple of Melbourne-style starts on this widest of tracks and perhaps the Maranello duo can leave here with something to celebrate. Then again there is the question of reliability with the Italian team only managing to get one car home in both the previous races.
Behind them we should have a real sizzler especially as a number of drivers are starting out of position following the errant wheel incident of Nico Hulkenberg in Q2 which meant as number of drivers failed to improve.
Will the Haas fairy-tale continue, will Jenson and Fernando add to Stoffel's point for McLaren, will Sainz beat his reliability jinx?
As expected, weather conditions are much different to yesterday, the Shanghai circuit enjoying blue skies and sunshine. Which will add to the tyre performance conundrum.
With the teams having comparatively little slick tyre data to go on, what with the various stoppages on Friday and the weather in FP3, the strategy calculations for the 56-lap race have taken on a new twist.
The rain yesterday also has the effect of washing any rubber that has been laid down off the surface, which again affects tyre behaviour.
Tyre wear and degradation here is traditionally high, so the optimal strategy should theoretically be a three-stopper: start on the supersoft and then change to the soft on laps 11, 26 and 41.
An alternative strategy (Rosberg, for example) would be to start the race on soft, run soft for the majority of the race (changing around lap 16 and 31), and then put on the supersoft for the final stint around lap 46.
A Soft-Soft-Soft-Medium strategy also looks interesting but would be slightly slower.
The pitlane opens and one by one the drivers make their way to the grid. At both of the previous two races we're had drivers not make it to the grid, will that be the case today?
One of the last out is Hamilton, who makes a couple of passes through the pitlane, informing his team that "everything feels fine".
As the grid fills, the air temperature is 21 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 28 degrees.
As the field prepares to head off on the warm-up lap, off comes the tyre warmers. Rosberg starts on softs, as do Massa, starting from 11th, Alonso, Grosjean, Ericsson, Nasr, Gutierrez, Palmer, Haryanto, Wehrlein and Hamilton. The rest are on the supers.
The field heads off on the warm-up lap. All get away cleanly.
The grid forms... Hamilton the last driver to take up his place.
They're away! A great start from Rosberg but an even better start by Ricciardo with Vettel right in the mix. Ricciardo leads the field in to T1 however, just behind Vettel collides with Raikkonen causing damage to the Finn's nose.
Further back, Hamilton also appears to have been in the wars, the Briton having lost his front wing which is now stuck under his front wheels.
Replay shows Vettel moving aside as Kyvat comes down the inside in T1 and clipping his teammate's front and sending him into a spin. If anything it looked like the German, who was given a quick shove by Perez also, ran wide as opposed to being forced wide by the Russian.
Meanwhile, Hamilton ran over the debris from the Ferrari fiasco and also tangled with Nasr, who was carefully avoiding Raikkonen, losing his front wing in the process. Devoid of his front wing, Hamilton runs wide in T3.
The other Sauber was involved in an incident in the first corner mayhem, Ericsson moving across on Grosjean and damaging the Frenchman's front wing.
Ricciardo leads Rosberg, Kvyat, Sainz, Perez, Hulkenberg and Massa.
Despite damage, Vettel passes Button to take eighth, opting not to pit. However, Grosjean, Raikkonen and Hamilton all pit. Raikkonen sticks with supers, whilst Hamilton switches to softs, as does Grosjean. New front wings for the Briton and the Finn.
Button and Massa battle for eighth as Rosberg goes quickest in his pursuit of Ricciardo who is 0.585s up the road.
With the aid of DRS, and the Mercedes engine, Rosberg sweeps past Ricciardo. However, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems, the Australian has a left-rear puncture, possibly the result of debris on the track and is passed by his Red Bull teammate. Moments later, Ricciardo's tyre effectively delaminates. He subsequently pits, rejoining in 18th.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
As Vettel closes on Sainz, Raikkonen is 11s down on Ricciardo with Hamilton a further 4s behind.
At the end of lap 4 the Safety Car is deployed, at which point Kvyat, Perez, Vettel, Hulkenberg and just about everyone else all pit. Indeed, only Rosberg, Massa, Alonso, Wehrlein, Gutierrez, Palmer and Haryanto don't pit. New front wing for Vettel.
It's chaos in the pitlane as the drivers battle for position on entry and then on exit. Indeed, frustrated by the queue behind a slow moving Hulkenberg as the cars head back out, Vettel overtakes a number of them.
As an emotionless Sergio Marchionne watches a replay of the start from the garage, Hamilton makes another pit stop, still sticking with the softs.
Behind the Safety Car, after 5 laps, it's: Rosberg, Massa, Alonso, Wehrlein, Gutierrez, Kvyat, Palmer, Haryanto, Perez and Bottas. Ricciardo is seventeenth, ahead of Verstappen, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Grosjean and Nasr.
At the end of lap 6, just a lap after his previous stop, Hamilton pits again. The team having told him it has a plan, switches him from the supers to the softs, meaning he has obeyed the rules whilst only needing to run the red-banded tyres for one lap.
"The attack was suicidal," says Vettel of Kvyat's move at the start. "There was always going to be a crash."
At the end of lap 8, the Safety Car pulls off. Bottas catches Haryanto asleep at the wheel. Elsewhere, Vettel passes Haryanto and Hulkenberg for 12th.
As Rosberg and Massa head the field there is fierce battling behind. Bottas and palmer fight for 8th whilst Vettel hunts the pair down. Elsewhere, Kvta passes Alonso at the hairpin for third.
Hamilton passes Raikkonen for 16th as Gutierrez battles Perez, Bottas, Vettel and Button.
Ricciardo passes Hulkenberg to take 12th, whilst Vettel gets by Bottas around the outside of T14 and then Wehrlein.
Kvyat passes Massa to take second, the Russian giving a great account of himself, though Vettel might question that.
Hamilton all over Ricciardo who is battling Gutierrez for 11th. The Briton nails the Haas and then lines up the Red Bull.
Vettel seeps by Perez on the back straight, and begins the job of closing in on Alonso.
Alonso doesn't make it easy for Vettel, but the Ferrari engine allows the German to nail the McLaren driver. Elsewhere, Raikkonen pits, the Finn fitting a set of mediums.
"Good stuff," Vettel is told, "next up is Massa, push hard." However, camera pick up on a bit of debris that falls from the Ferrari.
Hamilton passes Button for 10th whilst McLaren teammate Alonso is passed by Perez.
Alonso pits at the end of lap 16, the Spaniard rejoining on mediums in 18th, just ahead of Raikkonen.
After 16 laps, it's: Rosberg, Kvyat, Massa, Vettel, Perez, Bottas, Sainz, Ricciardo, Hamilton and Button. Of those, all are on softs bar Vettel (super) and Button (medium).
Vettel and Hulkenberg both pit at the end of lap 17, the Ferrari driver now on the soft tyre.
Perez pits for fresh rubber having lost out to Sainz with as massive lock-up.
Kvyat pits at the end of lap 19, as do Massa, Sainz and Ricciardo. Meanwhile, a new fastest lap from Vettel (40.884).
Kvyat rejoins just ahead of Vettel, with Verstappen also in the mix.
At the end of lap 20 Rosberg makes his first stop of the afternoon, the German sticking with the soft rubber.
Verstappen pits at the end of lap 20 also, as do Magnussen, Grosjean and Nasr.
Hulkenberg is to be investigated for driving slowly in the pitlane.
Bottas pits at the end of lap 21 as does Hamilton, who switches to softs.
As Hamilton rejoins in 14th, Hulkenberg is handed a 5s time penalty.
Out front, on fresh rubber, Rosberg posts a new fastest lap (40.631) as he enjoys a 12.971s lead over Kvyat. The German has yet to use the supersoft rubber.
Vettel closes on Kvyat as Raikkonen is part of the train behind (8th placed) Ericsson. Ricciardo subsequently passes the Swede with Sainz and Raikkonen following through.
Passed by three cars in one lap, Ericsson is subsequently left for dead by Hamilton.
Massa makes short work of Button to take 4th as, up ahead, Vettel shadows Kvyat.
"I think we should think about the alternative strategy," says Hulkenberg. "We're already on it," he is advised, "we're already on it."
Perez now closes on Button who is struggling with his mediums. Behind the pair is Bottas who is ready to take advantage.
A bold move finally sees Perez pass Button, Bottas nailing the McLaren on the back straight.
Out front, Rosberg posts a string of fastest laps as he builds a 19.612s cushion.
At the end of lap 26, Hulkenberg pits, the Force India driver also serving his 5s time penalty.
Button pits at the end of lap 27, the Briton sticking with the medium rubber. Wehrlein also pits.
As Hamilton closes on Raikkonen, up ahead Perez passes Sainz, the Mexican subsequently pitting. He rejoins in 13th, just ahead of Button.
"Give it everything you've got mate," Hamilton is told. "I am," comes the impassive response. The Briton remain around a second behind Raikkonen's Ferrari.
At the end of lap 30, Bottas and Hamilton both pit. The Briton now switches to mediums, rejoining in 14th.
Next time around Massa pits, the Williams driver rejoining in 9th on mediums.
Hard to believe, but after 32 laps, and despite all the incidents, we still have 22 runners.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.
Alonso pits at the end of lap 32, the Spaniard rejoining in 15th.
Hamilton passes Gutierrez for 11th as his Mercedes teammate enjoys a 27.5s lead over second-placed Kvyat.
Sainz pits at the end of lap 33.
"Push hard Sebastian, push harder now!" With the gap to Kvyat static, Ferrari clearly needs to pull something out of the hat.
Hamilton passes Perez at the hairpin, the Briton now up to 9th, 4s down on Bottas.
At the end of lap 35 Kvyat and Vettel both pit, the Russian taking on the medium rubber the German the soft. They return to the track in 3rd and 5th, Raikkonen splitting the pair however, the Finn moves aside for his teammate.
Rosberg pits at the end of lap 36, the German switching to medium. Elsewhere, Vettel nails Kvyat for third at the hairpin.
As Ricciardo pits from 3rd, Raikkonen also pits. Meanwhile, Verstappen is under increasing pressure from Massa, who has Bottas and Hamilton in hot pursuit.
"You're going to be racing quite a few cars in this stint," Raikkonen is told, "but we know you can do it."
Alone out front, Rosberg posts another fastest lap (40.418).
As Massa gets past Ricciardo, Bottas and Hamilton line-up the Red Bull driver. After the pair pass the Australian, the Briton makes a bold move on Bottas in T8 to take 5th.
Raikkonen passes Perez for 8th as Sainz sweeps by Button for 10th.
On fresh soft rubber, Verstappen posts a new fastest lap (40.399).
"He should get out of my ******* way," says Kvyat as he laps Palmer.
Behind the Russian, Massa, Hamilton and Ricciardo battle for fourth.
Great move by Ricciardo who passes Hamilton at T6 to take back 5th. "Nice job mate," the Australian is told.
Man on a mission Ricciardo subsequently passes Massa in T14to take 4th, his Red Bull teammate now 16.7s up the road.
Raikkonen is now locked in battle with his old nemesis, countryman Bottas. In fact, the Ferrari driver makes short work of the Williams and sets off after Hamilton who is 2.166s up the road.
Kvyat is still effing and blinding, gesticulating at the back markers, even though he has a 16s advantage.
Hamilton all over Massa as Raikkonen keeps watch.
Button pits for supers, rejoining in 14th. A quick final stint for the McLaren driver?
As Hamilton tries a move on Massa but fails, Raikkonen moves in and takes advantage, demoting the world champion to 7th. A scrappy lap from the Briton who subsequently loses ground to the Ferrari.
As Hulkenberg pits at the end of lap 46, Button posts a new fastest lap (40.298).
Raikkonen makes short work of Massa in T4 to take 5th.
After 47 laps, it's: Rosberg, Vettel, Kvyat, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Bottas, Perez and Sainz.
Masa and Hamilton battle for 6th but both are clearly struggling for grip.
Sainz is struggling, he is passed by his teammate who goes on to make short work of Perez, the youngster making up two places in one lap.
On fresh rubber, Hulkenberg (16th) posts a new fastest lap (39.824).
Under no pressure whatsoever, Rosberg runs wide in T9, a brief loss of concentration for the German during his Sunday afternoon cruise.
Verstappen is closing on Bottas as the Hamilton/Massa scrap continues up ahead.
Alonso and Button are running close together in 12th and 13th, though its pride rather than points that they're scrapping for.
A silly mistake by Bottas sees the Finn loses 8th to Verstappen. However, as Sainz also closes in perhaps the tyres on the Williams are done.
Telling his team the car is "undriveable," Grosjean is told the team does not want to retire the car. Not the best afternoon for Haas.
In free air, Verstappen closes on Hamilton, but he is out of time.
Rosberg takes the flag, his third win of the year, his sixth successive win. Vettel is second, ahead of Kvyat, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Verstappen, Sainz and Bottas.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Alonso, Button, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg, Ericsson, Magnussen, Wehrlein, Grosjean, Nasr, Haryanto and Palmer.
"That was the most incredible balance I've ever had in a race," says Rosberg, "really spectacular."
Elsewhere, Vettel is still apologising for that first lap clash. "Massive apologies to the team," he says. "I did not do it on purpose. I'm really sorry for Kimi. Kvyat came like a torpedo and there was nothing I could do. I had to react. Anyway, great recovery." The German walks over to his teammate in parc ferme, they embrace.
As the drivers prepare to head out on to the podium, Vettel and Kvyat exchange words.
"You, asking what happened in the start," says Vettel, as Rosberg kisses the camera. "You crash into all three of us. You came like a torpedo!".
"That's racing," replies Kvyat, grinning.
"It's not racing," argues Vettel. "If I keep going the same line."
"You did it," insists Russian.
"No, you did it," argues Vettel.
Rosberg listens, smiling quietly. He's been there.
Well, we expected a strategic race and that is what we got, along with numerous incidents which turned things on there head thereby forcing drivers to knuckle down.
Whilst the race will be remember for the first corner mayhem, and some inspired fight backs, Nico Rosberg continues to bring home the points, further extending his lead.
A truly entertaining afternoon... and a race from which it will be difficult to pick a 'driver of the day'.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.