A quick turnaround from the thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix sees Formula One head to Shanghai for the third round of the 2018 world championship. Join The Roar for a live blog of the Chinese Grand Prix from 4:10pm (AEST).
It’s two from two for Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari so far and the ball is in the court of the reigning world champions in Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes AMG to respond.
The 5.4km, permanent power-circuit will see 56 laps contested and the drivers have a choice of medium, soft and supersoft tyres available; the same as in Bahrain.
Though conditions are converse to Bahrain, with temperatures having been quite cold across the Shanghai International Circuit during the weekend – making optimising tyres difficult again.
Ferrari have once again locked out the front-row of the grid, a feat they haven’t achieved since the 2006 United States and French Grands Prix, with championship leader Vettel having edged out Kimi Räikkönen.
The Silver Arrows again, with no answer to the scarlet chargers, were forced to settle for positions on the second row. Valtteri Bottas will lead his teammate Lewis Hamilton, as both will start the race on soft tyres – as supposed to Ferrari on the supersofts.
Red Bull occupy the third row of the grid, with Max Verstappen leading Daniel Ricciardo, who’s endured a tough weekend with reliability issues plaguing the Aussie again.
As with Bahrain, it appears that the race may be decided by who’ll dictate tyre strategy and whether Ferrari can pull off the mega stint they did on the soft tyres, if Mercedes AMG go onto the mediums.
In the midfield, Nico Hulkenberg in the Renault will lead from seventh and will have his teammate, Carlos Sainz, Sergio Perez and Romain Grosjean in the Haas making up the top ten.
With the quick cars of Kevin Magnussen and handy racers like Fernando Alonso starting outside the top ten, the battle for the points once again will be juicy.
So, can Ferrari breakthrough at a circuit owned by Mercedes AMG in recent years? Vettel has only won once here, in 2009, while Hamilton has a mammoth five wins and will be targeting a record sixth to kickstart his title defence.
Join The Roar from 4:10pm (AEST) for live blog coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix and what promises to be another spectacular Formula One race.
anon
Roar Pro
What a disaster for Ferrari. I think they lost out to Bottas fair and square. But they should have pitted Raikkonen though one lap after Hamilton came in. That was a no-brainer. Vettel was just terribly unlucky. Did nothing wrong, drove a great race. Verstappen should have been given a drive through not a 10 second penalty. And then Alonso sticking him on the grass for the hell of it was a real dirty move. Last week the Sky commentary were in a tizzy when Verstappen cut across Hamilton's front wing on the exit of a corner basically blaming Verstappen. This week Alonso sticks Vettel on the grass and it's fair play. I thought Hamilton turned his wheel and pushed Verstappen off the circuit at one point too. I'm not sold on Ferrari having an advantage over Mercedes. Bottas was able to comfortably maintain a gap on Vettel today despite Bottas being a far inferior driver to Vettel. Ferrari really needed to capitalise on Hamilton being down in the dumps and way off the pace today. Not capitalising today might cost them the championship.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
That about wraps up this live blog for The Roar, of the Chinese Grand Prix. Thanks again for joining me to witness another Daniel Ricciardo shoey and we'll see you in two weeks time at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Until then, good night!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Another epic race indeed, as the 2018 Formula One world championship continues to excite and provide new narratives for the title race ahead. Ferrari, perhaps missed the trick this afternoon with their strategy and probably shot themselves in the foot not having brought Räikkönen in under the Safety Car. Plenty to discuss regardless in the fortnight to come!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
-------- DRIVER'S -------- 54 -- Sebastian Vettel 45 -- Lewis Hamilton 40 -- Valtteri Bottas 37 -- Daniel Ricciardo 30 -- Kimi Räikkönen 22 -- Fernando Alonso 22 -- Nico Hulkenberg 18 -- Max Verstappen 12 -- Pierre Gasly 11 -- Kevin Magnussen 6 --- Stoffel Vandoorne 3 --- Carlos Sainz 2 --- Marcus Ericsson 1 --- Esteban Ocon 0 --- Sergio Perez 0 --- Charles Leclerc 0 --- Brendon Hartley 0 --- Lance Stroll 0 --- Romain Grosjean 0 --- Sergey Sirotkin
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
----- CONSTRUCTOR'S ----- 85 -- Mercedes AMG 84 -- Scuderia Ferrari 55 -- Aston Martin Red Bull Racing 28 -- McLaren Renault 25 -- Renault Sport 12 -- Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda 11 -- Haas Ferrari 2 --- Alfa Romeo Sauber 1 --- Force India Mercedes 0 --- Williams Mercedes
Kanga. ..Kurt Fearnley is a legend
Guest
How great was that Well done Daniel Ricciardo
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RACE REPORT After facing the possibility of failing to qualify on Saturday, Daniel Ricciardo has pulled off an emphatic victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, snatching the unlikely win from Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes AMG. It was a race of procession from the start, with pole sitter Sebastian Vettel leading away from Bottas and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. That was before a Safety Car midway through proceedings, threw a spanner into the works and changed the face of the race. Caused by debris left on track following an incident between the two Toro Rossos, the Safety Car saw Red Bull well positioned on-track to be brought into for a second stop, with Verstappen leading Ricciardo in for a switch to the softs. With Bottas having undercut Vettel in the first pit-stops, the Finn led away from the Safety Car restart and there was concern that the Red Bulls on the fresher tyres could catch them. Verstappen, edgy as ever, ended up touring the runoff in attempt to pass Hamilton for fourth – but it was Ricciardo who pulled off the bold move to get ahead of the reigning world champion. Once Ricciardo had relegated Vettel, who was unable to pass Bottas, Verstappen made his comeback past Hamilton and on Lap-43 ambitiously tried to round up Vettel at the hairpin – only to collect the championship leader and send the Ferrari falling through the pack. The Dutchman was subsequently punished with a 10-second time penalty, which added to his race time in the end, demoted the Red Bull to fifth. Vettel meanwhile limped home to eighth, having been chopped by Fernando Alonso on the penultimate lap. Ricciardo on the soft tyres, took over the lead of the race from Bottas on Lap-45, making another heart-stopping pass on another Mercedes AMG. Räikkönen, left out to dry ahead of the first stops to be a buffer for Vettel, came back after the Safety Car on younger tyres to finish on the podium in third. Renault ended the race with both cars in the points once again, with Nico Hulkenberg an impressive sixth and his teammate Carlos Sainz narrowly missing an opportunity to capture eighth from Vettel. Kevin Magnussen ensured Haas scored a point too, having been the better driver between e and teammate Romain Grosjean, who on a conversing strategy lost out and finished down in seventeenth. Three races into the championship, Mercedes AMG are yet to win a race which is accustomed to in this hybrid era, with Ferrari and Red Bull having taken the spoils so far.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
STANDBY FOR RACE REPORT AND UPDATED STANDINGS
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
PODIUM INTERVIEWS - Hosted by Martin Brundle RICCIARDO - "I don't seem to win boring races!" "Very decisive [strategic] call." "You gotta lick the stamp and send it." BOTTAS - "We were looking strong, until the safety car." "It is disappointing and it felt like deserved victory." RÄIKKÖNEN - "We made a good start and got blocked a bit." "Far from ideal from the start of the race." "A little bit of luck on the safety car and I had good speed on the mediums."
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
On the podium Ricciardo signals that its time for a shoey!
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
RESULTS FROM THE 56-LAP CHINESE GRAND PRIX 1 D. Ricciardo 2 V. Bottas 3 K. Räikkönen 4 L. Hamilton 5 M. Verstappen* 6 N. Hulkenberg 7 F. Alonso 8 S. Vettel 9 C. Sainz 10 K. Magnussen 11 E. Ocon 12 S. Perez 13 S. Vandoorne 14 L. Stroll 15 S. Sirotkin 16 M. Ericsson 17 R. Grosjean 18 P. Gasly 19 C. Leclerc RET B. Hartley *Includes Verstappen's 10-second penalty being added.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
DANIEL RICCIARDO WINS THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX! Valtteri Bottas makes it home in second to celebrate his 100th grand prix. And Kimi Räikkönen will stand on the podium in third for Ferrari.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 56/56: FINAL LAP Verstappen in with a shot of passing Kimi for third on track, though still has that 10-second penalty looming over him.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 55/56: 2 LAPS TO GO Alonso takes that seventh place then from Vettel, as the Ferrari just continues to fall away. Vettel annoyed that the McLaren had ran him off the track. Sainz now only a second behind.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 54/56: 3 LAPS TO GO Alonso now hounding Vettel for P7, as the Ferrari certainly looks as if it is wounded.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 53/56: Brendon Hartley brings his Toro Rosso into the pits and retires from the race. Unfortunate afternoon for the Kiwi, after the hit from his teammate Gasly.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 52/56: 5 LAPS TO GO
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 51/56: Kimi still biding his time behind Bottas, as the lap counter ticks closer to an end.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 50/56: The gap to Räikkönen now under a second from Bottas.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Lap 49/56: Räikkönen now looming in Bottas' mirrors with a 1.8 second deficit to his compatriot.