Formula 1 - BBC Sport BBC Sport Bernie Ecclestone unsure of F1 future, Sergio Perez "stunned", Kevin Magnussen "disappointed", plus more. 20 Jan Lewis Hamilton backs Mercedes' choice of Valtteri Bottas as a replacement for Nico Rosberg, team boss Toto Wolff has said. 18 Jan China F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More | Bleacher Report China F1 Grand Prix 2015: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More By Tom Sunderland , Featured Columnist Apr 11, 2015 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press 0 Comments Downtown Shanghai will play host to the third race of the 2015 Formula One season on Sunday, where Lewis Hamilton is hoping to become the first driver to win successive Chinese Grand Prix titles and remain top of the standings. The reigning Formula One champion claimed the third Chinese Grand Prix triumph of his career in 2014 to become the most decorated driver in the race's history.

However, with the in-form Mercedes team painting a target on their back, their peers are more motivated than ever to reverse the current trend and prevent Hamilton from making history. The Shanghai International Circuit is sure to see fireworks on Sunday, with all the necessary viewing information and a preview for this weekend's race detailed ahead. Date: Sunday, April 12 Time: 7 a.m. BST/2 a.m. ET/2 p.m. Local TV Info: Sky Sports F1 (UK), NBCSN (US) China Grand Prix Driver Lineups Team Formula1.com Ferrari Look to Emerge in Two-Horse Race While it may not be ideal in terms of competition across the field, the 2015 Formula One season has thus far been about two teams in particular—Ferrari and Mercedes. Victory for Sebastian Vettel at last month's Malaysian Grand Prix gave Ferrari their first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, building on a fine pre-season to show they most certainly are a power to watch out for once again.

Andy Wong/Associated Press Kimi Raikkonen still has a task in closing the gap and is yet to claim a podium finish this season, but Vettel will assuredly be out to rain on Hamilton's parade in the Chinese Grand Prix. Mercedes' golden boy knows as much, too, highlighting the threat his German opponent will pose in Shanghai after Hamilton topped the times in the second free practice session, per the official Formula One website : Can Hamilton get back to winning ways in Shanghai? Yes, he performs better under pressure. No, Vettel's the man in peak form right now. No, the China Grand Prix will be won by [comment below]. Submit Vote vote to see results Can Hamilton get back to winning ways in Shanghai? Yes, he performs better under pressure. 70.6% No, the China Grand Prix will be won by [comment below]. 8.2% Total votes: 293 "It was quite close between us and Ferrari. They look just as fast as they were last time out and Nico (Rosberg, Mercedes team-mate) was quick as well, so we definitely have a race on.

But I feel like I've got some improvements to make and I think we've got the pace to stay ahead." As things stand, Vettel is just three points behind standings leader Hamilton, whose team-mate Rosberg is 10 points off the summit. After that, there's a steep drop-off to Felipe Massa in fourth, 23 points off Hamilton. The weather in Shanghai tends to have an air of unpredictability about it. Sky Sports reported the white-marked medium tyres and yellow-banded softs will be put to use in China. A large track means there will be opportunities for overtaking, but Hamilton is looking to defend his perch under mounting pressure. Lotus Looking to Reverse Their Fortunes There were some signs of promise for Lotus coming into the 2015 campaign, and indeed their pre-season testing suggested the manufacturer could be ready to cause a disturbance among the hierarchy. Mark Schiefelbein/Associated Press However, with Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean yet to muster even a single point between them, a massive turnaround is needed in Shanghai if anything is to be made of this season.

After changing loyalties to a Mercedes engine at the end of last year, the E23 certainly looks a superior machine to its predecessor, but three retirements in the first two races of 2015 shows Lotus haven't had a lot of luck. Reserve driver Jolyon Palmer got his first taste of Formula One action on Friday, but he took an early spin in free practice, per the official Formula One Twitter account: — Formula 1 (@F1) April 10, 2015 As long as they can avoid collisions and keep their cars on the track, both Maldonado and Grosjean have the ability to make a dent on Sunday, but therein lies their issue, it seems. The E23's speed and power is up there with the upper crust of Formula One, but the question is whether or not Shanghai can provide the team the break they've been seeking to get their season off the mark. F1 Odds 2017 | Drivers, Constructors Title + Australian Grand Prix Betting Australian Grand Prix Odds – Winner Odds To Win Australian Grand Prix; Sunday, March 26 2017; Best Odds Bold; Place: 1/3 odds 1,2.

No Odds Available Rosberg Just Needs Podium in Final Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton’s hopes of securing his third consecutive Formula One Drivers Championship are ebbing away as we head into the final race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, writes Nick. He is 12 points behind his teammate Nico Rosberg with just one race to go and the German only needs a podium finish to guarantee the title, even if Hamilton wins the race. Hamilton (pictured) endured a difficult start to the year, failing to win any of the first five races while Rosberg won four of them to open up a commanding lead at the top of the standings. But victory on his home track of Monaco got Hamilton back on course. Now Hamilton trails Rosberg by that 12-point margin despite winning last time in Brazil. Hamilton, who like Rosberg has won nine races this term, was as short as 1/5 just five races ago. If you peruse the bookmakers’ betting comparison table above you can see how the odds now favour Rosberg in a similar way.

Mercedes have been F1’s dominant team over the last two and a half years and while this year’s Drivers and Constructors Championships will surely again be theirs, there are signs their dominance will not be as absolute during the second half of the year. The team themselves have said as much in the face of increasing competition from Red Bull. The Milton Keynes-based team finished fourth in the constructors championship last season in what was their worst finish since 2008. But bolstered by improvements to their Renault power unit, they have begun to establish themselves as Mercedes’ closest challengers. Max Verstappen’s win in Spain was the only non-Mercedes victory during the first half of the year and they now look to have relegated Ferrari to a fairly distant third place on pace. Red Bull can be expected to challenge for victories at circuits where drivability is more important than outright top-line speed during the second half of the year. Force India have made impressive and steady progress in recent years. They finished sixth in 2014, fifth in 2015 and are now in a battle with Williams to finish fourth in 2016.

They recovered from a slow start to come on strong during the second half of last season, with only three teams scoring more points than them after the summer break. With Williams seemingly headed backwards, Force India look well placed to push on and finish fourth. Sergio Perez is attracting interest from the traditionally stronger teams after a run of good results, including two podium finishes, during the first half of the year. In an updated car, he can be fancied to reach the podium once or twice more between now and the end of the season. Further down the field, changes in the running order have gradually been seen due to the fact that some teams have continued to develop their cars while others have instead switched focus to next year’s designs. Toro Rosso scored three double-points finishes in the first five races and while Carlos Sainz has continued to rack up consistent top-10 placings he may struggle to keep that up. The team are using last year’s Ferrari power unit and with Renault and Honda making strides in improving performance, their ability to compete will lessen as the season wears on. In contrast, the Honda-powered McLaren team have only got stronger as the season has progressed.

Their aim of finishing in the top five in the constructors championship looks a little over ambitious, but they can certainly be fancied to secure some solid points finishes in the remaining races. Reliability looks to be their only real concern at this stage. Haas made a highly impressive start to their debut season in the sport with points finishes in three of the opening four races. The American team have, however, found top-10 finishes harder to come by since and seem to be falling behind in the development race. Renault have been handicapped by a chassis that was initially designed to incorporate a Mercedes engine prior to their takeover of the former Lotus team. While continued improvements to the Renault power unit may well see them jump ahead of some of the other lower placed teams, points are only likely to come due to retirements ahead of him. Manor have a car that is very quick in a straight line and two young and competitive drivers. However, it is only really at the power circuits such as Monza that they can be expected to trouble the top 10. Finally, Sauber struggled for pace throughout the first half of the year and were the only team without a point going into the summer break.

Time will tell whether a planned upgrade, including a new front wing, can lift them up the field. So at the business end of the Drivers’ Title, it looks set to be a straight battle between the Mercedes Drivers if the bookies ’ betting is to be believed. We have been warning all along that Hamilton was too short in the odds, and even now the bookmakers seem sure he will find a way to make Rosberg sweat with just five races remaining. Formula 1: How Red Bull could blow F1 title race open - BBC Sport BBC Sport Formula 1: How Red Bull could blow F1 title race open By Andrew Benson From the section Formula 1 Share this page Read more about sharing. Red Bull drivers Kvyat and Ricciardo flanked by their Scuderia Toro Rosso counterparts Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton's defence of his Formula 1 title could be about to get a whole lot harder courtesy of a surprise interloper - Red Bull. The world champion already has a fight on his hands following his troubled start to the season, which has left him 36 points behind Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg after just three races.

Hamilton is only three points clear of Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, and there is reason to believe the Australian and team-mate Daniil Kvyat could become a major threat before too long. The team that dominated F1 from 2010-13 have had two tough seasons since the advent of turbo hybrid engines. But they have shown improved form this year, and developments in the pipeline could leapfrog them into Mercedes territory. Ricciardo was on the front row at last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix and led the race in the early laps before a puncture wrecked his chances of a podium finish. Ricciardo beat Nico Rosberg off the start and led the Chinese Grand Prix before a puncture ruined his chances And Red Bull are hopeful an upgrade to their Renault engine due at the Canadian Grand Prix in June could help them "cause a bit of mischief ahead of us", as team boss Christian Horner put it in Shanghai. That Renault has an upgrade scheduled for Montreal is well known. What has not yet come out publicly is how big it is. BBC Sport can reveal Renault is predicting a lap-time gain of 0.45 seconds from the upgraded engine.

Ricciardo qualified 0.52secs off Rosberg's pole position time in China. Red Bull were further off the pace than that in the first two races in Australia and Bahrain but that is because those circuits are more "power sensitive", as F1 engineers describe the effect engine performance has on lap time. More from Formula 1 The improvement Renault expect in lap time is equivalent to a power boost of just under 30bhp - and it is believed Renault's deficit to the standard-setting Mercedes is in the region of 35-50bhp. Will the upgrade deliver what is promised? Horner has expressed a degree of caution about the Renault upgrade - after all, it was the company's failure to deliver on its promises that led to Red Bull wanting to split with them last season. "Let's see it first," he says. "Pieces of paper are all very easy to look at, but it is the stopwatch that doesn't lie." In the end, Red Bull and Renault stayed together - albeit with the engine badged with the name of a sponsor - and the car company's renewed commitment to F1 following its decision to buy back Lotus and run its own team is paying off.

Mischief makers: Christian Horner and Helmut Marko could have a better engine than they bargained for this season Renault improved the engine by a reputed 50bhp over the winter and insiders say they are very confident the Canada upgrade will achieve what they expect. Even Horner - who was highly critical of his partner last season - is positive, saying: "You can genuinely see the progress that is being made." What about the Red Bull car? Red Bull's domination of F1 in the early part of this decade was founded on the excellence of their aerodynamic design, led by chief technical officer Adrian Newey, arguably the greatest designer in the sport's history. Even in 2014, when Renault were a long way off on engine performance, the Red Bull chassis was at least as good as Mercedes' - and that was enough for Ricciardo to win three races when Mercedes tripped up. Red Bull dominated in 2013 with another chassis design from Adrian Newey that cornered beautifully... ...but this year's car is faster in slow corners than the Mercedes Last year, the Red Bull car was not up to its usual standard in the first part of the year.

From the summer onwards, though, the car returned to form and this year Red Bull have taken another step. "We've built on getting that back," Ricciardo says. "The second half of last year, the team really turned it around, and that was really refreshing to see. "This year we've started off on an even better footing. Definitely the vibe is somewhat like '14, and it feels good. "It's really promising. Every race we have shown a strength we didn't think we'd have. "We're getting there. We're definitely closing in, and if we keep closing in at this rate it's going to be a pretty spicy rest of the year." Rivals say they can see from the GPS data available to all teams that the Red Bull is actually faster than the Mercedes in slow corners. The Mercedes is quicker in the fast corners - but not by as much. And slow corners have a greater effect on lap time, as the cars spend longer in them. Media playback is not supported on this device Chinese GP: Is Nico Rosberg looking unstoppable? Rosberg might have won all three races so far but in each his path has been eased by problems for Ferrari, Mercedes' closest rivals.

Both Mercedes and Ferrari believe the red cars are more than good enough to compete with the silver, once they stop having what Rosberg has described as "mishaps". And if Red Bull can gain as much time as is expected, they could turn it into a three-way fight for victories. Good news for Renault, too An upgrade to the Renault engine as significant as the one being talked about will also provide an important boost to their works team. This was always going to be a rebuilding year for Renault, having bought a team that had been starved of resources by its previous owners for the past few years. Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer have been languishing close to the back this season as a result, but an extra half a second or so would lift them towards respectability at the lower end of the midfield. British driver Jolyon Palmer in his Renault during the Chinese Grand Prix Renault are looking at 2017 as the first season in which they can begin to make a mark. By then, they will have a car into which they will have been able to put much more resources than the current one, which was designed when the team was still Lotus, and another big step on the engine.

Their optimism about and expectations for next season's generation of power-unit are even higher than for the one due this summer. Chinese Grand Prix 2016: Winners and Losers from Shanghai Race | Bleacher Report Chinese Grand Prix 2016: Winners and Losers from Shanghai Race By Oliver Harden , Featured Columnist Apr 17, 2016 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Mark Thompson/Getty Images 1 Comment Nico Rosberg claimed his third straight victory of the 2016 Formula One season in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit. The German secured his first pole position of the new campaign on Saturday and was allowed to take another routine win in the race as his nearest rivals yet again pressed their self-destruct buttons in the early stages. Sebastian Vettel was among those who proved to be their own worst enemies, with the four-time world champion colliding with Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at Turn 1. After recovering to second place, Vettel did not hesitate when it came to blaming Daniil Kvyat for the incident as the Red Bull driver celebrated his second-ever top-three result.

On a weekend Lewis Hamilton 's substandard start to 2016 continued and Daniel Ricciardo offered more evidence that he is the best driver in modern-day F1, here are the main winners and losers from Shanghai. Mark Thompson/Getty Images Yet again they all fell before him. Already hampered by a grid-place penalty, Hamilton was eliminated from contention when his MGU-H failed in qualifying, leaving the three-time world champion stranded at the rear of the field. With his Mercedes team-mate out of the picture, the two Ferraris became his biggest challengers. Rather than taking the fight to the No. 6 car, however, Vettel and Raikkonen turned on each other, the four-time world champion steering into his team-mate as he tried to avoid hitting Kvyat at the first corner. The threat from behind was all but extinguished even at that early stage, but there remained the small matter of the car ahead. On the high-grip super-soft tyres, Ricciardo had leaped into the lead at Turn 1 and managed to keep it over the opening couple of laps.

Yet when the Australian's rear-left tyre unraveled on the long back straight on the third lap, Rosberg was again left with a clear track, a clear mind and a clear route to a third straight victory of 2016. The German's 17th career win means he has extended his points lead to 36 and now stands as the most successful driver in the history of Formula One without a world championship to his name, per Motorsport.com's Pablo Elizalde . But if Rosberg's rivals continue to hit trouble in their efforts to hunt him down, that is likely to change this year. Dan Istitene/Getty Images It was one of those weekends. Per Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper , Hamilton admitted his "approach" and "mindset" for the Chinese GP had altered from the moment he learned of his five-place grid penalty on Wednesday morning. The three-time world champion viewed the "challenge" as an "opportunity to rise," but rather than acting as an obstacle to success, the enforced gearbox change was merely a sign of things to come.

His loss of power just minutes into qualifying—which may have been identified (and resolved) earlier had Mercedes conducted more running in the final practice session—added insult to injury, condemning him to the back of the grid. With the Shanghai circuit featuring one of the most challenging, unpredictable first corners on the F1 calendar, it was surprising that Mercedes decided not to start Hamilton from the pit lane to avoid any early incidents and prime the No. 44 car for a fightback through the field. It was rather predictable, then, that Hamilton drove straight into someone else's accident on the opening lap, colliding with Felipe Nasr and breaking his front wing on the approach to Turn 3 as the Sauber driver tried to make his way around Raikkonen's limping Ferrari. Hamilton pitted for a new front wing at the end of that lap—the first of five visits to the pit lane as Mercedes tried anything and everything to get their driver back in contention—but the damage sustained on the first lap, as in Bahrain, remained with him for the rest of the race.

Per Motorsport.com's Charles Bradley , Hamilton likened his car to a "four-poster bed" after finishing seventh, missing out on the podium for only the third time since September 2014. It was one of those weekends, but the problem is that Hamilton is having too many of those weekends at the moment. Winner: Sebastian Vettel Mark Thompson/Getty Images Try as he might, Vettel couldn't quite deflect the blame for his first-corner collision with Raikkonen in the Chinese Grand Prix. On three separate occasions during the race, he protested his innocence over pit-to-car radio before consoling his Ferrari team-mate in parc ferme and confronting Kvyat, his chosen scapegoat, in the cool-down room ahead of the podium ceremony, as reported by Motorsport.com's Valentin Khorounzhiy . But ultimately, the four-time world champion was fooling no one. Kvyat's move at Turn 1 was highly aggressive, but it was Vettel who made contact with Raikkonen's rear-right tyre and punted the 2007 world champion to the rear of the field.

Vettel's desperate efforts to clear his name—on a day Ferrari chairman Sergio Marchionne watched from the garage—became increasingly amusing. And perhaps that embarrassment, that determination to make up for his early error—especially following his underwhelming performance in qualifying—played a role in his impressive recovery drive to second. So often criticised for a lack of overtaking prowess during his F1 career, Vettel was particularly feisty as he sought to make up places, even passing two cars on the entrance to the pit lane at one stage and placing his car in a number of risky positions—most notably with Valtteri Bottas—following the safety car period. With a three-stop strategy, Vettel spent more laps than any other driver on both the soft and super-soft compound tyres and, after passing Kvyat for second place on Lap 36, finished a relatively comfortable 12 seconds ahead of the Red Bull. A fortnight after his engine blowout on the formation lap in Bahrain, an instant return to the podium in China was crucial for Vettel. Clive Mason/Getty Images Are Haas beginning to wake up from the American dream?

After Romain Grosjean's top-six finishes in Australia and Bahrain, team principal Gunther Steiner told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble how Formula One's latest new team were hopeful of scoring points in every single race in their debut season. But it has taken just one more grand prix for that target to move out of reach, with the Ferrari-affiliated outfit enduring their least convincing weekend to date in China. The front-limited nature of the Shanghai circuit was always bound to present a different challenge for the VF-16 car this weekend, but it was the tyre pressures—not degradation—that proved to be the team's main weakness. After Friday practice, Grosjean told ESPN F1's Laurence Edmondson how Pirelli's enforced limits were "ridiculous" and made his car "undriveable," and his struggles continued throughout the event. Having qualified 14th, it was unfortunate for the Frenchman that Marcus Ericsson squeezed him on the apex of Turn 2 on the opening lap, damaging his front wing and forcing him to pit immediately for repairs.

So disappointed was Grosjean with his lack of pace that, as heard over pit-to-car radio, he pleaded with the pit wall to retire his car while running a lowly 19th toward the end of the race, but the team refused and went on to register their first two-car finish in F1, albeit with Esteban Gutierrez faring little better in 14th. Following their impressive performances in the first two races, this was the weekend the harsh reality of F1 bit Haas hard. Winner: Daniil Kvyat Mark Thompson/Getty Images With Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz Jr., the Toro Rosso youngsters, both pushing for a promotion to the Red Bull senior team for next season, Kvyat had almost resembled a dead man walking in the early weeks of 2016. Flashes of pace and signs of promise over the Australian and Bahrain weekends were swiftly forgotten amid the misery of qualifying, when the gangling Russian failed to reach the third qualifying segment in both sessions under the short-lived elimination-style format.

By his own admission, Kvyat's sudden loss of form on Saturday in Sakhir was "embarrassing," but he felt his recovery from 15th on the grid to seventh was "crucial" for his morale, as he told Motorsport.com's Jonathan Noble . And he appeared to have returned to full confidence in the Chinese GP, where he claimed only the second podium finish of his career with an assured drive to third place. Kvyat's attack on Vettel at Turn 1 was the kind of opportunistic, see-gap-fill-gap move you would not associate with a driver seemingly lacking belief, and the manoeuvre had the bonus effect of provoking the collision between the Ferrari drivers. As the driver with the fastest car with the least damage behind Rosberg, Kvyat ran comfortably in the podium positions for much of the afternoon before Vettel—having switched to the soft-compound tyres for the final stint—recovered to snatch second position with 20 laps remaining.

Admittedly, there remain concerns over Kvyat's maturity and race management—his emotional rants about traffic, as heard over pit-to-car radio, were reflective of the intense pressure he was under to claim a strong result—but his second podium finish has come at an ideal time. And it will ensure he will head to his home race at the Sochi Autodrom utterly brimming with confidence. Loser: Renault Clive Mason/Getty Images As Red Bull saw one driver lead the early stages of the Chinese GP and the other spray podium champagne, the team who provide the four-time world champions' engines were nowhere to be seen. Three times in 2016 we have had races in which those who combine decent speed with a knack of staying out of trouble stand an automatic chance of scoring points, and three times Renault have been unable to capitalise on the unpredictability of the early-season events. And after their unfortunate weekend in Bahrain, following their respectable start to the season in Australia, the Enstone-based team's performance in Shanghai was the most concerning yet.

Kevin Magnussen's bad luck continued in China, where he completed no timed laps on Friday after suffering a suspension failure, but the Dane overcame his lack of preparation to qualify 0.855 seconds ahead of Jolyon Palmer as both R.S.16 cars again failed to progress from Q1. In a race featuring no retirements, Palmer finished dead last—behind Manor's Rio Haryanto as well as Nasr and Grosjean, who both struggled terribly with the handling of their cars—while Magnussen could only scrape 17th. It would be too simplistic to suggest the current difference between the Red Bull and Renault teams is solely found in the chassis department, with Lotus' financial problems toward the end of 2015 meaning Renault are currently competing with a largely unchanged car that was originally tailored for a Mercedes power unit. But even if Renault are at the beginning of a transitional year, it is unacceptable that they remain among the three teams yet to score a point this season.

Winner: Daniel Ricciardo Mark Thompson/Getty Images After producing the "equal best" race of his career in China, as he told Motorsport.com's Adam Cooper , is Ricciardo now the best all-round driver on the current Formula One grid? His consecutive fourth-place finishes in Australia and Bahrain were as measured as you would expect of a driver of his talent and experience, someone maximising (and even slightly exceeding) the level of his machinery. But as he told Cooper, Shanghai was where the spirit, the magic, the "vibe" of his breakthrough season in 2014 really came alive once more. At a track featuring the longest straight of the season, Ricciardo—still with the underpowered Renault engine fitted to his Red Bull—took advantage of the mistakes Raikkonen and Vettel made to claim his first front-row start since Singapore 2015. Rosberg's strategy of starting on the soft-compound tyres meant Ricciardo, on the super-soft rubber, had a golden chance to emerge from the first corner in the lead, and the Australian, ever the opportunist, obliged.

The cruel nature of his puncture on Lap 3 prevented him from fighting to retain that lead, yet rather than spending the remainder of the race ruing his misfortune, Ricciardo produced a recovery drive arguably superior to that of Vettel. As we have often seen since his rise to prominence, the Red Bull driver identified a favoured passing spot and remained faithful to it, overtaking drivers of the calibre of Esteban Gutierrez, Jenson Button and Hamilton through sheer late braking and intelligent positioning at the Turn 6 hairpin. Fourth place was an insufficient reward for one of the best races of his career, but a true indication of the level of his performance can be found in his deficit to his Red Bull team-mate at the chequered flag. Despite Kvyat's relatively trouble-free afternoon, Ricciardo—even after his puncture and all those battles—still crossed the finish line within seven seconds of the Russian. All timing and tyre data, as well as team radio quotes, are sourced from the official F1 website , the FOM television feed and Pirelli Motorsport's infographic on Twitter . F1: Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix – as it happened!

| Sport | The Guardian Formula One 2015 F1: Lewis Hamilton wins British Grand Prix – as it happened! Lewis Hamilton completed a hat-trick of British Grand Prix titles from pole, but had to fight off an early surge from both Williams drivers, before a perfectly timed tyre switch in the rain saw him hold off Nico Rosberg in the final stages Sunday 5 July 2015 09.53 EDT First published on Sunday 5 July 2015 07.00 EDT 09:53 All three drivers are interviewed, for some reason, by Frankie Dettori. “For once, I made the perfect choice” says Hamilton on the decision to switch tyres early in the rain, and Rosberg reluctantly agrees. Vettel says without the rain, he wouldn’t be on the podium. Hard to argue with that, but he’ll be happy enough. That’s about it from me – here’s the full race report from a dramatic day at Silverstone. Thanks for reading. Bye! 09:48 Hamilton gives the home fans the full treatment, thanking them over the team radio, then pulling doughnuts in front of the grandstand.

Nico Rosberg, who may settle for second after a topsy-turvy race, offers muted congratulations alongside Sebastian Vettel. After all that, it’s Hamilton who holds the trophy aloft, after Silverstone enjoys an Alesha-free rendering of the national anthem. He’s added seven points to his lead over Rosberg, and has joined Jack Brabham, Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher in winning three British Grands Prix. Updated 09:39 “I’m so happy with that!” says Hamilton over the team radio – and who can blame him? He’s the first British driver to win his home grand prix from pole since Damon Hill in 1994 – and he did it quite brilliantly, keeping calm after a slow start to overhaul both Williams, before a perfectly timed tyre change gave him the edge over Rosberg in the frantic, rain-soaked final stages of the race. 09:35 Lewis Hamilton wins the British Grand Prix! It’s a third victory at Silverstone for the defending champion, as he beats team-mate Nico Rosberg into second after an intelligent, perfectly executed drive, with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third.

09:33 Lap 51: A gentle pace for the final two laps, as the drizzle returns. Williams, who held the top two places early on, and held two podium spots for 80% of the race, will surely be disappointed to finish with Massa and Bottas fourth and fifth. Hamilton begins his final lap to rapturous applause from the grandstand – he’s moments away now... 09:30 Lap 50: Poor Kimi Raikkonen, who switched to intermediates a touch early, has had to pit again with his tyres shredded. With the top ten all a good distance from each other, it’s looking like a Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel podium. 09:28 Lap 49: Will Stevens has had a decent afternoon, keeping his Manor on track while those around him have crashed out – but he goes wide, and destroys the nose of his car! It’ll be a struggle to get to the line from here. Updated 09:27 Lap 48: Four laps to go. Here’s the current top ten, which really doesn’t tell the whole story.

Fernando Alonso is set to pick up his first points of the season, after edging past Marcus Ericsson and into the top ten. 1. Hamilton 2. Rosberg 3. Vettel 4. Massa 5. Bottas 6. Kvyat 7. Hülkenberg 8. Raikkonen 9. Pérez 10. Alonso. 09:24 Lap 47: “It’s getting heavier” exclaims Massa, down in fourth. “Easing off in the pit lane” says the team radio, which probably won’t make him feel much better. Rosberg is eight seconds behind Hamilton; it’s looking like a hard-earned British GP hat-trick for the British driver. 09:21 Lap 45: Rosberg is forced to pit, as Hamilton roars past Massa and into second. This could be crucial – and Hamilton is well clear of his team-mate, with a lead of nine seconds. A very canny move from Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes crew.

09:19 Lap 43: With a second bout of rain about to fall, and with Rosberg breathing down his neck, Hamilton pits – and switches to intermediate tyres! While the crowd question his sanity, the heavens open. That could prove to be an inspired move... 09:17 Lap 41: Williams have been undone by that rain shower, and Rosberg quickly gains on Massa, overtaking to go second! It’s taken 41 laps, but the Mercedes one-two is back on. Raikkonen must be rueing that pit stop – the intermediates aren’t working, and he’s dropped behind Kvyat, Hulkenberg and Perez and down to ninth. 09:12 Lap 39: Vettel powers past team-mate Raikkonen and into fifth place. In turn, Raikkonen heads to the pits to switch to intermediate tyres. Rosberg, meanwhile, recovers from that rick at Woodcote, and he overtakes Bottas to go third! From likely winner after ten laps, Bottas now looks set to miss the podium altogether.

09:10 Lap 38: New rules are set to hand more big decisions to drivers, and we’re getting an early taste of it here, with the pit crews unable to judge racing conditions. At the moment, rain is affecting only a handful of corners – including Woodcote, where Rosberg has run wide! Updated 09:09 Lap 37: Is it raining or not? Results are inconclusive, with Vettel struggling through Copse Corner, umbrellas in the stands, but a dry pit lane and Hamilton, like Blind Melon , denying the presence of precipitation. The current top ten: 1. Hamilton 2. Massa 3. Bottas 4. Rosberg 5. Raikkonen 6. Vettel 7. Kvyat 8. Hülkenberg 9. Pérez 10. Ericsson. 09:05 Lap 36: The virtual safety car is no more, and here comes the rain! Hold on to your hats, everyone. Bottas is struggling to hold off Rosberg, and suggests an early second stop to his team, who don’t seem that keen.

09:03 Lap 34: It might sound like something from Total Recall, but the virtual safety car is not all that exciting in reality: the drivers are simply told to stick to a given speed, while the now stationary Sainz is hauled back to the pits. So, Sainz is out, and joins team-mate Verstappen, the Lotuses of Grosjean and Maldonado, Jenson Button, Felipe Nasr and Danny Ricciardo in dropping out today. 09:00 Lap 33: Sainz and Pérez have been fighting gamely for ninth place, but the Toro Rosso driver has dramatically lost speed, and his race looks over. Alonso now 11th – and, in a move that won’t go down well with the purists, we have a virtual safety car. 08:59 Lap 32: Rosberg has been told to “give it everything” over the radio – there have been a few mind games between Mercedes and Williams, so who knows if that’s the real plan. Rosberg has twenty laps to fight his way onto the podium.

08:54 Lap 29: Ricciardo is planning “a few weeks off” after another difficult day, retiring due to an unspecified electrical problem. Next up, it’s Hungary – last year, the Australian won ahead of Fernando Alonso. That was the last time Mercedes missed out on a top-two finish. 08:50 Lap 26 of 52: We’re halfway through a breakneck British Grand Prix, with Hamilton leading, and team-mate Rosberg wedged behind the two Williams. This could be a pivotal day in the title race – and there remains a threat of rain in the race’s latter stages. Never have the words “it’s raining in Oxford!” been said with such gravitas. 08:48 Lap 25: Hamilton has roared away, and leads Massa by four seconds. The new race leader has been told to race to the end, with Williams likely to follow suit. That scorcher of a pit stop from Hamilton has made the difference – his stop was over a second quicker than Massa’s.

08:45 Lap 23: Rosberg told to go to Plan B – a two-stop strategy, rather than any Wacky Races–style shenanigans. It’s all over for Ricciardo, who has had to retire. The current top ten: 1. Hamilton 2. Massa 3. Bottas 4. Rosberg 5. Raikkonen 6. Vettel 7. Kvyat 8. Hülkenberg 9. Sainz 10. Pérez. Updated 08:40 Lap 21: Silverstone holds its breath as Massa and Rosberg pit simultaneously, and engage in a nervous battle down the pit lane. Massa edges ahead – but both exit behind Hamilton! Bottas leads, but is yet to pit. Looking good for the home favourite, all of a sudden. 08:38 Lap 20: Hamilton is the first of the leading quartet to pit – and a combination of a smooth stop and a speedy exit get him back out, still in fourth place. Impressive.

Further down the field, the Ferraris are charging, with Raikkonen and Vettel both cruising past Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and into the top seven. 08:36 Lap 18: Bottas weaves behind Massa, looking for an opening – but the Brazilian holds him off smartly. It’s a strange, tentative battle at the front, with the Williams team-mates loath to take a risk and hand an advantage to the two waiting Mercedes. 08:32 Lap 16: Despite his best efforts, Bottas remains behind Massa – but he’s closer to his team-mate than Hamilton in third. Bottas, who is yet to win a Grand Prix, has beaten his team-mate for pace in every stage of the weekend – apart from qualifying. 08:30 Lap 14: Raikkonen pits and changes to hard compound tyres, followed by team-mate Vettel. Ferrari have been practicing their pit stops this week, and it’s paid off with two quick efforts there, as they plump for a two-stop strategy. You’ve got to nail the basics.

Updated Lap 13: Ricciardo and Sainz both pit early, while at the front, we continue with a rare treat – four cars, all fighting for the lead. Massa, Bottas, Hamilton, Rosberg remains the way of things. Updated 08:26 Lap 11: Bottas has now been given the go ahead to take Massa on – it’s not a case of Massa letting the Finn through, but both will be encouraged to race. Getting the go-ahead surely suggests that Williams fancy Bottas’ chances better than Massa’s... 08:24 Lap 10: A mixed day for British constructors, with Lotus out, McLaren suffering more misery, but Williams out in front. There’s a bit of tension over the radio, though, with Bottas being told not to race Massa. “But I have pace!” whines Bottas over the team radio. It’s not just Mercedes with the team dynamics issues, you know. 08:22 Lap 9: Vettel fights back, scooting past Pérez to take eighth. Jenson Button is keeping his chin up, after he was taken out of the race by team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Button says his colleague lost the rear of his car in the midst of the incident which saw both Lotuses exit the race. 08:20 Lap 8: Hamilton sets a new fastest lap, and both he and Bottas are bearing down on leader Massa, who’s struggling a touch for pace. There’s also a decent battle developing behind the fifth-placed Force India car of Nico Hülkenberg. 08:18 Lap 6: Massa sets the fastest lap, at 1:39.515. Not so hot for Ferrari, with Raikkonen down in sixth and Vettel slumping to ninth. Here’s the top ten: 1. Massa (Williams), 2. Bottas (Williams), 3. Hamilton (Mercedes), 4. Rosberg (Mercedes), 5. Hülkenberg (Force India), 6. Raikkonen (Ferrari), 7. Kvyat (Red Bull), 8. Pérez (Force India), 9. Vettel (Ferrari), 10. Sainz (Toro Rosso).

08:08 Lap 2: The safety car is out after a helter-skelter start, with both Lotuses, and both McLarens, colliding in the mad dash through the first corners. Jenson Button is forced out, and both Grosjean and Maldonado join him! Alonso is still running, but is into the pits for running repairs. Poor Jenson Button. 08:04 Lights out Here we go... Hamilton needs only look back at last year’s race, where he won from sixth on the grid, to know this is by no means a foregone conclusion. The start will be vital – will it be Rosberg or Hamilton leading into the first corner? It’s... Felipe Massa! Updated 08:00 Nasr won’t start the race at all, which means both McLarens, and indeed both Manors, move up a place. Maybe Jenson was onto something. It’s Lewis Hamilton on pole – the British driver is now third on the all-time pole list, behind only Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. Not bad going – but that won’t help him over the first few corners, when Rosberg will be gunning for him.

A matter of moments until race time. Updated This from our very own Richard Williams will give you the nostalgic feels. If you want more, be sure to check out Giles Richards’ excellent look back at that very race. Richard Williams (@rwilliams1947) 07:49 A mysterious incident involving Sauber’s Felipe Nasr, who came to a stop during the warm-up and has been hauled back to the garage. Nobody, including Nasr’s team-mate Marcus Ericsson, is saying exactly what’s happened, but the Brazilian will likely start from the pit lane, at best. A few words from the drivers: “We’re going to have a good day” claims Jenson Button, not entirely convincingly. Nico Rosberg suspects the track may lack grip, and Daniil Kvyat thinks Red Bull are moving in the right direction – he is at least further up the field than the Toro Rossos today. And now the national anthem, sung by Alesha Dixon. Britain at its best.

07:28 The grid Here’s how they’ll line up at the start in around half an hour’s time, with Hamilton starting on pole, and Williams edging out Ferrari to take both spots on the second row. Both McLaren drivers failed to make it out of the first qualifying session, as their season continues to plumb ever greater depths. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) Will Stevens (Manor) Roberto Merhi (Manor) Lewis Hamilton makes a bid for freedom from his F1 hell meets his adoring public at Silverstone. Photograph: Charles Coates/Getty Images Updated 07:11 History lesson A fired-up home favourite against an ice-cool German, on a drizzly day at Silverstone? Why, it’s 1995 all over again. Twenty years ago, the two title rivals collided on their way into Priory corner, crashing out and handing a first-ever GP win to Johnny Herbert. 06:50 Preamble Hello. These are strange days for Formula One. The latest edition of the British Grand Prix takes place against a backdrop of growing uncertainty, with everyone from fans to former drivers , to Bernie Ecclestone himself, lining up to give the sport a shoeing.

While Bernie was busy doing a Gerald Ratner, Operation Uncrap has clicked into gear, with a raft of changes set to come in before the season is out – perhaps at Spa, in just two races’ time. One man who thinks it’s not all bad is Mercedes’ Toto Wolff – and given his team’s total superiority, why would he? That said, it befits the anachronistic nature of the sport that in the midst of much turmoil, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have turned their team’s unsustainable dominance into a terrific title rivalry – Formula One’s own Barça and Real, if you will. Hamilton had appeared all set to cruise into the distance this season after last year’s brutal battle – but misfortune in Monaco and a slow start in Austria have let Rosberg back in. The German is perched keenly on Hamilton’s shoulder, both on the grid and in the drivers’ standings, but will have a bumper crowd baying for his failure today. Will we see a classic to defy the naysayers? We’ll find out from 1pm BST.

Updated Formula 1 - Rosberg wins in Shanghai, Vettel hits team-mate Raikkonen in mad start - Yahoo Sport More Sports Formula 1 - Rosberg wins in Shanghai, Vettel hits team-mate Raikkonen in mad start Nico Rosberg drove a flawless race to win the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, while Lewis Hamilton finished seventh after starting from the back. By Toby Keel 17 April 2016 08:44 Eurosport View photo Nico Rosberg during the Chinese Grand Prix Rosberg started on pole and while he briefly lost the lead at the start he never really looked in danger, thanks in part to Ferrari 's Sebastian Vettel colliding with team-mate Kimi Raikkonen at the start of the race that saw both cars slip right back. The German's victory by a 38-second margin was his third of the season, and sixth in a row after his dominant finish to the 2015 campaign. Vettel finished a distant second, with Daniel Kvyat third, Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Raikkonen fifth.

Rosberg now leads Hamilton by 36 points in the standings and is firmly in control of the championship with 18 rounds of a record 21-race season remaining. He certainly has history on his side with the winner of the first three races of the season having gone on to win the title each time. "Well, it's too early to make any summaries," Rosberg said after the race. "It's three races now and they've gone really well for me but it's the longest season in F1 history with 21 races. "Of course I'm happy with the way it's gone and I'm feeling good and the car's there but I don't want to say more than that." Vettel was clearly mortified about the incident which hit Ferrari's hopes. "Massive apologies to the team," Vettel said on the pit radio at the end of the race, blaming the incident on Kyvat and suggesting that he'd been forced into his own team-mate. View gallery . GP China Ferrari crash Vettel had a go at Red Bull's Kvyat as the pair waited to go onto the podium. "You came at me like a torpedo," said the four-times world champion. "That's racing," shrugged Kvyat.

Tweet Sunday's win was the 17th of Rosberg's career and extends his streak of race victories to six, dating back to last November's Mexican Grand Prix. The German now leads Hamilton at the top of the standings by 36 points with 18 rounds of a record 21-race season to run. Hamilton, who had started from dead last after failing to set a time in Saturday's qualifying session due to an engine problem, finished seventh, running into further trouble at the start when he lost his front wing in a first-corner collision. The Briton used some good-old fashioned racing nous and clever strategy from Mercedes to work his way up to third, but his challenge faded in the later stages of the race. View gallery . Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - GP of China 2016 Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo finished fourth. The Australian rocketed off the line from second on the grid and shot past Rosberg into an early lead, but was pushed onto the back foot after being forced into an early stop by a tyre failure. Raikkonen, who came off worse in the first-corner collision with team mate Vettel, was sixth ahead of Felipe Massa of Williams .

Max Verstappen was eighth ahead of Toro Rosso team mate Carlos Sainz, while Valtteri Bottas rounded out the top ten for Williams. The race was interrupted by an early safety car after a series of incidents at the very first corner left debris across the track. The safety car led to a chopping and changing of the order with some drivers choosing to pit even as others stayed out, putting a mix of tyre strategies into play. View gallery Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) - GP of China 2016 STANDINGS 1. Nico Rosberg ( Germany ) Mercedes 75

Question: Who won their first Formula 1 race at the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix?
Answer: Nico Rosberg