Chinese Grand Prix 2011: Lewis Hamilton gets the better of Sebastian Vettel in Shanghai

That mistake allowed Vettel to overtake Button but, somewhat surprisingly, it was Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg who emerged in the race lead after the first round of stops.

It was the start of a period during the race when different tyre strategies evolved and, just like last week in Malaysia, it became difficult to establish just who would emerge in front.

Cars that had just stopped for fresh rubber began moving through the field with ease, then just as fast would suddenly start going backwards as the rubber wore off. It was just a case of waiting for the strategies to play out.

The choice was between a two- or a three- stop and as it turned out, the latter option was preferable. Once all the pit stops were over Vettel was leading from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, with both men having stopped twice. But Hamilton and Button, on three-stop strategies, were fast closing with fresh rubber.

Hamilton surged past Massa with 11 laps remaining, then picked off Vettel to claim the race lead with a moved which “surprised” the German into the left-hander at Turn Seven. He never looked back.

Button, meanwhile, had made it past Rosberg – who had been told that his fuel levels were critical, although it is unclear how much this affected his pace – and it looked as if he would take the final podium place.

He had not counted on Webber roaring back after a desperately disappointing Saturday in which he qualified 18th on the grid.

The Australian, driving as if his career depended on it – and it does – had stormed through the field on a three-stop strategy, despite having no KERS energy boost device, and with one lap of the race remaining he powered past Button to claim a hugely unlikely podium.

Webber’s finishing time was just seven seconds behind race winner Hamilton. “Maybe the best thing to do is not even take part in qualifying and go from there,” he joked afterwards. “It was a good day for racing and a good day in terms of points for the team."

Vettel admitted his two-stop strategy had been the wrong one but insisted he did not view the day as a disappointment.

"The start was not the best we have had,” he said. “It wasn't a 100 per cent good start so I lost position. We treated the tyres better up to the first pit stop. I came to the box and afterwards came out first. It was a surprise when Jenson went into my garage.

“We came out in the lead and then I think we tried too hard staying on two stops. I saw Lewis coming closer and there was no point defending too hard - he found his way past. We did a couple of mistakes but still finished second so I'm very happy with that.

“We can learn a lot today. I'm the only one with two stops up here so that's something to look into tonight. I was asking questions and not getting any answers, we had a problem with Kers so it wasn't a trouble free race. Once we decided to go two-stop we had to be patient."

The day, though, belonged to Hamilton who, after eight years in China, became the first man to win twice. Bowing to the crowd as he stepped out of the car he flung himself in to the arms of his mechanics in an emotional celebration.

“The strategy definitely paid off for me,” he said. The pit stops were fantastic and the car felt great. I tried to make my tyres last and I tried to push. It is one of the best races I have experienced."

Speaking about the problem he had in the build-up, which had his mechanics sweating as he made it to the grid with just seconds to spare, Hamilton added: "I was a bit worried as the car just wouldn’t start but fortunately everything just came together very quickly. I tried to stay positive.

"There is a long road ahead of us but I’m absolutely over the moon. It feels like a long time since I’ve been sitting here.”

Britain's Paul di Resta said he was content with his weekend in China despite failing to follow up an impressive qualifying display with a points haul.

The Force India rookie has been one of the stars of the early weeks of the season, picking up points at his first two grands prix and lining up eighth in Shanghai - once again getting the better of experienced team-mate Adrian Sutil.

But the race proved a bridge too far for the 25-year-old, who finished in 11th place, just outside the points after a remarkable afternoon which saw position changes and drama throughout the field.

"It was always going to be quite a tough race, starting from where we were," Di Resta said. "We came very close to scoring points, but just missed out at the end when the tyres had gone."

Final positions after 56 Laps: 1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) McLaren 1hr 36mins 58.226secs, 2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull 1:37:03.424, 3 Mark Webber (Aus) Red Bull 1:37:05.781, 4 Jenson Button (Gbr) McLaren 1:37:08.226, 5 Nico Rosberg (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:37:11.674, 6 Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari 1:37:14.066, 7 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:37:28.848, 8 Michael Schumacher (Ger) Mercedes GP 1:37:29.252, 9 Vitaly Petrov (Rus) Renault 1:37:55.630, 10 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber-Ferrari 1:38:01.499, 11 Paul di Resta (Gbr) Force India 1:38:06.983, 12 Nick Heidfeld (Ger) Renault 1:38:10.965, 13 Rubens Barrichello (Bra) Williams 1:38:28.415, 14 Sebastien Buemi (Swi) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:38:28.897, 15 Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India at 1 lap, 16 Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) Lotus F1 at 1 lap, 17 Sergio Perez Mex Sauber-Ferrari at 1 lap, 18 Pastor Maldonado (Ven) Williams at 1 lap, 19 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Lotus F1 at 1 lap, 20 Jerome d'Ambrosio (Bel) Virgin Racing at 2 laps, 21 Timo Glock (Ger) Virgin Racing at 2 laps, 22 Vitantonio Liuzzi (Ita) HRT-F1 at 2 laps, 23 Narain Karthikeyan (Ind) HRT-F1 at 2 laps

Not Classified: 24 Jaime Alguersuari (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso Retired

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Lewis Hamilton fumes as Fernando Alonso escapes without point deduction after Sepang shunt

Lewis Hamilton's 'absolutely shocking' Malaysian Grand Prix weekend took a turn for the worse after the race when stewards handed him a retrospective drive-through penalty.

Hamilton was accused of making 'more than one change of direction to defend a position', and in accordance with the FIA rules had 20 seconds added to his elapsed time.

It meant the McLaren star, who had finished seventh at the end of a difficult race at the Sepang circuit, dropped to eighth, with Kamui Kobayashi in his Sauber the beneficiary as he moved up a position.

Hamilton's problems during the race saw him hit from behind by old rival Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari as the Spaniard moved out to overtake.

Alonso, however, ran into the right-rear tyre of Hamilton's car, partly damaging the rear floor in the process, whilst at the same time breaking the left end of his own front wing.

For causing a collision, the stewards also handed Alonso the same punishment as Hamilton, a 20-second retrospective drive-through penalty.

Unlike Hamilton, however, the penalty had no effect on his sixth- placed position in the final classification.

'I knew I was going to get a penalty. I'm not surprised,' Hamilton said. 'I was in with the stewards, so I anticipated it. I always try to assume the worst-case scenario.

'It's only one spot, and it's not really made me feel any worse than how the weekend has gone anyway.'

As for the fact Alonso did not lose a position, Hamilton added: 'Then he's not had a penalty.'

Asked whether it felt fair, Hamilton said: 'It's racing. I'm not going to argue or disagree with the penalty.

'From my side I'm not allowed to move more than once. Do I class it as dangerous? No, but that's the rule. Twenty seconds is not such a bad penalty for it.

'As for Fernando, he hit me, he got a 20-second penalty, but it didn't really do anything for him. It doesn't exactly work out as a penalty, but again, that's racing.'

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh described the stewards' decision as 'disappointing and surprising.'

He added: 'I'm not a steward. They make those sort of decisions and that's how it is, but a penalty to both drivers is fairly harsh.

'For Lewis a number of things have happened this weekend, but he is strong and will take heart from other positive factors.

'The underlying fact is he was very close to being on pole, and in the race was able to match the performance of Sebastian (Vettel).

'He is the marker you either have to match or beat, so those are the positives.

'The result and the mess around it is the disappointment. That's motor racing, and it won't be the last (disappointment) in his career.

'He was obviously very disappointed at the end of the race, but if you see him now he is smiling and has recovered.

'He'll be further recovered tomorrow. He knows we're going to try hard to win in China and he'll have his energy focused on that.

'I don't think he is going to be troubled by what happened today.'

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Lewis Hamilton blasts Red Bull claims they face a tight fight for pole in Malaysia

LEWIS HAMILTON has blasted Red Bull claims they face a tight fight for pole in Malaysia.

He slated the world champions for talking “a load of rubbish” ahead of qualifying for the second round of the world championship.

The Australian was quickest in Friday’s final practice with Button just five thousandths of a second slower, Hamilton third and Vettel fourth.

“They are blowing smoke up other people’s … – it’s a load of rubbish,” said Hamilton.

“Really, I am sure they have another half a second to pull out tomorrow at least.

“I hope that we’re a lot closer but we’ll wait and see.”

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“Today’s been interesting. We found some things but I am sure the Red Bull’s will pull something out in qualifying.

“There’s still time to find but it’s been a productive day – onwards and upwards.”

The winner’s trophy of the toughest race of the year has yet to make it into Hamilton’s packed cabinet.

But the circuit has a special place in his heart because he set his first fastest lap here in only his second Grand Prix as he roared from fourth to finish second as a rookie in 2007.

Four years on he is still waiting to return to the podium in Sepang.

Follow F1 correspondent Byron Young on Twitter

Get more motorsport news and opinion, including driver diaries, on Mirror.co.uk's motorsport blog.

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Lewis Hamilton: Jenson Button leads Formula One title race after taking 'easy route'

Lewis Hamilton insists his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button leads the driver's standings because he has made life easier for himself. However, the 25 year-old is confident that the tables will soon turn and says he is proud of the way he has stayed in touch with his team-mate despite various qualifying setbacks and team errors.

Button led home a McLaren one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, making what turned out to be an inspired decision not to pit early when others, including Hamilton, switched their dry tyres for intermediates.

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It was the second time in a month, following the Australian Grand Prix three weeks ago, that Button, 30, had stolen a march on his younger compatriot.

Nevertheless, Hamilton, 25, feels he has raced superbly in the four races so far this year – making 32 overtaking manoeuvres, 12 of them in China alone, to Button's seven – and has only been let down by his qualifying pace and team mistakes.

"I feel I have had great races but Jenson has taken the right decisions and taken the easier route," Hamilton said. "I have had the harder route and got good results but hopefully soon I will take the easier route and it will be a lot easier."

Of course, Hamilton was not suggesting that his McLaren team-mate has had it easy – clearly if it was so straightforward everyone would have made the same race-winning tyre calls – merely that he has not yet enjoyed the rub of the green.

Nevertheless, he finds himself just 11 points behind Button going into the European season and says everything between them is going swimmingly.

"The good thing with me and Jenson is that we clearly want to beat each other but Jenson is very smart and does not have that too aggressive flair in him and neither have I," Hamilton said.

"I'm not surprised he has settled so quickly. There was a lot of stuff about him joining my team and I would be favoured ... the team just embrace the drivers, they want us both to win.

"They did absolutely everything to get him up to speed and feel comfortable. They did the same for me in 2007.

"I am really happy for him. He did a better job and I am sure that when the tables turn, as they will, it will the same for me."

Neither Hamilton nor Button is being beset by the travel problems afflicting the 1,000-plus members of the F1 travelling circus in Shanghai.

As desperate mechanics, chefs, engineers and journalists tried to plot a route home on Monday after travel plans were compromised by the Icelandic dust clouds, Hamilton jetted to South Africa for a sponsorship trip accompanied by his mother, with whom he is then going on safari, while Button flew to Thailand for a holiday with his girlfriend.

"It's the best time of my life, so far. You can write that as big as you want," said Button, who paid tribute to his team-mate.

"I think we're both dong a fantastic job. It's good to have a team-mate who's so competitive. The guy will never give up. He's like a pitbull."

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Chinese Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton and father 'lose contact' over split

No smiles: Lewis Hamilton admits difficulties in his relationship with his father. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix, where he is accompanied by his mother Carmen, the McLaren driver said the decision to part ways with his father after 20 intense years together in motorsport was still raw.

“I don’t remember the last time I spoke with him but not for a couple of weeks,” Hamilton said. “I don’t think there’s any friction but it’s not all smiles and happiness. It’s a big change so it affects all of us. “We might exchange a message every now and then but we don’t have too much to discuss at the moment.”

Although it was originally claimed the split had been decided jointly, with Anthony wishing to concentrate on other interests, Hamilton has admitted the timing had been his call.

And although the 2008 world champion did not go so far as to say they have had a row, it appears the strain is taking its toll, with Anthony understood to be upset.

“Well, we’ve been racing together for many, many years so for him not to be coming to races any more, for sure, it’s a big transition,” he said.

“But he has more space and time to focus on his projects. I’m sure he will come to a race later in the season.”

Hamilton’s mother, who had been helping him house-hunt in Zurich last week and is joining him on safari in South Africa following some sponsorship commitments, said her son was in good spirits.

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Rifles turn on Lewis Hamilton again as fellow drivers accuse Brit of reckless driving

The rifles, as Lewis Hamilton once graphically described the collective sniping of his fellow drivers, were turned on him again on Friday night ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

He stood accused of reckless driving in Malaysia a fortnight ago when he weaved left-right-left-right to hold off Renault’s Vitaly Petrov, the Russian rookie he had just passed.

Having set the fastest practice time of the day ahead of Sunday’s rain-threatened race here, the British racer was left to explain the Petrov incident in front of his angry peers at a dusk meeting of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.

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