Everyone was impressed with Sebastian Vettel's drive to fourth place in China but we should spare a thought for Robert Kubica too. He was leading the race when the BMW's hydraulics decided to give up the ghost. Robert was on a one-stop strategy and was in with a good chance of still being in front at the end, so it was as crushing a disappointment for the Pole and his team as was Hamilton's retirement in a gravel trap.
Kimi Raikkonen
This was a race in which timing was everything. If the one-stoppers got that right, they were looking good; get it wrong and they disappeared amongst the also-rans. The relative fortunes of the BMWs are a good illustration of this. Their performance was below par in Shanghai and it was the timing of his change from intermediate to dry tires that enabled Kubica to lead. Nick Heidfeld was on a similar stategy to begin with but opted for another set of intermediates at his pit stop. When the rain refused to arrive as expected, a second stop for dry tires was necessary and this left him fighting with Liuzzi for sixth.
A battle between a BMW and a Toro Rosso would normally have been decided very quickly in the BMW's favor but on this circuit, in these conditions, it was a hard fought tussle that Liuzzi won in the end. This was an excellent illustration of how the race turned the form book upside down for some teams. Vettel had an excellent drive in that he made the most of the sudden competitiveness of the Toro Rosso and a perfectly timed pit stop but we should keep things in perspective by remembering that Liuzzi would have been in his place had he opted for the same strategy. Vitantonio's driving, in fact, was just as commendable but under considerably more pressure.
With the same chassis as Toro Rosso, Red Bull should have done well too but managed to confuse themselves badly with tire changes and timing. Coulthard was going well but switched to dry tires just before the rain and lost time as a result. Eighth spot at the end was less than he had hoped for from such a promising qualifying performance. And Webber made the mistake of swapping back to wets after his change to dry tires, forcing yet another pit stop when the rain lasted for so short a time.
Honda was another team that demonstrated the importance of timing and strategy. Jenson Button was lost in the midfield in the wet but was first to change to dry tires and the Honda came alive immediately. With a great drive through the field, Jenson was able to get as high as fifth by the end. In contrast, Barrichello had a nightmare race, struggling near the back in the rain, then changing to dry tires but deciding to change again when the rain returned. This necessitated a third stop and he finished in 15th place.
Inevitably, the main talking point afterwards was Hamilton's trip into a gravel trap so small as to have passed unnoticed by many. He must have felt like the man who walks into a tree on Australia's Nullarbor Plain or stubs his toe on the only rock for miles. There was plenty of other drama, however, and the result leaves the championship open with just one more race, the Brazilian GP, to go.
As entertainment, the Chinese GP was excellent; as a race, it had its moments too, particularly Raikkonen's chase of Hamilton in the first half. On this evidence, we should hope for rain at all future races in Shanghai.
Kimi Raikkonen
This was a race in which timing was everything. If the one-stoppers got that right, they were looking good; get it wrong and they disappeared amongst the also-rans. The relative fortunes of the BMWs are a good illustration of this. Their performance was below par in Shanghai and it was the timing of his change from intermediate to dry tires that enabled Kubica to lead. Nick Heidfeld was on a similar stategy to begin with but opted for another set of intermediates at his pit stop. When the rain refused to arrive as expected, a second stop for dry tires was necessary and this left him fighting with Liuzzi for sixth.
A battle between a BMW and a Toro Rosso would normally have been decided very quickly in the BMW's favor but on this circuit, in these conditions, it was a hard fought tussle that Liuzzi won in the end. This was an excellent illustration of how the race turned the form book upside down for some teams. Vettel had an excellent drive in that he made the most of the sudden competitiveness of the Toro Rosso and a perfectly timed pit stop but we should keep things in perspective by remembering that Liuzzi would have been in his place had he opted for the same strategy. Vitantonio's driving, in fact, was just as commendable but under considerably more pressure.
With the same chassis as Toro Rosso, Red Bull should have done well too but managed to confuse themselves badly with tire changes and timing. Coulthard was going well but switched to dry tires just before the rain and lost time as a result. Eighth spot at the end was less than he had hoped for from such a promising qualifying performance. And Webber made the mistake of swapping back to wets after his change to dry tires, forcing yet another pit stop when the rain lasted for so short a time.
Honda was another team that demonstrated the importance of timing and strategy. Jenson Button was lost in the midfield in the wet but was first to change to dry tires and the Honda came alive immediately. With a great drive through the field, Jenson was able to get as high as fifth by the end. In contrast, Barrichello had a nightmare race, struggling near the back in the rain, then changing to dry tires but deciding to change again when the rain returned. This necessitated a third stop and he finished in 15th place.
Inevitably, the main talking point afterwards was Hamilton's trip into a gravel trap so small as to have passed unnoticed by many. He must have felt like the man who walks into a tree on Australia's Nullarbor Plain or stubs his toe on the only rock for miles. There was plenty of other drama, however, and the result leaves the championship open with just one more race, the Brazilian GP, to go.
As entertainment, the Chinese GP was excellent; as a race, it had its moments too, particularly Raikkonen's chase of Hamilton in the first half. On this evidence, we should hope for rain at all future races in Shanghai.