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Formula 1
Chinese GP
2012 Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix
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07 hrs
13 min
52 sec
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Nico Rosberg claims his maiden GP victory and Mercedes returns to the winner's circle after an amazing race.
His victory was shaped with a brilliant start, leaving team-mate Schumacher for dust as he sailed into the lead at Turn 1. Rosberg drove hard, was able to keep his tyres in check, made just two stops compared to his competitor's three trips to pitlane and from then on he never looked back.
But what racing there was behind him - as trains of cars developed in the second half of the race, with Kimi Raikkonen losing out on a possible podium place in the final stages.
This was the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix on AUTOSPORT Live. Thanks for joining us over the last three days of action. Providing there are no changes to the schedule in the next few days, we will be back with coverage of round four of the championship in Bahrain on Friday.
His victory was shaped with a brilliant start, leaving team-mate Schumacher for dust as he sailed into the lead at Turn 1. Rosberg drove hard, was able to keep his tyres in check, made just two stops compared to his competitor's three trips to pitlane and from then on he never looked back.
But what racing there was behind him - as trains of cars developed in the second half of the race, with Kimi Raikkonen losing out on a possible podium place in the final stages.
This was the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix on AUTOSPORT Live. Thanks for joining us over the last three days of action. Providing there are no changes to the schedule in the next few days, we will be back with coverage of round four of the championship in Bahrain on Friday.
Stick with AUTOSPORT for all the reaction to a fascinating Chinese Grand Prix.
McLaren cements an early lead in the constructors' ahead of Red Bull, while Ferrari is third ahead of Sauber. Mercedes is boosted to fourth.
Alonso struggled to ninth today, leaving him third in the standings ahead of Webber and defending champion Vettel.
Hamilton makes his trio of third place finishes pay off as he takes the points lead by two markers over team-mate Button.
The paddock begins to reflect on an action-packed race, with plenty to talk about before heading to Bahrain.
The top three drivers plus Haug stand atop the podium on this historic day and after the photocall, they leave for the interview room.
The champagne sprays on the podium and Rosberg makes sure that Norbert Haug gets a soaking.
Hamilton again gets a third prize as his consistency puts him atop the early drivers' standings.
Jenson Button receives his award for second place in today's race. He is extremely happy and raises the trophy aloft.
Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug collects the prize for victory as a works team.
Rosberg is delighted as he picks up the colourful trophy for a fine drive to his first career win.
The top three drivers walk out onto the podium and the German national anthem rings out for today's winners - Nico Rosberg and Mercedes.
Rosberg celebrates wildly with the Mercedes crew as the former Brawn team return to the top step of the podium for the first time since 2009
Only one driver retired from the Chinese Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher was forced to pull off after problems with the right rear during his pitstop.
Ricciardo was 17th with Petrov 18th, Glock 19th, Pic 20th, de la Rosa 21st, Karthikeyan 22nd and Kovalainen the final finisher in 23rd place.
Raikkonen was 14th and will be incredibly frustrated with how the last laps panned out, ahead of Hulkenberg 15th and Vergne 16th.
Kobayashi was 10th with Sauber team-mate Perez 11th on a day that promised so much more. Di Resta held off Massa for 12th.
Delight in the Mercedes camp as Rosberg tours in to celebrate a fine win at his 111th attempt.
Senna claims seventh and scores more points, with Williams team-mate making it a good day for the team in eighth. Alonso ended up ninth.
While it is a strong sixth for Grosjean, who finally gets his Lotus to the end of a grand prix.
Webber cements a battling fourth for Red Bull, beating Vettel into fifth.
Hamilton takes the third step of the podium once again after a late move on Vettel.
Jenson Button takes a battling second but will be frustrated a slow pitstop dented the challenge of his three-stop plan.
A commanding drive from the young German, who makes a two-stop strategy work to secure his maiden victory.
Nico Rosberg wins the Chinese Grand Prix!
Lap 56: Massa has caught up to the back of di Resta and might be able to have a crack at 12th place on the last lap.
Lap 56: Webber blasts his way past Vettel, putting the Australian up to fourth and demoting his team-mate to fifth.
Lap 56: Rosberg begins his final lap in China and is on course for a historic Mercedes victory.
Lap 56: Maldonado battled hard and was able to maintain track position and eighth, but Alonso and the Sauber duo are right there with him.
Lap 56: DRS engaged for Hamilton and his is finally clear after a persistent defence from the Red Bull.
Lap 55: Hamilton is now right with Vettel as he eyes the final podium place.
Lap 55: Amazing scenes as Maldonado, Alonso and Kobayashi crossed the start-finish line three abreast.
Lap 55: Senna in seventh is now beginning to hold up that train with Maldonado, Alonso and Kobayashi joining them. Perez is a further 1.2s back in 11th.
Lap 54: Hamilton makes a mistake at Turn 1, dropping back slightly from Vettel and into the path of Webber.
Lap 54: Massa has also passed Raikkonen for 13th and the Finn's misery is surely complete by now.
Lap 53: Hamilton is now chasing down Vettel and is likely to take over the final podium place thanks to much fresher tyres.
Lap 53: Yet another battle is shaping up and it's an all-Williams fight for seventh between Senna and Maldonado, with Alonso tracking them.
Lap 51: Button finally makes a move on Vettel into the Turn 14 hairpin and takes over second place from the Red Bull.
Lap 51: Has Peter been on the Twitter horn? @OfficialSF1Team: "boys - we love pure racing. but that was a bit too much for my nerves...;-). #Kamui back in the points. 6 laps to go."
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton, Simon Strang
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