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Formula 1
Chinese GP
2012 Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix
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Lap 23: McLaren is also ready for a stop and in comes Hamilton.
Lap 23: Webber has rejoined in 14th position after that second pitstop and is chasing after Felipe Massa.
Lap 23: Hamilton opts for the harder tyres and slots in the gap between Massa and Webber.
Lap 23: Vettel is again almost half-a-second quicker than Grosjean and a battle is about to begin for seventh place.
Lap 23: Rosberg still leads by over four seconds from Button, with Raikkonen now released into third by Hamilton's stop.
Lap 24: Webber posts the fastest lap again on his fresh tyres - 1m41.466s - and he is two seconds behind Hamilton.
Lap 24: @NickHeidfeld is watching closely: "Great work and car from Rosberg. Expected Button McL to close the gap quicker. Seems better tyre usage for Merc then before."
Lap 24: Massa is 12th and holding up Hamilton on his new tyres, with Webber catching them quickly.
Lap 25: Button now pits his McLaren.
Lap 25: Button resumes on medium tyres and he feeds out ahead of Hamilton, who is now delayed by Massa.
Lap 25: Massa versus Hamilton could be a case of deja vu in the next few minutes. Let's see if they can keep it clean.
Lap 26: Kobayashi pits from eighth, promoting Button to that spot.
Lap 26: Maldonado is ninth and has just been passed by Button, with di Resta 11th ... and Hamilton is through cleanly on Massa for 12th!
Lap 26: Meanwhile, Rosberg remains out on his second set of tyres and leads by 11.4 seconds from Raikkonen.
Lap 26: @Revved up: "This race should be used as the case study for the next meeting of the overtaking working group (if it still exists)"
Lap 27: It's now Alonso third, Grosjean fourth and Vettel fifth ahead of Perez - all yet to make a second stop.
Lap 27: Button is setting the track alight and posts a new fastest lap of 1m4.391s. He is seventh and catching Perez quickly.
Lap 27: Senna is eighth for Williams with Maldonado ninth, then di Resta - who is about to feel the heat from Hamilton.
Lap 28: Alonso pits his Ferrari from third on the road.
Lap 28: Hamilton has a good tow on the long straight and he pulls to the inside ... it's another textbook move and the McLaren is up to 10th.
Lap 28: Alonso resumes behind team-mate Massa in 13th.
Lap 28: Button is now up to sixth and all over the gearbox of Perez in the Sauber, with new tyres proving the advantage on the McLaren.
Lap 28: Webber has passed Massa for 12th. The Brazilian is going backwards in that Ferrari. Kobayashi is 13th and closing on Massa quickly.
Lap 28: @Marussia_F1Team: "Liking how we're lapping versus our immediate competitors". Glock's last lap was a 1m44.386s; Petrov a 1m44.298s
Lap 29: Button makes the DRS shuffle and is easily past Perez to take what is now fifth as Raikkonen pits.
Lap 29: Raikkonen resumes but is now behind Alonso on the road.
Lap 29: Rosberg still leads ahead of his second stop but looks to be at the end of the life in his medium compound tyres.
Lap 29: Vergne and Kovalainen both pit this time round.
Lap 29: Button is encouraged on as he chases down Vettel in the Red Bull.
Lap 30: Button is all over Vettel - currently third - and needs to get past to press home the advantage of his fresh tyres compared to Rosberg.
Lap 30: Button opens the DRS and is easily clear of Vettel on the run down to the Turn 14 hairpin.
Lap 31: Hamilton in seventh is now right on Maldonado's gearbox, as we see Alonso surging past team-mate Massa on the straight to take 10th.
Lap 31: Rosberg now leads by 15.7 seconds from Grosjean. Button is now 18.4 seconds off the lead in third place.
Lap 31: Maldonado had an extremely poor lap - 1m44.981s - as has been passed by Hamilton and Webber.
Lap 31: In this crazy, ever-changing race during the second pitstop phase, here are the positions: 1 Rosberg; 2 Grosjean; 3 Button; 4 Vettel; 5 Perez; 6 Hamilton; 7 Webber; 8 Maldonado; 9 di Resta; 10 Alonso. Now who would have predicted that last week?
Lap 32: Vettel pits his Red Bull.
Lap 32: Jean-Eric Vergne sets a stunning new fastest lap of the race in the Toro Rosso - 1m41.205s! Where in the hell did that come from?
Lap 32: Rosberg is now setting a 1m43s pace as he tries to stretch the tyres to make just one more pitstop.
Lap 33: Button sets the fastest lap and is elevated to second as Grosjean pits his Lotus.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton, Simon Strang
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