2014 Chinese Grand Prix Sunday - Chinese GP
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Hulkenberg and Bottas pitting together.
Rosberg has now reeled in Alonso, with the gap down to 1.2s.
Looks as if Perez had a decent lock-up on his way to the pits.
Perez now pitting from ninth, takes on the medium compound.
Hulkenberg still 'best of the rest' in sixth place. Currently 1.8s ahead of Bottas, with the two lapping at roughly the same pace.
Hamilton reports some graining on his left front. He leads by 13.4s with 27 laps left.
Ricciardo is 7s behind Rosberg and has pulled 2.8s clear of Vettel, who has been told he needs to stay out for now.
That's Grosjean's day done. He becomes the second retirement of the race.
Rosberg has got the gap to Alonso in second down to 3.0s.
Button making his second stop now. He did 21 laps in this stint.
Grosjean's problem are worsening. He's now had a little excursion at Turn 11. Retirement seems imminent.
Ericsson also making a second stop.
Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton is now lapping a second clear of any non-Mercedes again and his lead has grown to 12.9s.
BEN ANDERSON: "Fernando Alonso spoke yesterday about the step forward Ferrari has made in China. The race is bearing that out as he currently splits the Mercedes and is looking well placed to score the Scuderia's first podium of the season."
Gutierrez makes his second stop.
Grosjean is told he "has a problem with fourth gear". The team ask him not to use it much, or he'll need to retire.
Gutierrez and Magnussen scrapping over 14th spot – and the Dane sweeps past. He's now behind his team-mate Button.
Hamilton's lead over Alonso is 10.9s after 26 of 56 laps and with the second pitstops approaching.
Vettel says it's time to think about pitting for new tyres. After the battles with Rosberg and Ricciardo, he's 11.6s behind erstwhile second-place rival Alonso.
Red Bull tells Vettel that Ricciardo is two-stopping. That may have been what convinced him to let the move happen.
JONATHAN NOBLE: "There is a fascinating dynamic opening up at Red Bull, with Sebastian Vettel making it clear that there will be no presents for Daniel Ricciardo. The gloves are off in their battle."
So Ricciardo gets third place after a bit of a scrap and another team orders/driver obedience controversy.
Ricciardo looks to the inside into Turn 1 and this time Vettel gives him room.
Vettel vigorously defends as Ricciardo attacks him at the Turn 14 hairpin.
Vettel doesn't want to let Ricciardo past. He asks what tyres his team-mate is on and says "tough luck" when told it's the same as him.
Still just the one retirement so far, the Sauber of Sutil.
Red Bull radios Vettel to ask him to let Ricciardo past - for the second race in a row.
We're onto lap 24 of 54. Hamilton leads by 7.7s over Alonso.
Perez now into ninth. He's past Grosjean.
Rosberg is already 2.1s clear of the battling Red Bulls.
Ricciardo tries again with DRS on the pits straight and again Vettel successfully resists him.
Ricciardo has a look at passing Vettel on the back straight, but the champion holds him wide under braking for the hairpin.
Now Rosberg has a six-second gap to close to get up with Alonso for second.
Ricciardo is now right behind his team-mate, who lost time scrapping with Rosberg.
Vettel works hard to get back past Rosberg through the opening complex but his countryman hugs the inside each time.
Vettel gets DRS back on Rosberg on the pits straight and has a shot at repassing the Mercedes on the outside into Turn 1.
Rosberg still goes for it under braking for the Turn 14 hairpin, diving into a narrowing gap, running a bit wide but getting away with it.
Vettel did pull out from Rosberg through the middle sector sweeps, though.
The other Toro Rosso of Vergne is likely to follow suit very soon.
Kvyat is through on Button for 11th.
By: Matt Beer, Edd Straw, Ben Anderson, Jonathan Noble, Andrew van Leeuwen
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