Weekend review and results round-up
This was a weekend dominated by the racing - as whatever news, politics and rumours were swirling around the Chinese Grand Prix weekend were totally overshadowed by an epic event on track
In one of the finest dry grands prix in years, varied tyre strategies intertwined to create a spectacular finale as Lewis Hamilton hunted down Sebastian Vettel and ended the world champion's winning run, and Mark Webber hacked through the field to take third from 18th on the grid.
There was encouragement for Mercedes too, with Nico Rosberg leading for some time, and for Felipe Massa, who outpaced Fernando Alonso and briefly put Vettel under pressure.
Formula 1 was not the only series entertaining on this remarkable weekend. The truncated Jordan Rally delivered the World Rally Championship's closest ever finish, as Sebastien Ogier denied Jari-Matti Latvala victory by just 0.2 seconds.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup equalled its own close-finish record at Talladega, with Jimmie Johnson nosing ahead of Clint Bowyer to win by just 0.002s as eight cars crossed the line as one.
IndyCar's Long Beach round didn't look like it would emulate this excitement at first, but a blistering late charge from nowhere to a maiden victory by Mike Conway really lit this race up too.
The British Touring Car Championship provided its usual good racing, but Donington Park 2011 will be primarily remembered for Jason Plato's huge race two crash. Amazingly the car was repaired in time for him to come from last to sixth in race three.
British Formula got underway at Monza in entertainingly chaotic fashion. Felipe Nasr emerged from all the incidents to mark himself out as the man to beat at present with two wins from three races.
This weekend also saw Formula 2 and Formula Renault 3.5 kick off for 2011. Mirko Bortolotti and Miki Monras took a dominant win each in F2, and Alexander Rossi started his FR3.5 title bid with a win, but the real sensation of Aragon was teenage race two winner Kevin Korjus.
As it finally resumed three months after Monte Carlo, the Intercontinental Rally Challenge also delivered excitement, with a rally-long four-car fight for victory that ended with Juho Hanninen taking his first asphalt win.
The F1 sessions
Vettel tops first Chinese GP practice
Vettel fastest again in China practice
Vettel completes free practice on top
Vettel storms to Chinese GP pole
Hamilton wins thrilling Chinese GP
The F1 headlines
Pirelli responds to marble concerns
Alonso: Ferrari must stay realistic
Hamilton says loyalty has its limits
FIA asked to look at cockpit safety
Hamilton 'committed' to McLaren
Pirelli: One-stop Chinese GP possible
Glock: Virgin needs experienced staff
Ecclestone speaks to prosecutors
Hamilton compromised Q3 for race
Horner: Webber woes down to cold tyres
Liuzzi: 107 per cent no longer an issue for HRT
Q & A: Webber on his qualifying woes
Vettel pledges to learn from China
Hamilton 'overwhelmed' by victory
Mercedes 'optimistic again' about pace
The motorsport action
WRC: Ogier wins in Jordan by just 0.2s
IndyCar: Conway charges to first IndyCar win
NASCAR: Johnson wins Talladega photo-finish
Formula 2: Bortolotti dominates first race
Formula 2: Monras takes commanding Silverstone win
Formula Renault 3.5: Rossi battles to first FR3.5 win
Formula Renault 3.5: Korjus surprises himself with win
British F3: Nasr wins amid Monza F3 chaos
British F3: Svendsen-Cook wins at Monza
British F3: Nasr makes it two wins from three
BTCC: Neal wins Donington opener
BTCC: Jordan takes first victory of 2011
BTCC: Jackson wins destructive race three
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