Grand Prix: Rosberg wins in China
Posted 15th April, 2012 in Motorsport | Leave a comment
Capitalizing on yesterday’s pole position, Nico Rosberg gave the Silver Arrows their first win since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix – which was achieved by the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, securing his first F1 victory in the process.
Apart from pit stops, Rosberg led from beginning to end, finishing a commanding 20 seconds ahead of second place man Jenson Button. The third step of the podium was occupied by Button’s McLaren team-mate, Lewis Hamilton – who started from seventh due to a penalty for a gearbox change – meaning a one-two-the for Mercedes power. Rosberg’s Mercedes AMG counterpart Michael Schumacher may have been in the mix until a stroke of misfortune ended his race. The veteran driver had been promoted to second on the grid, but damage from an ill-fitted front wheel saw him retire on lap 16.
“Unbelievable feeling, very cool, very happy, very excited. It’s been a long time coming for me and the team also. It’s amazing, and it’s really nice to see how quickly we are progressing, I didn’t expect to be that fast,” said a jubilant Rosberg. Ross Brawn added: “Stunning. It is one of the best wins, we’ve started a new adventure. This is a very special day.”
Hamilton now leads the 2012 standings with 45 points, ahead of Button on 43 points.
Results: Chinese Grand Prix – 56 Laps
1. N Rosberg Mercedes AMG 1h36:26.929
2. J Button McLaren-Mercedes + 20.626
3. L Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 26.012
4. M Webber Red Bull-Renault + 27.924
5. S Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 30.483
6. R Grosjean Lotus-Renault + 31.491
7. B Senna Williams-Renault + 34.597
8. P Maldonado Williams-Renault + 35.643
9. F Alonso Ferrari + 37.256
10. K Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 38.720
11. F Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 41.066
12. P Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 42.273
13. F Massa Ferrari + 42.700
14. K Raikkonen Lotus-Renault + 50.500
15. N Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes + 51.200
16. J-E Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 51.700
17. D Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:03.100
18. V Petrov Caterham-Renault + 1 lap
19. T Glock Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
20. C Pic Marussia-Cosworth + 1 lap
21. P De la Rosa HRT-Cosworth + 1 lap
22. N Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps
23. H Kovalainen Caterham-Renault + 3 laps
[Source: BBC F1]
