Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren on Sunday overcame an anxious moment ahead of the start to win a dramatic Chinese Grand Prix after overtaking the world championship leader Sebastian Vettel with four laps to go.Vettel's Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, who started from 18th on the grid, finished in a remarkable third place.
After the race Hamilton, who was lucky to even start from the grid after his car stalled before the warm-up lap, said he did not know what happened.
"I am still not sure what went on, but I was not too worried and fortunately everything came together in the end."
Vettel, who started from pole and won the two previous races, had a poor start by his standards and had to allow both McLarens of Hamilton and Jenson Button past and was forced to do some serious defending against Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes.
Button, who started in second place behind Vettel, soon opened up a small lead at the front from his team-mate Hamilton.
As the tyres of the leaders wore down, Vettel easily passed Hamilton and pitted at the same time on the 14th lap as Button, who bizarrely seemed to want to stop in Vettel's garage, who was just behind him.
The incident cost him a few valuable seconds, which allowed Vettel to come out ahead of him. Hamilton also fell behind the German when he pitted a lap later.
Rosberg, who pitted earlier than the three race leaders, found himself in front once the two McLarens and Vettel had come out, but failed to create enough of a gap to stay in front once he pulled in for his second stop.
Vettel, who unlike most of his rivals was on a two-stop strategy, took over the lead for a short while before pitting, allowing Rosberg to take first place again once the world champion went in for his change of tyres.
With some 17 laps to go Rosberg was leading from Button and Hamilton, but once the trio came in for their third stop, Vettel moved back into the lead from Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was also on a two-stop strategy, with Hamilton in third.
The Briton, however, knew that he had a fresher set of tyres and would be able to close the gap on the two leaders. He moved ahead of Massa's Ferrari on the 44th lap and then started closing the gap on Vettel and overtook him with four laps to go.
Hamilton said the team strategy had worked in his favour. "The strategy we used definitely helped. It was one of the best races I have experienced. It feels amazing to bring home a victory."
Vettel, meanwhile, said that the start was not his best of the year and that the two-stop strategy was possibly not the right one. "We probably tried too hard to stay on two-stops and the middle stint could have been longer. I saw Lewis coming closer and closer and there was nothing I could do."
Massa found himself under pressure from Button, who had earlier managed to overtake Rosberg as the German was told to drive conservatively to preserve fuel.
Both Button and Rosberg moved ahead of Massa, but then had to see Webber fly past them.
Button held on to fourth place, from Rosberg and Massa.
Fernando Alonso in the second Ferrari was seventh, while the three final points positions went to seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes, Vitaly Petrov in a Renault and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi.
After three of 19 season races, Vettel continues to lead the standings with 68 points from Hamilton, who has 47. Button is on 38, while Webber is a point behind.
The next race is the Turkish Grand Prix on May 8.
After the race Hamilton, who was lucky to even start from the grid after his car stalled before the warm-up lap, said he did not know what happened.
"I am still not sure what went on, but I was not too worried and fortunately everything came together in the end."
Vettel, who started from pole and won the two previous races, had a poor start by his standards and had to allow both McLarens of Hamilton and Jenson Button past and was forced to do some serious defending against Nico Rosberg in a Mercedes.
Button, who started in second place behind Vettel, soon opened up a small lead at the front from his team-mate Hamilton.
As the tyres of the leaders wore down, Vettel easily passed Hamilton and pitted at the same time on the 14th lap as Button, who bizarrely seemed to want to stop in Vettel's garage, who was just behind him.
The incident cost him a few valuable seconds, which allowed Vettel to come out ahead of him. Hamilton also fell behind the German when he pitted a lap later.
Rosberg, who pitted earlier than the three race leaders, found himself in front once the two McLarens and Vettel had come out, but failed to create enough of a gap to stay in front once he pulled in for his second stop.
Vettel, who unlike most of his rivals was on a two-stop strategy, took over the lead for a short while before pitting, allowing Rosberg to take first place again once the world champion went in for his change of tyres.
With some 17 laps to go Rosberg was leading from Button and Hamilton, but once the trio came in for their third stop, Vettel moved back into the lead from Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was also on a two-stop strategy, with Hamilton in third.
The Briton, however, knew that he had a fresher set of tyres and would be able to close the gap on the two leaders. He moved ahead of Massa's Ferrari on the 44th lap and then started closing the gap on Vettel and overtook him with four laps to go.
Hamilton said the team strategy had worked in his favour. "The strategy we used definitely helped. It was one of the best races I have experienced. It feels amazing to bring home a victory."
Vettel, meanwhile, said that the start was not his best of the year and that the two-stop strategy was possibly not the right one. "We probably tried too hard to stay on two-stops and the middle stint could have been longer. I saw Lewis coming closer and closer and there was nothing I could do."
Massa found himself under pressure from Button, who had earlier managed to overtake Rosberg as the German was told to drive conservatively to preserve fuel.
Both Button and Rosberg moved ahead of Massa, but then had to see Webber fly past them.
Button held on to fourth place, from Rosberg and Massa.
Fernando Alonso in the second Ferrari was seventh, while the three final points positions went to seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes, Vitaly Petrov in a Renault and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi.
After three of 19 season races, Vettel continues to lead the standings with 68 points from Hamilton, who has 47. Button is on 38, while Webber is a point behind.
The next race is the Turkish Grand Prix on May 8.
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