Lewis Hamilton Juarai Grand Prix China
Hamilton Claims a Lights-to-flag Finish in Dominant Shanghai Display
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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Shanghai (B2B) - Dua pebalap tim Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton finis di urutan pertama dan Nico Rosberg di urutan dua, tetapi dominasi tim Mercedes itu melalui drama pertarungan yang seru.
Drama awal terjadi ketika Felipe Massa yang mengendarai Williams berupaya menyalip Mercedes Nico Rosberg, dan roda kiri depannya membentur mobil Alonso.
Rosberg, yang terlihat terpukau dengan manuver Massa saat menyalip, kemudian mengenai roda-roda mobilnya dengan pebalap Williams lainnya Valtteri Bottas yang berada di sisi luar, namun tidak ada yang cedera dari gesekan itu, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Rosberg memerlukan dua putaran untuk melewati Massa dan kemudian ketika para pebalap masuk pit pada putaran ke-12, kru Williams kesulitan membuka roda kiri Massa yang rusak.
Saat mereka akhirnya berhasil menggantinya, Massa kemudian merosot ke urutan terakhir dan pebalap Brazil itu akhirnya hanya finis di urutan ke-15.
Alonso berhenti pada satu putaran lebih awal daripada Vettel, yang terbukti merupakan tindakan jitu ketika, dengan ban-ban mobilnya yang lebih cepat menyesuaikan dengan suhu trek, ia dapat melewati sang juara dunia empat kali tersebut.
Sementara itu, pertarungan antara Rosberg dan Vettel terlibat pertarungan sengit untuk memperebutkan posisi ketiga di putaran ke-23, yang kemudian dapat dimenangi oleh pebalap Mercedes.
Rekan setim Vettel dari tim Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo, masuk pit pada putaran ke-15, sehingga ia dilewati Rosberg.
Pertarungan mereka membuat Ricciardo dapat mendekati rekan setimnya dan Vettel diminta untuk memberi jalan, seperti yang ia lakukan di Bahrain, untuk membiarkan Ricciardo yang lebih cepat melaju melewatinya.
Namun Vettel kali ini tidak menurutinya. "Keberuntungan yang berat," ucapnya terhadap posisi Ricciardo melalui radio tim, dan ia mempertahankan posisi keempatnya pada beberapa putaran berikutnya.
Vettel mengalami sore hari yang membuat frustrasi dan dengan masalah yang terdapat pada bannya, ia kemudian dapat dilewati pebalap Caterham Kamui Kobayashi.
Kemudian pertarungan antara Rosberg dengan Alonso terjadi pada putaran ke-33, Rosberg terus menempel Alonso dan ia terus menekan.
Alonso merespon dengan masuk pit, sehingga dua Mercedes berada di posisi depan untuk balap ketiga secara beruntun sampai Rosberg sendiri berhenti untuk kedua kalinya.
Bagaimanapun, Rosberg mampu merangsek ke depan, dan setelah menorehkan catatan waktu terbaik ia kembali mengambil alih posisi kedua dengan melewati Alonso di trek lurus.
Shanghai - Dominant Lewis Hamilton will gun for his third win in a row at Sunday´s Chinese Grand Prix and hope he can also snatch the world championship lead from his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg.
Such is Hamilton´s form that he stormed to his third pole position of the season in a rain-soaked qualifying session on Saturday, and has won both races he has completed this year.
But the Briton, seeking his second world title after winning in 2008, also knows that Mercedes´ supremacy this year could come under threat from Red Bull and Ferrari in Shanghai.
Red Bull´s Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, whose cars qualified second and third respectively, managed to relegate championship leader Rosberg to fourth on the grid.
And the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who will start in fifth place, is showing much greater pace than in Bahrain, where he trailed in ninth -- and he too will be eyeing a podium finish in his first race for new team principal Marco Mattiacci.
Rosberg will begin on the second row in fourth, after spinning on his final flying lap in Q3, and should Hamilton win the German would need to finish at least third to retain his championship lead.
The forecast for Sunday is for no rain, but Hamilton sounded a note of caution after losing valuable practice time in finer conditions on Friday, meaning he couldn´t be confident with his dry race set-up.
With Mercedes having a power advantage on Shanghai´s long straights, Vettel and Ricciardo agreed it might be difficult to hold off Rosberg.
Red Bull´s downforce advantage in the corners is exaggerated by wet conditions and puts them closer to the Silver Arrows.
Asked if he could beat the Mercedes in the dry, Vettel joked: "Well, I think if we put two chicanes in all the straights, then yes."
Ricciardo was also in jovial mood. "The idea is to get a good start for both of us and just drive side by side the whole race and then just fight it out on the last lap," he said, smiling.
"I´ve seen the forecast, even if I did a rain dance all night I don´t think it would work," he added.
Alonso is also sensing a chance of a podium finish in a race that if pans out as expected, could see his Ferrari going wheel to wheel with the Red Bulls in a battle for third.
What everyone agrees is that nursing tyres, on a "green" circuit washed clear of laid-down rubber by the rain, will be crucial in the race starting at 3:00 pm (0700 GMT).
Three stops looks the most likely option and, with the softer tyre proving up to two seconds a lap quicker in practice, when and for how long to deploy harder and softer compounds will be key.
Some drivers reported the soft tyres graining after as little as four laps in free practice on Friday, meaning the race could be won and lost by the pit-lane crews and team strategists.
