Lewis Hamilton pulled out a stunning drive as he was victorious at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. The McLaren driver snatched first place from Sebastian Vettel with just four laps to go and held off the German to take the chequered flag. Hamilton showed just why he is so highly thought in Formula One with an inspired manoeuvre to overtake Vettel on turn seven, and after that it was just a case of holding off the world champion for the final few laps.
Hamilton was over the moon to pick up his first Grand Prix victory of the season and rated it as one of his best so far in his career.
“I never really knew right to the end I could do it. It is one of the best grand prix wins I can remember,” he said.
The 2008 world champion was delighted to have come out on top in the personal battle between himself and Vettel.
“I could not believe I was catching Vettel. He was putting up a great fight and it was great to get by him,” Hamilton added.
After Vettel won the opening two races of the season, the pressure was on the chasing pack to start clawing back some of the 24 point gap which the Red Bull driver had at the top of the leader-board.
The win now leaves Hamilton 21 points behind Vettel but the win and style in which it was achieved will be sure to give the McLaren driver plenty of confidence as he heads to Istanbul in two weeks and the F1 odds 2011 suggest we could be in for another tight season.
With the drivers having two weeks off before the next race in Turkey, fans will be waiting with baited breath to see how Vettel responds to his shock defeat.