F1 analysis: Lewis Hamilton takes advantage of lucky break to win Chinese Grand Prix

Graham Caygill provides the analysis from the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.

Lewis Hamilton celebrates with Mercedes-GP team members after his victory in the Chinese Grand Prix. Diego Azubel / EPA
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If fortune went against Lewis Hamilton a great deal during the 2016 Formula One season as he missed out on the drivers’ title, then it appears to be smiling on him in 2017.

Yes, the triple world champion led all 56 laps of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday as he won for the 54th time in his F1 career, but without the arrival of a safety car period early in the race, he would not have had such a straightforward afternoon.

Morning rain in Shanghai had soaked the track, but the weather improved by the start and the circuit was drying out in parts, leading to the majority of the grid starting on intermediate tyres.

Hamilton converted pole position into the lead at the start from Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari.

But when the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was called by the stewards on Lap 2 to allow marshals to rescue Lance Stroll’s beached Williams after it had spun off after contact with the Force India of Sergio Perez, Vettel and Ferrari made the strategic move to pit and move to dry tyres, dropping the German to sixth in the process.

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■ Talking points: Verstappen shines in rain, more woe for McLaren

■ Race report: Hamilton holds off Vettel's challenge in Shanghai

■ Gallery: The best photos from the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai

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The VSC is not a full-course caution period but drivers must lap at a slower pace and Vettel, by pitting when Hamilton and the rest of the field were not at racing speed, gained time and was only 18 seconds down the road from the Mercedes-GP man when racing resumed.

With pit stops taking around 22 seconds, from arriving in the pit lane to returning to racing speed, Vettel and Ferrari would have been at the front very quickly when Hamilton needed to pit urgently to change his worn intermediates.

This was where luck went the way of Hamilton, in the shape of Antonio Giovinazzi, as the Italian lost control of his Sauber on the start-finish straight at the end of Lap 3 and crashed heavily.

This led to the safety car coming out on track to ruin Vettel’s smart strategic move.

"This could be the most exciting season in my career" - @LewisHamilton#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/QeV4dHEQ2o

Hamilton and the other cars ahead of Vettel were able to pit under the full-course caution and retain track position.

The Ferrari man, instead of being ahead, was down in sixth, although that quickly became fifth after the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas had spun.

Vettel overtook teammate Kimi Raikkonen and then the two Red Bull Racing cars of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen to be up to second by mid-race, but Hamilton was long gone by then, more than 12 seconds ahead.

Vettel’s pace late in the race was impressive, but Hamilton was too far ahead and was pacing his way home to a fifth victory in Shanghai.

In a way, the result gave both sides a fillip.

"I really enjoyed today. I don't care about the rest of the year!" - Vettel (P2)#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/wsP80qJ2WR

Hamilton and Mercedes bounced back from their loss in Australia, while Vettel and Ferrari proved their pace in Melbourne was no fluke. This is a genuine title fight.

Hamilton was certainly not blinded by the achievement of victory, when he acknowledged the performance of Ferrari post-race.

“Strength-wise we are stronger, but pace-wise, if anything Ferrari got a bit quicker this weekend and the gap’s even closer,” he said.

“It’ll be interesting and it’s just going to unfold over these next races.”

The teams now head to Bahrain for next Sunday’s race in Sakhir.

Vettel, who has won there twice in 2012 and 2013 when with Red Bull, said there is still more to come from him and Ferrari as he bids for a fifth drivers’ championship.

“I think there’s stuff that we can do better, must do better, can improve,” the German said.

gcaygill@thenational.ae

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