chinese grand prix chinese grand prix formally chinese grand prix formula motor race held october shanghai china 17th penultimate race formula season lap race won team starting pole position ferrari driver finished second ferrari hamilton eventual led championship going race started pole position alongside second drivers championship began drivers retained positions corner passed hamilton teammate able regain place midway lap course race hamilton extended considerable lead passed seven laps remaining improve chances surpassing hamilton points tally final race brazil result extended ferrari lead championship seven points placed drivers championship sixth place eliminated hopes winning championship reduced lead fourth placed points scored world championship points race report background grand prix contested drivers teams teams known ferrari force india toyota williams normal formula race brought different tyre compounds race softer marked single white stripe grooves prior race driver led drivers championship points ferrari driver second points drivers championship points fourth points teammate fifth points championship ferrari leading points seven points ahead rivals mercedes overtaken previous race points battle fourth place points points ahead toyota previous race japan gap hamilton closed points hamilton started pole position ahead poor start corner late forced wide later given penalty dropped field unable recover points scoring position received penalty collision hamilton second lap able finish seventh position british press described hamilton aggression saying driver adopt conservative race strategy china hamilton said taking risks approach won taking risks attacking win race position looking gain good points unnecessary risk manoeuvre won important fast necessarily fastest car wins fast great positioning maybe getting trying stay calm points offer winner possible hamilton clinch championship shanghai remained confident saying race like pressure different pressure pressure driver time championship winner created controversy said help help departure driving british team dislike rookie hamilton documented talking hamilton penalty japan said don know good punished hamilton refused drawn controversy don particularly opinion said adding interested race practice qualifying practice sessions held sunday race friday saturday friday morning afternoon sessions lasted minutes session held saturday morning lasted hour sessions held dry track hamilton fastest session time second ahead quickest rounded seven eighth having quickest early session driver drove gravel pit lane entry managed rejoin hamilton quickest second session early time fastest afternoon quickest ahead toyota driver spun turn late session beached car gravel fastest final session time ahead hamilton lacked pace failed stopped late session engine failed straight requiring engine change qualifying place penalty grid qualifying session saturday afternoon split parts ran minutes cars finished session 16th lower eliminated qualifying second qualifying lasted minutes eliminated cars finished positions final qualifying determined positions tenth decided pole position cars failed final session refuel race ran lighter sessions cars competed final session qualifying allowed refuel race carried fuel previous sessions hamilton clinched seventh pole position season time joined row grid qualified seconds hamilton time took place needing good result retain possibility championship victory qualified fourth ahead took fifth struggling tyre grip final session sixth fastest final session demoted 16th grid result penalty originally qualified sixth positions driver session result driver inherited sixth position ahead took tenth position eleventh placing worst qualifying result point season struggling car set sessions took 13th toyota reach time races williams driver took 14th grid failed session driver qualified 15th blamed poor performance williams line rows grid race conditions grid dry race air temperature track temperature weather forecasts suggested small possibility rain hamilton began race harder compound tyre opted softer compound hamilton accelerated faster line retained lead corner overtook fourth opening corners pushed hard middle sector lap passed turn drafting straight end lap hamilton led able ninth grid sixth drove corner dropped 18th pitted opportunity result damage retired second lap able climb 16th grid 12th passed toyota second lap field improved grid position moving 11th eighth hamilton quickest track set new fastest laps laps extend lead seconds trend continued lap fought closed gap hamilton extended lead set fastest lap race lap struggling running seconds lap slower hamilton dropping pit lap passed separate manoeuvres ninth pit stop dropped 18th position came pit lap fourth took lead hamilton battle harder tyres fuel lap time pitted laps hamilton established commanding lead seconds seconds began pull hamilton lead laps losing seconds lap race began slow climb field driver passed later spun retired gearbox problem sit 15th lap fought 12th passed toyota turn lap pit stop relegated 18th dropping places pitted late lap dropping ninth position outside points suffered lap track pit lane tyre rejoining 17th replacement hamilton pitted final time laps coming second round pit stops hamilton led seconds seconds ahead gap began close eased past straight lap second place track parked car garage retired race team taking chances problem developed engine hamilton took fifth win season crossed line end 56th lap seconds ahead second placed took ahead managed jump ninth grid finish fifth place ahead teammate climbed eleventh grid stop pit strategy worked finished seventh took eighth took places recovered early contact 13th initial success stop strategy faded finished 14th took 15th ahead button lap race post race finishers appeared podium subsequent press conference hamilton praised team phenomenal job car dream drive looking ahead race brazil hamilton enter seven point advantage championship leader confident tough ferrari pushing hard hopefully team pull admitted stronger car day completely driving limit trying reduce gap possible trying push trying push closer lewis possible today unfortunately lewis better car weekend asked pass closing laps said best time race strong caught passed austrian ceded lead team orders banned formula appeared asked pass mean know want team normal situations investigation undertaken race played incident saying understands racing understood going silly people objected car apparently fitted tyres car stint meaning tyres spun opposite direction designed causing pit stop team realising cause problem adjusted wing compensate replaced tyres correctly caused handling problems eventually led retirement failure score combined making meant ferrari extended lead championship seven points said ferrari succeeded race think drivers championship fantastic good sixth place grand prix ruled chance claiming drivers championship driver said focus getting good result possible brazil saying race left shall try hard defend place classification qualifying race championship standings race bold text indicates theoretical chance note positions included sets standings
2008 Chinese Grand Prix