Chinese GP: Another hard day for Williams

After a revision in the final grid of the fifty six lap 2013 Chinese Grand Prix would see Williams F1 drivers Pastor Maldonado and Valtteri Bottas start from fourteenth and sixteenth. After a difficult lead-up to the race the Williams team would be hoping that strategy would see them secure a points scoring finish. At the front of the grid Hamilton was on pole from Raikkonen, Alonso, Rosberg, Massa, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Button, Vettel, and in tenth Hulkenberg. Pirelli had supplied the soft and medium tyre for the race with the soft tyre as much as 1.5 seconds per lap faster but had suffered from degradation. Webber would start the race from pitlane with the team having taken the opportunity for a gearbox change. He would have started the race from the rear after receiving a penalty.

The top seven would all be on the soft tyre with Button, Vettel and Hulkenberg on the medium tyre. Valtteri was also on the medium tyre while Pastor was on the soft. Webber was also on the soft tyre. There were two DRS zones for the race one on the back straight and the other the start straight. The grid would move away on their parade lap and would form up and the lights would go out and it would be Hamilton leading with Alonso and Massa second and third. Rosberg would pass Grosjean for fifth while Vettel was in ninth. Pastor and Valtteri were running together in fifteenth and sixteenth. Raikkonen was in fourth as Webber pitted to take on the medium tyre. Lap two and Hamilton was leading by 0.8 seconds with the DRS enabled.

The top four were running close together with Alonso passing Hamilton into Turn one. Massa would also get past and into second as Ricciardo pitted on lap five. Hamilton and Rosberg would both pit on lap six with Sutil also coming in with a damaged rear wing. This was a result of Gutierrez ramming the rear of the Force India. Sutil would retire in his pit and Gutierrez out on the track. Lap seven and Alonso and Raikkonen would both pit joined by Bianchi and Van Der Gar. Massa was now leading from Hulkenberg and Vettel. Lap eight and Massa, Grosjean, and Pastor all pitting. Hulkenberg was now leading from Vettel, Button, and Perez. Valtteri was now in ninth but had been passed by Van der Gar at the end of the long main straight. Di Resta was now fifth followed by Alonso, Hamilton, Valtteri, and Raikkonen tenth.

Massa had passed Webber to be eleventh while Raikkonen had passed Valtteri seeing Valtteri now tenth. Massa would also pass Valtteri with the Williams now eleventh while Pastor was down in sixteenth. Raikkonen would pass Vergne for eighth while there would be investigations regarding drivers using their DRS while it had been disabled as a result of Gutierrez's accident. Lap twelve and Hulkenberg was leading Vettel by 1.0 seconds followed by Button, Perez, Di Resta, Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Vergne, and Massa tenth. Valtteri had dropped to thirteenth while Alonso would pass Perez using his DRS on the start straight to now be fourth. Pastor would set a personal best on 1m:44.516 on lap thirteenth. Both Hulkenberg and Vettel would pit on lap fifteenth with Vettel getting back out on front of Hulkenberg. Di Resta would pit from eighth. Webber would make contact with Vergne. Webber would pit for a new nose joined by Vergne.

Raikkonen would hit the rear of Perez's McLaren with the Lotus receiving damage to his nose. For Webber his race would be ruined as he slowed reporting that his had a problem with his right rear. On lap seventeen Valtteri would pit but Webber would not get back to his pit as his right rear tyre would fall off seeing Webber retire on the side of the track. Button was now leading from Alonso and Hamilton. Pastor was now in front of Valtteri with the pair running in thirteenth and fourteenth. Both Button and Perez had yet to pit while on lap twenty Massa and Rosberg would pit and Vettel would pass Perez for fifth. Alonso would pass Button for the lead using his DRS at the end of the start straight. Rosberg was back in again on lap twenty one again getting medium tyres.

Pastor and Valtteri were now tenth and thirteenth while on lap twenty two Hamilton and Raikkonen would pit from third and fourth. Rosberg would return to his pit to retire while on lap twenty four Alonso and Button would both pit joined by Grosjean, Ricciardo, and Pastor. This would see Vettel leading from Hulkenberg, Alonso, Button, Hamilton, Raikkonen and Perez. Perez would pit for the first time on lap twenty five. Valtteri and Pastor were now thirteenth and fourteenth. Alonso would pass Hulkenberg at the entry to be main straight, also gaining the use from his DRS as was ahead of Hulkenberg. Hamilton was catching Button in fourth. Hamilton would pass Button at the end of the start straight. Alonso was now right with Vettel and
would pass just prior to the start of the main straight.

Lap thirty and Hulkenberg would pit from fifth taking on the soft tyre. He would return in eighth while on lap thirty two Vettel would pit again taking on medium tyres. Raikkonen had passed Button for fourth as Perez also pitted. Ricciardo had passed Grosjean to be eighth while Vettel would pass Hulkenberg for fifth. Valtteri was now twelfth and Pastor fourteenth. Raikkonen would pit on lap thirty five taking on the medium tyre. Valtteri would also pit having been passed by Perez. Alonso was now 11.0 seconds ahead of Hamilton with Button third. Vettel would pass Button at the end of the main straight using his DRS. Massa and Hulkenberg would pit on lap thirty seven and on the following lap Hamilton would pit from second rejoining in sixth.

Grosjean had also pitted joined by Vergne. Ricciardo would pit from sixth on lap thirty nine, with this being his first stop. Alonso's lead was now 19.0 seconds over Vettel. Pastor would pit on lap forty. Alonso would pit the next lap taking on a set of medium tyres. He would come back out behind Vettel but Vettel still had to make another pit stop. Valtteri and Pastor were now in thirteenth and fourteenth. At the end of the start straight Alonso would pass Vettel using his DRS. Button was told that he was racing Vettel. Hamilton was looking to pass fourth placed Raikkonen but Raikkonen would have his won plans and would pass Button for third. Hamilton would also follow Raikkonen and pass Button. Valtteri had moved up to twelfth with Pastor fourteenth. Ricciardo would pass Hulkenberg for eighth and Turn fourteenth. Button would pit from fifth on lap fifty taking on the soft tyre. Button would return in seventh. Button would use DRS to pass Massa for sixth as Hamilton closed in onto Raikkonen.

Vettel would pit on lap fifty two taking on his soft tyres for his run to the finish. Vettel was in fourth while for Williams Valtteri was leading Pastor with the pair thirteenth and fourteenth. But Valtteri would pit again been forced to take on the soft tyre for his final run. Di Resta would pit from fifth on lap fifty four with Valtteri now fourteenth and Pastor thirteenth. Lap fifty four and Alonso was leading by 10.2 seconds from Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vettel, Button, Massa, Ricciardo, Di Resta, Grosjean, and Hulkenberg in tenth. Vettel was gaining in onto Hamilton as Hamilton moved through traffic. Alonso would finish to win the 2013 Chinese Grand Prix with Raikkonen second and Hamilton third. Vettel despite a great effort could not get past Hamilton finishing in third. For the Williams F1 team Valtteri would finish ahead of Pastor with the pair thirteenth and fourteenth with Valtteri having gained from his soft tyres. Both drivers were fairly well matched during the race but both are still well of the pace in what was another frustrating and disappointing race for the team.