Hamilton leads Mercedes to big win in Sepang
1 April 2014 5:18 AM IST
Hamilton streaked away from pole position and was never pressured as he finished ahead of team-mate Nico Rosberg with four-time defending world champion Sebastian Vettel third for Red Bull.
It was the first time both Mercedes drivers have led the field since 1955, when the German marque departed the sport before returning in 2010 and now confirming themselves as the team to beat in F1’s new era.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was fourth and Nico Hulkenberg placed a creditable fifth for Force India.
The win was sweet for Hamilton, who ended an eight-month win drought since Hungary last July and who was frustrated at the season-opener in Australia when he had to retire early.
Hamilton was streaking away in front and he had a 5.2-second lead by lap nine, with Rosberg nearly four seconds ahead of Vettel in third and Daniel Ricciardo fourth in the second Red Bull.
Williams’ Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, who was warned over the radio to stop attacking his team-mate, moved up a place when Magnussen had to come in for a stop-go penalty for his collision with Raikkonen.
Hamilton pitted after lap 15 and rejoined behind Force India’s Hulkenberg, who had yet to make his first stop, and he quickly regained the lead with an eight-second advantage over Rosberg.
Mercedes’ relaxed instructions to Hamilton were ‘just keep doing what you’re doing’ as the former world champion extended to a 10-second lead by halfway and with Rosberg comfortably ahead of Vettel.
As rain started falling on parts of the track, the two leaders were the last to come in for their second pit stops and Hamilton regained with a healthy 12-second lead. Red Bull reported trouble with Ricciardo’s fuel sensor but then disaster struck the Australian as after his third pit stop, he drove off with a loose front left wheel and had to go back to the garage.
It got worse for Ricciardo when his front wing came loose and he had to return to the pits again, finally rejoining in 16th. And the officials compounded the misery when they pulled him in for a stop-go penalty for the unsafe pit stop release. He retired before the finish.
Behind the top five, Jenson Button was sixth for McLaren and Massa finished seventh, ahead of Bottas despite team instructions ordering him to let his teammate pass.
It was the first time both Mercedes drivers have led the field since 1955, when the German marque departed the sport before returning in 2010 and now confirming themselves as the team to beat in F1’s new era.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso was fourth and Nico Hulkenberg placed a creditable fifth for Force India.
The win was sweet for Hamilton, who ended an eight-month win drought since Hungary last July and who was frustrated at the season-opener in Australia when he had to retire early.
Hamilton was streaking away in front and he had a 5.2-second lead by lap nine, with Rosberg nearly four seconds ahead of Vettel in third and Daniel Ricciardo fourth in the second Red Bull.
Williams’ Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, who was warned over the radio to stop attacking his team-mate, moved up a place when Magnussen had to come in for a stop-go penalty for his collision with Raikkonen.
Hamilton pitted after lap 15 and rejoined behind Force India’s Hulkenberg, who had yet to make his first stop, and he quickly regained the lead with an eight-second advantage over Rosberg.
Mercedes’ relaxed instructions to Hamilton were ‘just keep doing what you’re doing’ as the former world champion extended to a 10-second lead by halfway and with Rosberg comfortably ahead of Vettel.
As rain started falling on parts of the track, the two leaders were the last to come in for their second pit stops and Hamilton regained with a healthy 12-second lead. Red Bull reported trouble with Ricciardo’s fuel sensor but then disaster struck the Australian as after his third pit stop, he drove off with a loose front left wheel and had to go back to the garage.
It got worse for Ricciardo when his front wing came loose and he had to return to the pits again, finally rejoining in 16th. And the officials compounded the misery when they pulled him in for a stop-go penalty for the unsafe pit stop release. He retired before the finish.
Behind the top five, Jenson Button was sixth for McLaren and Massa finished seventh, ahead of Bottas despite team instructions ordering him to let his teammate pass.
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