Summary

  • Hamilton defends himself after Rosberg accuses him of deliberately slowing him down

  • Briton says: "I'm not really quite sure what his problem is"

  • Hamilton wins, Rosberg 2nd, Vettel 3rd, Raikkonen 4th, Massa 5th

  • Button and Maldonado crash after battling for position

  • Bottas 6th, Grosjean 7th, Nasr 8th, Ricciardo 9th, Ericsson 10th

  • Hulkenberg, Kvyat, Maldonado, Verstappen out

  1. Four seconds cover top fourpublished at 07:43 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Have we got a race shaping up for you.

    On lap 23 of 56, the gap from Hamilton in fourth to Raikkonen in fourth is 3.8secs.

    With Rosberg and Vettel in between, this is now getting very tight.

    Ham Ros VetImage source, Formula1.com
  2. Ricciardo gets it wrongpublished at 07:42 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Ricciardo's Red Bull is the latest to attempt to pass a Sauber at the end of the long back straight. He's gets it wrong though, runs off and Ericsson survives.

    Ricciardo gathers it up and continues in 12th.

  3. Mercedes team radiopublished at 07:41 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Lewis Hamilton out in front at the Chinese Grand PrixImage source, Reuters

    "Lewis, if you'd like to pick up your pace a little bit."

  4. Mercedes team radiopublished at 07:39 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Nico Rosberg: "Lewis is driving very slowly, so tell him to speed up. If I go closer I destroy my tyres like in the first stint."

    Nico RosbergImage source, AFP
  5. Verstappen passes Sauber #2published at 07:39 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Verstappen's Toro Rosso has just done a carbon-copy pass on Ericsson's Sauber team-mate Nasr.

    He again does the business at the end of the long back straight, out-braking the C34 into the hairpin.

    Into ninth he goes.

  6. Postpublished at 07:37 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    F1 on Twitter: KVYAT BLOWS UP: It's really not been his weekend. The Red Bull billows smoke after giving up on Lap 17

    Kvyat smokeImage source, formula1.com
  7. Mercedes team radiopublished at 07:37 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Nico Rosberg: "Reduce the conversation ... I know what I have to do."

  8. Button passes Alonsopublished at 07:37 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    The McLarens are still squabbling down the order, albeit on different strategies.

    Button has just passed Alonso for 15th place, although the Briton is on the quicker soft tyre with Alonso racing on the medium.

  9. Top 10 on lap 17published at 07:35 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    BBCImage source, BBC Sport
  10. 'Long walk home'published at 07:34 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    David Coulthard
    BBC F1 co-commentator

    "Daniil Kvyat's retirement was an unusual one as he drove the car over to the fire warden's post. To add insult to injury, it's on the outside of the track and is a long walk home."

  11. Recappublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Lewis Hamilton leads the field at the Chinese Grand Prix.Image source, AFP

    And Raikkonen (in the number 7 Ferrari) got past both Williams on Lap 1 to jump from sixth to fourth.

  12. Recappublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    The pack during the first lap in the Chinese Grand PrixImage source, AFP

    Hamilton had a great start after positioning his car diagonally in his grid box.

  13. Kvyat out in plume of smokepublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Kvyat's Renault engine in the back of the Red Bull has gone bang in a big way.

    Smoke and flames lick the back of the RB11, which are quickly doused by fire extinguisher foam.

    Game over and the end of a bad weekend for the Russian. It's also another blow to the already strained relationship between Red Bull and Renault.

  14. Rosberg and Raikkonen both pitpublished at 07:31 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Rosberg and Raikkonen take their stops and return to the track in their earlier positions.

    On lap 16 Hamilton leads once more. The gap is now 3.6secs.

    Vettel looks closer to Rosberg, while Raikkonen is fourth.

  15. Hamilton pits at end of lap 14published at 07:29 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    OK, our leader is in. A 2.8sec stop for the Mercedes man and he emerges well ahead of Vettel's Ferrari.

    Rosberg now leads from Raikkonen

  16. Postpublished at 07:27 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Red Bulls ChinaImage source, Formula1.com

    F1 on Twitter have also posted a picture of Kvyat resisting Ricciardo earlier. So close.

  17. Postpublished at 07:27 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    F1 on Twitter: TIGHT! Verstappen fires down the inside of Ericsson into the hairpin to take 10th in dramatic fashion

    Chinese GP tightImage source, Formula1.com
  18. More softs for Vettelpublished at 07:27 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    2.3sec stop for Vettel. He's doing another stint on the soft tyre.

    Sebastian Vettel goes onto softsImage source, Reuters
  19. Ferrari team radiopublished at 07:26 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    "Box, box Sebastian."

    Out third-place man is coming in.

  20. Pit stops under waypublished at 07:25 British Summer Time 12 April 2015

    Nasr and Maldonado have been the first drivers into the pits. Maldonado's Lotus team-mate Grosjean is also in and out on the mediums. Verstappen also in.