Chinese Grand Prix

There was a Red Bull stampede at last weekend’s rain soaked Chinese grand prix. German ace Sebastian Vettel scored the squad’s first-ever victory, finishing ahead of team mate Mark Webber to give the outfit a remarkable one-two finish.

But Britain’s Jenson Button still heads the title table after guiding his Brawn GP to the final podium position, after starting fifth on the grid.

As a result of streaming wet conditions all the racers were forced to spend the first eight laps behind the safety car. However, once released, Vettel and Webber set a scorching pace, and over four laps built a ten second lead over the Brawn GPs of Button and Barrichello.

The Red Bull duo then maintained their advantage to the flag, despite a second safety car following a clash between BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica and Jarno Trulli’s Toyota.

Further back there was a positive performance for under-fire McLaren, with both cars finishing in the points. Lewis Hamilton was sixth at the flag, despite spinning off the track five times. Team mate Heikki Kovalainen took a more cautious approach, eventually finishing a place ahead in fifth.

There was no such good fortune for Ferrari, who yet again failed to score points. A mechanical fault sidelined Felipe Massa’s car, while Kimi Raikonnen could only manage a disappointing tenth place. This is now the Italian squad’s worst start to a season since 1981.

Force India also endured a tough weekend. Adrian Sutil was on course for the team’s first ever points finish, but crashed out of seventh place with a handful of laps remaining.

But there was no such disappointment for Sebastian Vettel. “It’s just fantastic”, he said. “Winning the second race having won one for Toro Rosso and now one for Red Bull is fantastic. I am extremely happy and hope we can continue working in this direction”.

Now the teams have just a few days preparation before the next race in Bahrain on 26 April.