Button leads 1-2 finish for McLaren at Chinese GP
SHANGHAI — Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took over the Formula One championship lead by beating teammate Lewis Hamilton in a 1-2 finish for McLaren.
In a chaotic race with rapidly changing weather conditions, forcing most drivers to pit at least four times, 2009 world champion Button benefited from shrewd tire strategy, needing only two stops while Hamilton had to make four.
"It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button said. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions."
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg finished third. The German driver took over the lead when he and Button elected to stay out on a dry-weather tires while most others went to wet-weather ones and soon realized they had to switch back.
Rosberg held the lead until the 19th lap when he ran wide on worn tires.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took the lead at the start, but was quickly penalized for jumping the lights and given a drive-through penalty. He finished fourth after five trips to pit lane.
Renault's Robert Kubica finished fifth and teammate Vitaly Petrov earned his first-ever F1 points by taking seventh.
Separating the Renault pair was pole sitter Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver was shuffled back by his hasty change to wet tires and then back to dry ones, and was never in contention.
His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber enlisted the same strategy and finished eighth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher. Schumacher, back after a three-year retirement, won this race in 2006 for the last of his record 91 victories.
After four races this season, Button leads the drivers' standings with 60 points, ahead of Rosberg's 50. Hamilton and Alonso are tied for third with 49 points.
McLaren also took over the lead in the constructors' standings, with 109, ahead of Ferrari with 90. Mercedes jumped to third with 78, ahead of Red Bull with 73.
The next race will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 9.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Jenson Button driving for McLaren during a practice session in Bahrain.
McLaren driver Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took a ten point lead in the driver's championship in the 2010 Formula One. Teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second in the race, followed by Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

"It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button commented. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions."

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso initially took the lead. He was penalized for starting before the race commenced and given a drive through penalty. He finished fourth as he entered the pit lane four times. Alonso initially took a lead in his Ferrari, but was later penalized for beginning before the race commenced. Rosberg's teammate, Michael Schumacher finished tenth in the race.

Admitting that his performance was disappointing, Schumacher said that the race was one of the "frustrating" ones. "There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself," he added.

Felipe Massa of Ferrari slipped to sixth from the top position in the driver's championship after a ninth-placed finish. Renault's Robert Kubica was fifth while his teammate Vitaly Petrov finished seventh.

Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull who had taken the pole in qualifying to the main race changed to wet tires and then reversed his decision and finished sixth as a result of this. Mark Webber of Red Bull adopted a similar strategy and finished eighth.

After four races this season, Button is at the top of the driver's championship with 60 points, followed by Rosberg who has 50 points. Hamilton and Alonso are third with 49 points each.

McLaren now leads constructors' standings, with 109 points. They are followed by Ferrari with 90, Mercedes with 78, and Red Bull with 73.