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Tesla Motors President and CEO Elon Musk announced during a recent trip to Texas that his company is looking to expand and considering a second plant, possibly in the Lone Star state.

His wish? To produce a battery-powered electric pickup truck that would have “the performance of a sports car but actually more towing power and more carrying capacity than a gasoline or diesel truck of comparable size.”

Musk also proclaimed that Tesla would invest “tens of millions of dollars” in additional showrooms and service facilities. However, the company is asking the Texas legislature to revise the strict franchise system, as it did in numerous other U.S. states. The saga continues...

Source: The Detroit Bureau

According to Radio Le Mans, Mark Webber has signed a five-year deal to spearhead Porsche's Le Mans assault as of 2014.

The Australian has suffered a difficult start to the 2013 Formula 1 season, with the Multi-21 affair in Malaysia, and then enduring a nightmare weekend in China which saw Webber pushed to the back of the grid following a fuel irregularity in qualifying and then the rear wheel parting company from his RB9 in the race which forced him into retirement following a pit stop.

To compound Webber's misery, he will also take a three-place grid drop in this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix after colliding with Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso in yesterday's race.

Citing information from the F1 paddock, Radio Le Mans broke the news during the World Endurance Championship's season opener, the Six Hours of Silverstone, that Webber had signed a five-year deal with Porsche beginning next season, when the Stuttgart marque returns to sportscar racing as an official manufacturer.

Mark Webber. (Photo: WRi2)

However, neither party have confirmed or denied the rumour, despite Porsche shedding some light on the situation.

"There is a test plan, and for sure Mark Webber is not part of them,” said Wolfgang Hatz, a member of the Porsche management board.

Despite the comments seeming like an immediate rebuff to Webber, Hatz's comments further reveal that teaming up with former Formula 1 drivers for next season was not impossible.

"We can have perhaps some F1 drivers in the future,” he continued, “but it is not necessary."

"We will use some of our own drivers and add some external drivers - we have two cars and need six drivers next year.”

"We still have plenty of time to decide our driver line up," he added.

"What we need is the best combination of drivers that fit together. LMP1 is a team sport, and if you have three of the quickest drivers I am not sure that this is the best way.”

Meanwhile, Webber has remained silent on the rumours following yesterday's race and has not mentioned anything on his official page, Twitter or to the media.

The Australian previously raced at Le Mans in 1999 for Mercedes.

After a week driving Volkswagen's new Jetta Hybrid in late February, I'd virtually tied the mileage I achieved a few months earlier while driving their Jetta TDI. After highway-intensive tests of both, I logged 6.7 and 6.9L/100km, respectively.

For accuracy, these real-life figures are measured by hand, not taken from the driver computer. The hybrid was at a relative disadvantage being tested in the cold and on winter tires. The TDI was on all-seasons in late spring.

At the end of the day, the difference in mileage between the two testers was negligible for where and how I drive.


Why a hybrid?
Why offer a Jetta Hybrid when you've been selling Canadians a diesel-powered Jetta TDI for decades?

Choices. Shoppers willing to pay a premium for a fuel-saving powertrain love them. So, as a business decision, the 2013 VW Jetta Hybrid makes sense to tap into a new market segment.

A seamless powertrain
The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid has a turbocharged engine and an electric motor that makes heaps of torque when fed electrons by the trunk-mounted battery. Coast or brake, and roles reverse as the battery is fed electrons by the motor, which acts as a generator when it's not driving the wheels.

Request acceleration, and stored electricity helps drive the car, lightening the load on the gas engine. At lower speeds, the 2013 Jetta Hybrid can run solely on electricity. This is all invisible to the driver, albeit for some readouts that visualize what the systems are up to, and an occasional squirm in the power delivery or an audible clicking of a relay.

Other than a missing chunk of trunk space to facilitate the battery, the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid literally operates, drives, and functions like any other car. You could lend it to you mother without explaining a thing, save for how the gas engine shuts off at traffic lights and hasn't stalled.

At lower speeds, the 2013 Jetta Hybrid can run solely on electricity. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Learning curve?
If this is your first hybrid car, there's nothing much to get used to other than the brakes. Like most hybrids, the Volkswagen Jetta's pedal isn't attached directly to the brake system, since a blend of traditional hydraulic brakes and electric-motor resistance are summoned by the pedal to slow the car.

The brakes are powerful when jammed hard and stop the 2013 Jetta Hybrid in a jiffy. Less pressure and it feels like the pedal is attached to a glob of Cheez-Whiz -- they feel squishy, inconsistent, difficult to modulate, and often cause lurching while stopping as your foot subconsciously re-learns the brake pedal every time.

Steering, additionally, is vague and light. The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid isn't opposed to spirited corner carving, though driving enthusiasts gravitating towards the Jetta's sporty reputation may be a little disappointed.

The brakes are powerful when jammed hard and stop the 2013 Jetta Hybrid in a jiffy. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Surprising performance, ready to save
The 2013 Jetta Hybrid puts 170 combined horsepower and even more torque under its driver's right foot, alongside lightning fast gearshifts from the 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) automatic transmission. Hammer down to get by slower traffic, and the Jetta Hybrid goes like all electric-assisted heck.

Screens display the hybrid system's current state, and the tachometer is replaced by a metre that shows whether the powertrain is in “charge,” “eco,” “power” or “boost” state. The latter was my favourite, and it announces that the turbocharger and electrons are all fired up for fun.

On the other side of the equation, you can drive with a light foot by using the gas-saving “E-Mode” which optimizes the powertrain for low-speed, electric-only driving. This means more sitting back and smiling smugly because, at times, you're rolling along sans fuel.

Other notes
I enjoyed the potent Fender stereo, comfortable leather seats, and especially the powerful adaptive xenon lights which drench the road ahead with clean, white light. This made confident work of tackling a 600-kilometre, after-dark road trip. A premium-feeling cabin with all the toys helped create an upscale atmosphere to take on the drive.

Even with winter tires mounted, the 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid's ride was relatively quiet at speed. The suspension felt firmly sporty, robust and tough, adding to an overall feel of quality. It's ultimately a nice, relaxing and particularly premium-feeling car to drive. The 2013 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid feels every bit a Jetta where ride quality is concerned, and that's a good thing.

I enjoyed the powerful adaptive xenon lights which drench the road ahead with clean, white light. (Photo: Justin Pritchard)

Choices
Volkswagen is giving shoppers choices when it comes to reducing fuel costs and going further on every tank of fuel.

My choice? The TDI. I like hybrids. But I like the massive torque of the TDI's diesel engine better. I also like that you can get a Jetta TDI with a manual gearbox. The Hybrid only comes with an automatic.

I'd strongly suggest test driving both models if you're considering either one.

From GMM

F1's tire situation will change after this weekend's Bahrain grand prix.

Pirelli's heavily degrading 2013 product is dominating the sport at present, to the point that - according to Mark Webber - it is "a bit WWF".

That is a reference to the American 'fake' professional wrestling federation, with that sport taking a back seat to choreography and elaborate plots.

"At the moment it (F1) is not much to do with racing," reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was quoted on Sunday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Photo: Pirelli

Like Red Bull, Mercedes has also been pushing Pirelli hard for a change of tack.

"Pirelli has a plan," team chairman and shareholder Niki Lauda said on German RTL television in China.

It is believed new harder compounds that last longer will be brought to May's Spanish grand prix, the first European race of the season.

"I can break the good news that the situation will change from Barcelona. Then it will get better," said Lauda.

He said the decision has been made for the good of the sport.

"It's just that there is so much confusion. The tires need to last longer," said the triple world champion.

Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone reportedly told British Sky television on Sunday that - also from Barcelona - Pirelli will supply more tires to teams for Fridays, to ensure more action than has been seen in practice so far in 2013.

From GMM

Even amid McLaren's competitive slump, the spotlight is shining ever more brightly on Sergio Perez.

The young Mexican was signed by the British team to replace Lewis Hamilton this year and beyond, but some linked the deal with his commercial ties to billionaire Carlos Slim.

He struggled notably in China, admitting it "wasn't my best weekend in terms of pace".

Martin Whitmarsh and Sergio Perez at Woking. (Photo: McLaren)

Sergio Perez also got caught up in on-track incidents, most notably with Kimi Raikkonen, who screamed 'What the hell he's doing?' after being run wide and colliding.

When the Finn discussed the incident in the green room prior to mounting the podium, third-placed Hamilton agreed: "He (Perez) was all over the place."

Martin Brundle, a former McLaren driver turned British commentator, is quoted by Speed Week as suggesting Nico Hulkenberg would have been a better pick for 2013.

"I still don't understand why McLaren didn't sign this guy (Hulkenberg) up. His talent is abundantly clear. I would have signed him ten times before (signing) Perez," said Brundle.

Nico Hulkenberg. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team)

For now, McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh is backing his new 23-year-old driver.

"In terms of the (Raikkonen) incident, I said to him (Perez), 'You have to be out there racing'. That means sometimes you've got elbows and you've got to be robust without being dirty."

From GMM

Some members of F1's travelling circus admitted their frustration at the end of the Chinese grand prix.

"It's quite excruciating," McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh is quoted by the Telegraph, "trying to save tires non-stop from start to finish. It feels painful, and however bad it is for me, it must be a lot worse if you have to drive like that."

He is referring to the new situation caused by Pirelli's rapidly-wearing 2013 tires. Some hail the new era that stands in stark contrast to a decade ago, when quite often the pole sitter would be predictably unchallenged to the chequered flag.

Photo: McLaren

Others, however, say F1 is racing away from racing itself.

"Balance of power? At the moment that's a bit of a joke," said world champion Sebastian Vettel on Sunday when asked his thoughts about the respective strength of the teams.

"It doesn't have much to do with racing, if all you're doing is going easy on the tires. If you lose five seconds per lap just because of the tires, that doesn't have much to do with the skill of the driver or how good is the car," he told SID news agency.

Indeed, throughout the Shanghai race, drivers and engineers could be heard on the radios wondering if they should go wheel-to-wheel with their rivals, or simply stick the plan of a strategy based on nursing tire life.

"Previously you could attack," said Vettel, "but now, when it comes to fights, you're a bit in the dark. Twice today I didn't try to defend myself, because it would have just been shooting myself in the foot."

Photo WRi2

1997 world champion turned TV pundit Jacques Villeneuve agreed on Canal Plus : "I saw a few corners of action and then everybody taking care of their tires. That's not real racing."

According to Niki Lauda and Bernie Ecclestone, the situation could change after Sunday's Bahrain grand prix, with Pirelli reportedly taking a different tack for the European season and beyond.

Told that the status quo is difficult for the spectators to understand, Chinese grand prix winner Fernando Alonso said: "It's the same for us (drivers) too!"

Lauda is quoted by APA news agency: "You have to wonder if it's necessary for the tires to be so on the limit, when everyone has to go in the box just after starting a race. It's so complicated, especially for the spectators."

Photo: Ferrari

From GMM

Explosions near the F1 track in Bahrain have marked the travelling circus' quick march from China to the island Kingdom.

AP news agency said 'a series of explosions', including a gas cylinder that set a car ablaze but injured no one, set the tone in Bahrain on Sunday, one week before formula one's most controversial annual race.

Bahrain authorities, however, have pledged "adequate" security for the grand prix, which has been under a cloud since the 2011 edition had to be cancelled due to clashes between the government and protesters of the regime.

Albeit expecting there to be some trouble this weekend, Force India deputy boss Bob Fernley said he is not overly worried.

"You'd be a bit foolish to think there's not going to be some sort of protest and things like that," he told Reuters. "If formula one activates some protests and they want to get things off their chests, that's good as well."

But last year, after a petrol bomb incident, Fernley ruled that Force India would sit out a late practice session so that team members could safely travel from the circuit back to the hotel before nightfall.

Recalling the incident, Bob Fernley said in Shanghai: "Once we'd got over that initial hiccup, we were fine."

IG Metall said supplier Schaeffler plans to cut up to half of its 1,500 jobs at a facility in western Germany.

EDITOR WES RAYNAL: In my opinion this has got to be one of the most comfortable sedans you can get. For example, I love the seats. Now, are they grippy and firm and racy? No.

Continental posted a sharper-than-expected drop in first-quarter sales as the slump in core European auto markets was exacerbated by bad weather and fewer working days.

Supplier Continental AG posted a sharper-than-expected drop in first-quarter sales as the slump in core European auto markets was exacerbated by bad weather and fewer working days, Euro am Sonntag reported, citing finance chief Wolfgang...

NASCAR's Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski was furious about the way his team was treated this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Both Penske cars failed a pre-race inspection for improper rear end settings. Both Keselowski's No. 2 and Joey Logano No. 22 had to replace the rear axle causing them to get to the starting grid late.

Even though Logano finished fifth and Keselowski finished ninth, Keselowski the reigning Cup champion was fuming:

“I have one good thing to thing to say and that was my team and the effort they put in today in fighting back with the absolute (expletive) that's been the last seven days in this garage area,” Keselowski said.

“The things I've seen over the last seven days have me questioning everything I believe in. I'm not happy about it. I don't have anything positive to say and I probably should just leave it at that.

“There's so much stuff going on you guys have no idea, you have no (expletive) idea what's going on. That's not your fault. I can tell you there's no team in this garage with the integrity of the No. 2 team. And the way we've been treated over the last seven days is absolutely shameful.

“I feel like we've been targeted over the last seven days more than I've seen a team targeted in my life.”

After the race, won by Kyle Busch, NASCAR announced that Truex's car failed inspection - too low. And that Keselowski's Ford was being taken back to its' Concord, N.C. R&D Center as the “random” car for inspection.

You'd think that after seven weekend NASCAR sweeps Kyle Busch wouldn't be very excited and you'd be wrong.

After leading much of the NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway Busch - who won the Nationwide race on Friday - fell behind a determined Martin Truex Jr. then came a final caution, for debris, on lap 315.

As pole sitter, Busch's team had picked the first pit stall and also performed a blazing fast pit stop. The result? He came out of the pits three car lengths ahead of Truex Jr.'s Toyota. Busch beat Truex on the final restart and held him off for the final 20 laps. It was his second win of the year and 26th in Sprint Cup.

That seventh sweep is a NASCAR record.

Kyle Busch put on a real show in Texas (Photo: Kyle Busch@Facebook)

“It's just an amazing feeling,” Busch said adding “I'm jacked up. We're in Victory Lane, in Texas, finally in the Cup Series. Man, if it wasn't for my pit crew.”

As Truex, who was in a 209 race winless slump said “the race was over when we came out of the pits.” Later he added “second is a great accomplishment, but it's not what we're here for.”

Carl Edwards finished third in a Ford said “the tail pipe, something broke or cracked in the tail pipes and I thought the engine was blowing up, the whole race, that got worse.  On one of the restarts I tightened my belts and I unhooked my whole seat belt system coming to green.”

“Unfortunately, we came home third, but that's a gift for us.  I know Martin's not happy with second, but I'm real happy with third.” Greg Biffle finished fourth.

Kurt Busch who started second finished 37th and well off the pace.

Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez has taken full responsibility for the accident which saw him and Adrian Sutil retire from the Chinese Grand Prix.

The young Mexican ploughed into the back of Sutil's Force India on lap five after outbraking himself and not anticipating the lack of downforce that followed. Whilst the Force India retired in the pits a handful of corners later due to an excessively damaged rear wing, the Sauber retired on the spot.

"It was definitely my fault, and I apologize to Adrian and to his team," said Gutierrez after the race.

"I had Checo [Perez] fighting behind me, and I approached the corner too fast," he continued.

"I was braking at the same place where I usually brake, however, I didn't anticipate the loss of downforce and the amount of speed I had."

The incident will see Gutierrez take a five-place grid penalty in next weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Volkswagen's Sebastien Ogier has claimed his third consecutive WRC victory by almost a minute on the Rally of Portugal ahead of Citroen's Mikko Hirvonen and teammate Jari-Matti Latvala.

The Frenchman entered the third and final day of the event with a 34.4 second advantage over Latvala, but a slipping clutch on his car and a driveshaft issue on the Finn's Polo R WRC which led to a loss of four wheel drive, almost halted VW's charge on SS12.

Citroen's Mikko Hirvonen looked set to benefit from the problems suffered by the VWs, with the Finn taking 30 seconds out of Ogier on the Silves stage and moving ahead of Latvala by almost four minutes.

However, some roadside fixes by Ogier and co-driver Julien Ingrassia saw the championship leaders extend their advantage to 49.9s at the mid-point service, by finishing second on the mammoth 52.3 kilometre SS13. Despite Ogier being unwell and driving with his “fingers crossed”, he also set the fastest time on the day's final stage. By the end of the event, the Frenchman's lead was 58 seconds.

M-Sport's Mads Ostberg, who made a storming recovery to eighth after re-entering the event, completed a hat-trick of victories on the morning's stages, SS12-14, with the Norwegian underlying what might have been had he not had his rally ending accident on Friday.

The sister M-Sport run car of Evgeny Novikov finished fourth, ahead of teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah and VW rookie Andreas Mikkelsen. Czech privateer Martin Prokop finished seventh, ahead of Ostberg, the works Citroen DS3 WRC of Khalid Al-Qassimi and WRC 2's Esapekka Lappi who rounded out the points scoring positions.

Ogier's latest victory means he has a 58-point advantage over Hirvonen in the championship standings.

Sébastien Ogier, Portugal (Photo: VW Motorsport)

Results - Rally of Portugal
1. Ogier-Ingrassia (VW Polo Wrc) in 4.07'38”7
2. Hirvonen-Lehtinen (Citroen DS3 Wrc) - 58”2
3. Latvala-Anttila (VW Polo Wrc) - 4'04”5
4. Novikov-Minor (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) - 5'27”7
5. Al Attiyah-Bernacchini (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) - 7'43”5
6. Mikkelsen-Markkula (VW Polo Wrc) - 9'39”8
7. Prokop-Ernst (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) - 15'04”2
8. Ostberg-Andersson (Ford Fiesta RS Wrc) - 15'04”2
9. Al Qassimi-Martin (Citroen DS3 Wrc) - 15'56”9
10. Lappi-Ferm (Skoda Fabia S2000) - 16'21"0

From GMM

F1's tire situation will change after this weekend's Bahrain grand prix.

Pirelli's heavily degrading 2013 product is dominating the sport at present, to the point that - according to Mark Webber - it is "a bit WWF".

That is a reference to the American 'fake' professional wrestling federation, with that sport taking a back seat to choreography and elaborate plots.

"At the moment it (F1) is not much to do with racing," reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel was quoted on Sunday by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Like Red Bull, Mercedes has also been pushing Pirelli hard for a change of tack.

"Pirelli has a plan," team chairman and shareholder Niki Lauda said on German RTL television in China.

It is believed new harder compounds that last longer will be brought to May's Spanish grand prix, the first European race of the season.

"I can break the good news that the situation will change from Barcelona.  Then it will get better," said Lauda.

He said the decision has been made for the good of the sport.

"It's just that there is so much confusion," said the triple world champion.  "The tires need to last longer."

Meanwhile, Bernie Ecclestone reportedly told British Sky television on Sunday that - also from Barcelona - Pirelli will supply more tires to teams for Fridays, to ensure more action than has been seen in practice so far in 2013.

Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen has blamed McLaren's Sergio Perez for forcing him off the track during the Chinese Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver had been robust in his race-craft to the point of weaving in the race's earlier stages, but until the incident with Raikkonen, the young Mexican had not made any actual contact with any of his rivals.

As Raikkonen finished the first of his three pit-stops, the Lotus came up against the two stopping McLaren in turn five and attempted to make a pass in the following corner.

However, Perez defended the position and sent the Lotus onto the grass, damaging its nosecone.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2)

"I got a better run out of corner three and thought he would leave me enough space but he pushed me off the circuit," said Raikkonen after the race.

"I tried to avoid him but then was on the grass and kerb. [It] the kerb saved me as I had grip. I couldn't slow down and hit him in the rear," he continued. "I don't know if he could see me or how it happened. [But] there was no way for me to avoid it.”

Raikkonen also admitted after that whilst he suffered increased understeer due to incident, he expected the damage to be heavier considering how hard he hit the McLaren.

"I was surprised there was not much damage as I hit him quite hard," conceded the 2007 world champion.

"I was also a bit surprised that we didn't have more problems, just a bit too much understeer and destroying the front tyres because of that."

From GMM

Kimi Raikkonen has hinted moving to Red Bull could be an option for 2014.

Rumours are swirling in the Shanghai paddock that the Finn, who is Sebastian Vettel's closest friend in F1, has been earmarked as the successor to Mark Webber.

"There is so much talk that I've agreed a contract for next season," Raikkonen exclaimed to Germany's Bild am Sonntag.

"First I'm trying my best at Lotus, then I'll think about my future.

"It is of course flattering, what Red Bull have said, but why is there all this talk if there is nothing (signed) on paper?" the 2007 world champion added.

The answer, of course, is that given Red Bull's obvious interest, Raikkonen's move would make sense.

Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21 (Photo: WRi2)

He would work harmoniously with Vettel, and it would also be a good next move for the 33-year-old, who won 19 grands prix for McLaren and Ferrari before taking a two-year sabbatical in world rallying after the 2009 season.

"About the future, I am clear," Raikkonen said.  "I want to work with a good team and sit in a good car.

"Red Bull is a good team, they have been world champions and won everything in the past years.

"Basically, there are not many top teams to think about.  With Lotus, we are not yet where Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull are."

Speaking against the move, however, are equally-heard rumours in the paddock that Raikkonen is no longer serious about his trade: that he only returned to F1 for the money.

"Do you really think I would be here if it was just about money?" Raikkonen hit back.  "I do enough fun things in my spare time than to have to listen to this bullshit.

"And I'm not exactly broke," he added.

Adapted from GMM

Toto Wolff has played down suggestions Ross Brawn is definitely set to leave Mercedes.

Earlier, Wolff - the Brackley based team's new director and shareholder - hinted Brawn's future is clouded, having been informed of Mercedes' interest in securing the services of McLaren's Paddy Lowe.

"Ross responded totally professionally and said 'For three years I have not brought the results that were expected. Therefore it is clear that you would look around for a successor'," Wolff told Die Welt newspaper.

The wind has changed for Mercedes in 2013 (Photo: WRi2)

But that was before Lewis Hamilton secured pole in Shanghai and then subsequently finished third in the race, raising the question that if Mercedes is capable of getting the job done, why would the man at the helm be sacked?

Wolff is quoted by Speed Week: "As Ross always says -- performance is everything.

"It is how success is measured.

"Even if the media has run up and down the paddock saying Paddy Lowe is coming, it is true we wanted to think about the management in a rational way.

"Currently, it's running fine," said Wolff.

"What happens with Lowe does not mean that Ross will be leaving us," he added.

Fernando Alonso claimed his and Ferrari's first win of the 2013 season ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton in a strategy dictated Chinese Grand Prix.

The three former world champions started the race on soft compound tyres which despite their short shelf life, proved a vindicated decision as Sebastian Vettel could only manage fourth, albeit 0.2 second from the back of Hamilton's Mercedes come the race finish.

Lewis Hamilton leads, but not for long (Photo: WRi2)

The race's start was characterized by the difference between the hard and soft compound tyres; the assumption being that those starting on softs would have a pace advantage of around four to six laps, but then would have to drop back in traffic, whilst those starting on mediums would benefit earlier but hit tyre troubles later.

The race began with fast starts made by the Ferraris of Massa and Alonso, which by the first corner, had swamped Raikkonen's slow starting Lotus and were up into second and third. By lap five, the two red cars had overtaken Hamilton's Mercedes on the pit straight.

Alonso's pit stop was perfectly timed (Photo: WRi2)

The difference in strategies became visible when Alonso pitted early and switched to medium tyres to slice through traffic and eventually catch first place Vettel - who had left his pit stop five later than the Ferrari - in the middle stage of the race.

The current world champion saved his soft tyres until the final five laps of the race, which allowed him at one stage to close on Hamilton at three seconds a lap, putting him into contention for the second spot on the podium given the Lotus and the Mercedes were on older medium tyres.

Nico Hulkenberg led prior to his first pit stop (Photo: WRi2)

Jenson Button finished fifth after a strong two-stop race, one place ahead of Felipe Massa, who will no doubt be disappointed with sixth place given his teammate's win and promising pace shown earlier in the weekend.

Daniel Ricciardo confirmed Toro Rosso's progress by finishing seventh ahead of Paul di Resta and Romain Grosjean who had yet another quiet but solid weekend. Nico Hulkenberg finished in a 10th behind the wheel of the Sauber after having run the same strategy as Vettel and even leading the race ahead of the Red Bull at one stage.

Mark Webber's troubled weekend continued after he registered his first DNF of the season following a torrid qualifying. The Australian failed to finish following a tangle with Jean-Eric Vergne's Toro Rosso which forced him into making an extra pit stop after he had pitted at the end of the first lap to switch to mediums.

The right rear wheel of the shortly Red Bull fell off which forced the Australian to retire.

The other high profile retirements of the race were Nico Rosberg with suspension problems and Esteban Gutierrez after ramming his Sauber into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India.

The race was also not without controversy with many drivers facing possible post-race sanctions due to overtaking under yellow flags; according to Autosport, the misunderstanding was caused by a paddock-wide telemetry issue.

Kimi Raikkonen left some paint on the side of Perez's McLaren trying to pass the Mexican (Photo: WRi2)

Sergio Perez was also the subject of discussion with the young Mexican being accused of weaving whilst rivals attempted to overtake the McLaren. His race was earmarked by contact with Kimi Raikkonen which saw the Lotus lose a section of its nosecone.



Race results* - Chinese Grand Prix
1 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 56 laps 1.36'26"945
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 10"168
3 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 12"322
4 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 12"525
5 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 35"285
6 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 40"827
7 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 42"691
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 51"084
9 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 53"423
10 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 56"598
11 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'03"860
12 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'12"604
13 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'33"861
14 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'35"453
15 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
16 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1 lap
17 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
18 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1 lap

Fastest lap of the race: 1'36"808 (Sebastian Vettel)

Retirements
Lap 4 - Esteban Gutierrez
Lap 5 - Adrian Sutil
Lap 15 - Mark Webber
Lap 21 - Nico Rosberg

Drivers' championship
1.Vettel 52; 2.Raikkonen 49; 3.Alonso 43; 4.Hamilton 40; 5.Massa 30; 6.Webber 26; 7.Button, Rosberg 12; 9.Grosjean 11; 10.Di Resta 8; 11.Ricciardo, Sutil 6; 13.Hulkenberg 5; 14.Perez 2; 15.Vergne 1.

Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 78; 2.Ferrari 73; 3.Lotus-Renault 60; 4.Mercedes 52; 5.Force India-Mercedes, McLaren-Mercedes 14; 7.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7; 8.Sauber-Ferrari 5

*Unofficial

Top three finishers (Photo: WRi2)