Alonso’s 31st victory puts him level with Mansell

2013 Chinese Grand Prix stats and facts

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Following his Chinese Grand Prix triumph Fernando Alonso is tied with Nigel Mansell as the fourth most successful driver in F1 history in terms of race wins.

After scoring his 31st career victory there are only three drivers left who have scored more wins than Alonso:

DriverWinsStartsWin rate
Michael Schumacher9130629.74%
Alain Prost5119126.7%
Ayrton Senna4116125.47%
Nigel Mansell3118716.58%
Fernando Alonso3119915.58%

Four drivers have appeared at all ten Chinese Grands Prix but Alonso is the only driver to have completed all 560 laps. Jenson Button is the only other driver to have been classified in every race, but was lapped in 2008. Mark Webber retired from the race for the first time on Sunday while Felipe Massa has failed to finish on two previous occasions.

Alonso had four other world champions behind him when he crossed the line, making this the second time in F1 history that five world champions have filled the top five places, after the 2011 Italian Grand Prix. Six or more champions have never filled the leading positions – the only year this could have happened was last season.

Lewis Hamilton set the 27th pole position of his career. It was Mercedes’ tenth and the first set for them by a British driver since Stirling Moss in the 1955 British Grand Prix at Aintree.

He was joined on the front row by Kimi Raikkonen, who last started there at the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix. The last time the pair started in that order was at the same race five years ago.

Raikkonen extended his streak of consecutive points scores to 20, leaving him four short of Schumacher’s all-time record. Massa and Vettel are also in double figures in this tally at the moment, with 13 and 10 respectively.

Sebastian Vettel set the 17th fastest lap of his career. One more will put him level with Rubens Barrichello.

Vettel and Hamilton both took turns in the lead of the race, meaning they have both led 50 races each during their F1 careers. Ten drivers have led more races than them:

DriverRaces ledRaces wonWins as % of races led
Michael Schumacher1429164.08%
Ayrton Senna864147.67%
Alain Prost845160.71%
Fernando Alonso803138.75%
David Coulthard621320.97%
Kimi Raikkonen592033.9%
Nelson Piquet582339.66%
Nigel Mansell553156.36%
Jackie Stewart512752.94%
Rubens Barrichello511121.57%
Sebastian Vettel502754%
Lewis Hamilton502142%

Six different drivers led the race including Nico Hulkenberg, who was at the head of the field for the second time in four races.

Daniel Ricciardo scored the best result of his F1 career so far with seventh place. This was Toro Rosso’s best finish since the 2011 Korean Grand Prix.

Eighth place for Paul di Resta meant Force India scored their first points in China.

While the soft tyre attracted some criticism for wearing out too quickly, it did provide good performance. Hamilton’s pole position time of 1’34.484 was 0.7s quicker than last year.

Review the year so far in statistics here:

Spotted any other interesting stats and facts from the Chinese Grand Prix? Share them in the comments.

2013 Chinese Grand Prix

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Image © Williams/LAT

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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111 comments on “Alonso’s 31st victory puts him level with Mansell”

  1. This is what I noticed:

    – The Red Bull drivers qualified ninth and 22nd, so 14.5 on average. This is Red Bull’s worst average starting position since the 2008 Chinese GP, when Coulthard and Webber started 15th and 16th respectively. Coincidentally, that race was also the last time Hamilton and Raikkonen shared the front row.

    – The top three qualifiers all finished on the podium. The last time this occurred was at the 2011 Brazil GP: Webber, Vettel and Button. The last time Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton shared the podium was at the 2007 Italian GP, when Alonso was celebrating his 100th start in Formula 1.

    – Continuing on the previous stat: Fernando Alonso won his 100th (2007 Italy) and 200th (2013 China) Grand Prix. From the twelve drivers with more than 200 F1 starts, Alonso is the only one to have won his 100th and 200th, albeit Coulthard finished both his 100th (2000 Austria) and 200th (2006 Monaco) on the podium.

    – Ferrari have added one more year to their record of consecutive years with at least one victory: 20 years, starting in 1994. McLaren is a distant second in this list: thirteen years from 1981-1993. 20 years of victories also goes for the Ferrari engine, although the number two in that list, the Cosworth DFV, had 17 years of consecutive victory years (1967-1983).

    – We have had five different winners in the last five races, which is the 55th time this has occurred in history. More remarkable is that these five drivers (Hamilton, Button, Raikkonen, Vettel and Alonso) are all World Champions. This is only the third time this has ever occurred: the other occasions were in 1977 (Jones, Lauda, Andretti, Hunt and Scheckter) and 1985-1986 (Mansell, Rosberg, Piquet, Senna and Prost). Note that at the time, Scheckter, Andretti, Jones, Mansell and Senna were not World Champions, meaning that the 2013 Chinese GP has a first!

    – For the third consecutive year, a car was forced into retirement when one of its right-hand side wheels fell off: Alguersuari in 2011 (RR), Schumacher in 2012 (FR) and now Webber in 2013 (RR). In 2010, Buemi lost both his front wheels during practice when the suspension failed.

    – Nico Rosberg retired in the first race, scored points in the second and retired again in the third – exactly the same pattern as Schumacher last year. Lewis Hamilton meanwhile scored points in the first two races and was on the podium in the third – exactly the same as Rosberg last year.

    – With David Coulthard doing the post-race interview, there were four ex-McLaren drivers on the podium.

    – Kimi Raikkonen has scored points in the last 20 races: Schumacher’s record of 24 races is in sight. Meanwhile McLaren and Ferrari continue their streak of respectively 61 and 51 consecutive Grands Prix in the points (they rank first and third in the all-time list).

    – Three race in and none of the five rookies has scored points so far. The last time none of the rookies scored any points in the first three races of a season was in 2005: in the fourth race in San Marino, Vitantonio Liuzzi scored a point on his debut – something Albers, Friesacher, Karthikeyan and Monteiro all failed to do in the three previous races.

    – Lewis Hamilton has picked up seven of his fourteen third-place finishes in the first three rounds of a season. It could have been eight of fifteen if Jarno Trulli would have had a post-race penalty (which was the case initially) at the 2009 Australian Grand Prix.

    – Sergio Perez finished in eleventh place for the tenth time in his career (25% of total race starts). Remarkably, he has never finished twelfth before.

    – Via @enigma: Jenson Button was closer to Hamilton in the race (22.9s) than in qualifying (31.2s).

    1. Great stats, as always!

      Lewis Hamilton meanwhile scored points in the first two races and was on the podium in the third – exactly the same as Rosberg last year.

      Rosberg didn’t score in the first two races last year, so “exactly the same” would only hold if you mean it to refer to the podium finish.

      1. Whoops, I messed that one up – ignore that! :P

    2. Great addition as usual, Keith should rename the section stats, facts and andae …

    3. @andae23 Great stuff – liked the one about the five consecutive different world champions.

      1. @keithcollantine – I think everyone is going to like that one …

      2. Agreed, that’s a cracking stat.

      3. Another +1, that one was outstanding!

    4. – Continuing on the previous stat: Fernando Alonso won his 100th (2007 Italy) and 200th (2013 China) Grand Prix.

      Fernando celebrated his 200th grand prix in Malaysia.

      1. @mads @andae23 Alonso’s 200th participation in a race weekend was in Malaysia, he starts his 200th race this weekend.

        1. @keithcollantine
          Ah okay. Thank you for clearing that up.

        2. Indeed. The notorious 2005 United States Grand Prix doesn’t count because although he was present, Alonso never raced.

        3. I would count Belgian GP 2001 as a start for Alonso, which you don’t seem to do.

          1. I did count that one: the only no-start I counted is the 2005 Michelin GP.

    5. With David Coulthard doing the post-race interview, there were four ex-McLaren drivers on the podium.

      This got me thinking. When was the last time a podium was filled with three ex-Mclaren drivers?

      1. Depends on what you define as ex-McLaren drivers:
        – past, present and future McLaren drivers: Italy 2012 (Hamilton, Perez, Alonso)
        – past and present: Germany 2012 (Alonso, Button, Raikkonen)
        – past: no idea, hasn’t happened for a while – someone care to check?

        1. unless im missing the point it was this weekend.

          Fernando, kimi and lewis,

        2. Thanks! only ex-drivers hmm, that seems tough!

          @Q85: Yes, yesterday was one. I am wondering when did it happen before.

        3. Finding through old results:
          Three past drivers happened in British GP 1983: Prost won, Piquet was 2nd and Tambay 3rd, driving for Renault, Brabham and Ferrari. Prost returned to McLaren in the following year.

          1. @blue Excellent, thanks!

    6. FlyingLobster27
      15th April 2013, 22:52

      The five champions winning five consecutive races stat is impressive, but I’d add that it’s really a first, since in your other two occurrences, some drivers did not have champion status when they took place (Jones, Scheckter, Andretti and Mansell). Here, however, are the last five champions winning five straight races – shows the quality on the grid today!
      Moreover, these five finished in the top five this weekend, racing for five different teams!

  2. It was Alonso& Ferrari’s first pole in a dry qualifying session since Singapore 2010, and Also Alonso & Ferrari;
    ‘s first win in a completely dry race weekend since Singapore 2010!

    1. Scratch the 2nd point, I forgot Valencia 2012. But the 1st point is true.

    2. Hamilton had the pole….

  3. I’m not sure whether people keep statistics on reaching Q3, but was Malaysia 2010 the last time Hamilton failed to reach Q3 (in which case he would be on a 58-event streak)?

    1. Yes, that’s true.

  4. Looking at the stats, its hard to believe that Schumacher’s records will ever be beaten, although Alonso seems the most likely at this point (not that I think it will happen) and I think that’s a fair reflection based on talent and the competitive nature of the sport in recent years.

    1. Hamilton and certainly Vettel are close behind, with probably many more season ahead of them, so I wouldn’t say that. I don’t see Alonso breaking Schumacher’s record, but Vettel and Hamilton might have a chance.

    2. Alonso has no absolutely chance of matching Schumacher’s records. He is too old. If anyone is going to get near it will be Vettel, who has only 4 wins less and is 6 years younger. I don’t think he will beat 91 race wins, but given he is a triple world champion at the age of 25 more than seven titles is definitely possible.

      91 wins in 15 years in his first career, that’s more than 6 a season average. Vettel had 26 from 5 seasons, 27 with his win in Malaysia so just over 5 a season average. He’ll need a few more seasons like 2011 if he’s going to get close.

      1. *absolutely no

      2. When Schumacher retired in 2006, he had 91 wins out of 249 races, a win rate of 36.5%.
        At the same point in his career as Vettel, season-wise, in his career, Schumacher had 22 race wins out of 85 races, a win rate of 25.9%. Vettel currently has a win rate of 26.2%.

        At the same point in his career as Hamilton, season-wise, in his career, Schumacher had 25 race wins out of 93 races, a win rate of 26.9%. Hamilton currently has a win rate of 18.7%.

        1. So they are basically neck and neck, even before you factor in the dominant years of the early 00’s that is to come. Vettel, if anybody is the man to challenge the record, but I can’t see him beating 91 wins. In Schumacher’s era there was only a couple of teams that could win races, and normally one driver within that team look the lion’s share of victories. Nowadays is so much more competitive. Schumacher was very unusual in that he always had a car that could win races.

          From 1994 to 2004 he only had one season where he did not win more 5 or more races, in 1996 when the Ferrari was not fast, or particularly reliable. Even in 1999 when he broke his leg he still won 5 times. All Vettel needs is a couple of seasons like Alonso had at Renault after he left Mclaren, or Hamilton at Mclaren in 2009 where the car is simply not capable of winning and it won’t happen.

      3. alonso might not have a chance of matching his wins. tho he is only about 10 behind schumacher at the same age.

        But in terms of world titles he still has a chance. Alonso is 31, i think micheal was 31 when he got his 3rd title.

        Many would say alonso should have at least 4 already! very similar to prost with his near misses.

        If alonso ends his career with 4 world title it will be very much deserved.

        1. He might be only 10 behind at the same point, but then Michael Schumacher had 5 years of dominance that has rarely if ever been seen for such a prolonged period of time in the sport, and I really doubt we will see again.

          I was really talking about wins when I said he has no chance as that’s what referenced at the top of the article, but I agree it is not outrageous to suggest Alonso could end up with at least 5 titles. But you could say the same for Vettel and Hamilton.

      4. @debaser91

        To be honest what counts is not age, but quality of cars.

        When Michale was 32 years old (03.01.2000) he had only 35 victories. Alonso now at 31 years old has 31 victories only 4 less then Schumi and he will have time till 29 July 2013 when he will be 32 years old to catch 35 victories…let’s see if in the next 6-7 gp he wins 4.

        In the 2000-2006, Michael gained 56 victoires when 48 of them only in 2000-2004.
        Ferrari was a monster of a car those days…This is the perfect example that machine is much more and i repeat much more important than drivers in F1.

        If Ferrari is capable of giving for Alonso the same support in the 2014-2019 that they gave for Schumi in the 2000-2006, than yes Alonso could beat those records.

        The same applies to Vettel (or Hamilton), he is better placed than Alonso for those records…but i bear you in mind that Schumi in: 2005,2010,2011,2012 (4 years) archived the amazing nr of 1 gp Win and that gp was raced with only 6 cars.
        Vettel could very well have a poor car in the 2014-2018 and wins 4-5 gp at best….so–> (quality of cars) >> (age of a driver)

        The real question is not will Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton or someone else beat those records but WILL a Team support a driver for 7 years in a row with a huge and I repeat with huge car advantage ?

        My personal answer is no. We will never see a repeat of 2000-2004 era. In those year it was a free technology era, not much restrictions and Ferrari with their structure of tests and money (which is totally fair, it’s not unfair) dominant. Red Bull have won 3 last championship, they had the best car but they aren’t as dominant as Ferrari.
        FIA will probably stop every kind of that domination

    3. I think 91 victories may be a record which stands for the rest of time actually: it is very unlikely unless there is a polar shift in the way the sport is run that any team will be able to gain such a sustained advantage the likes of which Schumacher had at Ferrari in my view. Even with Vettel’s titles, the car advantage he had was nowhere near what Schumacher had.

      The 7 titles not so though: Vettel already has three of course and could very well have four by the end of this season, which if it turns out to be the case means he will have four titles a 26! Schumacher retired in his first career at 36, so if we assume Vettel will be able to sustain his championship-winning ability until that age and he wins this year, he would essentially only have to win three titles in 10 seasons – that’s very doable!

      1. Maybe one day we will have NASCAR style seasons with 36 races… Either through racing in lots of different countries or with doubleheaders and shorter races. Then someone will get to 91 victories …

    4. I hope that his record will never be beaten, because that will mean that we will have some pretty boring season like 2002 and 04, or perhaps maybe 2011. Unless Vettel continues driving for the winning team until he is 40.

  5. The total time of the race was only 0.016s longer than last year.

    Three drivers from three different teams have now won at the start of the year. On average, this happens once every four years, but it is the third time in four seasons that it has happened. Of course, last year the streak of different winners went much further.

    Hamilton got the first pole position for the number 10 since Hulkenberg at Brazil 2010. The last win for number 10 was Montoya’s win at Brazil in 2005.

    1. Wow nice about the duration of the race.
      In addition to the winning drivers/teams: they are also from six different countries which happens for the first time in f1 history! :)

  6. I don’t understand why people are complaining about the tyres being artificial when in the end, the 5 champions finished in the top 5 and are winners of the last 5 races. The best are still able to rise to the top and that is how it should be.

    1. True, but the tyres do impact the nature of the sport a lot.
      Strategy and playing games is becomig more important than racing. I can understand how racefans see that as a negative development.
      Was it amusing to see Button and Vettel taking a little stroll on the harder compound in Q3?
      Or was that yet again an argument against F1’s current tyre policy?
      We’ve seen midfield teams opt to not set a time in Q3, only to save a set of tyres. Now it’s developed to the level where even the top teams are going down that path… I’m not so sure that all this is positive.

      True, the last 10 minutes of the race would not have been so exciting without these tyres.
      And I guess this is exactly what Pirelli have always tried to achieve: teams to adopt different strategies that would come together by the end of a race and thus lead to a great finale. I hope wel’ll have more of these, but I doubt it. Determining factor was no the tyres, but the fact McLaren and RBR didn’t feel “up to speed” in China.

    2. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      15th April 2013, 14:19

      @benchuii people complain because:
      -4 out of the 5 champions (except superb Alonso who escaped away after his good start) were managing tyres and not really battling for position (Vettel definitely opened the door for Alonso for the tyre management thing)

      -We saw good battle between Raikkonen and hamilton, but most of the overtakes between them were DRS assisted. we didn’t have Hamilton going for all or nothing against Kimi.

      – Vettel finished 4th, fortunately for his detractors. Why luckily? If he would have managed to overtake Lewis (and probably Kimi) , some people would be saying he won the place “just for the overworn Lewis tyres”. Even when I would have loved to see Vettel 3rd, I would have loved more to see them both fighting for position (and not watching Lewis just opening the door for Vet)

      1. I think what really opened the door for Alonso there was Kimi butting into Perez and hurting his speed there. He would have been closer if not for that.

    3. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      15th April 2013, 14:21

      @benchuiii I missed one “i”

  7. The fifth time Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton were on the podium together (previously seen in Australia, Malaysia, Britain and Italy 2007), then for a Ferrari with number 3: First podium since Germany 2009, First win since Malaysia 2000. For a car running Number 7, this is the first time it has been in the Chinese GP top three, first top six finish for it in China since Button finished 5th in 2007, and first top three finish for it in Asia since the 2010 Korean GP. For the Brackley-based team (1999 onwards), this is their fourth podium in five years in China.

    1. @alexf1man First Ferrari #3 podium since Melbourne 2013, actually :)

      1. @enigma sorry, second podium since Germany 2009 :-)

  8. Uhm..I’ve got one: Massa’s finishing positions in the last four races: 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th…

    1. Yeah, old Massa is back :)

  9. Mark Webber crashed into a Toro Rosso. The last time a Red Bull and a Toro Rosso hit each other was… Japan 2007 where Vettel hit Webber. Webber also had terrible luck that weekend as well, suffering with food poisoning.

    1. Also, Grosjean has scored points in the last 3 races, equaling his longest streak set last season (CHN/BHR/ESP). Maldonado and Ricciardo were both running at the end of the race for the first time this season. The Marussias and Caterhams finished in the same order as they were in Melbourne (15 – BIA, 16 – PIC, 17 – CHI, 18 – VDG)

    2. @craig-o What about Silverstone 2008, with Coulthard and Vettel taking each other out on lap one?

  10. Hamilton maintains his streak of having a pole position in every F1 season he has competed.

    Now he just need to win a race and he will maintain his record as the only driver to have a pole and a win in every season competed.

    1. Wow, is there really no other driver who has done that, pole and win in every season he’s competed in?

      1. I don’t think so. Fangio only done a few races in 1958 and didn’t win any and I’m not sure about others. Schumacher holds the record for most consecutive years with at least 1 win, 1992-2006 and I assume the most years with pole positions as well, Unless Senna beat him there.

        1. @craig-o Senna’s pole streak stands at 10 years (1985-1994), while Schumi’s pole streak stands at 13 years (1994-2006).

          That’s actually a nice bit of symmetry if you look at it: you can count on at least one pole from Senna or Schumacher for 22 years straight (1985-2006). Truly impressive.

    2. @theoddkiwi Nice stat!

      @lustigson Not surprising, given that he was a title contender from Year 1. Prost was at pre-Dennis McLaren in Year 1, while Senna was in a Toleman in his, and Schumacher was just starting at Benetton. I was thinking maybe Fangio, but I suspect Ascari’s 1952 sweep put paid to that as well.

      1. I was thinking that maybe some driver with a less than stellar career — e.g. only a handful of seasons, max, and no WDCs — might have achieved that, already.

  11. Wow, I can’t believe that Alonso is on 31 victories.

    I remember that after Prost had retired, and Senna had died, their stats and Mansell’s had something magical:

    » Prost 51
    » Senna 41
    » Mansell 31

    Since then, Schumacher has of course surpassed all three, but I like it that he’s on 91, so he fits the magic.

    Now, with Alonso on 31 as well, I wonder where this will go. :)

    1. Vettel 101
      Schumacher 91
      Hamilton 81
      Alonso 71
      etc? :)

      1. I wonder if those number actually fit in the remaining races in the careers of ALO, HAM and VET. Is there enough races left for them to share so many victories to add to their tallies ?

        1. That’s actually pretty interesting. To complete that list, assuming they all (Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel) race till 40, Alonso has 9 years in him and needs 40 wins, Hamilton has 12 years in him and needs 60 wins, and Vettel has 15 years in him and needs 74 wins. Vettel needs about (4.93) 5 wins a season, Hamilton needs exeactly 5 wins a season and Alonso needs (4.4) to have a few ‘poor’ (relatively) years and the 5 wins a season. So mathematically it is actually possible as long as these three take most wins for the next 9 years.

  12. Alexander (@)
    15th April 2013, 12:51

    Alan parmanes estimate of the damage on Kimis car 0,25s/ lap equals the ten secs Alonso won by, as it happened on lap 16.. 40 x 0,25….
    I think if they hadn’t messed up the start he probably would have won…

    1. alonso: im not pushing

      Kimi was.

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        15th April 2013, 14:25

        alonso: im not pushing

        I don’t have the telemetry data, but I think that’s a bluff to start the mind games

        1. @omarr-pepper
          Of course, anything Alonso ever does or says are mind-games.

          Why would he be pushing when he was so far ahead of everyone else anyway?

        2. That’s ridiculous, I’m pretty sure the last thing on Alonso’s mind when he’s doing fast laps at 75% race distance is starting up a new mind game. How could he have known that the media was going to put his quote all over the internet?
          His answer to Andrea Stella was the type of answer people give their mothers when they’re caught doing something wrong: “but mom I wasn’t biting my nails” kind of thing.

          And so what if he does play mind-games? If his adversaries are weak-minded and they fall in the trap, it’s their own fault, not Alonso’s.

  13. Massa topped FP2 – when was the last time he topped a practice, qualifying, or race session?

    1. FP2 in India 2011

  14. That picture of the crowd is simply staggering, this is what nowadays Formula 1 is feeding off. But I guess with nowadays control and security worries this is no longer possible. (Insurance premiums to hold such venue will be out of sky)

  15. OmarR-Pepper (@)
    15th April 2013, 14:34

    You see Schum’s stats and it’s incredible to see how higher they would be if he hadn’t come back with Mercedes.

    Of course, most of the time he didn’t face hard opposition (Senna died, Villeneuve shone for a short time, Hil retired, Mika retired, Kimi started well but that McLaren he had was so fragile; Montoya, who many people thought would be a real deal against Michael, retired to go to NASCAR (!!!) etc)

    1. Chiz (@a-flying-toilet)
      15th April 2013, 15:18

      King Alonso sent him into retirement as Schumi didn’t want to see the pain of a little Spanish kid beating him for 3 or more years in a row.

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        15th April 2013, 17:48

        yeah? I didn’t know Alonso had 3 more championships in 2007,2008 and 2009.

        He was so afraid of Alonso that he came back! ;P

      2. Actually the word “King” is already being used in some connections with Kimi, as King Kimi. Sorry Alonso :)

  16. Another thing..when was the last time that the person who received the Constructors’ trophy for winning the race, was not wearing the team uniform?

    1. Not completely sure although I have some lists of people being there. Possibly Helmut Marko in Abu Dhabi 2010.

  17. I was watching the 2012 Hungarian GP from the stands and I’m 100% sure I didn’t see a mustache ;)

  18. That was Hamilton’s 51st podium, tying him with Mika Hakkinen. Next up is Lauda, with 54.

  19. Here’s an interesting one for you…

    2013 Chinese GP won by Alonso in 01:36:26.945
    2012 Chinese GP won by Rosberg in 01:36:26.929

    So 2012 and 2013 race winners separated by 0.016 seconds after 56 laps!!!

    1. @tom_ec1 That is downright scary..

  20. Ferrari have won races in 20 consecutive seasons.

    1. I’m not 100%, but I think this is an extension of their current record.

  21. Kimi and Fernando have been on the podium together 32 times now – I assume more than any other combo on the grid today but I guess I don’t know.

    Also, the two fastest qualifiers were not from Ferrari, McLaren, or Red Bull. Was that the first time since Toyota front row in Bahrain 2009? Mercedes started from front row in China 2012 but Lewis was 2nd fastest before penalty.

    1. No, Force India-Toyota front row at Spa same year.

  22. Webber’s retirement means Lotus are the only team to have had both drivers finish in the points in every race.

  23. We are on a current streak of 13 races which have been one by world champions at the time, which is the longest since between the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix and the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – a span of 25 races. Also, the teams who filled the top four places on last years constructor’s standings have won the last 4 races.

    1. Between the 2010 Belgian Grand Prix and the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Vettel won races before he was a champion. The streak would have started 7 races later.

        1. @matt90 – good point, I correct that!

          1. @vettel1
            Is that streak still the record though?

          2. @matt90 – I believe so: I have checked back to 1980 and yes it is still the longest streak. I’ll continue to look back and if that is the longest streak since 1951 effectively (since the first champion had only been crowned at the last round in 1950). If so, we are currently 5 short of equalling the record which is looking highly possible at the moment!

          3. @matt90 – it is indeed: I think probably the high death rates in the early days had an influence on this :(

            Unless I’ve made any other errors of course! Indeed though, the high number of champions of late and how they have all found themselves in top cars is the reason for that stat, and just goes to show the quality of the grid we have now!

          4. @vettel1 It’s a great stat. It’s also amazing that those 5 drivers now compete with different teams.

          5. @matt90 just goes to show also how competitive the grid is, as 4 of those 5 drivers have stood on the podium so far this season and three on the top step!

    2. @vettel1 you changed your avatar pic? I kinda got used to seeing Senna there..

      1. @wsrgo – It is still Senna there ;)

        1. @david-a Oh yeah that is true…how could I miss the yellow helmet in the Orange-and-white Honda Marlboro McLaren?

      2. @wsrgo – just to confuse people!

        1. @vettel1 You’re doing a pretty good job at it, I must say!!!

          1. @wsrgo – sorry about that! A part of it got chopped of upon cropping as well rather annoyingly, but it has a quotation on it saying: “You are doing something that nobody else is able to do. The same moment that you are seen as the best, the fastest and somebody that cannot be touched, you are enormously fragile. Because in a split second, it’s gone.”, which is a slightly paraphrased from something the man himself said to comply with my advocacy for proper queen’s Enlgish! ;)

            I happen to really like the image as well, which I had ‘corrected’ just to make the colours a bit more rich and to draw more focus onto the car.

  24. Webber’s first no-score in China.
    Alonso has a 100% record of top 9 starts and top 9 finishes in China.
    5th podium for Hamilton in China – more than any other circuit.
    Button’s last 5 visits to China have seen him finish 3rd, 1st, 4th, 2nd, 5th.
    First time since 2010 that the Chinese GP has seen a retirement that was not due to a wheel failure.
    Alonso has started from positions 5-3-3 this season, Hamilton has finished 5-3-3.
    All 3 races so far in 2013 have seen 18 classified finishers.
    11th season in a row that at least 1 Mercedes-powered car has managed a pole.
    88th race in a row in which at least one German has scored points (France 2008 was last race without) – equals Britain’s record.
    10th season in a row in which at least 1 British driver has scored a pole.

    1. Michael Brown (@)
      16th April 2013, 2:48

      @paulgilb Is the Britain record for consecutive points finishes still going?

      1. No, that record was from USA 1960 to Italy 1969 inclusive. Britain failed to score a point in Belgium 2009 (70 races ago).

        Another stat I read elsewhere: this is Alonso’s 58th race in a row without a mechanical DNF, equalling Schumacher’s record.

    2. @paulglib

      Webber’s first no-score in China.

      Finished outside of points in 2004, 2007 and 2008 (10th, 10th and 14th respectively).

      1. Oops … I meant first DNF

  25. Michael Brown (@)
    17th April 2013, 16:11

    Alonso had four other world champions behind him when he crossed the line, making this the second time in F1 history that five world champions have filled the top five places, after the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.

    In both of these two races, Mark Webber retired.

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