text: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 68 . 2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) 55 . 3. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 51 . Nico Rosberg was brooding, his face stony, his eyes fixed on the middle distance and his fingers intermittently clapping in anger. He was sitting next to Lewis Hamilton — as close as the German had got to his Mercedes team-mate all afternoon of the Chinese Grand Prix — at a post-race press conference fizzing with recriminations. Rosberg, whose usual coiffured, Euro-chic sheen had vanished, alleged that Hamilton had selfishly tried to spoil his race. The record states that Hamilton won, Rosberg was second and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel third. But Rosberg feared he might be overtaken by Vettel before the second round of pit stops when Hamilton, then leading from pole position, slowed down a few fractions of a second — to conserve his tyres, he said. Lewis Hamilton is now 13 points clear in the race for the drivers' championship after winning the Chinese Grand Prix . Lewis Hamilton led the field on the run down to Turn 1 and never looked back as he claimed his second victory from three races . Hamilton stands on top of his Mercedes and salutes the crowd after claiming the fourth victory of his career in China . Hamilton points to his team after extending his lead at the top of the Formula One world championship after three rounds . Nico Rosberg is left with champagne on his face after finishing second . 1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1:39:42.008 . 2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes +00:00.714 . 3. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 00:02.988 . 4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 00:03.835 . 5. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 00:08.544 . 6. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 00:09.885 . 7. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Mercedes 00:19.008 . 8. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber - Ferrari 00:22.625 . 9. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - Renault 00:32.117 . 10. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber - Ferrari 1 lap . 11. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1 lap . 12. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 1 lap . 13. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1 lap . 14. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso - Renault 1 lap . 15. Will Stevens (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 2 laps . 16. Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia - Ferrari 2 laps . 17. Max Verstappen (Holland) Toro Rosso - Renault 4 laps . r. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Mercedes 7 laps . r. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Red Bull - Renault 41 laps . r. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 47 laps . (rank: r = retired, nc = not classified) Fastest Lap: Lewis Hamilton,1:42.208, lap 31. Rosberg asked the team to get Hamilton to speed up, an instruction they issued and one with which the Briton complied. ‘I wasn’t controlling his race; I was controlling my own race,’ said Hamilton, indignantly. ‘I had no real threat from Nico.’ But Rosberg said: ‘It’s interesting to hear from you, Lewis, that you were just thinking about yourself with the pace. That opened up the opportunity for Sebastian to try that early pit-stop to try and jump me.’ Hamilton countered: ‘My job is to manage the car and bring the car home as fast as possible and that’s what I did. I didn’t do anything intentionally to slow the cars up.’ Boys, boys. It took a little longer last season for the old karting friends to sling so much mud in public. We are only three races into a 19-round saga and the brickbats and mutual suspicions are already tumbling out. It was easy to sympathise with Rosberg but difficult to agree with him. Even though he was somewhat stronger here than during the opening two race weekends, he must be reaching his wits’ end, frustrated to distraction, wondering how on earth he can possibly beat Hamilton when he is on form. It seems, to this cod psychologist, that it was Rosberg’s deep exasperation that led him to behave as he did. Niki Lauda, the Mercedes chairman, came to his not guilty verdict immediately after the race. ‘We have first and second,’ said the three-time world champion. Hamilton salutes the crowd as he makes his way on to the podium to collect his trophy for winning the Chinese Grand Prix . Daniel Ricciardo (left) and Daniil Kvyat battle for position on track - the latter was forced to retire after an engine failure . Hamilton is covered in champagne by Rosberg as the Mercedes pair celebrate a one-two finish . ‘I don’t care if there is a quarrel, as long as Vettel is only third. One thing is clear: Lewis had pole and controlled the race from beginning to the end. There’s nothing more to say. True, Lewis will drive selfishly. These guys are egocentric b******s. It is the only way to win the championship, and Nico is the same if the s*** hits the fan. Lewis was better this weekend. ‘There is no friendship out there. When you race you have to fight, that’s it.’ For Hamilton it was a fourth victory at this extravagant confection of a track, the circuit where he suffered one of the blackest moments of his rookie season, ending up in a gravel trap, his championship hopes devastated in 2007. He again finished the race at a relatively low speed as marshals failed to clear Max Verstappen’s crippled Toro Rosso. The safety car came out. Anti-climax though it was, a giant roar erupted from the 29,000-strong main grandstand as the chequered flag was waved for Hamilton. He was congratulated over the radio for having ‘the full house’: pole, fastest lap and race win. It was a flawless performance. The race posed many tantalising questions. The first was whether Ferrari could match Mercedes in the temperate Shanghai climate, as they managed in Malaysia a fortnight ago? They were some way off in the end but clearly close enough to spook Rosberg. They will keep Mercedes on their toes, and that is balm for the sport. Hamilton takes great pleasure in spraying champagne over a grid girl as he celebrates his victory at the Shanghai International Circuit . Rosberg appeared glum on the podium after losing out to team-mate Hamilton at the third consecutive race . Hamilton, who has provided emphatic answers to every question asked of him since taking last year’s title, made the perfect start. He inclined his car right on the grid, covering Rosberg next to him, before darting through the first, right-hand corner in front. Contest over before it started. An honourable mention for 17-year-old Verstappen, who drove his Toro Rosso with great elan. He put his car down the inside of Marcus Ericsson’s Sauber, causing Max’s father and former racer Jos to exhale in relief as he watched the dangerous move from the garage. He then applauded in admiration. Alas, Verstappen’s engine gave up on him and he left his machine parked on the start-finish straight. Red Bull’s woes continued with Daniil Kvyat’s Renault engine billowing grey smoke into the Shanghai air. Their other car, driven by Daniel Ricciardo, was ninth. McLaren were even less successful than Red Bull, again. Jenson Button was demoted a place to 14th, having collided with Pastor Maldonado’s Lotus. Button’s team-mate Fernando Alonso was 12th after being lapped by Vettel, his replacement at Ferrari. Vettel was smiling afterwards, but not as widely as Hamilton. Max Verstappen starred once more following a number of thrilling passes, but he failed to make it to the end of the race after his engine expired . Jenson Button, who finished 13th, was involved in a collision with Pastor Maldonado towards the end of the race .
target: Lewis Hamilton led every lap after clinching pole position to seal his second victory of the campaign .
  Nico Rosberg was second for Mercedes with the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel completing the podium .
  Hamilton seals the 36th victory of his grand prix career to extend his lead at the top of the standings .
  Kimi Raikkonen finished fourth for Ferrari with the Williams drivers of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas 5th and 6th .
  Jenson Button was involved in a collision with the Lotus driver of Pastor Maldonado late on in the race .