Hamilton edges closer to F1 crown after Shanghai win
Hamilton was delighted to be back on top of the podium
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Sunday, 19, Oct 2008 10:10
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has edged closer to becoming Formula one world champion after winning the Chinese grand prix.
Title rival Felipe Massa took second place after his Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen let him past in the closing stages of the race.
Hamilton led from start to finish in Shanghai and eventually won by 15 seconds. His lead in the drivers' championship is now seven points and he will win the title if he can finish fifth or higher at the final race in Brazil in two week's time.
The Briton dominated the race and never looked like being challenged by the Ferraris. Only the threat of rain at the start of the race would have worried the 23-year-old.
However, the rain never came and he streaked ahead of the rest of the field. The Ferraris were close to each other for much of the race, with Raikkonen maintaining the advantage he had off the start line.
Fernando Alonso came fourth for Renault and was in a race by himself for much of the 56 laps. Heikki Kovalainen's challenge to the Spaniard ended with 20 laps to go when he suffered a puncture and could not make it back to the pits.
Kovalainen's retirement handed fifth place to BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld, his team-mate Robert Kubica moved up from 12th place on the starting grid to sixth in the race but it was not enough to keep his slim title chances alive.
Toyota's Timo Glock and Renault's Nelson Piquet took the final points positions in seventh and eighth.
The victory in China means Hamilton will become the youngest ever world champion if he can claim at least three points at Interlagos.