The Chinese government frowns on Twitter but the F1 teams and media are used to getting around that.
Here’s how the Chinese Grand Prix weekend unfolded as they saw it.
Thursday
The press day at the circuit was dominated by the events of the previous race – especially the team orders controversy at Red Bull.
�100 for Internet connection in the media centre and you can’t even access YouTube, twitter or Facebook. Rubbish.
— Will Buxton (@willbuxton) April 11, 2013
Tyres ready for the weekend twitter.com/dickiestanford?���?�
— Dickie Stanford (@dickiestanford) April 11, 2013
Get your game face on @jensonbutton Calvin looks like he means business! twitter.com/mikeycollier/s?���?�
— michael collier (@mikeycollier) April 11, 2013
Good morning from Shanghai. A great view from the media centre here twitter.com/NobleF1/status?���?�
— Jon Noble (@NobleF1) April 11, 2013
My name in Chinese….Track walk done ready for some lunch!! twitter.com/GvanderGarde/s?���?�
— Giedo van der Garde (@GvanderGarde) April 11, 2013
Nico Hulkenberg with his physio Florian Eschrich ( @real_flo) twitter.com/HulkenbergFans?���?�
— Nico Hulkenberg Fans (@HulkenbergFans) April 10, 2013
Thursday, it’s time to work with my engineers on the track. Always an interesting walk. #F1 #shanghai twitter.com/JeanEricVergne?���?�
— Jean-Eric Vergne (@JeanEricVergne) April 11, 2013
Two contrasting images of Shanghai from our journey into the circuit this morning! #f1 twitter.com/TheFifthDriver?���?�
— McLaren (@TheFifthDriver) April 11, 2013
Webber sporting a fierce new barnet twitter.com/NataliePinkham?���?�
— Natalie Pinkham (@NataliePinkham) April 11, 2013
Not much media interest in Sebastian today then… twitter.com/redbullracing/?���?�
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 11, 2013
Friday
Friday practice saw Ma Qing Hua become the first Chinese driver to participate in his home race weekend. Nico Rosberg and Felipe Massa headed the two sessions.
The view from @maqinghuaf1‘s cockpit. twitter.com/MyCaterhamF1/s?���?�
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 12, 2013
Typically after installation we might bleed the brakes & remove the bodywork to check everything’s where it should be and at the right temps
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 12, 2013
Oh how I love getting up at 3am!! Just arrived at MTC for some Friday support work in the simulator. #McLaren #F1 #Shanghai #China
— Gary Paffett (@GaryPaffett) April 12, 2013
Adopt arm fold stance #F1FortuneCookie twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/s?���?�
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 12, 2013
Stand about the garage formation #F1FortuneCookie twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/s?���?�
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 12, 2013
Stand as if something might happen formation #F1 twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/s?���?�
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 12, 2013
Remarkably Sergio Perez has managed to get stuck in the same gravel trap his Mclaren predecessor Lewis Hamilton famously did in 2007! #F1
— F1 Fanatic Live (@f1fanaticlive) April 12, 2013
FP1 done. Eveything was perfect. Thanks to all people to made this possible. A really special day for me. Xie xie.
— Ma Qing Hua (@maqinghuaF1) April 12, 2013
Right, FP2 time. @charles_pic1 returns to CT03-06 for FP2 & the rest of the weekend while @gvandergarde carries on from FP1 in CT03-05
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 12, 2013
Challenge completed: I bring you Mark’s gloves. twitter.com/redbullf1spy/s?���?�
— Red Bull Racing Spy (@redbullf1spy) April 12, 2013
Back in your bo?�?�te @rgrosjean #F1FortuneCookie twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/s?���?�
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 12, 2013
Max stopped out on track due to an engine protection ‘kill’ kicking in. Won’t know why til we get the car back but oil pressure possibility
— Marussia F1 Team (@Marussia_F1Team) April 12, 2013
Adrian is in the pits as the engineers try some setup changes to cure a light case of oversteer; Paul currently out on track. #FeelTheForce
— Sahara Force India (@clubforce) April 12, 2013
“I’ve never seen tyres behave this way. Do other people have the same degradation?” asks Hamilton. He’s told Rosberg’s situation is similar.
— F1 Fanatic Live (@f1fanaticlive) April 12, 2013
Car to short stands & driver putting his balaclava on is suggestive of us about to get back on track. Well done Max crew. Every lap counts!
— Marussia F1 Team (@Marussia_F1Team) April 12, 2013
RT @f1fanaticlive: Rosberg told: “Left hand magic torque only, not right hand.” #F1 [Now there’s an interesting radio message!]
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) April 12, 2013
Saturday
Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position on Saturday but there was much debate over how little running the drivers did during qualifying.
This morning’s delightful offering in Hotel Death?���?� twitter.com/redbullf1spy/s?���?�
— Red Bull Racing Spy (@redbullf1spy) April 13, 2013
First car out for us is @charles_pic1 on the medium tyres, swiftly followed by @gvandergarde who’s released by his engineer Juan for run 1
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 13, 2013
Roceqlin tries again: “OK Sebastian I’d like a drive through and start at pit out please confirm.” Vettel: “Copy, drive through.” #F1
— F1 Fanatic Live (@f1fanaticlive) April 13, 2013
Here’s #bbcf1 filming @jensonbutton inside the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes garage. twitter.com/TheFifthDriver?���?�
— McLaren (@TheFifthDriver) April 13, 2013
We were about to get our first flyer on softs from Nico Rosberg but Radio Rosberg reports: “Something’s broken.” Lap aborted.
— Sarah Holt (@sarahholtf1) April 13, 2013
Advantage Ferrari then – Alonso comfortably fastest as the chequered flag comes out in final practice. #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) April 13, 2013
Perez: “Is there something from your experience with Lewis that I shouldn’t do?”Button: “Tweet?”
— Andrew Benson (@andrewbensonf1) April 13, 2013
Qualifying is go! Adopt lounge position #ChineseGP #F1FortuneCookie twitter.com/Lotus_F1Team/s?���?�
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 13, 2013
Finally someone has remembered how to find the pitlane exit.
— Kate Walker (@F1Kate) April 13, 2013
does not look good for #Esteban. let’s finish the lap anyway. #F1
— Sauber F1 Team (@OfficialSF1Team) April 13, 2013
Tough session.. Not where we want to be! Tomorrow it’s a different story, we will keep working hard!! #F1
— Giedo van der Garde (@GvanderGarde) April 13, 2013
Yo! Happy with the days work. Can’t wait to get my head down tomorrow and do the honey badger proud. #letsgetit
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) April 13, 2013
Sunday
Fernando Alonso won an action-packed race which saw Kimi Raikkonen tangle with Sergio Perez and a last-lap duel between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
1 hour until race time in China. The pitstop boys are all changed into their fireproofs and we’re all set
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 14, 2013
Info on laptop ready for race twitter.com/dickiestanford?���?�
— Dickie Stanford (@dickiestanford) April 14, 2013
Pretty impressive spectator turnout, have to say. And a lovely afternoon for a race as well.
— Alan Baldwin (@alanbaldwinf1) April 14, 2013
An opportunistic marshal stood in front of Raikkonen’s car and took a picture… just before the green light went on for the formation lap!
— Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) April 14, 2013
#Esteban had an incident with SUT. he stopped on track. race over. shame as he started perfectly. #F1
— Sauber F1 Team (@OfficialSF1Team) April 14, 2013
Really gutted about Adrian’s bad luck. Sad to be out through no fault of our own when the race pace looked excellent #FeelTheForce
— Sahara Force India (@clubforce) April 14, 2013
Did everyone else think that was Webber and Vettel who’d collided at first? Someone check Horner’s pulse. #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) April 14, 2013
Bit of a bloody nose for #Kimi‘s E21. It ain’t pretty, but how does it work? Nice sideways control mind… #ChineseGP #F1FortuneCookie
— Lotus F1 Team (@Lotus_F1Team) April 14, 2013
Rosberg retires for the second time in three races. Schumacher had all the Mercedes woes last year, now it seems to be Rosberg. #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) April 14, 2013
Lap 24 and Pastor pits for another new set of medium tyres #ChineseGP twitter.com/WilliamsF1Team?���?�
— Williams F1 Team (@WilliamsF1Team) April 14, 2013
10 laps left of the Chinese Grand Prix. @gvandergarde is 18th, @charles_pic1 is 16th
— Caterham F1 Team (@MyCaterhamF1) April 14, 2013
Despite old tyres, Paul is putting together his fastest laps of the race in the latest rounds. Still some very crucial laps coming!
— Sahara Force India (@clubforce) April 14, 2013
Great win for Ferrari and Alonso,Fantastic 31 wins congratulations to him and i am sure many more wins will follow.Great job
— Nigel Mansell CBE (@Mansell_Nigel) April 14, 2013
Share any other great Tweets you spotted during the Australian Grand Prix in the comments.
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2013 Chinese Grand Prix
- Alonso voted Chinese GP Driver of the Weekend
- Fun or artifical? Mixed views in China Rate the Race
- Four-way tie in Predictions Championship round three
- Top ten pictures from the 2013 Chinese Grand Prix
- 2013 Chinese Grand Prix weekend in Tweets
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
16th April 2013, 10:50
Interesting collection of tweets and pictures, thanks.
Regarding that Benson tweet, I presume he is joking?
Bounzze (@bounzze)
16th April 2013, 12:41
No he actually said that, unless you mean that Button was joking. He said it jokingly but it had an underlying truth in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ps8Kcd2NDb0
BasCB (@bascb)
16th April 2013, 13:00
interesting
Mike (@mike)
16th April 2013, 10:51
I wonder what Rosbergs magic talk message was….
Wonder if they can adjust torque produced across the car or something. Anyone smarter know what it meant?
GeeMac (@geemac)
16th April 2013, 13:27
Who is the creepy looking chap behind Sutil in the “Webber’s new barnet” tweet?!
Alex de Brito (@corix)
16th April 2013, 15:33
That’s a guy adjusting the microphones: http://youtu.be/9QgV-9gL-eE
Bendanarama (@bendana)
16th April 2013, 15:38
Twitter is frowned upon in China, but regretfully they failed to prevent the guy who runs the Lotus team twitter from using it.
HiPn0tIc (@hipn0tic)
16th April 2013, 21:32
Love Lotus Tweets