SPOILER ALERT: More Rain, More Surprises at Chinese Grand Prix
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/motorsports/" rel="tag">Motorsports</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/china/" rel="tag">China</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502812/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/86033060-580op.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><small style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">2009 Chinese Grand Prix - Click above for a high-res image gallery </small><br /></div>
<br />"You can't always get what you want / But if you try sometimes you might find / You get what you need." The Rolling Stones couldn't have known it at the time, but they may as well have written the unofficial theme song for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix. After <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/05/spoiler-alert-weathering-the-storm-at-the-2009-malaysian-grand/">the last race in Malaysia</a> two weeks ago was canceled less than halfway through due to heavy rains, the grid of Formula One drivers could have done with a dry spell this weekend in Shanghai. Instead, they got more torrential downpours, forcing the race officials to start the procession under a yellow flag and a safety car.<br /><br />With the conditions only letting up enough to commence the race on the eighth lap, the qualifying order played an even more vital role in determining the race's outcome. Those who tuned in Saturday were surprised to see Brawn GP - the upstart team that had won both races at the start of the season - relegated down the starting order, with Rubens Barrichello in fourth place ahead of his championship-leading team-mate Jenson Button in fifth. In their place were the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel (on pole) and Mark Webber (in third), with the Renault-powered cars sandwiching two-time world champion Fernando Alonso's factory Renault in second place on the grid. But how long would that order hold as the elongated formation lap drew closer to the start of the race? Follow the jump to find out.<br /><br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/">2009 Chinese Grand Prix</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502812/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/01-china-grand-prix-2009_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502813/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/02-china-grand-prix-2009_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502824/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/03-china-grand-prix-2009_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502828/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/04-china-grand-prix-2009_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2009-chinese-grand-prix-1/1502818/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/05-china-grand-prix-2009_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-more-rain-more-surprises-at-chinese-grand-prix/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>SPOILER ALERT: More Rain, More Surprises at Chinese Grand Prix</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-more-rain-more-surprises-at-chinese-grand-prix/">SPOILER ALERT: More Rain, More Surprises at Chinese Grand Prix</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-more-rain-more-surprises-at-chinese-grand-prix/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/1521309/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-more-rain-more-surprises-at-chinese-grand-prix/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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