Renault's Hulkenberg in the penalty box!

It was an unsatisfactory end to Nico Hulkenberg's weekend with the Renault leaving China with four penalty points on his super-licence.

The German drivers' Saturday qualifying performance was undone by an early pit stop for dry tyres being followed by an incident on track requiring a Virtual Safety Car, which negated any advantage the strategy could have provided.

"We took a risk right at the end of the first lap and came in for slicks as the track was really dry everywhere apart from the main straight," said Hulkenberg who ended his race P12.

"As I exited the box though, Stroll crashed and the Virtual Safety Car came out, and in damp conditions if you can’t push, you lose all the tyre temperature.

"I lost all grip; it was like driving on ice and I spun a few times… From there it just went wrong, the VSC pretty much ruined our strategy and so the race.

"It’s a shame because I think it could have worked out very nicely for us today."

Steely Hamilton stays in charge for Shanghai win

To add insult to injury, Hulkenberg was given two penalties by the Chinese GP stewards for overtaking drivers during the Safety Car and VSC periods.

The Renault driver was first handed a five-second time penalty for passing Romain Grosjean while the VSC was deployed.

He then incurred a ten-second penalty for executing the same maneuver on Sauber's Marcus Ericsson!

Including the four points added to his licence today, Hulkenberg now finds himself witha total of six, putting him halfway towards the twelve necessary for a one-race ban.

GALLERY: All the pictures from Sunday in Shanghai

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.