Bizarre error causes early end to F1 race

12 years ago today, Lewis Hamilton secured victory at the 2014 Chinese Grand Prix as Mercedes continued its strong start to the turbo-hybrid era.

But the race is remembered for altogether different reasons - a marshalling error that truncated the event two laps ahead of schedule.

Hamilton crossed the line after 54 laps to start yet another lap, yet confusion reigned when an overambitious steward waved the chequered flag prematurely. 

Hamilton, leading comfortably at the time, was shown the black-and-white marker before beginning what should have been his penultimate tour of the Shanghai International Circuit.

The race continued until the 56 laps were complete, but according to FIA regulations, once the chequered flag is displayed, the race is deemed finished regardless of the scheduled distance.

Hamilton initially appeared bewildered by the premature conclusion, nearly backing off before continuing while querying his team over the radio about what had transpired.

The steward responsible, reportedly an experienced official, was said to be distraught upon realising the magnitude of the error.

While it had no impact on the result at the front, further down, Kamui Kobayashi's late overtake on Jules Bianchi, executed on what would have been the final lap, was rendered void. 

The move occurred after the flag had been officially waved, meaning the classification reverted to positions at the end of lap 54. Kobayashi's efforts counted for nothing, the Caterham driver was demoted to 18th in the final standings.

While Hamilton's victory remained intact, teammate Nico Rosberg finished second, 18 seconds adrift, with Fernando Alonso rounding out the podium for Ferrari.