By CHRIS LINES
AP Auto Racing Writer
SHANGHAI− Red Bull and Ferrari's status as Formula One championship front-runners dissolved in the rain and chaos of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.
Red Bull started from the front two spots on the grid, becoming the first team in three years to secure four successive pole positions. But neither of its drivers could hold their position with Sebastian Vettel finishing sixth and Mark Webber eighth.
``We got a bit blown away we weren't quick enough, simple as that,'' Webber said.
``There were very changeable conditions during the race. I know it's the same for everyone, but the cars are very sensitive when (the weather) is not going one way or the other.''
Both Red Bull drivers were among those who changed from dry-weather to wet-weather tires on the third lap, only to realize that the wets were wearing too quickly, forcing a change back to the dries.
``Our main competitors finished ahead, so that's not nice,'' Vettel said.
``We struggled quite a lot in some of the conditions with the car, it was OK when we were in clean air, our pace was decent, but it's very on and off in these conditions.''
After four races, Red Bull regarded as the quickest car in the field is fourth in the constructors' championship.
Ferrari, too, had a race to forget. It all looked good for the Italian team when Fernando Alonso vaulted from third on the grid to the front of the field in the run to the first corner, but he was soon penalized for jumping the start and was handed a pit drive-through penalty.
``I made a serious mistake at the start as my reflexes let me down and I left early,'' Alonso said. ``It's never happened to me before and I am very disappointed with myself.''
Including the drive-through, Alonso was in the pits five times, as Ferrari too were among the teams to make the wrong early call on tires. Otherwise, the Spaniard's race pace indicated he could have challenged for the victory.
His race will be remembered for overtaking teammate Felipe Massa on the approach road to the pitlane. Team boss Stefano Domenicali threw his hands into the air when watching on a television monitor, but later played it down.
``There is absolutely no problem between the two drivers,'' Domenicali said. ``There's a slight feeling of regret after these first four rounds of the championship.
``We have definitely ended up with less than we were capable of; sometimes because of incidents beyond our control and sometimes because of things that were down to us. Having said that, we are still fully in the fight for both titles.''
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