Max Verstappen converted pole position into victory in a Chinese Grand Prix full of incidents and overtakes.
Formula 1’s championship leader, Max Verstappen, delivered a commanding performance in the eventful Chinese Grand Prix, which saw two safety car interventions and marked F1’s return to the venue for a full-distance race after two years. Verstappen’s impressive victory in the preceding sprint race hinted at his dominance, setting the stage for a decisive win. However, Red Bull missed a potential 1-2 finish as race circumstances pushed Sergio Perez behind McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Perez unable to regain lost ground.
Any hopes of challenging Verstappen early on were swiftly dashed as Perez lost ground to Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin at the start, allowing Verstappen to pull ahead significantly. Despite Perez’s subsequent efforts to overtake Alonso, Verstappen maintained a substantial lead that continued to grow throughout the race.
“I think today went really well and I was very happy with everything, we had great pace in the whole race although of course with the deployment of the safety car, the gap that I had made was shortened and we then had to gain that back,” said Verstappen post race. “Today the car was very well balanced, every time that we needed to be quick we were and it felt much more consistent to drive in comparison to the Sprint, even for the restarts and overall I am really pleased with the performance that we had as a team. Every race is different in terms of emotions, this one was particularly enjoyable because the whole weekend went so well, especially considering that it was a Sprint weekend which is always much more hectic. A weekend like this is as much as you can ever hope for. A win in Shanghai was definitely on my list, to be here and to win in front of such an amazing crowd is very special and I am pleased that the race is back on the calendar.”
Meanwhile, the battle unfolded behind the Red Bulls, with Norris making strategic moves to secure his position ahead of the Ferraris and Mercedes. Charles Leclerc’s pursuit of Norris saw minimal progress as both drivers extended their initial stints.
The race saw notable incidents, including Valtteri Bottas’ retirement and subsequent safety car periods due to track clearance. A Safety Car restart was necessary after Bottas’ Sauber lost power from its Ferrari engine.
Before Verstappen could even execute his race restart, the concertina effect further back saw Stroll steam into Ricciardo, lifting the rear of his RB off the ground and causing damage to the diffuser extensive enough to force his retirement later.
Stroll received a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for his Super Licence for causing that collision, though his “idiot” verdict on Ricciardo, was very much eclipsed by what Ricciardo called the Aston Martin driver in return.
“I’d slowly started to calm down, and then I was told what Lance thinks of the incident,” Ricciardo told media in Shanghai. “Apparently, I’m an idiot, and it was my fault. That made my blood boil, because it’s clear as day and it’s also behind a Safety Car.
“The only thing you’ve got to do is watch the car in front. We can’t predict what the leader is going to do. The race doesn’t start until the control line.
“I’m doing my best not to say what I want to say, but f*ck that guy. And I’m being nice, too! But if that’s what he thinks…”
As the race resumed, further drama ensued with collisions at Turn 14, leading to subsequent safety car periods. Kevin Magnussen’s incident with Yuki Tsunoda triggered another safety car period, making it easier for most drivers to navigate to the finish line.
Perez successfully secured third place by overtaking Leclerc but faced a significant gap to Norris, who claimed second place, with Verstappen maintaining his lead to secure victory.
The top four was completed by Perez and Leclerc, with Carlos Sainz finishing fifth. Notably, Fernando Alonso displayed a remarkable recovery, moving through the field with fresher tires and showcasing impressive overtaking maneuvers.
Lewis Hamilton made a commendable climb from 18th to ninth, securing points for Mercedes. The final point went to Nico Hulkenberg and Haas, pending an investigation into a potential safety car infringement.