Max Verstappen clinched another victory at the Chinese Grand Prix, demonstrating his prowess yet again despite having to re-establish his lead twice due to two interruptions by safety car periods. Verstappen effortlessly beat McLaren’s Lando Norris, who managed an unexpected and outstanding second place, leaving Sergio Pérez to secure third place for Red Bull. Despite starting 18th, Lewis Hamilton managed to claw back to ninth position, a far superior outcome than he anticipated with his underperforming vehicle. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s duo, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, finished in fourth and fifth place respectively.
The Shanghai circuit, hosting its inaugural race since 2019, observed Verstappen’s unshakeable dominance as he navigated through the race seamlessly, despite two restarts. Consequently, Verstappen extended his lead over Pérez by another 25 points, after just five races.
Norris, a standout performer in the race, clinched an improbable second place at a circuit known to be challenging for McLaren. By opting for a one-stop strategy, Norris executed with impeccable control and precision, provoking accolades from across the board.
Verstappen has won four out of five races this season, solidifying his powerful dominance in the championship. His performance this weekend was a telling sign of his superior control, finishing three-tenths of a second ahead of Pérez in qualifying and half a second faster than the rest of the field not in a Red Bull car.
This victory in China was a first for Verstappen, leaving only the Singapore GP on this year’s 24-round calendar where he has yet to secure a win. After his 58th career win, it’s evident that Verstappen looks forward to this impending challenge in Singapore with keen anticipation.
Verstappen made a confident start, retaining his lead from the first corner and quickly establishing himself with a 1.6-second lead as he completed the inaugural lap. His advantage was stretched to 2.6 seconds by his second lap, setting the pace in this solo competition. He held a steady six-second lead over his partner, Pérez, by the end of the race.
Norris, however, was hot on the heels of Alonso in fourth position. Delivering an outstanding performance, Norris overtook Alonso at the hairpin on the eighth lap to secure third place.
Despite being in the same vehicle as Verstappen, Pérez struggled to close the gap with the reigning champion. Verstappen was relentless, regularly gaining six-tenths per lap over his teammate.
Signalling the first wave of pit stops, Verstappen and Pérez returned to the pit on lap 14, while McLaren and Ferrari used a different strategy, choosing not to pit drivers Norris and Leclerc, opting instead for a one-stop race. Their approach yielded a free stop when a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed on lap 22.
After the pit stops, Norris retained third place behind Pérez. However, the introduction of a full safety car removed Verstappen’s 20-second lead. This led to Verstappen and Pérez pitting, promoting Norris to second and Leclerc to third, with Pérez sliding into fourth place and creating a direct battle for the finish line.
Upon lap 27’s restart, Verstappen resumed his lead. However, a second safety car was hastily summoned when Magnussen collided with Tsunoda.
Once the race resumed on lap 32, Verstappen and Norris managed to establish a significant gap. Norris maintained a three-second lead over Leclerc on lap 36. With 20 laps remaining, Pérez, sitting fourth, attempted to close the gap to second place.
With a four-second lead by lap 38, Verstappen controlled the race, and Pérez made his move on Leclerc at the hairpin on the following lap, setting his sight on Norris. Despite possessing a faster car, Pérez struggled to catch up with Norris, who expertly maintained a five-second gap between them.
Ultimately, Verstappen crossed the finish line first with an impressive 14-second lead. Norris, having expertly taken care of his tyres and maintained his lead over Pérez, secured second place, a notable achievement for both him and McLaren.
George Russell took the sixth position driving for Mercedes, whilst Fernando Alonso claimed the seventh spot with Aston Martin. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri found himself in eighth place and rounding up the top ten was Nico Hülkenberg representing Haas. – Guardian