Chinese winner Max Verstappen: “We’re on fire!” / System 1

What a world champion performance from Max Verstappen at the Shanghai International Circuit: The 26-year-old Red Bull Racing driver drives to victory in China, 58th time in the premier class, fourth time this season and for the first time. while in China. This is the 102nd podium finish for the Dutchman. This means that Max is winless at one of the races in 2024, Singapore. A third GP victory after consecutive sprint victories for this exceptional talent.

For his Red Bull Racing team, Verstappen’s victory means 117 victories in the premier class, third in China after Sebastian Vettel in 2009 and Daniel Ricciardo in 2018.

Formula 1 Champion Nico Rosberg is very impressed with Max Verstappen: “We are going through GP history with these winning drives from Max, for me he is already one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time. And there is more to come.”

Shocking moment shortly before the end of the race: In the last lap, the leader of the world championship said on the radio: “I drove on the debris, can you check my tires?” Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase echoed: “In our opinion, everything is fine.”

Verstappen on the second lap: “It was great, the car was great, we were on fire! Many thanks to the whole team, that was a great job from everyone, big congratulations!

Afterwards, the top GP driver of the time says: “We were fast all weekend, it was a pleasure to drive here. The car was like it was on rails, I could do whatever I wanted. Weekend races like this are rare.”

“Everything went as planned, but in the end I was afraid because I was going around the rubble for 300 things and I was afraid of losing the victory.”

“Now Miami can come, but it’s not an easy road. It’s going to be a crazy weekend, especially since we’ll be racing in a race format again.”

This is how the Chinese doctor went

At 3pm Shanghai time, 9am in Europe, 20 GP drivers set off – in good conditions on a dry track with an air temperature of 19 degrees, the race track was 31 degrees, cooler than Saturday. Ten percent chance of rain. Verstappen reported the first drops on the starting grid…

In the stands: 200,000 fans, the race has been sold out for several months, many of them were watching the Shanghai-born Sauber driver, Guanyu Zhou, who nevertheless faced a difficult task – 16th place on the grid.

19 cars on the starting grid, one car not: Williams driver Logan Sargeant’s race car had been modified so he had to drive it from the pit lane.

Big concern for Aston Martin with Aston Martin: The pillars on the lower right side of the underbody of his car had to be repaired at the last second after the Spanish star (who started 3rd) hit a rock during the reconnaissance lap.

Drivers’ choice of tyres: Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll with Hamilton, Tsunoda and Sargeant on soft, Magnussen on hard, the rest of the field on medium-hard Pirelli rollers. Shanghai (weather excluded) is a two stop race.

At the start, Max Verstappen got away well from pole position, Alonso caught Pérez on the outside in the corner. Hamilton was unable to take advantage of the soft tyres.

Situation after Lap 1: Verstappen, Alonso, Pérez, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc and Sainz, after Ferrari’s fluid fight at the first corner, Stroll and Hülkenberg, only Hamilton in P19. Lewis on the radio: “I’m not making any assumptions about these tires.”

At the front, Verstappen seemed to pull away without difficulty. Hamilton overtook Zhou and Magnussen, P17. On lap 5, Pérez passed Alonso in turn 6, for second. Fernando had understood: his race was not against Mexico, but against the McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri who were behind him.

In lap 7, Verstappen was already six seconds ahead of Pérez, then Alonso, and with tire problems, just ahead of Norris, Piastri, Russell, Leclerc, Sainz, Stroll and Hülkenberg in the top ten. At the end of the back straight, Norris passed Alonso on lap 8. Third place for the Englishman.

Leclerc moved up one place on lap 9: he passed Russell at turn 1, an incredible maneuver. The Monegasque is now in 6th place Behind him Russell is now under pressure from Sainz, but the Mercedes driver fought like a lion.

The first pit stops followed, Hülkenberg opted for a hard ball, Hamilton for a combination of medium hardness. Lewis was still complaining about the soft roll: “Those were the worst tyres, man.”

On lap 12, Leclerc passed Piastri at the end of the back straight as Alonso looked for new tires – hard tires on the Aston Martin. Russell also got new Pirellis, the Brit chose medium hard.

Race 14: Both Red Bull Racing cars in the pits, Verstappen again on hard, Mexican also on hard. This puts Norris in the lead ahead of Leclerc and Piastri.

Bad stop at Gasly: ​​The right rear wheel was not properly secured in the stop, it fell off when the Alpine race car fell off the jack, the mechanic was knocked down by the wheel. Pierre on the radio: “Is everything okay with him?” “Yeah, don’t worry, everything is fine.” It didn’t seem that way.

Stage 16: Verstappen passed Leclerc again in second place (behind Norris), followed by Piastri and Sainz (like Leclerc, no stop yet), then Pérez, Alonso, Russell and Stroll (all have already stopped once).

Hamilton in P14 behind Ocon, Lewis on his Mercedes: “This car is too slow!”

Radio communication in Ferrari and Leclerc – switch to one stop. Sainz, on the other hand, was brought in by Ferrari. McLaren also focused on just one stop with Norris, with a chance to grab second place from Pérez.

In the 19th stage, Verstappen took the lead again, followed by one stop Norris and Leclerc, then Pérez, Alonso, Russell, Piastri, Stroll, Sainz and Hülkenberg in the top ten, only Hamilton in P13.

On the 21st lap, Valtteri Bottas’ Sauber stopped: “The engine is dead.” The real safety car phase, that is, maintaining the position at low speed.

Norris and Leclerc would take advantage of the opportunity to stop under the VSC and lose time by only 15 seconds? (Instead of the usual 24 seconds). No – Norris missed the pit gate at the crucial moment, but Ferrari brought Leclerc. Hamilton also took advantage of this opportunity.

Since the VSC phase lasted a long time (Sauber was stuck in gear), McLaren driver Norris was able to take advantage of this in the second test. McLaren left with a black eye. Norris is now third on clean hard tyres, Pérez is second ahead of him on used tyres.

Then a full safety car on Lap 24 because the Sauber was still on the road. Both Red Bull Racing drivers were brought in immediately, Max and Sergio on the hard tyres, while Alonso picked up the soft rubber. Brave!

New situation on lap 25 behind the safety car of Bernd Mayländer Mercedes: Verstappen, Norris, Leclerc, Pérez, Sainz, Alonso, Russell, Piastri, Ricciardo, Stroll and Hülkenberg, the cards have been reshuffled.

The SC phase took longer than usual because not only did Bottas’ car have to be moved aside by a crane truck, but some debris also had to be picked up.

On the 27th lap it continued: Verstappen bravely at the restart, then yellow again – Stroll had collided with Ricciardo at the end of the back straight before the restart, a back-to-back collision, then under the green Magnussen and a bad maneuver against of Tsunoda, the Japanese outside, Magnussen slowly drives back to the pits, the safety of the car phase again. Stroll’s Aston Martin received a new nose. The bottom of Ricciardo’s car is broken. FIA race officials were investigated.

Second restart at the start of lap 32: Verstappen faultless again, then Norris, Leclerc, Pérez, Alonso, Sainz, Russell, Piastri and Hülkenberg, all drivers on hard tires except Alonso (on soft Pirelli).

Ricciardo entered the pits on Lap 34: diffuser broken, retired. Villain Stroll received a 10 second penalty. Magnussen also received a 10 second penalty. The two were involved in a fierce battle this time.

Lap 36: Verstappen easily in the lead, ahead of Norris and Leclerc, behind Pérez, who was struggling with a low car and was fighting against Ferrari. If the Mexican wanted to have a chance of P2 against Norris, he now had to find a way past Leclerc.

On lap 39, Pérez finally passed Leclerc in Turn 6, but was now five seconds behind Norris. At the front, champion Verstappen had everything under control. Charles complained on the radio: “The tires are not in the best condition.”

Stopping on Lap 40: Verstappen, Norris, Pérez, Leclerc, Alonso, Sainz, Russell, Piastri, Hülkenberg and Hamilton. Piastri reported lower body damage (because he had been hit by an innocent Ricciardo). Pérez never got close to Norris, Hamilton took P9 from Hülkenberg on lap 42 and followed Piastri in a damaged McLaren.

On lap 43, Alonso’s soft tires were enough, the Spaniard passed the medium hard Pirelli and returned to P12. Not the best racing strategy for Aston Martin.

Alonso caught Hülkenberg on lap 48 (now ninth) and started towards Hamilton and Piastri. In lap 49, Hamilton was easy prey. This was after Fernando made a mistake in the last corner before the start and finish. How Alonso caught Aston Martin – world champion! Shortly after, Alonso also spread piastre on his bread. The gap to Russell (P6) was too big for Fernando.

This means that for the first time in 2024 there will not be two victories in Formula 1, but Max Verstappen ahead of Lando Norris and Sergio Pérez, then two Ferraris. Great performance from Nico Hülkenberg – tenth place points in Haas, this after 10th place in Jeddah and 9th place in Australia, bravo!