Although the
2024 season is only four races old and the finale in Abu Dhabi remains months
away, there’s little evidence to suggest that Max Verstappen isn’t firmly on
course for a fourth consecutive title. His latest triumph in China not only
reinforces this narrative but also paints his dominance as nearly inevitable.
While others grappled with the chaos of a race marked by two safety car
deployments, Verstappen remained unfazed, cruising to victory with ease.
However, despite
Verstappen’s commanding performance, fans bestowed the title of driver of the
day upon Lando Norris. Starting from fourth, the McLaren driver executed a
stellar drive to secure a well-deserved second place. While benefiting somewhat
from a pit stop during the safety car period, Norris’s pace throughout the race
was undeniably impressive. It proved more than enough to hold off Checo Perez
in the second Red Bull during the final stint of the race, ultimately
relegating Perez to third place after slipping to fifth following the last
round of pit stops.
Norris’s driving
this season has been a highlight, showcasing his immense talent. His
performance in China not only underscores his potential but also serves as a
reminder of the fierce competition brewing in the midfield. Beyond the
Verstappen-Norris-Perez podium Charles Leclerc was solid if unspectacular
fourth for Ferrari with teammate Carlos Sainz in fifth. It wasn’t the weekend
Ferrari would have expected given the start to their season. George Russell was
sixth for Mercedes and well and truly outdrove Hamilton on race day. Fernando
Alonso, fresh of signing a new deal to stay at Aston Martin, was ultimately
seventh but an odd strategy call, to opt for the soft tyre with 30 to go, made
his afternoon more complicated than it needed to be.
Oscar Piastri
was eighth in the other McLaren ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Though Hamilton blamed
‘different setups’ between the two Mercedes cars for his lack of pace, this was
quickly dispelled by former champ-turned commentator Nico Rosberg. Simply put,
despite a second place in the Sprint race on Saturday, is damp-ish conditions,
Hamilton qualified a lowly eighteenth and scraped into the points in ninth
place on Sunday. Nico Hulkenberg scored
the final point in tenth for Haas and well in time for his rumoured
negotiations with Audi. The German mark, who has purchased controlling interest
in the Sauber team, will enter the sport in 2026.
It was a
forgettable day for Lance Stroll who was not only outperformed by teammate
Alonso, again, but embarrassingly drove into the back of Daniel Ricciardo under
the safety car. The Canadian seemed to suffer a lapse in concentration and
rammed into the back of the Racing Bull, earning himself a ten-second penalty.
It wrecked the back of Ricciardo’s car which forced him into retirement. But it
wasn’t the end of the Aussie’s woes as he was also given a three-place grid
penalty, to be served in Miami, for overtaking behind the safety car. It’s been
a less than stellar opening salvo for Ricciardo who remains under enormous
pressure to retain his place on the F1 grid.
Despite not
finishing in the points Zhou Guanyu drove his heart out all weekend. In front
of an adoring crowd he dragged the Sauber into a top ten starting position in
the Sprint but could only manage fourteenth on race day. Nevertheless,
permitted to stop on the grid he clamoured out his car after the race and,
visibly moved, received the adulation of the Chinese fans.
Formula 1 next
heads to the States for the Miami grand prix and with every expectation that
Red Bull, and Max Verstappen, will dominate proceedings. The question remains
who can possibly stem the Red Bull juggernaut.
