The Red Bull team and its virtuoso Max Verstappen had undoubtedly been circling the date of April 21, and the winding layout of the Shanghai circuit for a long time. On the track of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, the essential 26-year-old Dutch driver won without incident, after having signed his fifth pole position of the season the day before, in five races contested.
He who had never won in Shanghai – due to the absence of the circuit on the calendar since 2019 rather than difficulties in understanding it – dominated his teammate, Sergio Perez (Red Bull), who finished third , and British driver Lando Norris (McLaren), second. “The sensations were incredible (…), the car was on rails, I could do whatever I wanted,” rejoiced the Dutchman.
The only oddity in this new weekend at work for the Dutchman: Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) took the best lap on the circuit, the Spanish veteran having nevertheless finished in seventh position.
In the riders’ standings, Max Verstappen is already comfortably in the lead (110 points), ahead of his partner (85 points), and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari, 76 points).
Alpine still out of points
Further down the grid, the French team Alpine and its two French drivers Pierre Gasly (13th) and Esteban Ocon (11th), once again missed the opportunity to take points. The latter, however, signed the best French performance of the season, taking advantage of improvements to his car, which his teammate has not yet received.
And the Norman remains waiting for a possible reclassification, the German Nico Hülkenberg (Haas, 10th) being under investigation by the commission, which will deliver its verdict during the day.
Among the last arrivals of the day, the Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu (Sauber, 14th) enjoyed the clamor of his public, and gave in to the emotion. The Shanghai native, who arrived in the elite in 2022, is the first Chinese to compete in Formula 1, and therefore, to drive on his local circuit.
