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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.
