Victory in the sprint race, pole for the Grand Prix, victory in the race: Max Verstappen turned his return to the vast empire of China into a demonstration of power.
Max Verstappen celebrates his 38th victory in the last 49 races in China.
Andy Wong / AP
(sda) Max Verstappen cannot be stopped in Formula 1. The world champion in the Red Bull is also alone in his first victory in the Chinese Grand Prix.
The hope is still there. She has to be there, despite everything. What else can the competition do other than believe in times when the wind will change again, in the possibility of still being able to challenge the dominator?
It can’t be like it was in the past two years, when Verstappen only left his opponents with crumbs and often reduced them to extras. It can’t be the case that everything remains just wishful thinking again, not now, in the early stages of this season, for which they have planned a lot in advance with Ferrari and McLaren and wanted to stand up to the leader Red Bull.
The other reality
However, the reality is different. Hope dwindles a little more with every Grand Prix, and the realization that Verstappen is almost impossible to cope with under normal circumstances takes on ever sharper contours. The Dutchman in the best car once again seems to be too good this year. He clearly cannot be stopped on his latest mission, on the way to winning his fourth title in a row. Formula 1 is back to its everyday routine, and space at the top for the unexpected has once again become a very rare commodity.
The forecast based on the impressions gained so far in the season is not too bold: If the technology doesn’t let him down, as in the Australian Grand Prix, when he had to capitulate due to a defective brake, Verstappen will be in a league of his own. A look at the rankings underlines this. These are impressive numbers and values that are devastating for the opponents.
In his previous victories this season in the Grands Prix of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan, Verstappen finished 22, 13 and 12 seconds respectively ahead of his closest rival, who was always his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez. On Sunday he put a similar margin of 13 seconds between himself and second-placed Briton Lando Norris in the McLaren as he had the day before in his triumph in the sprint race, although the Grand Prix had to be neutralized twice after around half the distance. Perez was already over 19 seconds behind in third place.
Pure joy
Verstappen was accordingly impressed. “We were incredibly fast all weekend.” The handling of the RB20 was fantastic with every type of tire. «It was pure joy. The car drove like it was on rails.” Without the two safety car phases, the verdict in Verstappen’s favor would of course have been much clearer. Valtteri Bottas made the first appearance of the lead car necessary. The Finn from Team Sauber had to let the car roll out due to engine failure.
Verstappen is leaving his mark on Formula 1 like the Mercedes team and Lewis Hamilton did not so long ago. The last Grand Prix of China also took place during the phase in which the team with the star was experiencing one great moment after another. Five years ago, Hamilton had also won at the Shanghai International Circuit, as befitting his status, and Bottas had completed the double success. The Red Bull racing team, he behind Scuderia Ferrari, and Verstappen were the third force at the time. The Dutchman’s record was still manageable with five Grand Prix victories.
Verstappen has now amassed 58 Grand Prix victories, four of them in the current season. The numbers will continue to skyrocket. The next opportunity to do this will be in Miami the weekend after next. “This should normally be a good race for us,” says Verstappen, looking ahead to the trip to the metropolis in Florida, where a sprint race is also part of the program.
Verstappen has already had “good races” in Miami. He won the premiere in the season before last and the Grand Prix twelve months ago, starting from 9th place on the grid. There is only limited hope for the competition in the southeast of the USA.
Shanghai. Grand Prix von China (56 Runden at 5.451 km/305.066 km)
1. Max Verstappen (NED), Red Bull, 1:40:52.554 (181.450 km/h). 2. Lando Norris (GBR), McLaren-Mercedes, 13.773 back. 3. Sergio Perez (MEX), Red Bull, 19,160. 4. Charles Leclerc (MON), Ferrari, 23.623. 5. Carlos Sainz (ESP), Ferrari, 33.983. 6. George Russell (GBR), Mercedes, 38.724. 7. Fernando Alonso (ESP), Aston Martin-Mercedes, 43,414. 8. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren-Mercedes, 56,198. 9. Lewis Hamilton (GBR), Mercedes, 57,986. 10. Nico Hülkenberg (GER), Haas-Ferrari, 60.476. 11. Esteban Ocon (FRA), Alpine-Renault, 62.812. 12. Alexander Albon (THA), Williams-Mercedes, 65.506. 13. Pierre Gasly (FRA), Alpine-Renault, 69.223. 14. Zhou Guanyu (CHN), Sauber-Ferrari, 71.689. 15. Lance Stroll (CAN), Aston Martin-Mercedes, 82.786. 16. Kevin Magnussen (DEN), Haas-Ferrari, 87.533. 17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams-Mercedes, 95.110.
20 riders started, 17 classified and at the finish.
Fastest lap: Alonso (45th) with 1:37.810 (200.629 km/h).