SHANGHAI, CHINA – APRIL 19: A member of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team works in the garage before the Sprint Qualifying ahead of the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on April 19, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Watching the Formula 1 cars maneuver through the endless Turn 1 of the Shanghai track was a sight to behold, not to mention the impressive overtakes executed by several drivers on the outside line.
The recent race in China presented additional challenges for the teams as they had no data on the current generation of cars and the 18-inch Pirelli tires. The Sprint format further intensified the difficulty they faced.
However, as the saying goes, the best rise to the top. Despite a minor setback in Sprint qualifying, Red Bull once again proved to be the team to beat, displaying dominance throughout the event.
Ferrari’s performance fell short, while McLaren exceeded expectations. Mercedes seemed to struggle on the Chinese track, while Aston Martin maintained their usual position. Fernando Alonso continued to impress with his skills.
Without further ado, let’s delve into our key takeaways from the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.
In a previous analysis, it was mentioned that Red Bull had not fully understood their 2024 RB20 car yet and may not enjoy the same advantage over their rivals as in 2023.
To be fair, it was also mentioned that over time, Red Bull would master the RB20 and secure another F1 double title. However, unless significant progress has been made between the races in Japan and China, this statement may need to be corrected.
Despite Max Verstappen’s struggle in the Sprint qualifying, where he dealt with mixed wet track conditions, his impressive recovery in the Sprint race left his competitors in awe.
In nine laps, Verstappen managed to take the lead and went on to build a significant gap of over one second per lap ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second place.
During the official qualifying session, the Dutchman reaffirmed his dominance. Even with the occurrence of a Virtual Safety Car and two Safety Cars during the race, Verstappen crossed the finish line with a comfortable 14-second advantage over Lando Norris in the McLaren.
Sergio Perez once again showcased his skills, qualifying just behind his teammate. However, his race was compromised by the Safety Cars, forcing him to fight in the grid and leaving him with insufficient tires to challenge Norris.
The Red Bull team’s performance was also impressive. The flawless double pit stop, with Verstappen serviced in 2.1 seconds and Perez in 2.0 seconds, demonstrated the remarkable team cohesion. Although they could have delayed Perez’s stop by a lap, they chose to showcase their superiority and humiliate their rivals.
In the unpredictable world of F1, nothing can be taken for granted. Surprisingly, Christian Horner’s scandal seems to have taken a back seat, becoming a distant memory.
During Alonso’s impressive performance in the Aston Martin, securing third place in qualifying and making a brilliant recovery during the race, Stroll in the other AMR24 once again showed his unsuitability for an F1 seat.
The issue with Stroll was not just his foolish mistake of colliding with Daniel Ricciardo after the race restart, but more importantly, his arrogant reaction to it.
He went as far as calling Ricciardo an idiot for braking suddenly and disregarded the ten-second penalty given to him by the stewards as “a joke.”
Unfortunately, the real joke is that Stroll continues to hold his seat in F1 only because his father holds a prominent position at Aston Martin. This is no longer funny.
After five races in the 2024 season, Alonso has shown that he is carrying Aston Martin alone, scoring 31 points compared to Stroll’s measly 9. That is more than three times the points achieved by Stroll.
Considering Lawrence Stroll’s aspirations to turn the team into a title contender from 2026, when Honda joins, the current situation of the drivers cannot persist.
Mike Krack, in the Aston Martin team report, commented on Stroll’s race, stating: “Lance’s good performance was overshadowed by the incident under the Safety Car. We need to thoroughly analyze what happened, but it was a chain reaction caused by the cars ahead.”
What is there to analyze? Stroll simply wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings! Did they even review this press release before sending it out? I understand that a team principal should support their driver, but this is absurd!
Hamilton’s second place in the wet Sprint qualifying showed that he still has the skills to be a top driver. Ferrari has nothing to worry about when he joins them in 2025.
However, the configuration change Mercedes made between the Sprint race and qualifying only highlighted their incompetence with the W15.
Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 and struggled during the race, while George Russell had a forgettable performance despite finishing sixth with a different setup.
At its peak, Mercedes always presented a united front when committing occasional errors, but a comment from team boss Toto Wolff in the team report for the Chinese GP hinted at the beginning of a blame game.
In a clear provocation to the engineering team on the track, Wolff stated: “We need to ensure that we are not constantly looking for a quick fix every weekend in terms of how we manage the car. We should focus on getting the basics right and maximizing the potential of our package.”
Is it just me, or will the concept of winning and losing as a team soon be removed from Mercedes’ playbook?
© 2024
Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton achieved another impressive victory at the Monaco Grand Prix last Sunday. Hamilton, who is at the top of the championship standings, dominated the race from the start and crossed the finish line in first place. With this win, he increased his advantage over his rivals in the title fight.
The race in Monaco is known to be one of the most challenging on the Formula 1 calendar, due to its narrow and winding track. However, Hamilton showcased his exceptional skill by driving his car flawlessly throughout the 78 laps of the race. He maintained a comfortable lead over the other drivers throughout the race and did not give any chances to his competitors.
With this victory, Hamilton secured his fifth win of the season and solidified his position as the favorite for the title. He now leads the championship with a significant advantage over his closest rivals. The Mercedes team also had an impressive performance, with their other driver, Valtteri Bottas, finishing in second place.
The next race of the season will be the Canadian Grand Prix, which will take place in two weeks. Hamilton will certainly be eager to maintain his momentum and secure another victory. Meanwhile, his rivals will have to work hard to find a way to challenge him and reduce his lead in the championship.
Formula 1 fans are certainly excited about the thrilling season we are witnessing so far. With action-packed races and fierce competition, there is no doubt that this will be an unforgettable year for motorsport enthusiasts. Stay tuned for more updates and excitement in the upcoming races!
