The Shanghai International Circuit witnessed the long-awaited return of the Chinese Grand Prix after a five-year hiatus, having last hosted a race in 2019 which happened to be F1’s 1000th race. China’s stringent Covid policies had kept Formula One at bay until 2022, and by the time restrictions eased, securing a spot for the 2023 calendar proved impossible. Thus, 2024 marked the triumphant comeback of the event.
Making history was Zhou Guanyu, the 24-year-old Kick Sauber driver who became the first-ever Chinese racer in Formula 1 to compete at their home Grand Prix. The Zhou Effect was palpable, evident in the surge of ticket sales and the growing F1 fanbase in China. Despite his current standing in the driver standings, Zhou’s presence at the Chinese GP signifies a significant milestone for the sport in the country.
Besides that, we had some interesting weather, which certainly shook things up coupled with the decision to have the sprint race format on a track the sport hasn’t been to in half a decade. From Lando Norris’s remarkable podium pursuit to Nico Hülkenberg’s consistent performance, and RB’s rollercoaster ride, there’s plenty to unpack. Want to know who made the top of the list or ended up on the struggle bus? Then keep on reading!
Top of the Class:
Lando Norris – Shootout: 1st | Sprint: 6th | Qualifying: 4th | Race: 2nd
Lando Norris knew Shanghai’s twists and turns would test McLaren’s capabilities, especially with those endless corners the car isn’t exactly built to love. But it was a challenge Norris seemed ready to accept.
This weekend was a wild ride for Lando, starting with losing the securing pole in a wet shootout by over a second, and then facing a setback in the sprint race by running wide in the opening corner sequence on the race start. But boy, did he turn things around when it mattered.
He had another superb qualifying, and Sunday’s race? Pure magic. Norris delivered one of his best drives ever, driving like a man possessed, holding off Perez’s Red Bull like a pro to snatch second place. No wonder Helmut Marko keeps eyeing him for Red Bull!
With that, he secured McLaren’s first Shanghai podium since Jenson Button in 2012 – which is why he’s receiving top marks for his drive this weekend.
Nico Hülkenberg – Shootout: 13th | Sprint: 19th | Qualifying: 9th | Race: 10th
As he crossed the finish line, his message over the radio said it all: “Good job, guys. Solid race. Not very spectacular but yeah, better one [point] than none, right?”
Okay, so Nico didn’t exactly set the track on fire during the shootout and sprint race, but he snagged that coveted point in the main event. As one point is definitely better than none right now for the German. With his third points finish in the last five Grands Prix, he’s becoming quite the consistency king. Especially when you put it into perspective and compare it to last year, he only scored once throughout the entire 2023 campaign on a Sunday.
It’s a remarkable turnaround for the Haas driver and his team, proving that they’re not just here to make up the numbers in the midfield battle. Nico is three points off Tsunoda in that best-of-the-midfield scrap and this consistency should secure Haas a decent result come the end of the season.
Then for a honourable mention,
Max Verstappen! Having a weekend like THAT and still landing in the honourable mentions? Well, that’s the curse of being Max Verstappen in 2024. We’re just five races into the season, and after his dominant run in 2023, a Verstappen victory is starting to feel like business as usual. So when he didn’t clinch pole for the sprint shootout, jaws dropped across the paddock. But let’s be real, did the Orange Army ever doubt him? Of course not. Max bounced back with full force, bagging the win points in both the sprint and the race.
The Struggle Bus:
VCARB
Daniel Ricciardo – Shootout: 14th | Sprint: 11th | Qualifying: 12th | Race: DNF
Yuki Tsunoda – Shootout: 19th | Sprint: 16th | Qualifying: 19th | Race: DNF
RB had all the makings of a point-scoring weekend, especially for Daniel Ricciardo, who finally outshone his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. He secured a higher grid position in qualifying, bested him in the Sprint, and was well on his way to scoring points in the Grand Prix.
However, Lance Stroll’s reckless manoeuvre shattered those hopes, ploughing into Ricciardo at the hairpin during the safety car restart and forcing him into an early retirement with diffuser damage. Adding insult to injury, Ricciardo got slapped with a three-place grid penalty for overtaking under the Safety Car in order to regain the place he lost, setting the stage for a rough ride in Miami.
The mid-race restart proved to be Yuki’s downfall as well, with Kevin Magnussen tipping him into a spin as chaos ensued. It was a textbook case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time for the RB Racing youngster. The collision resulted in terminal damage to his right rear, abruptly ending his afternoon with a disappointing DNF.
Kick Sauber
Valtteri Bottas – Shootout: 9th | Sprint: 12th | Qualifying: 10th | Race: DNF
Zhou Guanyu – Shootout: 10th | Sprint: 9th | Qualifying: 16th | Race: 14th
Oh, Kick Sauber, always flirting with the points but never sealing the deal. The struggle bus seems to have seats reserved for them this season. Especially with how horrendously the team performs at their pitstops.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were poised for a shot at glory, starting in decent positions for the sprint. But alas, fate had other plans, and despite their best efforts, points remained out of reach. And when it came to race day, Bottas, who was eyeing those precious points, had his hopes dashed by an untimely engine issue, sending him into an early retirement.
Yet, despite their valiant efforts, Kick Sauber remains at the bottom of the constructors’ championship, trailing behind rivals Williams and Alpine. Sure, the other two teams may not have scored points either, but they’ve at least managed to finish higher more often, giving them a slight edge in the rankings of zero-point scorers. Not exactly a trophy to brag about, but it’s a tad less embarrassing than dangling at the bottom.
But hey, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Kick Sauber. Despite the lack of points, the return of the Chinese Grand Prix brought a wave of excitement, especially with Zhou Guanyu making history as the first Chinese driver to race in F1 on home soil. Zhou handled the pressure with impressive poise, soaking in the adoration from fans and media alike.
The dishonourable mention of the day…
Goes to Lewis Hamilton. From hero to zero is a way to summarise it, as the Briton’s weekend took a dramatic turn for the worse on Saturday. While he showcased superb performance in the sprint shootout, leading for the first eight laps before being overtaken by Max Verstappen and settling for second place – that triumph quickly faded as he faced a disappointing exit in Q1 during qualifying. And the disappointment continued on Sunday, with Hamilton managing to salvage just two points with a ninth-place finish, trailing several places behind teammate George Russell, who crossed the finish line in sixth.
Let’s not gloss over Stroll’s blunder either. He’s been in this game for eight years; so you’d expect someone with his experience to anticipate the bunching up at the hairpin after the safety car period ends. But alas, his lack of situational awareness sent Ricciardo flying and set off a chain reaction that wrecked Piastri’s car. What’s even less impressive, is how keen the Canadian seems to shift the blame off himself.
Next up is the Miami Grand Prix, where we’ll have to endure another sprint weekend. The Sprint race is at 5 pm UK time on Saturday 4th May, and the main event is at 9 pm on Sunday 5th.
And Ferrari’s stirring up curiosity with a rumoured special livery, featuring historic blues Azzurro La Plata and Azzurro Dino, celebrating 70 years in North America. Keep an eye out for the reveal, a bold departure from their iconic Rosso Corsa.