For Max, everything was perfect, with a suspense killed on the first lap of the Grand Prix and a recital during the sprint. Carlos Sainz's success in Melbourne is already far away, and we despair to see a driver make Max-the-menace waver from his immense pedestal. Despite the two exits of the Safety Car having regrouped the entire peloton and which could have damaged Verstappen whose Red Bull is very vulnerable in the dirty air, never the RB20 flanked by number 1. “The car was very fast, it was really pleasant to drive, Max gargled at Nico Rosberg's microphone. Everything went well at the time of the relaunch, it was a completely unreal weekend! I was a little worried in the last laps because there was a lot of debris on the track and I feared a possible puncture. Now we're heading to Miami, a city that I really like and a race that should be successful for us even if the strategies there can be more open.”
We expected Ferrari's response on Sunday. “We bet everything on the race”, indicated Frédéric Vasseur before the start, to justify the lukewarm performances of the SF-24s in qualifying and in the sprint. But in Shanghai, the little red book never opened with Sainz and Leclerc having no say.
Norris doesn't bend his back
It was an orange dragon named Lando Norris who was flying in the Chinese sky. Single-handedly, the British elf allowed McLaren to be the second force on the field in the Far East. After making a big mistake during the sprint, Lando set the record straight in style. All that remains for him is to hope that the Papayas will experience an offensive worthy of 2023. “The car was really great to drive, Lando says. So it's a good day, and another podium. I'm very happy, especially since I saw us finishing behind the Ferraris before the start. Finally, we leave here with second place, sandwiched between the two Red Bulls. It's incredible !”
The other hero of Shanghai is none other than the local hero. The first Chinese driver to compete in his national GP, Guanyu Zhou certainly did not score any points but was carried by an entire population to see the finish after a clean race, enough to offer him the honors of Victory Lane. “I was overcome with emotion when I took off my helmet after the finish, admits Zhou. I heard the cheers from the crowd, I saw my supporters, and all the emotions came flooding back at once.”
After communist China, who will shine under the capitalist sun of Miami?
Green light :
- Verstappen alone in the world
- Norris in Red Bull Scratching Hair
- Ferrari ensures
- Zhou national hero
Red fire :
- Stroll sows discord
- Alonso deserved better
- Mercedes tastes
- Points missed for RB
