The return of the Chinese Grand Prix after a gap of 5 years kept fans and owners of Formula 1 buzzing, and most importantly, it marked the 2024 season’s first sprint race. The circuit was at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Shanghai International Circuit finally opened up to host the Chinese Grand Prix on April 21. It saw a lot of events unfold from the good, the bad as well as the ugly side of the Grand Prix.
🟢 FP1 GREEN LIGHT 🟢
For the first time in five years we can say…
The Chinese Grand Prix weekend is GO! 🙌#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/agnts6P4Xq
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 19, 2024
The Chinese Grand Prix was a pure success, and it established Red Bull‘s mighty Max Verstappen to win his first-ever title in China, also setting aside many record-breaking performances. But every rose has its thorn, and we could see that with racing legends like Lewis Hamilton or, for instance, Mercedes, losing out on major points after a success in the qualification rounds. And this was not all; the Grand Prix also saw a major crash between Lance Stroll and Daniel Ricciardo.
The good: The Chinese Grand Prix resumes after 5 years with the first edition of the sprint race of the 2024 season
The weekend of the Chinese Grand Prix was a true success, as it also included the first sprint race of the season. Max Verstappen, who was considered the underdog at the Shanghai International circuit, broke all myths and stood first at the sprint race as well as the final race of the Chinese Grand Prix, making him hold a record of winning 26 races across 26 circuits. Even though his qualification stages were not as pleasing as they seemed, he gave it all in the final races and clutched victory.
🏆 What an amazing weekend here in China 🇨🇳. The car felt like it was on rails 🙏 @redbullracing! Thank you to all the fans, your support has been overwhelming! 👏 pic.twitter.com/1CD575xvXv
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 21, 2024
Max Verstappen broke records at the Chinese Grand Prix, and it was a successful finish for him as well as Red Bull, as they added points to their championship tally and have stepped up forward, leaving other franchises at the back of the trial. The Shanghai International Circuit on return turned out to be a blockbuster full of events while seeing some of the underdogs doing well and seeing a massive difference in the qualification stages of the race compared to the final race, which included the sprint as well as the final race day.
The bad: Mercedes could not get to the podium even after a promising display at the sprint race and qualification
The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showed a promising display at the qualification of the sprint race, where Hamilton secured second place but left Russell behind in 11th place. The sprint race was a success, as Hamilton managed to secure second place and Russell moved up the charts as he clutched the 8th position in the sprint. Mercedes looked confident that one of their drivers would grab a spot on the podium at the final race.
As the final day race unfolded, Mercedes could not live up to the expectations of its fans as none of the drivers managed to secure a podium finish, Hamilton fans were upset as he grabbed the 9th position, but his teammate Russell managed to finish 6th. He managed to secure some points for Mercedes. Overall, apart from the sprint race, Mercedes did not have as promising a Grand Prix as they had thought they would have and now would shift their gears to the Miami circuit and hit focus there to gain momentum.
The ugly: mixed feelings about Lance Stroll after he crashes with Daniel Ricciardo
On the final race day of the Chinese Grand Prix, there was an ugly collision that took place that involved Lance Stroll and Daniel Ricciardo, and it left the latter out of the race as he could not cope with the damages dealt by the car. Stroll was lucky enough to at least finish 15th but did not secure any points for the team and ended up getting 2 penalty points for the crash. The crash blew the fans’ minds, and they took the internet on Stroll to the next level of trolling, Ricciardo also fumed up in the post-race interview.
Rewind to the restart ⏪
Stroll 💥 Ricciardo
😮#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/C0nn5PdiQL
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 21, 2024
In a post-race interview, Ricciardo was seen to lose his cool as he gave out a statement on the crash: “I’m doing my best not to say what I want to say, but f*** that guy.” The Chinese Grand Prix unfolded plenty of events, among which the crash stands out as the ugliest of them all, and this has put a lot of hatred on Lance Stroll.
But trying to change what’s already occurred is like trying to unring a bell. The race shifts to Miami, which is set to unfold in the first week of May, and drivers and teams look forward to what the season has to come.