Max Verstappen easily led the Formula 1 world champion team Red Bull to their fourth victory in the fifth race of the season. On the track in Shanghai, which is historically important for the racing team, the Dutchman triumphed ahead of McLaren driver Lando Norris, who narrowly thwarted Red Bull’s fourth double victory of the year. Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez completed the podium in third place. For Verstappen it was the 58th Grand Prix victory of his Formula 1 career.
In the World Championship, the 26-year-old, who was also the confident winner of the sprint race on Saturday, is already well ahead of the Mexican Perez (85) with 110 points. Verstappen has taken all pole positions and victories so far this year – except for one: at the Australian Grand Prix he retired while in the lead due to a defect.
Nico Hülkenberg finished tenth in the Haas and finished in the points for the third time this year. Record world champion Lewis Hamilton, who only started from position 18 after a botched qualifying, drove his Mercedes up to at least ninth place and did some damage limitation. His last season with the racing team before moving to Ferrari remains messed up.
Zhou Guanyu, who comes from Shanghai, came home empty-handed in 14th place in front of a sold-out crowd, meaning the Sauber driver is still without a World Championship point this season. Almost exactly 15 years ago to the day, the Red Bull team celebrated its first pole and its first Grand Prix victory in Shanghai thanks to Sebastian Vettel – now there are 117 successes. On Saturday Verstappen captured the 100th pole position for the team, and on Sunday the world champion won the Chinese Grand Prix for the first time.
Of the 24 routes in this year’s racing calendar, the Dutchman only has a score to settle with Singapore. Verstappen, who confidently won the sprint race on Saturday ahead of Hamilton and Perez and then also took pole position for the Grand Prix, got off to a strong start and quickly pulled away. The rain, which had plagued the world champion and his Red Bull in sprint qualifying on Friday, did not materialize. He was not at risk on dry roads.
After 13 of 56 laps, Red Bull made perfect pit stops for its drivers one after the other, and Verstappen immediately dictated the pace again, even on the hard tires. After just six more laps he overtook Norris, who had not yet stopped, and was back in the lead. Even two safety car phases, one after Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas’ engine failure and one after a rear-end collision, failed to embarrass Verstappen.